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Thread: Writing Skills and Investigations...

  1. #1
    Kanda Force is offline
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    Writing Skills and Investigations...

    As an Investigator, good writing skills must become second nature. Whether it will be paperwork for your own records or a report you will be handing to someone else, your writing skills can and will affect your future earnings.

    People will judge you by your writing skills just as they will by your speaking skills or your appearance. It's the way Human Beings seem to "work". Though most will assure you that you will be judged "on your own merit" only the truly open-minded will actually give you that benefit.

    Consider the following tips to improve your image through your writing style and skill.

    • Always use upper and lower case letters in the proper places.
    • Using all lower case letters makes the material difficult to read.




    Bad Example One

    THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF POOR WRITING STYLE. EVEN IF SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION ARE CORRECT, IT DOES LITTLE TO MAKE THE TEXT EASILY AND ENJOYABLY READABLE. ALONG WITH BEING DIFFICULT TO READ, IN ONLINE ETIQUETTE ALL CAPS IS USUALLY CONSIDERED SHOUTING. IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT IT CAN BE PERCEIVED AS BELLIGERENCE, INTIMIDATION, OR EVEN AGGRESSION. IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS CONSIDERED RUDE.



    Bad Example Two

    all lower case lack of punctuation mispeling missingspaces and runon and broken and incomplete sentences and page long paragraphs and excessive use of words like "and" while having know special meaning in netiquette also render a pst difficult to read posts that are hard to read are often simply glossed over or skipped entirely by readres asyou can see from this text punctuation is a very important part of good writing



    A Better Example

    As a Private Investigator you will often be required to submit written or typed reports to your employers. Rest assured that if your writing skills are not to an employers expectations, you probably won't be submitting very many reports to him. In other words, he may not have a lot of work for you.

    Many times the reports you write are presented in court. If the judge can't read it, or won't accept it because it's so poorly written, you will have a very unhappy ex-client.




    • Buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. Every time you hear or see a word you don't know, look it up in the dictionary. Once you know what it means, look it up in the thesaurus. This will help give you a good understanding of the word and how to use it.
    • There are many inexpensive books available to build, increase, and enhance your vocabulary. Buy one. The more words you know and understand, the better your writing and your speaking will be. People will understand you better and you will understand them better.
    • When writing, "slang" should only be used when quoting someone. Slang may not be clearly understood by the reader, setting the stage for a break down in communications.
    • Include punctuation to separate sentences. Punctuation helps clarify the meaning of a sentence. Sometimes, you can take one sentence and make several different meanings just by putting punctuation in different areas.
    • Use paragraphing to separate ideas or whenever appropriate. Paragraphing helps the reader follow along easier and keeps ideas from running together.
    • PROOF READ!! On the forum, you can use the "Preview Reply" button before you submit. See how your writing (post) will appear before you make it final.
      Use the "Edit" button to actually edit your own work after it has been submitted.
      Proof reading reports or papers can save you from uncomfortable situations.
    • Learn to convey facts in the proper tense and order. Getting things confused will cost you in the end!


    By clicking on this button, found at the top right hand side of the forum page, you will find a tutorial to help you learn the software. You will discover many fun ways to express yourself on the forum. We have lots of help and encouragement waiting to assist you. Helping you reach your goals is our main objective and this is the place to start!

    Jump into the Test Your Writing Skills forum and start the learning process.

    Remember,

    Good writing is good communication!

    Good communication keeps clients, jobs, money,
    and your career as a private investigator.

  2. #2
    Kimberly A Croft's Avatar
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    I just thought this post should be close to the top again.
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    I have some funny examples to demonstrate

    Kandy,
    Your point is very important and I think of it often when I'm writing in the forums. Someone sent this to me last week and I thought I would share this with all, just as a demo to reinforce your statements! No offense is intended to church or religion.. it's just the ideas, and that we can laugh and learn!

