The Most Underrated Advice on Writing Style That You Must Follow
You can express the same idea in more than one way
When someone starts telling a story, you are more likely to pay attention. If the account is entertaining, you may be willing to learn a thing or two if you need that information to enjoy the narrative.
Consider this: Would you like to read a book that tells you all the features and history of how Apple developed the MacBook? Or would you like to watch a movie that tells you how Steve Jobs lived his life?
Storytelling helps your readers remember more information and learn more without losing interest. Storytelling is a device for learning, storing, and memorizing information.
You can write your first draft the way you want. But you have to modify the sentences to make them more entertaining.
Suppose your first draft looked like this:
Instead of writing like this:
Sexual activity can be organized in a number of ways: actions that involve one person — also called autoeroticism — such as masturbation, or two or more people such as vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, or mutual masturbation. Penetrative sex between two persons may be defined as sexual intercourse, but definitions differ. If there are more than two partners in a sex act, it may be called group sex. Autoerotic sexual actions can involve the use of vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, and different sex toys, though these toys can be used with a partner as well.
Write like this:
I am reluctant to admit it, but I did not know much about sex until my late teens — I would not like to go into the reasons behind my sexual ignorance.
For example, I did not know about vaginal sex, oral sex, or mutual masturbation. I knew only about masturbation and touching myself — or auto-eroticism. I believe touching myself is the simplest form of eroticism.
But the idea that a man can penetrate his sexual organ into my vagina, that was unthinkable for me. Intercourse was a taboo subject for me back then.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered group sex. Oh my god! Was that even possible? Why would anyone ever have group sex? Wasn’t penetration and intercourse weird and invasive enough?
The only unusual sexual idea I actually liked was a vibrator. But I never fancied dildos and butt plugs. Ugh!
I remember the day I saw my first porn movie; I could not believe my eyes. One girl and two men. The girl — looking at the men — licked the dildo and squirmed like a sexy animal.
Final Thoughts
Chekhov once said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
Your second draft — and any subsequent draft — has to become more fun and easy to follow.
Here is what you can infer by reading the above:
- Try to connect with your reader.
- Make it about you.
- Share your original opinions, experiences, and feelings as you write.
- Try to evoke emotions — pleasant or unpleasant.
- Let your readers use their imagination as they read.
In simple words, show, don’t tell. It is a popular writing technique. Tell your story through sensory details and actions. This style of writing is more immersive for your readers and allows them to experience what you see and how you feel.
You can read my curated stories here.
