Write With Style And You’ll Win A Bucket Load Of Attention

5 proven tips to elevate your writing to the next level

Smooth writing feels good to the reader.

The words you choose make a huge difference to how much readers enjoy your writing. Structuring your words right makes your writing precise, pleasing, and powerful. But new writers spend too much time on their content and not enough time on their words.

My writing dramatically improved when I upgraded my writing style. By using writing techniques my words became more pleasurable.

Use these tools to write with style.

1. Parallelism

Parallelism is an appealing sentence structure.

It uses words or ideas in parallel. When phrases use similar or opposite words it satisfies the reader. They are familiar and novel at the same time. Parallelism works because it adds a rhythm to the words.

Here are two famous examples:

• Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King
• That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong

Aim to match your words and create balance in your sentences.

Your reader will thank you.

2. Anaphora

Anaphora repeats a word or phrase at the beginning.

This can have a hypnotic effect on the reader. Winston Churchill was the master of this. It is crazy to think such a simple device played such a huge role in rallying a whole nation. When the war seemed lost Churchill issued this powerful cry:

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills

Or you can keep it short like these examples:

• Get busy living or get busy dying
• Stay safe. Stay well. Stay happy
• Go big or go home

3. Epistrophe

Epistrophe is the opposition of Anaphora. The repetition comes at the end. This can be an effective way to build up energy in your writing.

Some examples:

• The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divides us has come. — Nelson Mandela
• And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. — Abraham Lincoln
• Easy to read gets read (me)

People hear writing in their head. These devices make them sound better. People read with their eyes. These devices make them look better.

(see what I did there?)

4. Alliteration

This is an underrated tool.

Alliteration uses words beginning with the same letter. It is memorable and pleasing to the brain. But if overdone can feel cheap and tacky.

The key is not to have too many words starting with the same letter. And don’t include words that don’t fit, simply because they begin with the right letter. Always choose words for their meaning and simplicity.

When writing titles I try to include words that start with the same letter.

Read through these titles of mine and notice how they feel:

The Real Reason No One Is Reading Your Writing

Struggling Writer? Fix Your Fragile Ego With This Simple Life Lesson

You’ll Get More Readers If You Tell Them These 4 Things

Take The Fangs Out Of Failure With This Proven 3-Step Process

real reason..reading

fix fragile….life lesson

tell them these things

fangs failure…proven process

They all feel nice to read.

Your reader shouldn’t notice the alliteration. That’s why you shouldn’t overdo it or be clumsy in your word choice.

You want them to enjoy reading it.

5. Single sentences

Single sentences are an easy way to elevate your writing.

Here’s the introduction to a recent article I wrote:

There’s something odd about search engines. Google owns 85% of the market. Yahoo has 2%. But there is no difference in the quality of their results. Yahoo even had a head start. So why does everyone use Google? Have a look at their pages and you’ll see why.

Not bad. but watch how powerful it becomes when we add 2 single sentences:

There’s something odd about search engines.

Google owns 85% of the market. Yahoo has 2%. But there is no difference in the quality of their results. Yahoo even had a head start. So why does everyone use Google?

Have a look at their pages and you’ll see why:

Single sentences are so easy to read — readers glide through them. A big block of text is difficult to wade through.

For your single sentences don’t stick to an ordinary sentence. Add a bit of extra zing to it.

My 3 favourite types to use:

• strong statement
• something odd/unusual
• thought-provoking question

Use these devices to add some style to your writing and please your reader.

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