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Most Writers Lose Their Readers Because They’re Lacking One Ingredient
It’s not what you write, it’s the way you write it
Eloquence. What a beautiful word. Here’s how to achieve it as a writer.
The problem most novice writers have is as follows. You’re a hive of ideas and energy, you want to write about what you love. Who doesn’t? But you’re failing at something because the readers aren’t arriving. Your hard work, your great idea, and, most importantly, your passion isn’t being received. Nobody reads, nobody comments, nobody seems to care.
What’s happening? Well, the question should be “What’s not happening?” The answer is usually “eloquence.”
Steve Martin joked, “Some people have a way with words, other people not have way.”
What makes you eloquent? Fluidity, persuasiveness, no verbiage, no um-ing, and ah-ing.
Eloquent people also tend to speak in a clipped and slow manner. They paint with words. We mere mortals insecurely over-talk to try to get our point across. The eloquent have confidence in brevity, and their brevity is confidence. The essence of eloquence is conveying a lot with few words.
One of the most important lessons I learned as a writer is to keep sentences simple. I came up with a motto for…