13 Writing Tips from a Professional Blog Writer
A funny thing happened on the way to keyboard. I became a completely different person.
“Who wrote that?” asked my editor. “I did,” I told him, quite proud of the words I’d conjured up — the lengthy sentences that I’m sure were grammatically correct and written in the tone of a scholar that I’d adopted. I believed that I had successfully integrated all the writing tips I’ve ever heard over a lifetime of training into that short article.
But at that time, I wasn’t writing for a group of academics; I was writing for the general public. I had a story to tell, and I wanted regular people to read what I’d written. I had important information to impart to people who would surely marvel at my talent for literary composition.
Boy, was I wrong.
Where’s the Beef?
The lessons I learned from that editor still ring loud and true today. And really, they’re more powerful today than ever. Never before had a few short writing tips hit the mark more clearly. I was humbled, yet resilient. As my editor told me: I had to remember the basics of writing and the reasons for it.
Writing is a form of communication, after all. And if you don’t get your message across — if it gets bogged down in some crazy notion that to be respected as a writer you have to become someone else — then you’ve wasted your time putting the words to paper and wasted your readers’ precious time, too. And through it all, you still have a message to send.
Don’t Get Lost in the Cracks
Whether you’re writing a blog for your company website, an email to a potential client, an article or a book, the best way to get your message across is to write like you talk. The way you talk is the way people listen. Take this example:
“The strange mix of euphoria and revulsion he felt, strategically shielded from the world by the impenetrable tint of his sunglasses, protected his delicate sensibilities and sad longings from the intimate goings-on that surrounded him on a daily basis as he wandered from one desolate, deserted place to another in search of affection and meaning.”
Versus this example:
“He wore dark glasses as he roamed the streets because he didn’t want anyone to see his emotions.”
While the first example might be suitable for a long novel, it can’t be used anywhere else. The actual meaning gets lost when you try to sound intellectual. In most forms of writing, you have to get to the point. And the point isn’t whether you’re smart or talented; it’s whether you can be understood.
Get to the Point
To help with your next project, consider the following writing tips. They’ll not only make writing a little easier, they’ll ultimately help you get your message across, succinctly and to the point:
- Relax, you can fix the errors later
- Say what you mean
- Read — a lot
- Read with a critical eye
- Use as few words as possible to make your point
- Keep sentences short
- Avoid industry jargon
- Eliminate useless words that sneak in (such as can, will and generally)
- Rely on punctuation to control the flow
- Write first, then edit
- Ask for criticism
- Read your writing out loud before you publish
- And don’t listen to all the writing tips you hear; just write from your heart
And of course, when all else fails and you just can’t seem to get the hang of easily knocking out your company newsletter in a decent amount of time without taking up your whole day, contact the professional writers at Ray Access. It’s not just what we do; it’s all we do.
Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.