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Writing serves as a bridge between internal thoughts and external communication. It transforms our internal dialogues into something others can access and understand.
Exceptional writing, therefore, is the result of exceptional thinking. To convey ideas clearly and persuasively, writers must cultivate a methodical and logical approach to their thoughts, translating into clearer, more effective writing.
Read moreIf you, too, wrestle with the concept of "why bother?" when it comes to writing, this is some excellent food for thought.
Read moreWhat are the indicators/characteristics/qualities of a great candidate for a writing-related role, in-house or freelance? I posed this question over on Twitter and got some excellent responses from people in the hiring seat, so I wanted to share those here. Hopefully you’ll find it as useful as I did.
Read moreSo often, we tend to take advice from the noisy marketers on social media (disguising themselves as expert writers) who just want you to buy their course or training or whatever-the-hell. That's why today, I wanted to bring you some advice from someone who is truly in it every single day. Meet Professor Laura Bandy.
Read moreI’ve written for a handful of places that maintain extremely high editorial expectations. And every time, those expectations have pushed me (and other contributors) to rise to the high bar they set. Here's what you can learn from their processes.
Read moreLately, the books I’ve picked up to read all have a common theme: They have a narrator or character who allows us deep inside his or her mind.
I’ve been drawn to this writing style because it’s one of the few environments in which we, as readers, get to hear another person’s inner dialogue, thoughts, worries, and authentic assessments of the world around him or her.
Read moreCuriosity is an incredibly powerful tool writers can use to spark action in the reader.
We all know about clickbait headlines. This is not about that.
This is about biology and psychology at play. It’s evidence of how humans’ brains are wired to fill information gaps, to eliminate uncertainty, and to get to the bottom of things.
Read moreToday, I’m going to share a few storytelling tips and tricks in hopes of addressing the roadblocks that get in the way of smart founders sharing their insights in a written format. Why? Because we NEED to hear these stories. Especially when they’re coming from founders/leaders within underrepresented groups.
Read morespend a lot of time editing these days. I mean…a LOT.
Whether it’s a draft or an outline from a subcontractor, a podcast write-up for our side business Content Remix, or just a final read-through on a super long-form post, the reality is: I’ve been spending hours each day staring at words on a screen.
After experiencing some burnout and feeling overwhelmed, I decided it was time to outsource some of the heavy lifting when it comes to editing.
The reality is: When you’ve stared at a piece for a long time, your eyes kind of glaze over. You’re too “in it” to see the content with fresh eyes and a sharp mind.
Read moreIf you're writing copy (as in, writing to sell something), there are four things I recommend doing.
Find out what they are and how to do them.
Read moreToday, I'm going to teach you an easy way to help your writing connect with readers.
You know how sometimes you’ll read something and it comes across as stiff, overly formal, or stuffy?
It happens a lot (especially in the business world.) The cure for this situation is to break down the walls between the writer and the reader so there’s a deeper feeling of connection, emotional resonance, and an overall more conversational tone.
This type of writing is far easier to read (and it’s much more memorable.)
I was recently reminded of a brilliant way to accomplish this: It’s called breaking the fourth wall.
The fourth wall is a term that comes from the acting world, referring to the fourth “wall” that actors pretend separates them from the audience. When an actor directly addresses the audience, it’s called “breaking the fourth wall.”
But this isn’t limited to visual formats.
In writing, you can also break the fourth wall by speaking directly to your readers. Sometimes these are called “asides” or “authorial interjections." It often means the writer pauses one thought to hop in with his or her internal monologue, directed at the reader.
Here’s an example: “I love living in New York. (Well...only the East Village. I wouldn't be caught dead signing a lease in Midtown). The culture and excitement here can’t be beat.”
See how the original thought is broken up by a peek at the writer’s thoughts and feelings? It’s essentially a cheat coat for more conversational, natural-sounding writing.
Of course, you can’t use this tactic just anywhere. There are pros and cons to deploying it (as there are with most things!)