    Dianne
    *******************
    Church Ladies with Typewriters

    Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually
    appeared in church bulletins or
    > were announced in church services :
    >
    > 1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be
    > speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the
    way from Africa.
    >
    > 2. Announcement in a church bulletin for a national
    > PRAYER & FASTING Conference: "The cost for attending
    > the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."
    >
    > 3. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water."
    The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
    >
    > 4. Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the
    recreation hall.
    Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
    >
    > 5. "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of
    those things not worth keeping
    > around the house. Don't forget your husbands."
    >
    > 6. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to
    a conflict.
    >
    > 7. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.
    >
    > 8. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell" to someone who
    doesn't care much about you.
    >
    > 9. Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
    >
    > 10. Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving
    obvious pleasure to the congregation.
    >
    > 11. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a
    nursery downstairs.
    >
    > 12. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir.
    > They need all the help they can get.
    >
    > 13. Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more
    transfusions.
    She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's
    sermons.
    >
    > 14. During the absence of our Pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of
    hearing a good sermon
    when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.
    >
    > 16. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the
    church.
    So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
    >
    > 18. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is
    Hell?"
    Come early and listen to our choir practice.
    >
    > 19. Eight new choir robes are currently needed,
    > due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of
    some older ones.
    >
    > 20. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be
    recycled.
    Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
    >
    > 21. The Lutheran men's group will meet at 6 PM.
    > Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served
    for a nominal feel.
    >
    > 22. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased
    person you want remembered.
    >
    > 23. Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy
    lunch.
    >
    > 24. The church will host an evening of fine dining, superb
    entertainment, and gracious hostility.
    >
    > 25. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM- prayer and medication to follow.
    >
    > 26. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.
    They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
    >
    > 27. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn sing in the park across
    from the Church.
    Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
    >
    > 28. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10.
    All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is
    done.
    >
    > 29. The pastor would appreciated it if the ladies of the congregation
    would lend him their
    electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
    >
    > 30. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please
    use the back door.
    >
    > 31. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the
    Church basement Friday at
    > 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

    > 32. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.
    Please use large double> door at the side entrance.
    The only thing that is constant is change.

  4. #4
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    Smile Writing Skills and Examples

    I'm in full agreement with the both of you, Kandra and Dianne.
    Kandra, your tips and examples are simply superb, consice and to the point.
    Dianne, your post truly drives the point home. Albiet, I had to wipe the tears from my eyes due to laughter, I absolutely believe a humorous approach is always a great way to teach.
    Don

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    Kanda,

    I agree 100%. Our writing and communication skills are another way that people view us. So we must all learn to proof read, and edit, edit, and EDIT once more if need be.
    Thanks for the reminder.
    Have a GREAT day!
    Sara Pickett
    Private Investigator Trainee

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    I love the humorous approach to the writing techniques tips. I'm still laughing. Good advice to follow, thanks.

    Kathie

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    Skills

    Good examples


    Wiping Tears Oh my !! I never laughed so hard in my life

  8. #8
    Amy Diffley Guest
    Good examples!!!

  9. #9
    Hilarious excerpts from various church bulletins, yet very effective in bringing home the point. I am still looking for how to use different colors in my posts, and how to quote others. Yet to find it.

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    Re: Writing Skills and Investigations...

    Originally posted by Kanda Force
    As an Investigator, good writing skills must become second nature. Whether it will be paperwork for your own records or a report you will be handing to someone else, your writing skills can and will affect your future earnings.

    People will judge you by your writing skills just as they will by your speaking skills or your appearance. It's the way Human Beings seem to "work". Though most will assure you that you will be judged "on your own merit" only the truly open-minded will actually give you that benefit.

    Good writing is good communication!

    Good communication keeps clients, jobs, money,
    and your career as a private investigator.
    Bravo Kandy! You just showed us how to..."Walk the Talk!"

    Thanks!
    Last edited by Sunny Engel; 10-21-2003 at 01:00 PM.
    Sunny
    What You Observe Is What You Report!

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    Unhappy

    I have to work on my writing skills. I hate to say it, but the computer has me spoiled. I would just go to spell/grammer check, make sure it was ok. (can't really rely on that all the time) Kind of reminds me when calculators came out. Math was going fuzzy as well.

    As for Dianne, man I love those things! There is a websight I sometimes go to for a good needed laugh.

