Use Real-Life Templates For Writing Success

At some point along the way, most of us have used what are commonly called "fill-in-the-blank" writing templates. We might have used them to write a letter, format an essay, or set-up a resume or CV.

You know what I'm talking about here. It's those form letter templates that you see in many writing texts and workbooks.

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK TEMPLATES

For example, in the case of a letter, a "fill-in-the-blank" template would look something like this:

Dear [NAME OF RECIPIENT]:

This is to advise you that your probation period in the position [POSITION NAME] expired on [DATE].

The [NAME OF REVIEW COMMITTEE] met on [DATE OF MEETING] and determined that your probationary appointment was successful and that you should be immediately appointed to [NAME OF POSITION] [NAME OF ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT].

Accordingly, this is to inform you that effective [DATE OF APPOINTMENT] you are officially appointed to the position of [NAME OF POSITION] for an initial period of [NUMBER OF YEARS/MONTHS]. Terms and conditions of your employment are covered by [OFFICIAL CONTRACT NAME/NUMBER].

Would you please report as soon as possible to [NAME OF OFFICIAL], [TITLE OF OFFICIAL] in the [OFFICIAL NAME OF HR GROUP] so that the details of your appointment may be properly documented.

Congratulations [NAME OF APPOINTEE]. All of us at [COMPANY OR ORGANIZATION NAME] look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

[NAME AND TITLE OF ORIGINATOR]

Although this "fill-in-the-blank" approach can work, it has a number of shortcomings as follows:

DISADVANTAGES OF FILL-IN-THE-BLANK TEMPLATES

- Because of their generic nature, they tend to generalize so much that they resemble a computer generated form letter.

- They don't provide specific information on how a professional would properly fill in the required information [BLANKS].

- They don't provide mental stimulation or show how a professional might word the letter in a specific real-life context.

- The content is typically watered down to try and cover every possible situation.

- Thus, they are virtually useless for 98% of real-life situations, since they lack real-life content.

REAL-LIFE TEMPLATES

On the other hand, here's what a "real-life" template would look like for a similar situation:

Dear Jessica:

This is to advise you that your probation period in the position Customer Service Agent (Temporary) expired on November 30, 2004.

The Staffing Review Committee met late last week and determined that your probationary appointment was successful and that you should be immediately appointed as Customer Service Agent (Ongoing).

Accordingly, this is to inform you that effective December 1, 2004 you are officially appointed to the position of Customer Service Agent in the Customer Support Group for an initial period of 36 months. Terms and conditions of your employment are covered by the Customer Service Group Employment Agreement.

Would you please report as soon as possible to Jim Jackson, Chief of Human Resources so that the details of your appointment may be properly documented.

Congratulations Jessica! All of us here at MedWay Systems Inc. look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Sharon Smithson Manager, Customer Support Group

ADVANTAGES OF REAL-LIFE TEMPLATES

Clearly, the "model" that most of us would rather work with, if we had to write a similar letter, is definitely the second one, the "real-life" template.

You can relate to it. It talks about real-life people in a real-life situation that you can identify with. And, you get to see exactly how a professional worded it.

There are other advantages to "real-life" templates:

Fully-Formatted Final Versions

"Real-life" templates are fully-formatted as final documents so that you can see exactly how they looked when they were sent out in a "real-life" situation. They don't look like some kind of "draft" form letter.

Content With Value

Working with "real-life" templates, it is much easier to adapt them to YOUR actual situations because they give you visual and intellectual cues that you can relate to.

Naturally, when you see how a copywriter or consultant has dealt with a "real-life" scenario, in terms of word choice, context, and punctuation, it is much easier to adapt to the real-life situation that you are writing for. In that way, the actual content has value.

Easy To Work With

"Real-life" templates are just as easy to work with as other templates. You simply load them into your word processing program and edit and adjust them to fit your own specific situation. Presto! You have a fully formatted real-life letter ready to be printed and sent out in the mail.

You also have the comfort of knowing that what you are sending has already been used in other "real-life" situations.

Real-Life Content

With real-life templates, it is much easier to find an adaptable "fit" for the situation you are writing for. Not only do they give you the final format of a document, their content provides an excellent real-life sample and gives food-for-thought to assist you in the writing process.

