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In writing, nothing comes before clarity.
Put simply: It doesn’t matter what you have to say if you don’t know how to effectively communicate it. Here’s how you can get your ideas across more clearly:
Write Like You Speak… Only Better
The best way to create clear, readable content is to simply write as you speak, with the words you would normally use, in your own natural rhythm. When you receive feedback on your writing, it may take some time before you know whether or not you have gotten your ideas across. When speaking, you get instant feedback from the person you’re speaking to. They let you know when they don’t understand what you’ve said and you need to clarify. You’ve spent your whole life learning to communicate in this voice, don’t try to switch it up when writing. But… the advantage in writing is that you have time to tidy things up, to cut sentences down and reduce repeated content before putting it out into the world. Take that advantage.
Just List Your Ideas
If you’re having trouble getting started, just begin by listing your ideas. People talk at length about structure and pacing in writing, but the truth is that most of that will fall into place naturally if you just put your thoughts down in words. On that note…
Use Subheaders
It’s a simple trick: Write your subheaders out, and then write a paragraph under each one of them. This is an easy way to get clear, concise article out there. You simply write a paragraph for the first subheader, and then move onto the next one, and then the next one and so on.
Read Sentences Aloud
If a sentence is difficult to speak, then it’s difficult to read. As a general rule, the fewer words you use, the easier your content will be to read, and the more clearly your ideas will come across. If you like to write in public places like libraries and coffee shops, then feel free to whisper your sentences under your breath. The aim is to figure out whether or not what you’re writing will roll off the tongue.
Hire Writers You Like to Read
We like to read content that is clear and to-the-point, so if you find a writer that you like to read, your subscribers will like to read them, too.
Gilbert S is a writer and artist who lives in rural New Mexico with his dog, Sir Kay, and his wife.
