Webinar presentation by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--Worldwide. Dr. Terri Maue shows how to be a better writer by understanding the "Three Knows."

1. Thank you for joining the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Webinar!
“Three ‘Knows’ for Great Writing”
worldwide.erau.edu/newsroom/free-webinars.html

2. A few session pointers
• We will use the text chat for questions
• You can interact with icons
• You control the size of your screen
• Emails will be provided at the end
• A link to the recording will be emailed to you

3. Today’s Agenda
• Presentation—Dr. Terri Maue
• Question and Answers
• Overview of the Bachelor of Science in
Communication
• Upcoming Webinars

4. “Three ‘Knows’ for
Great Writing”
Dr. Terri Maue
Associate Professor
Chair, English & Humanities

5. Three ‘Knows’ for Great Writing
Webinar November 4, 2014
Dr. Terri Maue
Department Chair
English & Humanities
ERAU, Worldwide

6. Writing is all about NOs
NO No No!
No NO
NO no No
No no
NO! No no

7. NO  It’s all about Knows!
• Know your message [what you want to say]
• Know your audience [who you want to say it
to]
• Know your tools [how you want to say it so it
will be received]
• Grammar, punctuation, paragraphing –
important but not the first thing to think
about!

8. Know What—Make an Outline
• See the ‘bones’ of your position
– Where is it strong?
– Where is it weak?
– Does it all ‘hang together?’
• Save yourself time and
heartbreak

9. Start with: What is your message?
• Your claim
• Your position
• Your stand
• Your belief
• What you want to persuade
the reader to seriously consider

10. What is your message?
Is this it?
• People have always driven cars since they
were invented, and cars are a big part of the
American way of life. Therefore it will be hard
for people to give up cars. However, there is
probably going to come a time when that will
happen, even though many people will
probably resist it for a long time and very
strongly. Some people just don’t like change.

11. Not your message!
Too many ideas!
• People have always driven cars since they
were invented, and cars are a big part of the
American way of life. Therefore it will be hard
for people to give up cars. However, there is
probably going to come a time when that will
happen, even though many people will
probably resist it for a long time and very
strongly. Some people just don’t like change.

12. What is your message?
Say it in just a few words:
The personal automobile
should be obsolete.
Put your message statement at
the top of your page. It’s like the
head of your skeleton—everything supports it.

13. Why would you say that?
Your reasons = because statements
The personal automobile should be
obsolete
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient
ways to get around.
II. Because automobiles cause environmental
damage.
III. Because it’s going to happen anyway.

14. That’s just your opinion!
• Gather some evidence
– Data
– Examples
– Research summaries
– Statistics
– Testimony
Put your evidence directly beneath each reason.

15. Now your outline looks like this:
The personal automobile should be obsolete.
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient ways to get around.
1) 20% rise in ownership costs over last 3 years
2) Average family income in same period rose 13%
3) Survey data: 45% say mass transportation has improved in efficiency and
convenience over last ten years; 68% say they use mass transportation
II. Because automobiles cause environmental damage.
1) Global warming is caused in part by auto emissions
2) Readers’ Digest survey shows 43% of Americans are concerned about
damage to the environment caused by cars and trucks.
3) Sierra Club website: “Automobile manufacture and support (roads, fuel,
dumps, etc.) are destroying natural resources almost as fast as logging and burning in
the rainforest.”
Please note: I made all this up.

16. What if it looked like this?
The personal automobile should be obsolete.
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient ways to get around.
1) 20% rise in ownership costs over last 3 years
2) Average family income in same period rose 13%
3) Survey data: 45% say mass transportation has improved in
efficiency and convenience over last ten years; 68% say they use mass
transportation
II. Because automobiles cause environmental damage.
1) Global warming is caused in part by auto emissions
This reason is not well supported, is it?
You need more evidence!
Please note: I made all this up.

17. Know What: Your Message
• Be able to state your message in one simple
sentence.
• Be able to explain clearly and logically why
you believe what you say.
• Be able to support your views with credible
and sufficient evidence.
• Do all this before you begin to write!

18. Know Who: Your Audience
Are you preaching to the choir?
Or do some people disagree?
It’s not always obvious!

19. Hidden pitfalls to persuasion
Unstated assumptions:
– Value judgments
– Deeply held beliefs
– Very simple but very powerful
• something is good or bad, desirable or undesirable,
constructive or destructive

20. Unstated Assumptions
The personal automobile should be obsolete.
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient
ways to get around. (UA: Saving money is
good; efficiency is good.)
II. Because automobiles cause environmental
damage. (UA: Damage to the environment is
undesirable.)

