Hope Writes

4 Tips To Make Your Writing Real

If you’ve been writing for any amount of time now I know you’ve either been told or have read/heard that your writing should reflect the same tone with which you speak. Do you fully understand what this means? If so, do you write like you speak? Is your writing real?

I think a lot of times we get too wrapped up in trying to sound perfect on the page. I’ve struggled a lot with this by…

• using "fancy" words instead of plain English
• cramming three (or more–YIKES!) sentences into a single sentence
• speaking in generalities

When this happens, my piece usually ends up feeling stiff and cold. I’ve received more positive feedback when I write from my heart and forget about trying to form perfect sentences.

I’m not telling you to write junk and play it off as something great. What I am telling you to do is practice writing like you speak. Here are some tips to help you work out the kinks in your writing…

TIP #1: Use a voice recorder.

This exercise doesn’t require anything fancy. If you have a plain old cassette tape recorder, that will do just fine. Schedule some time this week to recording articles. Instead of writing, you’re going to speak them into the recorder.

At first you’ll probably feel a little weird. That’s why I suggest you do this while there’s nobody else in the room with you. The sound of your own voice might be a little strange in the beginning.

You might begin by reading an article or two aloud that you’ve already written. This will help you break the ice. After you get comfortable speaking aloud, hit the record button and start talking.

First, state the tentative title of your article. Then give a brief summary of the article, followed by the article itself. If you’re still having a hard time doing this, imagine you’re talking to your best friend, sister, or uncle. What would you tell her about this particular topic? What would you want him to know?

TIP #2: Throw away your thesaurus.

The thesaurus has its place in this world. But it doesn’t belong anywhere near your desk when you’re writing. I hear all the gasps of horror. Sorry!

Just about the only thing a thesaurus is good for is making your writing sound over the top and ridiculous. I know, I know. I’ve used it many times myself.

I’ll concede that there are a few instances when a thesaurus is handy. A necessity? No. What would happen if you had to live without it. How would you figure out what you want to say? You’d talk it through with yourself. You might even call a friend and brainstorm with him. But somehow, you’d figure it out on your own.

That’s what I want you to do now. Figure out how to say what you want to say without prettying it up.

TIP #3: Give specific examples.

When you write an article, depending on the type of article, it is important to give examples. Readers can identify with examples. It brings the point you’re trying to make closer to home.

You can almost always find examples in your own back yard. Take a look at your article and see if you can recall a certain situation that is relatable to the article. Let me show you what I mean…

I wrote an article for the Jackson Parent Magazine about simple ways for Moms to relax. I interviewed several experts, all of whom gave me really great and simple ways moms can relax. When I finished the piece though, it seemed a little flat. I thought for a while about how I could add a tad more depth to the article. I wanted other Moms to be able to relate to me. And then–AHA!

At that very moment, I was stressed out! I had been dealing with a sick baby and lack of sleep, which was making my stress levels rise even more. So I added this to the beginning of the article:

I braced myself as Elijah screamed for the fifth time that day. It was an ear-piercing, I’m-mad-at-you scream; a fit that persisted for over an hour. (Why didn’t someone warn me that the Terrible Two’s for boys is much worse than girls?)

My heart pounded in my ears. My breathing quickened and my palms became sweaty. I thought I might faint. Oh great, an anxiety attack in the making.

By adding my personal experience, I immediately connected myself with thousands of other moms in my community who felt just as stressed as I.

TIP #4: Write tight.

If you don’t learn anything else, learn to write tight. But then, I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times, too. Right?

Tight writing is nothing more than cutting away the excess. Making each word count. When you can compose a sentence in which each word stands on its own, you’ve accomplished a great feat.

To put it plain and simple, writing tight means:

• Short sentences
• Short paragraphs
• Short phrases
• Lots of action words
• Focused thoughts

When you write tight, you’ll often find it necessary to cut words. Sometimes you’ll even need to cut entire sentences out of a paragraph–or paragraphs from chapters. When you write tight, you keep it short and sweet. Succinct. Detailed. Action. Focus.

If you’ve been told your writing sounds too cold or stuffy, you can warm it up in no time by putting these simple tips into practice. Don’t worry if you can’t seem to make the switch immediately. These things take time. And remember…practice makes perfect.

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