    I have a friend of mine who used to be my reading teacher, I was going to see if she could tutor me in this area.

    Have a great weekend
    Barbara Compton

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    communication:

    To whom it may concern: Good communication skills, also tells how well ones thoughts are put together. Tina forum member6122.

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    communication:

    sorry to impose, but i usually break the wurd down into sections keeping in mind that some of the letters are silent, then i realy sound it out or that two letters put together sometimes makes up one sound, also depending one what the sentense is saying. Tina6122

  14. #14
    Shannon Marble's Avatar
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    Thank you all for the tips, and the humor was well needed.

  15. #15
    Petra Post -'s Avatar
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    Great thread, everybody... will come back again for another laugh.

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    Good Writing Skills

    I couldn't agree with you more. Good writing skills are essential in todays world.

    I would like to add one thing. In addition to the mechanics of writing content is just as important. When preparing reports, the first thing I was taught to use as an opening paragraph was the who, what, where, when, and how of the case. It's good to add the "why" also. Many know this as the "corpus delicti." This techique really does work. It gives the reader a complete overview of what is to come and does it in a concise manner. It also formulates in the writers mind what he or she is going to write in support of the reports opening remarks.

    I have had great success in using this method of writing especially with criminal cases. Of course, it can be applied to fit many different scenarios. It is usually greatly appreciated by the reader. You're also insuring that if the report is not completely perused, the reader will at least have a summary of what happened.

  17. #17
    Gerald Pattillo's Avatar
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    Hmmmmmm,pretty funny stuff !

  18. #18
    [*]Learn to convey facts in the proper tense and order. Getting things confused will cost you in the end![/list][/B][/color]

    _____________________

    This is one area of writing that so many people easily miss. In one sentence/paragraph many people will use past and present tense when one or the other is actual, not both.

    Good flow to writing is essential to the reader no matter what type of writing we are doing.

    By keeping things in order one creates flow for the reader. As a writer we want the reader to put forth the least amount of effort towards "having to put it together" so they can concentrate on the facts and important information contained within the material.

    This of course said in context of needing to be factual and articulate. If we were to write a novel we would probably do a little of both just to confuse the reader on purpose.

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    Ah, the post about the church "outtakes" was fabulous! What a great lesson and good laugh. Thanks for this thread.

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    Great tips!
    The Church Ladies with Typewriters was hysterical! I had to call my mother and share a few with her as she is an employee of a local church. She got a kick out of them as well!

  21. #21
    Flora Porter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqueline Jane Stojanovich
    [*]Learn to convey facts in the proper tense and order. Getting things confused will cost you in the end![/list][/B][/color]

    _____________________

    This is one area of writing that so many people easily miss. In one sentence/paragraph many people will use past and present tense when one or the other is actual, not both.

    Good flow to writing is essential to the reader no matter what type of writing we are doing.

    By keeping things in order one creates flow for the reader. As a writer we want the reader to put forth the least amount of effort towards "having to put it together" so they can concentrate on the facts and important information contained within the material.

    This of course said in context of needing to be factual and articulate. If we were to write a novel we would probably do a little of both just to confuse the reader on purpose.
    Hi Jacqueline,

    I agree with your post. I enjoy reading and listening for facts.
    By keeping things in order we can navigate a flow of useful information. Hopefully get a true bill if all facts were evident.

    P.I. Trainee
    Flora Porter

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    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    To All:

    This is a reprint from the September/October 2004 issue of a publication called Office Solutions . It was a real pain to edit for posting (this is called redacting). There were graphics and weird type in the article; scanning this is not fun.

    Since Kandy has started us on the track of good writing, I feel honored to help out with this.

    Please remember that this guidance is for business writing. By following this guidance – and applying some common sense – your business writing will improve. Try some of this out as soon as you can; take a writing sample you have and edit it using this article. Before you start, you might want to run a style/grammar checker on the original to get a feel for word count, number of paragraphs, words per paragraph, words per sentence, letters per word, reading grade level, and reading ease. After the edit, run the same grammar/style checker. I play that kind of game frequently just to see how well I am doing and to see if I am getting better or worse.


