15 Tips For Becoming A Better Writer
By Michael Angier
Whether you're writing a memo, a letter, an article or a full-length book,
there are a few basic rules to keep in mind that will help your message first to
be read and then to be better understood and accepted.
1. Never Be Boring
Your reader will forgive almost anything except you being boring. Your reader
doesn't have to agree with you, but he or she should at least be intrigued. Make
the reader care. Don't be afraid to be "edgy." Look at every sentence
and ask yourself, "Why will the reader care about this?"
2. Write in Short Sentences
The reader shouldn't have to work hard to understand what you're saying. If he
or she has to go back over a sentence because of poor structure it's not his or
her fault, it's yours. Read what you've written aloud or have someone else read
it aloud to look for sentences that are too long or convoluted.
3. Write to the Reader
Use "you" often. Look for ways to eliminate or reduce "I"
and "me." Present tense, second person is always best. It feels more
to readers like you're talking to them.
4. Go Active
Use active verbs as much as possible. They're more engaging. They move the
reader along and take fewer words to get your message across. "John loves
Mary" is much more powerful than "Mary is loved by John."
5. Keep it Simple
The front page of The Wall Street Journal and all of USA Today is written for
the eighth grade reading level. Why should we be any different? People aren't
interested in things they don't understand. Make your points quickly and
succinctly. Make your words work and use as few of them as possible. Use the
right word, not just to show off your vocabulary (or your new thesaurus), but to
convey your message clearly.
6. Tell Stories
Facts tell and stories sell. The best writers and speakers of the world have
always been good storytellers. Your own stories are the best. What you are
sharing is wisdom from your point of view and stories can illustrate this better
than anything else.
7. Know Your Subject
Write on things on which you've earned the right to write. The more you know,
the more confidence and credibility you'll have.
8. WIFM
This is the radio station that everyone listens to. The call letters stand for
"What's in It For Me". People want to know what they'll get out of
what you're writing, so appeal to what they want.
9. Write Like You Talk
Often I see people who are good verbal communicators trying to put on a
different air in their writing. It doesn't work. It's much better to be
conversational.
10. Paint Pictures
We think in pictures and should write in ways that create these pictures in the
mind of the reader. Be descriptive. Use examples. Describe the unfamiliar by
using some of the familiar. For example: "Jennifer's first day at her new
job reminded her of the freshness and unfamiliarity she experienced on her first
day of school."
11. Sleep On it
It's a rare individual who can sit down and write something well at the first
attempt. Any writing of import should be written and then reviewed later,
preferably at least a day later. Some things should be edited several times over
an extended period of time in order to properly convey a clear understandable
message.
12. Write and Read Extensively
This advice is from Stephen King, a prolific writer. If you want to be a good
writer you have to do two things … read a lot and write a lot. Enough said.
13. Break it Down
Where appropriate use bullet points. Use them for summaries or outlines. Think
about someone who may only start out by scanning your text. Let your bullet
points draw the reader in.
14. Keep Paragraphs to no more than Six Lines
Short paragraphs provide white space to the text. They break up the page and
make it appear less formidable to the reader. Like in music, the space between
the notes is as important as the notes themselves.
15. Avoid using Capital Letters to make a Point
Capital letters are harder to read than upper and lower case. They also can be
perceived as SHOUTING! A little uppercase usage is OK but regular use of words
with every letter shown as a capital doesn't work and it looks amateurish.
Writing can be a happy and rewarding experience. If you follow these tips,
you will find it easier to convey your written communications to others.
© Copyright 1995-2001 Success Networks International.
Success Net is a worldwide association committed to helping people become
more knowledgeable, productive and effective. Their mission is to inform,
inspire and empower people to be their best-personally and professionally.
Free subscriptions, memberships, books and SuccessMark™ Cards available
at www.SuccessNet.org
|