Have you ever tasted your own foot? Doesn’t taste very good does it. No matter how much scrubbing, and exfoliating, and moisturizing, and soaking in bath salts you do it is still just a smelly foot. The same thing is true with what you write. The difference is that with writing you can turn it into a beautiful gem, an inspired piece of literature. A foot will always be a foot. Stinky, ugly, and foul.

Write a letter

If I had $1.00 each time I read something devoid of life and personality I’d be rich. Not technical manuals on how to set a VCR clock, or how to replace your brake pads. I’m talking about other blogs, even this blog!

Why does this happen? Because we write for our readers. We write in a way that forces them to take possession of our writing. We beat them over the head with it saying “You wanted it? Well you’ve got it!”.

Instead write a letter to your readers. You want your readers to feel cozy. Like a friend who just came in out of sub-freezing temperatures to sit down with us for while. Letters are cozy. You want your articles to be cozy.

Write like a child

The Bible says, But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16) Basically it is saying to come as a child. In wonder and awe. With a sense of amazement.

Write in the same way. Like a child. Why? Because, if people wanted to read a technical manual they’d buy a new computer. People read blogs because they are enjoyable, quick, and easy. I see blogs out there with awesome content, are right on the money about everything but the stuffy air of authority makes you not want to go back

How does one write like a child? Here are a few pointers:

• Limit your vocabulary - Search for and use the simplest words that get your meaning across
• Ask questions - Kids ask lots of questions because they don’t know everything. Copy them because you don’t either AND because it invites participation.
• Know when to shut up - All kids know when to shut their mouths. They don’t always do it but they know. You on the other hand should not only know when to cut the writing short, but also be merciless in doing so.

Write everyday

Name one person who is good at something without practice. Anyone? I’ll save you the trouble. It can’t be done. People get good at what they do because of practice. Natural talent helps, but only doing makes you better.

Writing is the same thing. To get good at writing, write! Everyday. Write on a variety of topics. Some you’ll use others you won’t. The exercise isn’t about pumping articles out it’s about writing for the sake of writing.

Be brutal

The fiercest critic of your writing should be you. In the old days, back when people used pens and pencils, writers (and teachers) were infamous for making their draft/students pages look like they were bleeding. Not really, but they relied so heavily on red ink pens for editing purposes that the paper would often be overrun with red lines. Prune it down to the bare minimum. Your best written articles will come when you take a minimalist approach.

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Tags: Writing