Some Essential Writing Tips - Kirsten | Learn English at EnglishCafe

I’ve been writing for quite a long time, and learning about writing for even longer.  It feels as if I still learn something every day.  I just read a book entitled Home by one of the United State’s premier modern authors, Marilynne Robinson, and I spent most of the time wondering how anyone could write so beautifully.

My two older daughters have written a lot lately.  They are suddenly writing essays, reviews and reports in school.  Their teachers expect the work to be both clear and meaningful.  This is a fun time because I can share with them the simple but important bits of information I have picked up over time from some wise teachers.   

Here is my short list of essential writing advice:

Write short, clear sentences. These sentences, like a fine cup of espresso, are powerful and engaging.  Long rambling sentences are not necessarily impressive.  If you are an advanced writer and adept with punctuation, you may use long sentences, but only if you are very clear about what you want to say with all those words.  Otherwise, long sentences confuse the reader or water down your meaning.

Use straightforward language.  This means you should be clear about what you want to say and then find the words that match that meaning most accurately.  This is the fun part.  It is like finding the right puzzle pieces.  You may still use unusual or advanced words, but don’t use them unless they actually convey just the right meaning.  Also, it is best not to overuse advance words because you will lose your reader.  Again, the only way the reader is impressed is if you are using words to say what you want to say clearly.

Write in an active voice, not a passive voice. For example: Three eggs were laid by the chicken is not a good sentence.   The chicken laid three eggs is a good sentence.  Okay, not particularly good, but clear and strong and more engaging than the first sentence.

Don’t use too many adverbs (ly words).  For example:   She lovingly placed the teddy bear next to the sleeping child, then gingerly tip-toed out of the room and shut the door quietly  vs.   She placed the teddy bear next to the sleeping child and tip-toed out of the room.  The two sentences describe the same scene and I guarantee, your reader will like you much better if you use the second sentence.  Readers want the clues that allow them to become engaged.  They do not want to be told how to see and feel everything.   

Read your work out loud! This is so important and SO worth the extra time it takes.  This is how we can discover what the reader will experience when he or she reads your work.  When you read out loud you will hear awkward or over-written sentences.  You will find the weak spots and the places where the message is not clear.  You will also notice where you have forgotten or misused punctuation.  The best writers develop a natural rhythm in their sentences, and reading your work out loud is the best way to begin to develop your own rhythm.   

That’s all for now.  I think of this list as a foundation for good writing.  Of course, excellent writers break all sorts of rules…but it takes a while to master the craft enough to deviate.  I love thinking about the ways we can use language, so I will probably write more soon, but these are some essential tips that come to mind.   

I’d love to hear from others.  What are your tips, wisdom, experiences with writing?