3 Tips to Improve Your Writing
Immediately Strengthen Your Writing Through These Exercises
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Why do some books become best sellers? Why do some products sell based on the description over the packaging? There can be an element of the writer being in the right place at the right time to market. But generally, there are key components that set the marketing engine in motion that establish New York Times Best Sellers or popular products. Keep reading to instantly strengthen your message with these three easy to implement tips.
Keep It Simple
You know that genius sentence you wrote the other day that you’re just sure is the sentence of your writing? Scrap it. I feel a little deflated every time I hear a writer say this. What do you mean, delete the best sentence?
It’s the best sentence to us, the writers, but that doesn’t always mean it translates the best to the reader. And that’s key with writing or marketing or anything else you’re trying to get across to someone. You have to speak your tone in their language.
What makes sense in our minds often needs more context than a (self-proclaimed) brilliant sentence. Trying to be overly innovative has its downsides. Yes, many books or marketing campaigns have run on clever words, but typically, simple is best and creates stronger writing.
Next time you write something brilliant, put it away for awhile like that tattoo you’ve been doodling. Come back to it multiple times. See if the glitter has worn off or if it really is an insightful, concise sentence. It’s okay to love a sentence, know you truly feel it, and at the same time allow that there’s a better way to get the same idea across to your reader in language they will truly appreciate.
Write How You Talk—Sort of…
When I was writing a lot of school papers, the number one feedback I received to improve my writing was don’t write how you talk. So I went to the opposite extreme and received the feedback that my writing could use a little…oomph. Get a little more flowery, I was told. Being a technical rule-follower on the written page, I was really confused.
What my teachers meant was to use grammar, but keep a familiar tone. Most readers don’t like technical books; readers generally like first-person perspective books. Consider top sellers, like The Hunger Games or Twilight. Why did teen girls and adults alike rush to devour these books? Because first person is the most engaging form of writing. Adding a personal element to your writing is the same as reaching through the screen to your reader and talking face-to-face. So unless you’re writing a research article, personalizing your message will go a long way to connect to your reader.
What about buzz words or jargon? While it is important to be up to date and use relatable language, falling for trendy buzz words could be off-putting to the vast array of readers and weaken your message. Jargon can come across distant or heady, leading customers to click away from further reading. Remember, you want your writing to make sense to others, not just a small, time-bound circle. Timelessness comes across stronger in writing.
Lead the Reader, Don’t Let Them Wander
If you don’t narrow down your topic ahead of time, you’ll take your reader on what I refer to as A Three Hour Tour. This is from the theme song of Gilligan’s Island. The passengers got on the boat for what they thought was a three hour tour, and ended up stranded on an island indefinitely. I know, I know- I just mentioned staying timeless, but examples are a bit different.
What your reader wants when they look for a product description, blog post, or book is to get answers— often quick ones! It’s not always fair, but if you don’t get straight to where you’re going, you’re going lose your reader, even if you did have something important to say at the end.
Being overly-repetitive, throwing in side stories that have no direct connection, choosing vague language, or adding too many points can send up flags to the reader’s brain that it’s not worth the hassle to continue. Remember, you as the writer have a destination and it’s your job to get them there.
My son had a Jiu Jitsu coach who spent forty-five minutes explaining a move, verbally jumping from technique to personal stories to sermonizing, and then only allotted ten minutes for the kids to see the move and practice. Guess what happened? My son quit that particular Jiu Jitsu. He wasn’t reaching a destination and wanted to look elsewhere. We can’t fault anyone quitting something— like a book— if the leader isn’t leading and the reader can hop on a clearer tour elsewhere.
I love closing a book and realizing all along, this crafty writer was leading me to a destination, often one I didn’t even know I needed. Those are the best. And I also love finding a blog post on a search engine for a question I have and getting straight to the point (we won’t talk about recipe websites...) Readers need direction and you have the magic to get them there. Guide them strategically.
3 Exercises to Improve Your Writing
1.) Let’s simplify. My favorite way to do this? Read your writing aloud or to a friend. Pull out the blog post or novel you’ve been working on and start reading.
How’d it go?
Remember, Hawthorne said it’s hard to write well in a way that’s easy for someone else to read. Becoming a stronger writer means mercilessly revising until it flows. As Donald Miller and J.J. Peterson point out in Marketing Made Simple, “Sometimes what looks good on paper does not translate well when spoken.” You may find when you read it aloud, words flow better with rearrangement. You may find repetition. You might notice too many creative descriptive words which can overload the reader’s brain in one sentence. Or, you may be falling asleep. Don’t take it to heart- all good writers write in drafts. The skeleton comes first.
2.) Before writing, jot down the destination. Create main points that solely support your destination or, if already written, go through your writing and number your points that guided your reader there.
Do you have any extra points that do not follow (also called a Red Herring Fallacy)? Save those points for a different piece of writing. They may be springboards for further ideas, just not useful for this piece.
3.) Revise over, and over, and over again. Revision can bring improvement. It’s the extra mile that crafts beautiful writing. Carelessness is quickly evident. Revise your piece today. Circle any buzz words or jargon. How could you write those so a broader audience, such as multiple generations, can understand? Wait a couple of hours and come back. You might see it differently the next time around.
Ultimately, It All Comes Down to Practice
We get better at writing by writing. Give your first drafts a lot of patience. Every great idea or great work of art started with a first draft— some that were almost sent to the trash. Don’t burn it yet. Try applying these three tips to strengthen and improve your writing and watch your writing become clearer, engaging more readers to your message.