You can start applying them today
I wrote about codfish for 8 years.
I have been publishing personal content on Medium since 2018, and I write technical articles for work. Covering different areas and styles has taught me precious lessons on the art of writing.
These are the 10 tips I would give my best friend if she wanted to start writing today.
Start with a strong sentence
First sentences must be powerful, intriguing, and make readers feel they need to continue. Don’t be afraid to generate FOMO in them. That’s exactly what you want to do. If you need some inspiration for the first sentences, you can find it here.
Play with sentence length
Short sentences are more powerful. But you also don’t want to sound like a robot. So play with the rhythm, and combine sentences of different lengths, as you do when speaking.
Tell a story
Everything can be turned into a story. And everything should be turned into a story. It is the most effective way to generate emotions in your readers and keep them engaged. The human brain is wired to be attracted to stories.
Make it visual
Getting concrete when describing a scene will transport your readers with you. For example, don’t say “the metro was full.” Go with “the metro was so full that my hair got stuck between the doors when they closed.”
Eliminate fluffy words
Your dog is not really cute; your dog is cute. And you don’t like it a lot. You love it.
Use active voice
He killed her. Much more powerful than “She was killed by him.”
If it’s inside brackets, it should go
One of the most practical pieces of advice I have ever read, and I have applied it nonstop since. Either it is important enough to be outside the brackets, or it should go.
Read your words out loud
When proofreading, do it aloud. It will become crystal clear what works and what doesn’t.
Get help
Before I publish anything, I always run my words through two online tools: Grammarly and Hemingway. They are free and easy to use. Why not take advantage of that?
End in a powerful way
Ideally, come full circle. Finish by referencing what you mentioned at the beginning. It will make your writing seem whole, and your readers feel they get closure.
Diana Bernardo 