For more successful writing, answer these discovery questions before you begin!
This heuristic by Michele Matthews
- Who’s your audience?
- What is the objective of the letter?
- What are the key pieces of information to present? Prioritise them.
- What are the benefits of this information to the reader? How important is this to the reader?
- Does the reader have any preconceptions about this information?
- What’s an appropriate level of detail? In-depth information or a synopsis/overview?
- Will this information cause any concerns? If so, what’s the best way to address that?
- Is any action required from the reader? If so, what?
- Should there be some sort of follow-up? By whom?
- What’s the most appropriate tone for the letter?