Understanding the Process of Writing Correspondence

The process of writing correspondence is essentially like that of writing any other kind of workplace document. The Focus on Process box below presents an overview of this process, focusing on letters, memos, and emails. The more formal the correspondence, the more time you are likely to spend on each of these steps.

When you need to correspond with others in the workplace, your first task is to decide on the appropriate application. You have four major choices: letters, memos, emails, and microblogs.

FOCUS ON PROCESS: Writing Correspondence

When writing correspondence, pay special attention to these steps of the writing process.

PLANNING You will need to choose the appropriate type of correspondence for your writing situation.
DRAFTING For letters, memos, and email, clearly state your purpose, use headings to help your readers, summarize your message, provide adequate background, organize the discussion, and highlight action items. For microblogs, state your message or question clearly.
REVISING You might need to write correspondence quickly, but you still need to write carefully. Revise, edit, and proofread everything before you publish or send it. See Appendix, Part B, p. 485, for help
EDITING
PROOFREADING

242

CHOICES AND STRATEGIES: Choosing a Type of Correspondence

IF THE SITUATION IS . . . AND YOU ARE WRITING TO . . . TRY THIS TYPE OF CORRESPONDENCE
Formal People outside or within your organization Letters. Because letters use centuries-old conventions such as the salutation and complimentary close, they are the most formal of the four types of correspondence.
Moderately formal People outside your organization Letters or email. Letters are more formal than email, but consider how your readers will need to use the information. Recipients can store and forward an email easily, as well as capture the text and reuse it in other documents. In addition, you can attach other files to an email.
Moderately formal People within your organization Memos or email. Memos are moderately formal and can be sent in the body of an email or as an attachment.
Informal People outside or within your organization Email or microblogs. Email is good for quick, relatively informal communication with one or many recipients. Micro-blog posts such as Twitter tweets or Facebook status up-dates can be useful for quick questions addressed to a group. Microblogs are the most informal type of correspondence.