Establishing the Basics of Writing

Hello, this is Ina, working as a marketing manager at Playio!
As a startup marketer, I’m in charge of various tasks but I primarily handle content marketing.

What is the foundation of content marketing? I believe it’s writing, or more precisely, ‘text’. Even in conveying visual or video content, I feel text is essential in the communication process.

Throughout our lives, we read and write a considerable amount. From formal documents like work reports or presentation materials to casual messages exchanged with friends on KakaoTalk. We encounter both structured and unstructured writing everywhere.

However, when it comes to writing, many of us are fearful even before starting. It’s like thinking, ‘I’ve never really written a proper text’
Most of us are not solely reliant on ‘writing’ to make a living. No one expects grand and magnificent writing from us in general. Just having the ‘basics’ that are easy to read can help us avoid any bad feedback.

The introduction was a bit lengthy! Now, how can we effectively write?

Decide the Overall Flow of Your Writing

Every piece of writing has a beginning and an end. Starting without knowing the end is like navigating a maze. You might wander here and there, backtrack, and sometimes end up in circles. It takes quite a long time to find the way out, and the traces left behind in that process can look messy.

Deciding on the conclusion of your writing is like knowing the exit of the maze. It allows us to roughly outline where we need to go and which paths to explore. It minimizes the chances of getting lost. When you determine the flow of your writing from the start, you can assess whether your message is consistently conveyed and if the writing is progressing well toward the conclusion.

Minimize Unnecessary Lengthening of Sentences

Sometimes, when we write without paying attention, sentences tend to get longer and these long sentences can make readers feel fatigued, leaving them breathless and prompting them to eventually stop reading, just like you might be feeling right now.

Did you catch that? Are you getting tired while reading? Let’s revise this sentence a bit.

“When we write without paying attention as we do in regular speech, sentences tend to elongate without realizing it. These lengthy sentences exhaust readers, making them lose their reading rhythm and eventually give up.”

Let’s examine the noticeable differences, shall we?

Firstly, the starting subject has been omitted. Many people feel compelled to start a sentence with a subject when writing. However, sentences can progress perfectly fine without a subject. Indiscriminate use of subjects can clutter sentences. Sometimes, bold deletions can elevate the quality of a sentence.

The number of sentences has also changed. One sentence has been split into two. Intentionally breaking sentences can guide the reader’s breathing. It offers the reader a chance to recall and organize the previous content. If breaking down sentences is challenging, I recommend starting by separating the content listed with commas into separate sentences.

Continuously Read Through Your Writing Process

It’s a fundamental and easy method, yet many people overlook it. It’s simply reading your written text out loud.

When writing, it’s common to get caught up in the writing and lose sight of the overall flow. In these cases, reading what you’ve written aloud continually becomes crucial.

If speaking is challenging, I recommend at least miming the words silently. Well-written texts should flow smoothly when read aloud. If you encounter stumbling points while reading, try revising and repeating the reading process. This helps create a more natural piece of writing.

Vocabulary Utilization Tip

When sentences flow naturally, but if you’re unsure about which words and predicates to use, here’s a recommendation.

This is a useful tip that I often use. If you’re struggling to choose words or predicates while writing, try this method. Search the word you want to use on a search engine and check the news category.

For example, consider the sentence, ‘Our company achieved high performance this year.’ If you want to use a different expression instead of ‘achieved,’ search ‘performance’ on the search engine. Then, explore the news category, and you’ll find various examples utilizing that word.

‘Achieved performance,’ ‘attained performance,’ ‘garnered performance,’ ‘demonstrated performance’… Pick the expression you prefer. Even if using repetitive words, diversifying expressions can create a richer text without monotony.

Today, I’ve shared the basics of writing and my special tips. I hope it was helpful for you.

Ultimately, to become a good writer, you must write a lot. Keep in mind the points I mentioned above while creating your writing.

See you next time with even more useful writing tips! 🙌🏻