SAMPLE REAL-LIFE TEMPLATES

For illustration purposes, many real-life letter templates as well as real-life resume templates can be found at my main Writing writing help Web site:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com

Now that you've checked those out, I ask you, would you rather work from a "fill-in-the-blanks" generic template, or a fully-formatted "real-life" template?

Shaun Fawcett, is webmaster of the popular writing help site WritingHelp-Central.com. He is also the author of several best selling "writing toolkit" eBooks. All of his eBooks and his internationally acclaimed f-r-e-e course, "Tips and Tricks For Writing Success" are available at his writing tools site: http://www.writinghelptools.com

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

Increase Your Chances Of Winning Writing Contests
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For starters it's a great way to get your name in print and in front of potential readers.

Creative Writing Tips - Does The Name You Chose Suit Your Character?
How do you choose a name? Do you put down the first name that pops into your mind? Initially that's what I used to do, until someone pointed out to me that there are a few things to take into consideration when choosing a name?1. You Have To Be Comfortable With ItWe associate names with people we know.

Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters - Good Ideas for Stories
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea generation and then the use of structure to extrapolate that idea into a coherent story.Sources of Good Ideas a) Ideas that push cultural boundaries work well.

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author
DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale price and your book's retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin.

The Writing Club
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts enter the mind, long stringed and meaningful sentences trip over each other to receive attention at the front of the brain alongside all the brilliant findings, results, meanings that speak volumes and hard hitting phrases that are just the ticket to open the door to success. The last thought in the brain before sleep overrides this brilliant future work is, "must use that tomorrow".

Writing Made Them Rich #5: Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle was born in England in 1939.His fascination with France began at the age ofseventeen when, as the 'lowliest trainee' in Shell, hewas instructed to accompany his boss - a Mr.

Essay Types and Modes Youll Need to Write for College
~TYPES~You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task AssignedWhich academic essay writing types we use depends upon which disciplines (or classes) we write for. Each instructor or professor will assign papers that invite us to reveal in writing what we have learned/what we think about the material for that particular class:* ANALYTIC-A classic style used in art, science, history, psychology, education, and most other disciplines across the curriculum to explore and investigate an idea, process, person, action, or attitude.

Writing Secrets You Must Know
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more important for business communicators.

Recipe for a Style Guide
Wired Online has recently announced its plans to drop capitalization in internet, web, and net, but Wired Magazine continues to capitalize these words. Which should you do? For the most part, it's up to you.

In Your Own Words
More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own wordsFamiliar phrase? Yes, we have all heard it many times in many different situations. This little phrase is used to convey subtly different meanings depending upon the circumstances in which it is used.

Writing with a Sense of Adventure
We've all been told that we need to use all five senses to bring our fiction to life. Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch all need to be invoked.

Writing For Free: When & When Not to Do It!
Right off the bat, I want to say that there is no right or wrong answer to this topic. A lot depends on your end goal - to get a job, garner publicity, build a portfolio, etc.

7 Steps to Successful Publishing
The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It causes the creative juices to flow and the eyes to light up. But wait - before you begin the publishing process, know about the seven most important steps you need to know before publishing your book.

Trying Too Hard
If you dread the thought of writing, if you fear your desk, and if you hate your computer, then you are trying too hard.If the thought of writing makes you feel guilty, makes your heartbeat quicker, and makes you sweat, then you are trying too hard.

Use Real-Life Templates For Writing Success
At some point along the way, most of us have used what are commonly called "fill-in-the-blank" writing templates. We might have used them to write a letter, format an essay, or set-up a resume or CV.

Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters
Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a single character. I followed suggestions in writers' reference books for developing story characters.

The Psychology Of Effortless Writing
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.

The Hard Facts About Editing
Whether you're interviewing for a new job, trying to woo a love interest on a first date, selling your work on the Internet, or submitting a query to an editor, you can never make a second first impression. It's true.

How To Write to a Word Count
You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it. The plot is gripping, the characters are lively, and the pace zooms along.

Power Writing 101: Tips and Tricks to Get You Taken Seriously!
In my ten years as an advertiser, I've encountered plenty of folks with a flair for writing. They were born having some idea of where to put the words within the sentence, and the sentences within the paragraph.