21. What happens when values and beliefs
are not shared?
The personal automobile should be obsolete.
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient
ways to get around. (UA: Saving money is
good; efficiency is good.)
To some, a car is more
than just a way to get
around. It’s status, a
statement of identity,
independence.

22. Who would object?
Will people object to: your message?
your reasons?
your values?
your evidence?
Put the objection where it fits into your outline.
Figure out how to counteract it.

23. Now your outline looks like this:
The personal automobile should be obsolete.
I. Because there are cheaper, equally efficient ways to get around. [objection: some
people buy cars for status, identity, independence; counter: data or testimony that
saving money confers status; desirable to be identified as frugal and efficient?]
1) 20% rise over last 3 years
2) Average family income in same period rose 13%
3) Survey data: 45% say mass transportation has improved in efficiency and
convenience over last ten years; 68% say they use mass transportation
II. Because automobiles cause environmental damage. [objection: technology will save
us; counter: data showing we can’t wait?]
1) Global warming is caused in part by auto emissions
2) Readers’ Digest survey shows 43% of Americans are concerned about
damage to the environment caused by cars and trucks.
3) Sierra Club website: “Automobile manufacture and support (roads, fuel,
dumps, etc.) are destroying natural resources almost as fast as logging and burning in
the rainforest.”
Please note: I made all this up.

24. Know Who: Your Audience
• Be able to identify what your audience
values.
• Be able to identify any opposing opinions they
might hold.
• Be able to weaken any opposition.

25. Know How: Your Tools
• You have the info—how to present it?
– Your message must be understood
– Your message must be seriously considered
• Your tool box—rhetorical strategies

26. You already do it: Rhetorical Strategies
Example: Over the weekend, you went to a wild,
all-night, blowout party at a friend’s house.
• How do you describe it to your buddie who
wasn’t there?
• How do you describe it to your grandmother?
• Rhetorical strategies! [details, word
choices, images]

27. You already do it: Rhetorical Strategies
Example: You want to ask your boss for a day off.
A. Dude, not comin’ in on Friday, cool?
B. Mr. Harris, I’d like to take my grandmother to
the doctor on Friday. Could I have the day
off?
• Rhetorical Strategies! [details, word
choices, order of presentation]

28. You already do it: Rhetorical Strategies
Word choices create different effects.
• The elegantly dressed woman began to
____________ a tiny sandwich.
Chew, eat, chow down, devour, feast upon,
masticate, polish off, nibble
• He put the _____________ in the window.
Blade, flabellum, propeller, thermantidote,
fan, windmill

29. Know How: Your Tools
• Be able to identify your audience’s comfort
level with details and images [values]
• Be able to identify your audience’s need for
details and order of presentation
• Be able to choose appropriate words to
accurately convey your message
Who and How go together!

30. Three Knows for Great Writing
• Know your message
[what you want to say]
• Know your audience
[who you want to say it to]
• Know your tools
[how you want to say it so it will be received]

31. And finally, a word about …
…Punctuation
It actually is important ….

32. Let’s eat Grandma!!!
Let’s eat, Grandma!!!
Punctuation saves lives!
And it makes your writing easier to understand

35. Bachelor of Science in Communication
Online
• For technical and science-minded students
• Join today’s communicators working across
multiple, media-rich channels
– Corporate communications
– Journalism
– Online content development
– Science and technical reporting
– Social media

36. Bachelor of Science in Communication
Courses
• Science and Technology Communication
• Digital Photography
• Mass Communication Law and Ethics
• Technology and Modern Civilization
• Visual Design
• Applied Cross Cultural Communication
• Aviation and Aerospace Communication
• Communication and Organizational Culture

37. Bachelor of Science in Communication
Your career is waiting!
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a
faster-than-average 15 percent growth rate in
technical writing jobs through 2022.
• Every business has a need for expert
communicators to share information with
internal and external audiences.
Go to WORLDWIDE.ERAU.EDU and get started!

38. Upcoming Webinars:
• Nov. 18 Understanding the Global Business
Environment (China Trip)
• Jan. 13 The B.S. in Aeronautics Degree and
its Capstone
• Feb. 10 Aviation Psychology
Additional webinars are scheduled through June.

39. For questions about today’s presentation:
Dr. Terri Maue
maue890@erau.edu
For questions about the webinar series:
Bill Gibbs, Webinar Series Coordinator
bill.gibbs@erau.edu