The first big idea that I discovered in chapter two was the interconnectedness of the seven Cs of good business and professional writing. This chapter went into great detail about each of the basic principles of good professional writing. Many of these include things like avoiding nominalizations, using active verbs, and writing sentences with only one main idea. However, it also continuously mentioned the overlap that can be found between almost all of these principles. In many ways, concrete and specific writing will also come across as clear writing. Similarly, writing that does not sound complete is likely not very coherent either. Understanding the basic rules of professional and business writing is undoubtedly important, but understanding the ways that each of them factor into another is key in creating a finished professional and polished piece overall.
A common theme that I noticed appearing within almost all of the seven principles was the importance of word choice. It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to explain a point so that it comes through clearly, or using too many prepositions and falling into a word salad. In most cases, the points that we want to get across can usually be said much more plainly if we think about it simply. Not only is intentional word choice important when trying to convey the right message, but it is also a way to show politeness and respect, or to come off as easily understandable and readable for anyone. Attention to word choice in many cases can help take a piece of writing to a much higher level by aiding in specificity and completeness, something we all strive for in business and professional writing.
