avatarDerek Hughes

Summary

The author improved their writing by focusing on a few key techniques rather than consuming endless writing advice.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's journey to becoming a better writer by moving away from the constant consumption of writing advice and instead focusing on a select few effective writing tips. Recognizing the foundational importance of writing skills, the author emphasizes that while marketing and other skills are important for a writer's success, the ability to write well cannot be circumvented. The author describes a process of selecting five favorite writing tips, integrating them into an editing checklist, and applying them consistently to every article. This method led to the internalization of these techniques, which were then replaced with new tips after a month. The author also shares the current five writing strategies they are using, which include crafting strong introductions, creating compelling top and tail sentences for each section, scattering curiosity seeds throughout the article, adding relevant article links, and strengthening the title. The article suggests that by deliberately applying and mastering a few tips, a writer's skills can significantly improve over time.

Opinions

  • The author believes that reading more articles about writing does not necessarily make one a better writer.
  • Quality writing is seen as essential for long-term success, more so than temporary bumps from marketing stunts.
  • The author values the importance of a captivating introduction to build trust and interest with the reader.
  • Top and tail sentences are considered crucial for maintaining reader engagement throughout an article.
  • Sowing curiosity seeds is a technique the author finds useful for keeping the reader interested and moving through the content.
  • The author advises against overlooking the inclusion of article links, as they can increase views and earnings if used appropriately.
  • A strong title is deemed vital, and the author recommends making it specific and emphasizing the benefit to the reader.
  • The author promotes the idea of a weekly newsletter, "The Compelling Writer," for ongoing writing advice.

I Became a Better Writer When I Stopped Reading ‘Improve Your Writing’ Articles

A simple process to elevate your writing

Photo by Christa Dodoo on Unsplash

Ok so you want a bigger audience and to make more money. Then you need to become a better writer.

There are other skills you need of course. A social media presence. Marketing skills. Networking. Even sales (landing pages don’t write themselves).

But your ability to write is foundational.

New writers are desperate for more views or to start earning money quickly. And get tempted to try clever hacks. Every platform has its trick of the moment promising instant success.

The truth is you can’t skip the ‘become a better writer step’. You can paper over the cracks with a few marketing stunts. You’ll see a temporary bump in your numbers. But long-term the quality writers rise to the top.

But I hit a problem when I tried to get better.

Overwhelmed with advice

I was drowning in all the writing tips I read.

I’m a sucker for the ‘this little-known secret will make you a top writer’ type of posts. There’s a mountain of writing tips online. Most of them work too. But I find it easier to read about a new tip than practice than old one. But reading more articles won’t make you a better writer.

I needed to take radical action.

My writing improved when I did this:

  • I stopped reading articles about writing
  • I listed all the writing tips I’d found
  • I picked my favourite 5
  • Added them to my editing checklist
  • This prompted me to apply these 5 tips to every article
  • Slowly I started to use the tips without prompting
  • 1 month later I chose new 5 tips to use
  • When my long list of tips gets empty I read some articles
  • Then it’s back to the start of this process

This will be personal to you.

But here are the 5 ideas I’m currently using:

1. Strong intro

Without a captivating introduction, you lose your reader straight away.

Sometimes my introductions are too short and dive straight into the 1st point. At other times they are long-winded.

I’m aiming to quickly build trust with my reader and be clear on:

· why this article is for them

· how it helps them

Create interest in your article but don’t keep them waiting too long

2. Top & tail sentences

You can improve your read rate with strong top & tail sentences.

The start and end of each section is the vulnerable point. This is when your reader might drift away. Planting powerful sentences here keeps them moving down the page.

I like these two strategies:

Raise curiosity with an intriguing statement.

For example:

I was drowning in all the writing tips I read.

(Reader thinks — Were you? I wonder why. Or yeah me too)

Grab their interest with a strong statement

For example:

Without a captivating introduction, you lose your reader straight away.

I spend a moment checking the start and end of every section.

  • do I have a single sentence?
  • can I make it stronger or clearer?

3. Scatter curiosity seeds

Teasing sentences keeps the reader reading.

I used to be so focused on making my content clear I never considered these. But sowing a few curiosity seeds raises interest levels. They don’t add anything to the content, but break it up and keep the reader onside.

Here are some typical examples:

  • But there’s more…
  • More on that later…
  • What happened next shocked me
  • I’m going to reveal what I discovered, but first…

Dial up the intrigue to hook your reader in.

4. Add article links

If you don’t point your reader to your other content you are leaving money on the table.

I’ve written before about how to use links to increase your earnings and views. Don’t interrupt your content with embedded links or be too pushy. This will turn off your readers. But think of subtle ways to add links to relevant articles. Your readers will appreciate this if it adds value.

Can you spot any examples in this article?

5. Strengthen the title

You can’t spend too much time on your headline.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve rushed a headline because I’m tired after writing the article. Only to regret it when I see the low views.

There are endless ways to improve your title. But having a long list of techniques will not help you get better.

I ask 2 simple questions about every headline:

  • Can I make it more specific?
  • Can I make the benefit to the reader stronger?

The only way to become a better writer is to deliberately apply the same few tips over and over. Until they become an automatic part of your writing.

Do this for 6 months and your writing will be unrecognisable.

You’ll be a great writer with the world at your feet.

For a weekly tip to upgrade your writing sign up for my newsletter:

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