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Be Kind, Avoid Initials

Some writers are so familiar with their own topic area that they tend to jump from A to C, assuming that the reader will be able to follow. Don’t assume! Take your reader by the hand and lead him or her from A to B then C. One way to be hospitable to your reader is to avoid initials for the names of organizations or movements, unless you are sure that your reader is familiar with it. For example, not everyone may know what AA stands for, or BCAA. We all, at one time or another, come across these initials for the first time. A good rule of thumb: Write names in full the first time they appear in your work followed by the initial between parentheses. After that (once the reader knows it), use the initial. Good writing is hospitable to the reader. Keep your reader and the need to be kind to him or her in the fore of your mind as you write!

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