In general, I’m all for introductions, but I’ve started to doubt their effectiveness in certain pieces. Like this one, for example.
If you’re reading this now, you probably don’t want to hear about my journey as a writer or how I ate 5 peanut-butter cookies and cried when my article got rejected from a well-loved journal. You probably don’t care. You probably just want to know how to write better pieces. I wouldn’t blame you.
Every tip below is easy to implement and should give depth and purpose to your work. And who doesn’t want that? Let’s go.
#1 Hunt down and remove every excess “that”
This is such an easy win, it’s going in first. When I originally tried this, I was alarmed at my abuse of the word. Seemingly, it was sneaking itself into nearly every sentence. Its overuse is diluting. Pull it up by the roots.
#2 Use a story arc
I generally structure articles with subheads, but I’m starting to realise that’s not nearly enough. A narrative arc will sweep readers into your stories, and make them more satisfying to read.
A basic story arc has 5 simple parts. I’ve examined it here as though I were producing a personal article about honesty, and what it means to tell a lie.
Exposition — introduce the setting and any characters involved (the background to my telling lies and/or environment or situation in which it will happen)
Rising action—put tension in motion (the events, thoughts and feelings leading up to my telling the lie)
Climax—the tension or problem reaches its height (I lie)
Falling action—the result of the decisions made during the climax of the story (the consequences of my telling the lie)
Resolution—the conclusion of the story (a summary of what I’ve learnt and any possible lessons for my reader)
#3 Be thoughtful about your structure
I’ve read more articles than I can count that have wobbled drunkenly all over the place. They’ve skittered from point to point and left me dizzy, confused and cross. No one likes to feel their reading was wasted time.
Don’t be that writer. Really think about the structure of every piece you create.
Have a main point and make it clearly. One argument is more powerful than several disparate or conflicting points. Decide what your main argument is and then make sure all secondary points support it
Ensure it’s immediately accessible. A long dense introduction always creates a barrier to entry. Try keeping your opening short but punchy
Don’t cram in too much information. Follow the rule of having 5 main points plus or minus 2 per article. It’s been proven this is the optimum amount for readers to absorb
Choose a narrative structure that makes sense. This could be a story arc. It could be a chronological timeline, like past, present, future. It could be points that build on one another to reach a conclusion. Whatever butters your crumpets
Not all pieces need to be structured in the same way. Yes, the tried and tested methods work, but it can be compelling when writers play with structure. For example, starting with a mysterious ending can be effective: the reader wants to know how on earth you got to that point
#4 Make it personal
Even if your article is meticulously researched, people are unlikely to resonate unless you reveal why you think the way you do. That must come from the disclosure of lived experience or from the vulnerability of letting your true personality show through.
Preferably do both.
Write from the very fibre of your being. It’ll make plenty of people dislike you. But those people are the ones who’d dislike you anyway if they met you in person. They’d think your sense of humour was “weird” and your taste in clothes eccentric. It’s cool. Taste is subjective.
Learn to write as yourself and the people who understand you will come.
#5 Sneak some poetry into your prose
I’m always bumping up against pieces that extol the virtues of writing simply and plainly. Use short sentences, they say. Don’t write at too high a level.
Please. Your readers aren’t idiots. Give them some credit. Obviously, don’t write in riddles like a jerk, but do aim to put a little magic in now and then. Every other paragraph put a little extra effort into one line. Make that sentence unusual, poetic.
It’s absurd the difference this has made to my article writing; I think it’ll have the same impact on yours.
6. Write in a flow state
I’ve noticed a change in the timbre of my writing if I can get into a flow state and write all in one go. If you can do this, creative turns of phrase will slide into your mind. You’ll have no idea where they came from, but you’ll be grateful they did.
Sometimes this dream-like state won’t come. No worries, you can often will it into being by using rituals when you write.
7. Read around your subject
I can still hear my favourite university tutor standing at the front of the class in his neon-pink knitted jumper (presumably in his possession since the late ’80s) and repeating this like a mantra.
It was true for academic writing and it’s true for article writing too. Often we can give our thinking extra dimension and depth by calling on other ideas and perspectives. A carefully chosen quote can illustrate your point evocatively. Facts and statistics can give your work credibility. It’s always worth the extra research.
Glittering writing isn’t all about talent: a lot of it comes down to hard work. Good writers learn techniques to elevate their stories, and then they take the time to practice implementing them.
We can all improve if we just put in the effort. So let’s go ahead and do that.