Resources for Writing Clearly
Tags: writing, communication, resources
Published: 2023-10-07 16:22:54

_Cover Image: [Yannick Pulver](https://unsplash.com/@yanu?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/hopX_jpVtRM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)_

How to write clearly can be unclear.

[Brooks E. Scott - Executive Coach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooks-e-scott-mergingpathcoaching/) helped my writing with a "see one, do one" method during a coaching call. He and I took a look at a recent email I wrote and he edited for clarity. Then, I did the same.
It was an immediate 💡 moment. As a former sports editor and wanna be journalist, you might think I had that skill. I guess clear writing is "90% mental and the other half is physical" and I struggled with both. 😄

Here are a couple 🛠️ I've used to improve my writing. In case you don't have a coaching call with Brooks on the books. (If you don't, you should! Thanks Brooks. 💪 )

Know of other good resources? Let me know in the comments so we can ~~all be a lot less wordy, use simplistic terms and avoid long run on sentences filled with jargon~~ be more clear.

https://hemingwayapp.com/ - "[Hemingway app](https://hemingwayapp.com/help.html#about) makes your writing bold and clear" is their tagline. It's a very useful app for writing, from work docs to personal messages. See a brief example of improving a resume summary below. I owe [Adam Long](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamblong/) a country ham biscuit or three if I ever meet him in NC.

https://textio.com/ - Write inclusive and valuable job descriptions (and more) with Textio

https://developers.google.com/tech-writing - "Every engineer is also a writer." A set of courses that can help you improve technical writing.

[5 Ways ChatGPT Can Improve, Not Replace, Your Writing](https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-writing-tips/) - ChatGPT and other LLMs are helpful in starting ideas, summarizing long text, and giving you an editor-in-a-box like experience.

[Your Tech Resume is Garbage: Here's How To Fix It](https://morganlatimer.com/blog/your-tech-resume-is-garbage-heres-how-to-fix-it/) - Harsh but fair focus from @anthonydmays on how to improve a tech resume. 📝 Remember your teachers writing feedback that filled your page with red ink? 🔴🖊 Reading this feels like that memory in all the good ways.

_Note: This post is a cross post from my [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrewennamorato_how-to-write-clearly-can-be-unclear-brooks-activity-7116452119464865792-qRdI)._

## Using Hemingway to Improve Your Resume

When I'm updating my resume, I post snippets into Hemingway. I use their app to see if I can be succinct and clear.
Software engineering is full of acronyms and technical terms. You can't avoid them in a resume, but the rest of your text can improve.

Here's a screenshot of a few random "Summary" snippets that you might find in a resume. You'll see how Hemingway highlights them and gives you visual feedback on how to improve.

![Screenshot from Hemingway App showing snippets from a Software Engineer Resume. Includes examples from Andy on how you might improve them.](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/64kxsad5sr71oulbzfhr.png)