They help stress important ideas/provide a deeper understanding around the complexities of events or concepts
They help illuminate the writer’s thoughts, feelings, or opinions
They allow the writer to reveal something they want the readers to know
They make the reader feel personally addressed
They allow the writer to advise and act as a guide for readers
If done too subtly, they can go unnoticed or be interpreted as sloppy, unfocused writing
They can sometimes disrupt the pacing of your writing, thus hurting overall readability
They can seem clumsy or awkward if correct punctuation isn’t used
So...how do you do it right? There are a few easy ways:
In the first person format, the writer is already relaying the story to the reader. This means addressing the reader in a slightly more direct way can happen naturally.
Example: I'm always running late for work. In reality, it's because I oversleep, but I tell my boss it's because of terrible traffic. Added downside: I'm always left with the final grainy dregs in the break room coffee pot.
Using asides while writing in first person helps the writer create a feeling like putting a hand on the reader’s arm to say: “Here’s what I really think about this”, or, “Here’s what this really means.”
Interjecting a sentence with a thought inside em dashes or parentheses makes it easy for you to briefly re-direct the reader’s attention to a point you want to make or a piece of information you think he/she should know.
Example: Micheal roamed down the street, his shoes tripping along the rough stones. His ambling, slow pace was unusual to the people watching from balconies in his neighborhood—they were used to seeing him zip along at a fast clip, head down, arms swinging—but tonight, limbs heavy with wine, he moved without any sense of hurry, as if underwater.
This approach works well in highly conversational writing, but keep in mind that it can break up the flow of your writing. Try to keep the interjections short and then get back to what you were saying.
Or, if you’d rather keep things moving and use a less invasive approach, you could instead use footnotes to relay these comments to the reader at the bottom of a page. Writer's call.
No matter which approach you choose, remember: Writing this way helps you quickly and easily connect with your readers.
It's also a shortcut to more stylized writing, giving your writing voice a more signature sound and flow.
The bottom line here: The fourth wall can be broken.
The question is: Are you willing to give it a try?
10 actionable writing how-tos that will help you write better, faster plus 6 bonus lessons with writing exercises and workbook.
I recently reached out to Jess Huckins, a professional editor and writer of 12+ years who has produced content for massive companies like Workhuman, Microsoft, and Tom Brady’s TB12—among others. Everyone approaches editing a little bit differently, but here are a few common things she always keeps an eye out for.
Read moreWords create three-dimensional objects and settings that can be viewed from different angles, perspectives, and through various lenses.
Translation: What you write might look/sound/feel one way to you, but could, in fact, come across totally different to your readers.
You won’t transform into a masterful writer overnight, but you can become a better writer in just 30 days—as long as you have the right approach.
Here’s what you need to consider going into this.
Read moreWhat if I told you it was possible to make readers like you within 10 seconds of reading?
You’d want to know how to do that, right?
It’s actually pretty easy to do. Here are four ways you can make this happen.
Read moreNeed a quick lesson to freshen up your vocabulary?
I’ve gathered a few fun words and writing resources that’ll help you punch up your writing in less time than it takes to brush your teeth.
Read moreFor the most part, everybody has a reason they don’t write as much as they like to.
But what they don't realize is that there are skilled ghostwriters who can help with the execution piece. We're looking at how to find, work with, and leverage a ghostwriter so you can publish more original content.
Read moreFor the past few weeks, I’ve been reading about Existentialism. A thought clicked while I was reading: There’s a very prominent tie to writing within this particular philosophy because much of it relates to how we describe and interpret the world around us (through words.)
This is relevant not just to folks who consider themselves writers by trade or hobby, but to all of us. We all communicate with others through the medium of words—and the better we are at doing that, the more clearly and effectively we can share what’s inside our minds.The question is: How?
We all know that attention spans are shorter than ever (about 7-8 seconds on average, in fact.) Compound this with the distractions that crop up every minute of the day in the modern world, and you’ve got a major challenge on your hands when it comes to getting someone to sit still and actually read something you’ve written.
Read moreWriting About page copy is something a lot of people struggle with, because:
It feels gross and weird to write about yourself
It’s hard to know what’s too much (or too little) information
You don’t want to creep people out or scare people off by over-sharing
And these are just a few of the things that trip people up when they sit down to write this particular page.
BUT! Don’t worry. I’m gunna help you with a few easy suggestions. Let’s get right to ‘em.
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