Summary for Chapter Five

Chapter five of Rules for Writers gives you some guidance on how to design any document that you make. It's important to design it well because it will support your writing and promote readability. First of all you'll have to select an appropriate format. Next you can move on to headings, which need to be used appropriately. The third step requires using lists. Finally you can focus on visual aids.

When it comes to formatting, you basically have to worry about five things. The layout, margins and line spacing, alignment, fonts, and different kind of font styles. When deciding on all these factors you want to remember that more than anything, you want your document to be readable and understandable. Also it's important to take into consideration your purpose and audience. You can look at examples of different types of writing to ensure that your document's formatting is appropriate. Headings can be helpful cues, especially when used in complex documents. By using headings you can give the reader a preview of your document. Hacker mentions that headings should be brief and consistent in style. When using lists in a document, keep in mind that you don't want to clutter the document by using too many lists. Their purpose is to guide the reader which means that they should be easy to read. Finally, using visuals can greatly improve your document. This can be true if visuals are used wisely. You need to employ visuals that support your writing. They should also be placed in the right spot and they must be labeled. If you used a visual that you found online, you need to cite the source. If your document is going to be published outside of class, you need permission to use borrowed visuals.

It's rare the occasion when I actually use lists and visuals in my writing. They haven't really been necessary in the essays that i've written. If I were to use them I would like to have a good understanding of how to use them appropriately. Lists can help out my reader. Maybe I could somehow incorporate a list into a document of mine and if doing so, I would remember to use them when necessary. I shouldn't use them all over the place. I can also try to use visuals. In the past I have used pictures, but not recently. It's nice to have a bit of a refresher on the matter. It's important to pick the correct visuals because they can support your document in ways that words can't. I'll keep this in mind next time I have to make use of a visual.