I’m pretty sure we all learned how to write essays the same way—by using boring rules for wordy paragraphs and formulaic sentence structure. Unfortunately, boring rules = boring writing. And sometimes boring writing doesn’t get the intended message across.
Uh-oh. Is your writing boring or hard to read? Marketing guru Ann Handley has some easy-to-implement tweaks for impactful writing in her best-selling classic, Everybody Writes: Your go-to guide to creating ridiculously good content.
It’s my new favorite writing reference book. Probably because it promotes a lot of the techniques I already use!
You don’t have to be a marketer to get something out of this book—Handley gives all kinds of writers permission to mix it up. My first career was in journalism (back in 1992!), and this book helped me realize how important the skills of reporting, first-drafting, and editing are in ANY career.
Wanna be a word nerd, too? Keep reading for my Everybody Writes takeaways and tips (that our teachers never gave us). You’ll be tightening up your emails, your papers, your reports, your pitches, your queries, your presentations, your narrative essays, and your social posts in no time.
1. Stop using so many words
Dump those unnecessary sentence-ending prepositional phrases. Scrap those long, rambling introductions. Think about your readers: They want you to get to the point. You’ll get your point across quickly if your writing is uncluttered.
2. Embrace white space
White space gives your words a chance to breathe. Short paragraphs? Yes! Varying lengths of sentences? Yes! And be sure to whip out those bullet points and numbered lists—your readers will thank you for breaking up a wall of text.
3. Start with a list
If you’re stuck, organize your thoughts first with a main topic phrase or sentence. Then list the supporting points. Go back, create sentences, move things around. Yes—it’s kind of like an outline but more flexible.
4. Walk away for a minute
Get TUFD (‘The Ugly First Draft’) out of the way, recommends Handley. Once you’ve edited it, let your writing rest for a bit. Take a walk, or come back to it the next day. Or the next week. Review it with fresh eyes—Do you still like what you see? It could probably use some clarifying tweaks.
5. Start some of your sentences with And or But
One of my college instructors railed on me for using ‘and’ to start a sentence in a white paper. That’s not a crime (yay!), says Handley: When you’re writing for an audience, you want your piece to sound natural. And less boring. Use this technique judiciously, though. It’s meant to add flow to your writing.
But wait–there’s more!
Try my additional action items and takeaways:
- Re-read and edit your messages and posts: Did you write a wall of text? Do your paragraphs have enough white space? Is your message clear?
- Write a little bit every day: It’s easy to make your social posts a little longer (adding white space, of course!).
- Consider your readers: Do they have time to read a long message? Are you being helpful? For more context, try my piece about my email trauma.
Cheers!
Erica
