Chapter 1How to Begin

Before beginning any writing project, review the guidelines for plain language. These guidelines will provide the foundation for your writing project.

Begin your writing project with a short list of topics to cover; more ideas will come to you once you've taken this small step.

The brief pointers in the bulleted list will help you now and later.

• Prepare your materials for presentation to an international audience.
• Use common words, where possible, but be precise.
• Use a combination of active and passive voice.
• Present text, tables, graphics, and other materials clearly, concisely, and consistently.
• For the Web environment in particular, divide your thoughts into manageable sections.