    How to Get Read When You Can’t Write

    ORGANIZATION AND SUCCINCTNESS ARE KEYS TO GETTING THE WORDS OUT

    It's now easier than ever to be an inept writer and still get your point across

    The sentence as we know it isn't quite dead, but readers' dwindling attention spans mean they require fewer words. In addition, word processing software has made it easy to use visual cues to compensate for any grammatical deficiencies.

    You've probably noticed that poor writers tend to substitute quantity for quality because they never got beyond those 500-word essay days in school. They use padded phrases and repeat their points, thinking the key to success is to hit a certain word count. If you can't write, let this be your Golden Rule: Less is more.

    Get Organized

    Before you type the first word of any business letter, presentation, memo, or e-mail, devise a plan of attack. It doesn't have to be elaborate, so forget about numbered outlines and stacks of index cards. Instead, make a simple list of each point you want to make. Next, assign each point a numerical rank. No.1 should be your main point.

    The concept is called building an "inverted pyramid." Visualize a pyramid with its tip on the ground and its wide base on top. When you present points in this format, if readers only skim your first few lines/they'll get the brunt of your message.

    Too many business writers make the mistake of trying to build to a big finish by starting with insignificant details. This compounds the writing problem because little points are hard to present since there's not much meat to them. Unless your name is Agatha Christie and there's a guilty butler in your report, using a trail of smelly little red herrings to lure the reader along is likely to earn your work a quick trip to the round file.

    Give Your Subject Lines a Hook

    Have you ever dug through your electronic inbox looking for a certain email but came up empty because all the subject lines said "Report" or "Here's an Interesting Article"?

    Think of the subject line as your title or headline. You should have one on every document, whether it's paper or electronic. It doesn't have to be clever, but it should be informative. Pretend it's the tab of the file folder you'll be hunting for in five years.

    "Meeting" is a subject line that doesn't tell anyone anything, but "2005 Capital Expenditures Budget Sept. 1 Meeting" says it all.

    Think Short

    This goes against everything you were taught in school when your English teacher waxed poetic on the infinite nuances of sentence structure, but in business writing, shorter is always better. Even if the message is complicated, use short sentences that contain one thought. Here's a rule of thumb: If a sentence contains three or more punctuation marks, excluding the period, you can probably break it into simpler sentences.

    Use Subheadings

    Going back to school days, when most of our bad writing habits were hammered into us, do you remember what you did when textbooks were handed out? You looked for pictures, white space, and large print. As adults, we instinctively do the same with everything we read.

    Subheadings are the poor writer's best friend because they perform two vital functions. They make white space, and they create seamless transitions between topics.

    Like subject lines, good subheadings are meaningful. Instead of using gratuitous, meaningless subheadings like "Introduction," "Summary," and "Conclusion," pull a few pertinent words from the text to create a mini-summary of the topic, such as "Benefits of Software Upgrades." The more subheads you use, the less writing you have to do because each new idea doesn't need a narrative introduction.

    Write the Way You Talk

    Any writing takes an immediate nosedive when the author assumes a formal or business-like persona. When you write the way people talk, omitting the obvious "uhs," "you knows," and "I means," your style becomes so transparent that readers don't even think about it. When your message comes through as effortlessly as conversation, no one feels as if his intelligence has been insulted because you didn't use big words. So, it's fine to leave the fancy vocabulary in the dictionary.

    Mark Twain made the point when he wrote, "I never write 'metropolis' for seven cents because I can get the same price for 'city.' "

    Never try to write like an attorney unless you are an attorney and can't help yourself. If you need to get something signed, don't ask your reader to "execute" it. Don't refer to people as "parties." Never call yourself "the undersigned."

    Rely on industry jargon and buzzwords as little as possible. When you think about it, they're a second language. How many people do you know who are bilingual? When you must use the vocabulary of your trade, always spell out abbreviations and acronyms the first time they appear, just to be on the safe side.

    Forget about elegant variation. Having a dozen ways to say the same thing is just a license to confuse people. If you send an e-mail about your upcoming presentation and refer to it as a "speech, lecture, talk, workshop, and get-together" just to make it sound more interesting than it really is, readers will fear you're plotting a whole series of dull diatribes.

