Tips to Make Your Writing More Interesting

This is a guest post by James Adams.

It makes sense that interesting writing is going to bring a bigger readership to your blog and finding clever ways to make your writing more interesting will make it more popular. Knowing that you need to make your writing more interesting is a far cry from knowing how to make it more interesting. There are several techniques you can use to make your writing more compelling and here are 10 tips that cover three of these techniques that may help to make your writing more appealing.

 

1. Keep it short

Don’t say in three paragraphs what you can convey in one. Most people typically won’t read more than three or four sentences before they start to skim. You can either try to be more entertaining or simply just write less.

 

2. Avoid “hedging”

There’s no need to cover every possible angle when making a point. An example would be, “Today, almost all adults have at least some form of electronic device like a phone or Blackberry that they carry.” By simply saying, “Today adults carry electronic devices to stay in touch” you have left out hedging words like “almost all” and “some form”.

 

3. Repeat phrases

Repeating phrases can add some tempo and organisation to your text. Repeating phrases draws the reader into the rhythm of your writing style. Repeating phrases is an easy way to make someone want to continue reading. Sometimes writing becomes uninteresting when the writer isn’t in to the topic, isn’t inspired, or is lacking in focus and energy. Here are some ways to work on those problems to improve your writing.

 

4. Your surroundings matter

Find the right atmosphere in which to write, but also believe in the theory of “needing a change in scenery”. It is critical that you find a place where you are comfortable and your writing can flow easily. The more comfortable you are, the more interesting your writing is likely to be. This atmosphere isn’t just the house, room, or office in which you work. It also has to do with setting the ambience, whether this means playing a certain style of music, having the TV on in the background, or sprawling on a blanket in the park. Even when writing in your comfort zone, you can face a “writer’s block”. When this happens, take a break and get that proverbial change of scenery. A little time away from your normal surroundings is a great way to clear your head of the cobwebs.

 

5. Come back later to something that has you stumped

Sometimes one paragraph or even just a sentence doesn’t seem to flow the way you want it to. If you spend too much time on one sentence, it can completely derail you from the whole article. Come back to it later so you don’t lose your train of thought. There will be plenty of reviews and edits in which you can fine-tune that one pesky sentence. The trickiest part of making your writing more interesting is learning how to “be” interesting. Here are some pointers that will help you be more interesting so that it translates into your writing.

 

6. If you have a sense of humour, show it in your writing

Too often bloggers take themselves too seriously. You can get your point across while entertaining your readership. Being bored is another reason readers begin to skim. Inject a little humour and you will get your readers back.

 

7. Supporting stories

A good story that supports your point is an excellent way to keep a reader interested. They are great openers, too, that make the reader want to find out more. Stories can teach and entertain at the same time. The better the story, the more you and your blog will be remembered.

 

8. Find complementary imagery

You know what they say about pictures? They can be worth 1000 words. That is so true when it comes to interesting writing. If you can, find a picture that totally conveys what you are trying to say and put it at the very beginning of your post.

 

9. Make your posts aesthetically appealing as well as interesting to read

So many blogs are just page after page of text with paragraphs that are too long and nothing to break it up like headings and subheadings, lists, or pictures. They are just plain ugly. If you put in the effort to do some creative formatting, add pictures, clip art, and links more people are more likely to stop and read the work of that interesting writer who took the time to dress up his blog.

 

10. Be clever with your title

It’s easy to turn a bland title into something that will catch the reader’s eye. If you are writing about getting links to your blog, adding “How to...” to the title lets the reader know they may actually get some useful information. “Secrets to…” may make them believe there is actually some little known information tucked away in your blog. Use that sense of humour to create a catchy title.

 

About the author
James works as a product analyst and blogger at Cartridge Save who also covers the latest releases of consumables for Canon printers.