The Real Reason Your Writing Is Ignored (It’s Not Why You Think)
4 Tips To Spice Up Your Writing And Banish Blandness
Every sentence you write is a product.
The difference is in the material from which the product is made.
This same principle applies to writing.
There is material that builds sentences that are read and remembered. And there is material that builds sentences that are forgotten.
This difference is difficult to spot because it isn’t in the utility — both sentences may technically convey the same idea.
But it’s the quality of material that distinguishes an expensive sentence from a knock-off.
Build your article with high-quality material if you want your writing to get read.
The material is…
4. Idea Structure — Short is Style
Every word must be doing work.
After you’ve written an article, follow these 4 steps to cutting it down:
Step 1: Paragraph cutting
Analyze every paragraph: “Is this paragraph required in order to communicate the core idea of this article?”
If not, cut it.
Step 2: Example cutting
Analyze every example: “Does this example make the point tangible (does it connect to your senses or stir emotion)? Is this example required in order to communicate the single idea in the article?”
If not, cut it.
Step 3: Sentence cutting
Analyze every sentence: “Does this sentence move the conversation forward?”
If not, cut it.
Most sentences repeat what’s already been said. Asking this question will cut your writing in half.
Step 4: Word cutting
Analyze every word: “Is this word efficient? Is this word specific? Is this word necessary? Is this a short and common word?”
If not, cut it.
I use to fill my writing with flowery language.
I believed flowery language was the substance of style. Nothing is further from the truth.
The beauty of writing is in its simplicity. It’s in the brevity, the ability to clearly communicate complex ideas in simple sentences.
3. Section Structure — Flow of Content
Would you rather watch the tide flow in and out, or stare at a brick wall?
Obvious answer, I know. Yet most writers structure their content as a brick wall — writing a single paragraph that consists of 8–10 sentences. No breaks. No flow.
Just a wall of text, sprung on the unsuspecting reader.
It’s no wonder these articles are left unread.
Hard to read doesn’t get read.
Instead, visualize your article as an ocean tide, each sentence flowing in and out.
Here’s an example:
Hook the reader with the first sentence.
With the second sentence, start a new paragraph. Don’t think of this paragraph as a certain number of sentences. We measure with our eyes, so think of its length visually. Between two and four lines will do fine. This becomes the body of your section.
End with a single, short sentence as it’s own paragraph.
This ebb and flow of content will give your article a natural look and feel.
Repeat this flow within each section if necessary.
Pacing
Variety is the spice of life.
(this is my favorite quote from my P90X days — anyone else remember this?)
If your last three sentences were long and detailed explanations of your primary point, then your next sentence must cut to the quick.
Hit your point. Hard. Then move on.
The reader is expecting another long sentence. And if you give them one, they’ll become bored and leave.
Hit the reader with a quick jab (figuratively).
A strong opinion. A dramatic summary. A sensory-filled sentence.
Ideally five words or less.
These short sentences will keep the reader engaged and allow for quick skimming.
2. Article Structure — Format
The Lead (hook)
You’re not a writer. You’re a lead creator.
More people will read the lead (also called your hook) than the content — so you should become a lead master.
The lead sets the stage for the content.
Is this opinion unique? Boring? Surprising? These questions get answered by your lead.
A good lead is unexpected. Full of curiosity, surprise, or intrigue. A good lead pulls the reader to the next sentence.
Small Headings
Your intro shows the reader where you’re going and why it matters.
Small headings throughout your content show how you plan on getting there.
This will keep you focused as you travel through your ideas in writing. And it will allow the reader to decide whether the journey is worth going on.
Length
1,000 words is the golden standard.
Here is an easy template to get you to 1,000 words:
- 200 words intro.
- 200 words conclusion.
- 200 words per point (x3 points).
This template is flexible. But it provides a general framework to remove overwhelm.
The Clincher (last sentence)
The clincher is crucial in determining how the audience will react to your article.
People remember the last thing they read. So if your article ends weak, they won’t follow you (or comment, or thumbs-up, or save your article).
The clincher should be surprising. Shocking. Funny. Memorable.
Call back to something you mentioned earlier in the article when possible.
1. Bullet Points
Bullet points are as beautiful as they are deadly.
If you can catch your reader in a bulleted list, you own their attention.
Here are three (of many) reasons why:
- It’s hard to stop reading bullets after you’ve started
- Towering the bullets (like this example) pulls the reader onward
- When scrolling through an article, the reader tends to skip to the bullet points
The pull of the familiar
Seeing a bulleted list is like seeing an old friend.
You may not know where the conversation will go, but it has a comforting familiarity to it.
This is because we use lists in our everyday life — to-do lists, grocery lists, don’t-eat-this-because-it’s-too-spicy lists, etc.
BONUS — Stop Creating Original Content
In the last 15 years, I’ve created over 1,000 pieces of content that have gotten less then 100 views…
So at the beginning of this year, I had to admit… I don’t know what good content is.
Admitting that was painful, but incredibly freeing. Instead of creating more of what I believed was “good” content, I created a system to learn what good content actually is:
- Search for content relevant to your reader
- Identify the highest performers
- Validate that this performed well because of the content (not outside factors)
- Add it to a “content bank” for replicating
- Replicate that content, adding your personal experience or opinion
Following this process is how I’ve grown on Medium from 45 followers to 2,300+ in 5 months.
The larger my audience grows, the more data I get about what they like and don’t like. This teaches me what good content actually is.
If you’re releasing content that consistently gets less than 100 views, then this is how you learn what good content is.
Admitting you don’t know what’s good content, is hard. This process isn’t for everyone. But if this resonates with you, click here to join my email list - Writerpreneur.
I teach this process in my (almost) daily emails. I also use my experience as the Operations Manager of Capitalism.com to break down business for non-fiction writers.
Click here to join Writerpreneur.
If your writing is being ignored, focus on improving these materials.
