101 Top Tips On Writing Winners
Finding A Happy Medium
Everyone will have different advice on how to write, so the 101 tips below are just a personal selection which I hope you will find useful.
Develop your craft
1. Many writers keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas for future writing. If you make a record at the time, it can aid recall and help at a later date if you are stuck with the subject for an article. An alternative is to keep notes on your mobile.
2. Build up a list of new words and interesting phrases you come across. Learning new words helps expand your vocabulary and challenges the reader. However only use a complex word if it is relevant or for example to avoid repetition of the same word — a simpler word makes for easy reading. You might enjoy this experiment in working new words into a story as a challenge.
3. Start a list of good quotations to use in your writing. They are great for livening up an article, and a pull quote can be used to break up blocks of text. (A pull quote also known as a lift-out quote, is used in graphic design to highlight text as a design effect to entice the reader and make a page more readable). As well as building your own collection of favourite quotations, a good reference book of quotations may be helpful as well. Here are 36 quotes on writing to inspire you!
4. Be sure to have access to a good dictionary and thesaurus, though most people seem to use online reference books as part of their editor these days.
Prior planning prevents poor performance
5. Choose where to write, so you are in an environment best-suited to you. One of the great things about writing is that it is a craft that can be practised anywhere, so make the most of finding places that inspire you. An amazing view may be helpful if you can find somewhere suitable. Caffeine and snacks may help, along with your favourite music, though this is down to individual preference!
6. It is usually worth planning your article before launching in, though over-thinking can impede the flow of an article: sometimes it is best just to launch in and tidy it up afterwards.
7. Consider in advance why you are writing, what you want the article to achieve, and who it is for, then you can “reverse engineer”, and structure your writing accordingly to meet these goals.
8. Pick the subject of your article carefully. Clever plays on words or worthy articles which are text heavy seem to do less well, while certain keywords are winners, such as any mention of a celebrity, 100 followers, crypto currency, promising huge earnings or instant success!
9. Depending on your subject, and your level of expertise, you may want to spend some time on research before you start. This helps later when you come to any links, references, and bibliography you may want to include.
10. Niches bring riches — some commentators on Medium recommend trying to target your writing at a particular niche, then you can build a reputation and expertise in that field, and along with that, a devoted following. As so often, there are mixed views on this. Others recommend pitching articles in many different topic groups, to cast your net wide, as it is really unpredictable what you will catch.
11. It is worth planning the layout of your article before launching in, though over-thinking can impede the flow of an article: sometimes it is best just to launch in, and tidy it up afterwards. This is probably an individual preference depending on how you write, but an outline structure is often a good idea.
12. Having a deadline is a great way to focus attention and hit a target, However this may depend on your own attitude — in the words of Douglas Adams:
“ I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”
13. If you are stuck for ideas, brainstorming on your own or with a friend is a good way to generate them, and you may even try the aleatory literary technique, also known as the ”cut up” technique, where you pick some phrases at random. The pop star David Bowie wrote some of this songs in this way, as did William S Burroughs.
Hitting the headlines
14. Have a short, snappy headline.
15. Avoid the lure of clickbait: the statistics also show actual reading figures after views, which are invariably lower, suggesting an element of “reader’s remorse”: that after being lured in, the viewer may quickly give up if the article was not as interesting as the title promised
16. Make your first sentence short so it grabs the attention. Readers may have a short-attention span, so get their interest early on.
17. If your motivation is financial, using misleading headlines to draw readers in may backfire, since earnings on Medium are related to reading time, which incidentally includes listening if you choose to digest the article in that form. So choose your headline wisely.
Engage
18. Have a strong introduction that introduces your article and draws the reader in, grabbing their attention, and keeping them interested to read the rest.
19. Engage your reader. Have a friendly writing style, as though you are talking to a friend.
20. Asking a question can help involve the reader and make the article lively.
21. Reply to every comment on your article, to thank the visitors to your article, and respond.
22. Remember to read, clap, highlight and comment on articles by other writers on Medium, to share advice, support and encourage others, and build a friendly community.
23. Build engagement with other writers on Medium, to ensure mutual support and engagement with your work. You have to give in order to receive.
Writing style
Interestingly George Orwell had just six tips on writing style:
“(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.
(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.
(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.”
24. Keep your language clear and concise. Avoid using complex words or sentences that could confuse the reader.
25. Use transition words and phrases to connect your ideas and help the article flow smoothly.
26. Proof-read your work carefully to check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. One thing to be aware of if writing in English, is whether you want to use American or traditional English spellings.
27. Consider asking someone else to read your work and provide feedback. This can help you identify areas that need improvement, and a fresh pair of eyes may spot something you have missed.
28. Don’t be afraid to revise and rewrite your work. It’s often necessary to go through multiple drafts before you have a finished product that you’re happy with.
