Tools: Tips for Making Writing Easier, Part 1: The Five-Minute Miracle

Just imagine a reader saying "I have only one minute. What do you want to tell me?" Then set your timer for five minutes. Use the first to state your main message. Then invite your 'reader' to ask you two critical questions to clarify it. After writing your main message and preparing answers to his or her most pressing questions, you will have a solid, short missive only a few sentences long. "The Five- Minute Miracle" will work for an e-mail, a short report, an executive summary, or a short introductory proposal.