What all successful bloggers have in common is that they all edit their work before declaring it as a finished product. Writing everything they want to say is just the first phase of their writing schema. Every draft is like a rough diamond. Unearthing one is just the beginning. You’ll have to cut it to reveal its clarity and beauty. This is why many of the most popular bloggers hire a professional editor, to transform their rough drafts to a real work of art. You nailed it! – Someone else is helping them.
That seems a bit unfair, doesn’t it? It’s no wonder that their writing seems flawless. Don’t go cursing and accusing bloggers of being cheaters. Some bloggers are really just busy with their everyday schedule that they’d rather have someone else do the editing for them. Even so, there are still bloggers who do the editing themselves, which they did by working their way to learning the craft. Editing isn’t exactly rocket science if you just have someone to show you how it’s done.
That being said, let’s break down the rules that’ll transform your dull writing piece to one that’ll break the record:
1. Don’t use empty filler words
Empty fillers are sometimes called grammar expletives. These are words or phrases that don’t add any substantial meaning to the context. They usually start with there, it, and there, followed by a form of a verb to be. One of the most common phrases includes the words it was, it is, it will, it won’t, here is, it takes, there will be, there is. These words and phrases are empty and meaningless, only making the text unnecessarily wordier without adding any significant value to the paragraph.What’s wrong with being wordy? I mean, sure, there are lots of cases when we need to catch a certain word count. When you use fillers to refer to nouns later in the sentence, your writing weakens as it shifts emphasis away from the real meaning of your writing.
2. Use action words
We are fond of making our writing lengthier. As such, we often write our stuff using weak verbs. Examples are: assist, help, gain, receive, deal, handle, learn, seek out, set up, and enhance.Weak verbs occur when we write “she is blogging”, when we can just write “she blogs”, “she is enjoying” instead of, “she enjoys”, and “she was sleeping” instead of “she slept”.
What’s wrong with weak verbs? We write to express. Using weak verbs makes it more difficult for the reader to digest the meaning of our writing. Instead of using weak verbs, use action or visceral verbs that directly point to the meaning of the sentence. Examples are: ate, kissed, killed, slept, drank, went, and flew.
3. Don’t use weak adjectives
Everything in your article should be easy to understand. You shouldn’t bombard your article with words that’ll make it hard for the reader to understand your writing. That being said, you should be specific when using adjectives. Examples of weak adjectives are: really bad, really good, very big, and very beautiful. How bad is really bad? How good is really good? How big is very big? How beautiful is very beautiful? Refrain from using words or phrases that depict that you don’t know a specific word. Instead, use words like terrible, great, huge, and gorgeous.4. Don’t be verbose
Do you remember sleeping on your lectures back in high school? What do you think kept you from listening and staying awake? The long and boring lesson, right? Your prof could have explained it using few words, but he still insisted on making it long and difficult for you. Remember how you hated that? Well, that’s how your readers probably feel, whenever you go all verbose on them. Tell them exactly what’s up. Tips to follow are:• Be direct to the point
• Don’t use colloquial phrases
• Don’t use hifalutin words
• Research
I bet you’re wondering what the last part was for. Well, of course, you’re going to have to be straight to the point for your readers to stick. Of course, it’s going to lead to a lesser word count. And of course, you need to stick to a much a higher word count. And that is precisely why you have to make tons of research: to make your article as valuable as possible.
5. Avoid nominalization
Nominalization occurs when you use a lengthier equivalent of a phrase or sentence when you can just write in a simpler form. Examples are:
• Alcohol is the cause of driving accidents – Alcohol causes driving accidents
• Sabrina is showing signs of high intelligence – Sabrina is intelligent
6. Use proper punctuation
Everything is easily understood through face to face conversations. Things toughen when we write it. Facial expressions, gestures, and body language – these all contribute to how effective communication will be. So, with all those things absent in writing, how can we make ourselves clear to our readers? Proper punctuation, of course.Place a period at the end of every sentence. Use a question mark when you’re referring to a question. Place a comma whenever there’s a pause in your sentence.
7. Make use of noun modifiers whenever possible
Again, we’re used to making our writing lengthier. As a result, we prefer using unnecessary and long words, instead of using noun modifiers. Noun modifiers are two nouns used together where the first noun modifies the second one. Examples are:• Benefits of reading – Reading benefits
• Tips on proofreading – Proofreading tips
• Basics of SEO – SEO basics
Where am I going with all of these? To write clearly and effectively, you just have to be well-understood. We write to express. That being said, your writing should send a clear message to the readers. Focus on making your writing as direct to the point as possible. Don’t confuse your readers just so you can reach a word count. There are only two things to remember: be direct and do research.
Joe Baldwin is a native US resident & professional Article writer for Essay Look. He studied English literature and creative writing. He has experience with online web content including blogs, web page content, news, public relations, press releases, and long form sales and industrial presentations.
