7 Simple Strategies to Make Your Writing Better
By: Avia Sky
Tags: Writing, Editing, Ｍedium, Writing Tips, Improvement

7 Simple Strategies to Make Your Writing Better

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

An incredible article idea pops in your head, so you run to your laptop to begin typing. You whip your article out in 30 minutes and hit “Publish.” BEEP, back up!

I know, you’re excited to get your words out in the universe. But before you hit submit, there is some much needed editing you need to do.

Although editing is the least sexy part of the writing process, it’s also the most important. Editing can make or break a story. You might have the most interesting story to tell, but if it’s filled with typos and mistakes, no one is going to take the time to read it.

Here are some common editing revisions you can make to improve your writing:

Use Short Paragraphs

Medium readers favor short, skimmable paragraphs as opposed to big long ones. Shorter paragraphs are more approachable and less intimidating. If a reader opens your article and immediately sees a massive paragraph, odds are they’re going to click out.

Small short paragraphs are much more inviting. Readers are drawn to white space.

Research Titles

Think about it, the very first thing a potential reader sees is your title. If the title sounds boring, you won’t get many clicks. On the other hand, an intriguing interesting title will spark curiosity; resulting in clicks, reads and ultimately more money in your pocket.

If you wouldn’t click on your own title, odds are neither will anyone else.

Titles make or break an article.

Remove “that”

I learned this trick in my college english class. Often times the word “that” can be removed from a sentence. Here’s how you know whether it’s necessary or not — remove “that” from the sentence. If it still makes sense — than “that” was not needed.

The less words, the better.

Consolidate

Good writing isn’t long and drawn out. It is short and to the point. Good writers don’t need fluff to full their pages.

Getting right to the point will give the reader confidence in your writing, because they got what they came for.

Read Your Work Out Loud

This is the most important step in the editing process.

When reading silently, your brain skips over typos and fills in your mistakes. Your brain reads how you intended it to read, but not what’s actually on the page.

However, reading out loud will allow you to catch typos, and improve flow.

You can take this a step further and record yourself reading, and play it back. I know this may be awkward, but it’s the best editing tip I can give. It just works!

Edit Slowly

By rushing through the editing process, there is a higher likelihood of missing mistakes.

Comb through each word thoroughly. Once you fix all mistakes, read through a couple more times. I often find lingering mistakes I missed the first couple times through.

Use Hemingway Editor

This editing software is an easy, quick tool that will up your writing game. And it’s completely free! All you have to do is copy and paste your article into the site.

It will then instantly highlight any errors and confusing sentences you should rework. It will give your writing a readability score and grade level.

Hemingway Editor highlights areas you may not have realized needed work.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Summing Up

Writing is a very competitive game. Readers have thousands of articles at their fingertips. Follow these tips to help you stand out and get more eyes on your words.

Short paragraphs are preferred

2. Investigate Title Options

3. Remove the word“that”

4. Eliminate unnecessary words

5. Read your work out loud

6. Edit carefully

7. Use outside editing software