29. Make sure to submit your work on time and in the correct format.
30. Start writing early so that you have plenty of time to revise and edit your article.
31. Set aside dedicated writing time each day and create a comfortable, distraction-free workspace.
32. Use active voice instead of passive voice to make your writing more engaging and dynamic.
33. Use easy to understand, informal language (unless it is an academic piece of work). Write in a conversational tone to make your story more approachable and relatable.
34. Vary your sentence structure to add interest and avoid monotony.
35. Avoid repeating the same words or phrases. Use a thesaurus or a variety of synonyms to keep your writing fresh and interesting.
36. Use strong, specific verbs to add power and energy to your writing.
37. Avoid using vague, abstract words and phrases. Be specific and concrete to make your writing more impactful.
38. Don’t be afraid to show your personality in your writing. Let your unique voice and perspective shine through.
39. Use descriptive language to help the reader visualise and experience what you’re writing about.
40. Avoid cliches and overused phrases. Try to be original and creative in your writing.
41. Consider using sensory details to help the reader engage with your writing on a deeper level.
42. Use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to add depth and beauty to your writing.
43. Use synonyms to avoid repeating the same word. Most good text editors like MS Word have a built in feature, so if you highlight a word and right-click it, you can look up other words with the same meaning. This can also help increase your vocabulary by learning new words!
44. Avoid using too many long, complex sentences. Instead, try to vary the length and structure of your sentences to keep the reader engaged.
45. Use dialogue to add dimension and authenticity to your writing.
46. Avoid using filler words and phrases that add no value to your writing.
47. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that the reader may not be familiar with. If you use any acronyms be sure to explain them in full the first time they are used.
48. Use short, punchy sentences to add emphasis and make your writing more impactful.
49. Avoid using overly long or complex words when simpler ones will do.
50. Use white space effectively to make your writing more visually appealing and easy to read.
51. Never plagiarise other writers or sources. In the long run you are likely to be found out, and it diminishes self-worth if you know you have “borrowed” from someone else.
Humour
52. Appropriate humour is good. If you can make the reader laugh you are already on a winner. A couple of my own attempts are “Another Fine Mess” about an experience getting my car serviced, and “An Unfortunate Turn of Phrase”, about a mis-heard conversation in a restaurant.
53. Amusing anecdotes from your own life can help the writer connect with the reader if they can identify with sharing similar situations in their own life — that is the technique used by many of the best comedians.
54. However remember that humour is quite individual, so a family in-joke, or something hilarious to you, may not chime with the reader, so be aware of how different people and their preferences are. As an example, the article “Bunny Biryani” is based on a game my family play.
Readability
55. Include a photo. There are various free sites with stock photos, but the easiest to use is Unsplash — use the “+” symbol after your headline, and to the right of the “add image”, the next icon is — “Add an image from Unsplash”.
56. Format your story so that you have the first and last sentences in bold, and use a “dropped capital” for the first letter of the first paragraph, using the smallest “T” in the formatting toolbar.
57. Break up the text. Readers get tired if there are endless, worthy (and wordy) long paragraphs! Use “pull quotes” (using the “ symbol on the formatting toolbar), pick out key phrases in bold, use more photos or graphics, anything to break things up into manageable chunks of text.
58. Remember copyright — if you do use photos, cartoons and graphics from other sources, be sure that you have the creator’s permission.
Being found
59. Consider placing popular keywords in your headline and article, and how these can be used for “Search Engine Optimisation” (SEO). These should be ones which a lot of people search for, but ideally be ones that there is least competition for. It is worth reading up on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
60. Put in one or more links to older articles you have written on Medium. It gets new views and keeps them alive!
61. Share links to your story on social media and other platforms, to lay a trail, so that people can find your story.
62. As well as writing you need to engage with other writers on Medium to build a following or your work may go unnoticed. So write, follow, clap, comment, highlight, repeat!
Adding value
63. If it is a factual article, including evidence by way of references and links gives your article more credibility and authority, and provides the reader with further study.
64. Try to include some advice, information, or insights in your article so that the reader leaves with a party bag. There is an old expression that “people buy benefits”.
65. If you are writing with a social, political or environmental motive, Include a call to action (CTA) which may be to visit your website, do a good deed, sign a petition, or whatever your article aims to achieve.
66. Remember that in your piece you can link to other articles you have written on Medium, which can encourage the reader to explore more of your work.
Rounding it off
67. Your final sentence may refer back to the start of your article, to frame it, and as a simple summary.
68. At the end of your article include your personalised link if the reader wants to join Medium.
69. If you want to invite the reader to buy you a coffee put your link to Ko-Fi or similar at the end of your article, or if you want to invite them to leave you a tip, enable this in “Settings”, sub-menu “Publishing”.
70. If you want people to subscribe to your newsletter include a link.
Pop picking
71. Choose your topic settings carefully. It makes sense to target the ones with a larger readership, such as poetry if that is your thing. So when you start typing in your five topic groups, note which have the largest and it makes sense to go for those. This is unfortunate if your passion is for basket weaving or Morris Dancing which have barely half a dozen following them, unless you are just writing mainly for your own amusement.
