The starting point for any writing project, any document, is to be clear about your purpose before you start.

Writing a crisp, clear purpose statement helps you to focus your mind. It will help you when you make decisions about content – deciding what goes in and what you will leave out.

A clear purpose will also guide your writing style – do you need to be formal or more friendly.

To clarify your purpose think about the impact you would like to have on your reader – ask yourself “What do I you want my readers to think or feel or do after reading?” Answer in a sentence structured like this ‘As a result of reading this, I want Mr Smith to … whatever it is”.

Your purpose statement does not need to be complex or clever, it just needs to be clear.