    When writing technical material, it's important to call a shovel a shovel every time. If you've ever assembled something from a kit and found that no two pieces mentioned in the instructions had the same name from one step to the next, you'll understand why.

    Make Liberal Use of Lists

    Like subheadings, lists effortlessly conceal a multitude of writing deficiencies. Even better, most readers actually prefer lists to long narrative paragraphs. Whenever you have a sentence containing three or more items, present them as a list.

    This writing seminar will give you the tools to:
    • make your writing easy to read
    • tailor your message to diverse audiences
    • correct problem areas.

    The trick to writing lists is to keep the elements parallel. Make them all either short phrases or complete sentences, or all actions or things. Don't make this mistake:

    To streamline our human resource efforts, we must:
    • re-evaluate our staffing needs
    • document our training procedures so that new hires may become productive more quickly
    • revise our performance appraisal standards
    • Application form review.

    Making lists of short phrases provides two additional bonuses. You don't have to think in complete sentences, and you can simplify punctuation.

    To separate list items, use bullets or numbers. However, be aware that bullets and numbers aren't interchangeable or a matter of personal preference. In deciding which to use, it all boils down to whether the list must be read or followed in a certain order. If the answer is yes, then you need numbers. If order doesn't matter, use bullets.

    Bullets come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but use them consistently and don't go overboard. If you're providing a checklist, you might use checkmark bullets or small squares that readers can check themselves.

    Use Tables for Easy Comparisons

    For side-by-side comparisons, there's nothing like a good table or spreadsheet. Never describe items paragraph by paragraph when the information will fit in a table. Once again, tables eliminate the chore of writing because you're dealing only with raw information.

    When you set up a table, give a short title to each row and column. How the information is presented depends on the number of items. For example, if you have 10 items with three characteristics each to compare, your table should have 10 rows with three columns.

    Pictures Are Still Worth a Thousand Words

    Former presidential candidate Ross Perot's graphs seemed so refreshing at the beginning of the 1992 presidential campaign because no politician had ever made such an effort to be clear. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to know when to stop, and his pie charts eventually became fodder for late-night comedians. But the principle was sound. Show, don't tell. If you can make a point more easily with a picture or graph, do it.

    Use Visual Tricks for Greater Readability

    Judicious use of color is a great way to get noticed. In long electronic documents, you can assign colors to different levels of subheadings. If readers will print your work, make sure your colors are dark enough to show up in black and white. Blue, red, and green are usually fine for e-mail and print documents. However, you should probably reserve yellow for presentations written against a dark background.

    You've also got many fonts in a wide range of sizes as well as typographical gimmicks like shadow, outline, emboss, engrave, small caps, bold, italics, and underline. Remember that less is more unless you've got formal training in graphic design.

    The key to all good business writing is to use as few—short—words as possible. Computers can also help you add pizzazz. By using every trick at your disposal, you can write less but say more.

    Karen Wormed is a freelance business writer based in Midlothian, VA. She can be reached at Kew Publications, Kewpubs@aol.com or 804/379-8503.

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    Dear Kandy,

    I am anxious to use the tutorial to check my writing skills. As a teacher, I hope I pass the test! The postings I've read so far have a lot of wonderful information!
    I'm on my way! Diane Parrish

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    Smile

    Hello All.

    Fantastic information and advice. I have a passion for writing and I am working on a crime novel. Practice and proof reading are both key elements in successful report writing.
    I am also taking an on-line, distance learning, writing course. The site is www.ed2go.com. You can never learn too much.
    For the purpose of writing reports I strongly recommend a class in Journalism. This may sound unusual but it has been the most valuable writing class I have ever taken. The knowledge absorbed from this course has translated into so many aspects of my business life where succinct reporting is imperative. I truly cannot stress enough how helpful this experience has been.
    I appreciate the efforts made by our distinguished members to provide such beneficial information and advice.
    Many thanks!

    Cindy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cynthia Keating
    Hello All.

