| The story pyramid of: Who, What, Where, Why and | | | | Spelling it all out means you are being complete - |
| How applies to letter writing especially if you are | | | | answer all the questions in your letter, don't leave |
| reporting something -- a complaint, for instance. | | | | them for a third party to pick up on and use against |
| Tell your side of the story in some detail, chapter | | | | you. |
| and verse -- as much as you can without repeating | | | | Don't throw angry accusations around - everybody |
| yourself or whining. Reporters report, they don't | | | | hates whingers -- look at Donald Trump and Alan |
| opine. Let the reader come to their own conclusion, | | | | Sugar in their respective shows The Apprentice. Be |
| but with all the help you can give them to favour | | | | courteous about the wrongdoer and to your reader, |
| you. | | | | who represents the wrongdoer far more loyally than |
| But equally important is the Four C's: Clear, Concise, | | | | your unwelcome intrusion. |
| Courteous and Complete. When you have a | | | | By avoiding rudeness and rancour, you elicit |
| complaint it is no use to anyone if you simply rant | | | | sympathy -- at least enough to receive a fair hearing. |
| and rave. There has to be a train of events that | | | | You come over as the good guy who has been done |
| have led to the current unhappy situation. So, start | | | | wrong, but is reasonable about it. |
| at the beginning and proceed step by step to the | | | | Finally -- be concise. Once you have said what needs |
| end. | | | | saying stop saying it. Repetition sounds like whingeing, |
| Be clear, leave nothing unexplained or glossed over. If | | | | don't do it. Once your letter is done, leave it for a |
| you do, that omission could just sink you later. So | | | | while before going back to edit it. And be coolheaded |
| lying is not a good idea, nor is evasive vagueness -- | | | | when you do. The shorter a letter, the more chance |
| spell it all out clearly. | | | | it has of working for you. |