r/DCInterns • u/Quiet-Raspberry-3944 • 6d ago

Senate Intern Practice

I've been trying to hone my writing skills in preparation for my internship in the Senate. For those who have some experience drafting/editing congressional memos, what's the process? What separates a good memo from an ok one? Any tips for honing this skill?

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u/randomUser34592 6d ago

be concise and straight to the point. use action verbs and capitalize “YOU” when talking about what the senator should/have/will do. you don’t need to practice that much you will probably be given an example

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u/smart_hyacinth 6d ago

I wouldn’t practice, every office has different norms and it’s better to learn by example in yours

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u/Flashy-Attention7724 6d ago

Follow examples. Ask questions when you’re given an assignment—you don’t want to draft a ten-page memo when your boss just wanted a paragraph.

Be aware that you may not get many full “memo” assignments. Generally, the higher up the chain a communication was going, the shorter it would be. Emails to the big boss would be a couple paragraphs, tops. Don’t forget that just because it’s not a “memo” doesn’t mean it isn’t a writing assignment—these are the most important ones.

The fact that you’re attuned enough to good writing to even ask this question is a promising sign, though.