    Fantastic information and advice. I have a passion for writing and I am working on a crime novel. Practice and proof reading are both key elements in successful report writing.
    I am also taking an on-line, distance learning, writing course. The site is www.ed2go.com. You can never learn too much.
    For the purpose of writing reports I strongly recommend a class in Journalism. This may sound unusual but it has been the most valuable writing class I have ever taken. The knowledge absorbed from this course has translated into so many aspects of my business life where succinct reporting is imperative. I truly cannot stress enough how helpful this experience has been.
    I appreciate the efforts made by our distinguished members to provide such beneficial information and advice.
    Many thanks!

    Cindy
    Cindy -

    I learned to write the hard way, by writing, writing again, re-writing, and finally by writing it over. Writing is the easy part. Re-writing is hard work.

    Good luck with the book. I'll give you the same piece of trivia that was given to me when I was working on mine:

    Only two people in the history of the NY Times Bestseller list have occupied the number one spot for both fiction and non-fiction. Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffet. Hemingway wrote at a third-grade level, and what more can one say about Buffet?

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    Thumbs up Cynthia Keating

    Thanks Joe,

    Interesting trivia.
    I agree. Re-writing is the tough part. I can write until I'm blue in the face but it's hard work putting it all together. I'd love to hear more about your book. Congrats to you. Thanks for your well wishes.

    Cindy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cynthia Keating
    Thanks Joe,

    Interesting trivia.
    I agree. Re-writing is the tough part. I can write until I'm blue in the face but it's hard work putting it all together. I'd love to hear more about your book. Congrats to you. Thanks for your well wishes.

    Cindy
    If you really want to know about the book, click on my name and go to the website. Think Gorilla!

  28. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    97
    Joe,

    I've navigated through the site and your book seems right up my alley. I have managed, and have been managed, for 15 years and I find your angle quite interesting. I've ordered your book and look forward to diving into this concept further.

    Peace,

    Cindy

  29. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    273
    Quote Originally Posted by Cynthia Keating
    Joe,

    I've navigated through the site and your book seems right up my alley. I have managed, and have been managed, for 15 years and I find your angle quite interesting. I've ordered your book and look forward to diving into this concept further.

    Peace,

    Cindy
    Hope you enjoy it. I welcome comments at the website.

  30. #30
    Hello,

    I've just sent back my package to obtain my photo-credentials. I am very excited about exploring a career as a Private Investigator. I'm overwhelmed by the forums thus far however, I am determined to do the best I can to market myself to agencies needing my assistance. Best wishes to all aspiring PI's.

  31. #31
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Washington
    Posts
    40
    This is a test!!
    Ricki Smith
    Badge 10279

  32. #32
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Washington
    Posts
    40

    Looks like I got the signature done correctly!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Ricki Smith
    This is a test!!

  33. #33

    Thumbs up

    Thanks for all the good information.

  34. #34
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    22
    This is a good basic primer that I will be using with my assistant investigators.

  35. #35
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    23

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald P Romero
    I couldn't agree with you more. Good writing skills are essential in todays world.

    I would like to add one thing. In addition to the mechanics of writing content is just as important. When preparing reports, the first thing I was taught to use as an opening paragraph was the who, what, where, when, and how of the case. It's good to add the "why" also. Many know this as the "corpus delicti." This techique really does work. It gives the reader a complete overview of what is to come and does it in a concise manner. It also formulates in the writers mind what he or she is going to write in support of the reports opening remarks.

    I have had great success in using this method of writing especially with criminal cases. Of course, it can be applied to fit many different scenarios. It is usually greatly appreciated by the reader. You're also insuring that if the report is not completely perused, the reader will at least have a summary of what happened.

    Great info Donald! That is a tried and true method for concise, factual statements. I agree with you 100%.

  36. #36

    Re: Writing Skills and Investigations...

    Last year I was approached to write a Criminalistics course for a technical school. I was definitely put to the test in the writing department. I was given six weeks to write 40,000 words.

    I was so used to condensing and still able to get my point across that I was forced to relearn to elaborate without sounding redundant.

    The points in this forum are so true in that you have read, re-read and then it's a good idea to have someone else read in case you missed something.

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