Most people dread sitting down to write, but the job becomes easier when certain writing strategies are followed. Most bad writing results from a lack of planning, not a lack of writing skills. Before determining the main point of a piece of writing, the writer should determine the purpose and audience. First, determine what needs to be achieved by a piece of writing. Three questions should be answered about the purpose: (1) What should the reader think? (2) What should the reader feel? and (3) What should the reader do? Next, the proper audience must be identified. A major difference between a specific professional audience and the general public will greatly affect what is written. The next move is to organize the ideas to be communicated in descending order of importance, with the main point coming first. Since most professional people are quite busy, the message should be kept to a minimum and unnecessary fluff avoided. Various graphic design tricks, such as headings, bullets, numbers, and white spaces, can be used to emphasize important points and to make the message more memorable. Finally, writers should be ready to try using imaginative writing which makes the reader become more actively involved with the communication process. Sensory images, for example, help to achieve such an objective. Writing is hard work for everyone, but following such a plan will greatly reduce the unpleasant aspect of it. (A list of editing tips and examples of wordiness are attached.) (HB)