Plain Language for Planners

Scribe Technical’s writing guides are meant for subject matter experts in government, industry, or non-profits who want to build their writing skills and be a more effective professional.

Be heard! These guides are packed with principles and techniques you can apply to all the documents you prepare, and include exercises, practice cases, and resources you can use to continually improve.

To be effective in their fields, all community- and city-builders need to be able to communicate their ideas and advice in plain language. This guide will help you write clear reports, plans, studies, proposals, memos and other documents that you prepare every day.

In four short chapters, you’ll be introduced to techniques you can use to ensure your professional advice is understood and used by decision makers, clients, colleagues, members of the public, and others. It will help you understand the value of plain language for even the most complex, technical topics, and coach you on how to write the clear, accurate, and inclusive documents your readers expect. Also included are exercises for you to try on your own, a discussion of practical tools you can use to support your writing process, and a plain language checklist you can keep on your desktop to stay on track.

This product is available as a downloadable PDF. First published in 2022; updated in 2023.