Six tips for better writing
The secret to good writing can be summed up in one work: empathy.
Writing and reading is, above all else, a transaction. The reader is donating their time and attention, which are hugely valuable commodities. In return they expect clarity, structure and an interesting time.
I’ve set out below six tips to becoming a better writer. This doesn’t cover everything, but getting these basics right will put you ahead of almost everyone else.
1. Ask three key questions before you start writing
Why are you writing the thing you are writing? A clear objective makes for a much clearer piece of writing.
What is your key message? You need to be absolutely clear about the main point you are trying to land. Otherwise there is no chance that your reader will be.
Who is your target audience? From this, everything follows - the level of detail you need, your tone, the type of language you use, and the arguments you deploy.
2. Clarity is king
It is difficult to overstate the importance of clear writing.
What does this mean in practice?
Prune your sentences. Embrace the full stop!
Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you think.
Keep it simple. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences.
Use active rather than passive sentences.
Blank space on a page is your friend. It makes life so much easier for the reader.
3. You need more structure that you think
Just because the structure is clear in your mind does not mean that others will get it.
So be explicit in your structure:
Set out your key points up front.
Signpost each different section.
Signal when you are moving on.
4. Make it interesting!
Lots of people write well. Very few people use an image to make their point stick.
When appropriate, tell a story. Most people don’t assimilate data in the same way they would do a story.
In more creative writing, it helps to have a key theme running through your piece.
5. Review
Review ‘cold’. If at all possible, don’t judge your writing until the next day.
Give it to someone else to look at as a ‘fresh pair of eyes.’ We all know the feeling where we are so immersed in a piece of writing that we can’t see the wood from the trees.
6. Practice!
Just like everything else, good writing takes practice. Have the courage to start, and seek out as much early feedback as possible.
Further reading:
The Day You Became a Better Writer, Scott Adams
The Most Important Writing Lesson I’ve Ever Learned, Steven Pressfield