The Power-Packed Paragraph: 5 Keys to Summarizing a BIG IDEA
You want to make sure you cover the important points. The readers (or hearers) have specified that they want only the bottom line. How can you render all that needs to be said in such a small space? Think lean. Each word or picture is inventory and you don’t have a warehouse.
Here are five quick ideas to help:
- Ask yourself, “What is the overall message?” If you were writing one paragraph about the entire body of information, what would be the topic sentence? Answering these questions reveals the essence of your communication.
- What level of detail does the reader or hearer desire? Outline the key points that must be communicated. Each of these ideas may seem to you like a topic sentence when you consider all the details of each one, so choose your words wisely.
- If you are creating a report for management, first highlight the results that have been achieved before briefing them on how you will address risks and implement other action plans.
- When writing any type of proposal, focus the attention on the benefits that your plan will achieve. While you must specify the problem and your solution, don’t focus most of your time or space on the traits of your plan. Traits tell; benefits sell. Be sure to include the investment required to implement your proposal!
- After you have written what you believe to be a short summary, get out the red pen. What information is NOT absolutely necessary? Can you reword a sentence to shorten it without sacrificing meaning? If the final product is a series of simple sentences, tie them together using conjunctions like “although,” “and,” or “while.”