72. After you publish, monitor your statistics. This is just as important as the article itself. Spot patterns for which articles are working best, so you can work on future winners!
73. Write for your favourite niche, to build a reputation, and share advice, insights and useful information for the reader, so that your article adds value. However as well as your favourite niche, sometimes try articles in other topic areas occasionally, which can reach a new audience, and can be interesting for the writer, to cover and research something different.
74. Republish older articles which are not getting the attention they deserve. They can be deleted and reposted! However caution — this may delete any earnings so only do this with really poor performers.
75. Review your topic settings. If there is a low number of views for an article, consider changing the topics to try some new ones.
Follow the numbers — Making best use of Medium statistics
76. The immediate availability of article statistics means that unlike many other forms of writing, publishing on Medium provides almost instant feedback. You don’t need to fly blind, so regularly and frequently reviewing the statistics is a vital part of successful writing on the platform. What is done with the information partly depends on the writer’s motivation.
Money matters
77. If writing primarily for financial reasons you will be looking at the clap count and reading time, and would benefit from studying the Medium guidance on how earnings are calculated, and tailor your articles accordingly, for example by including your individual membership referral link at the end of each story.
78. Meter old stories — if you have only recent joined the Medium Partner Programme, remember that stories written before you joined can be put behind the paywall and earn you revenue in future, by going to the edit feature in each article, and choosing the meter this story option. It takes time but pays off! Here is one writer’s experience of making a success of writing on Medium.
79. One way of earning as a writer is to sell a course on a subject that you have some expertise in, that subscribers pay to receive. It takes time to build up the material but can be a good source of revenue if you are successful.
Writing about writing
80. Remarkably, some of the highest engagement with articles, seems to be associated with how to gain 100 followers, and after that, writers advising other writers! So in-depth articles that take hours to research and write can attract a limited number of views, and minimal engagement, while articles offering advice on how to succeed on Medium seem among the most popular.
81. Another mystery surrounds what constitutes a “fan” in the statistics; it is understood that even a single clap constitutes a fan. A similar misapprehension among newer subscribers is that the applause is limited to a single clap, while in fact up to 50 are possible, though the total clap count (as opposed to fan number) is picked up from within the article itself, rather than the statistical summary.
82. You may consider tagging other Medium writers in your articles where relevant to your subject as a way of building links and supporting each other. To tag someone, go to their homepage on Medium and copy the hyperlink in your browser, go to your article, and insert this as a link.
Pop picking
83. An important aspect of getting good statistics is choosing the right topic groups. For example there are some groups which have barely a handful of followers, while others such as poetry are among the largest. This poses the dilemma of whether to target the largest groups for maximum readership, which may not align with your own interest or niche. Again, it may depend on your motivation for writing.
84. If you have tried your five topic groups for an article for a while, it can be worth changing some of the topics to aim to reach a different and wider audience.
Attention seeking behaviour
85. Since earnings are related to reading time, you want your reader to get to the end of the article. Putting all the best information in the first paragraph means that you may lose readers as the article progresses. So make the first paragraph a good one to draw readers in, but place your nuggets of gold throughout an article to keep their attention.
Publications
86. Rather than just publishing your article yourself, you may want to submit it to one of the many publications on Medium. This may give it a much wider readership. Each publication may have its own guidelines about how to submit your work and the type of articles they welcome.
87. If there is a subject you are particularly interested in, or in which you have some expertise, and there is not already a publication in your interest on Medium, you may want to start your own publication.
Going like the clappers
88. If you get comments, remember to clap and respond.
89. Sit back and enjoy your coffee — you have earnt it!
Review
90. After each article, review how it went so you can improve the next one.
91. Use any comments you receive, and any other feedback, such as from your statistics and earnings summary.
92. Evolve to be fitter by learning from trial and error, and honing your skill as a writer: that is how natural selection ensures survival of the fittest articles.
93. Read, read, read! The more you read, the better you will become at writing. Read widely, across different genres and styles.
94. Pay attention to how other authors use language and structure their stories.
95. Consider joining a writing group or workshop, or asking friends or family members to read your work and give you advice.
96. Write regularly. The more you practice, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
97. Be patient. Writing is a skill that takes time to develop, so don’t expect to become a great writer overnight. Be patient with yourself, and be willing to put in the time and effort to improve your craft.
98. Don’t be afraid to seek feedback. Other people’s perspectives can be incredibly valuable when it comes to improving your writing.
99. Be open to criticism. Receiving criticism can be difficult, but it’s an important part of the writing process. Don’t take it personally, and try to use it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer.
100. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Writing can be scary, especially when you’re starting out. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas or push the boundaries of your comfort zone. You never know what you might discover if you’re willing to take a chance.
101. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Obviously you want to aim for high quality, but putting a lot of work out there increases the chances that a particular piece is a winner you can build on.
Good luck with your writing, and I hope you found these tips useful.
