Reader to Writer: Hey Dude, Clear it up!

Home > Blog > Be Creative, Become a Top Blogger, Tips > Reader to Writer: Hey Dude, Clear it up!

A Guest Post by Bill Polm of Keys to Writing

Challenges every writer faces

One of the biggest challenges we writers constantly face is making sure our readers will understand clearly what we write, the way we want them to.

Is it clear?

One challenge is that most of what we write is clear to us.  But that doesn’t guarantee our readers will see it the way we do.  We can have a blindside when we write, sometimes more than one.  If we’re not careful, we write so that we get it, but our reader doesn’t, at least not as well as we hope she does.

Another challenge is to put together our sentences in a sequence that sticks together, so that our ideas flow in an interconnected way and make sense.  In writing terminology, we want it to be coherentWill my reader be able to follow my thinking—easily?

So how can we go about writing this well?

By actively thinking like we do when we outline or plan a piece of writing.  Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly answering this question: What do I need to put next? A piece of writing is built sentence by sentence, and it makes a big deal of difference what you wind up adding next, and then next….

The best way to do this is to stay actively aware of the direction your writing is going at each point–while you are pre-planning and also when you are in the midst of writing your piece.

The key is remembering this: There are only three directions you can go, no matter where you are in your writing. Simply put:

(1) You can add more specific sentences,

(2) less specific sentences, or

(3) sentences that stay at the same level of “specific-ness.”

This is outline-thinking, but in a way that is less obvious than the common outlining approach.

So as I write I ask myself questions like these:

  • Will my reader get what I just wrote, or do I need to explain more, add an illustration, add some details? (That is, get more specific.)

 

  • Should I  move now to another of the points I want to cover (That is, on the same level as a previous point)?

 

  • Or, am I done with this section? If so, then I need to change the subject to a degree (move in a less specific direction). Or am I all done with the writing project?

Such questions help me decide the direction I should go next.  They also help me narrow down the many possibilities of what I can add.  Here’s a simple illustration to make this approach clearer:

Building a coherent paragraph that keeps your reader in mind

Let’s say I’m putting together a magazine article about blogging and that my purpose for the article is to describe for my reader what I consider to be its important aspects.  So I begin like this…

The internet has given birth to a whole new way of telling your story: Blogging.

That’s my topic sentence, informing my reader what my general subject is.  Now do I need to get more specific with my next sentence?  For sure.  So I narrow down my subject to…

Blogging has a style all its own.

Now I ask, have I told my reader enough at this point?  Certainly not. So again I need to get more specific with my next sentence.

It’s often personal.

That’s better.  But does my reader know what I mean by “personal”?  Maybe not.

So I add a specific example.

Bloggers often will share anecdotes from their daily lives.

Did that last sentence above give my reader enough detail?  Maybe.  But for this illustration, let’s say that it did.  So I decide it’s time to move to another aspect of blogging style.

It’s paragraphs are usually short, with plenty of untouched white space between them, so that the content is easy to scan.

To a degree, that sentence above went in a less specific direction.  So I’ve gone back to making my main points about blogging style.

One more sentence…

It’s sentences are mostly short too, making for easy reading.

Now my final example sentence above makes another point about blogging style, doesn’t it?  It’s on the same general level as the sentence that begins “It’s paragraphs are usually short…”  It’s another point on my list of blogging style aspects that I want to discuss.

Did you recognize above the three directions:  getting more specific, getting less specific, and staying on the same level?

As we outline or write, with each sentence we add, we will move in one of those directions.  Staying aware of those directions and asking the reader-oriented questions like those I mentioned above can make for crystal clear writing.

Two key exercises:

1.  The next time you read another writer’s work that you like, outline a paragraph or two.  Figure out as best you can, why the author chose to add each successive sentence.

2.  Then, the next blog post you compose or article you put together, try writing (or, re-writing) it using the outline-thinking I described above.  Use indents if you wish, as you write, for  your more specific moves to make the directions obvious.

Try this way of outline-thinking.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how it helps you write your content with clarity.  You may also discover that it has an added benefit:  It actually helps you come up with new ideas.

Bill Polm has been writing most of his adult life.  He has written professionally as a ghostwriter. He is the blogger and founder of Keys to Writing.

________________________________________________________________________________

RECENT POSTS

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

Many creatives want to launch a writing career, but taking the steps to do so is a frequent roadblock. The good news is, if you want to launch a writing career and are committed to doing so, you’re likely to succeed.  Of course, the definition of success is...

6 Book Introduction Examples: Helpful Secrets To Compelling Intros

The topic of book introduction examples is vital to dive into due to their influence on readers’ mindset. How a reader feels when he or she starts chapter one and page one of your manuscript impacts how they respond to your writing. When you’ve spent weeks, months, or...

5 Tips To Write Faster: Finish Your Book In Record Time

Did you know that if you want to write faster than the average typist (40 words per minute) there are actionable steps you can take to do so? Whether you are working on typing out your debut novel or have been in the game for years, there’s always an opportunity to...

Vision Boards For Writers: 3 Ways To Achieve Your Dreams

Vision boards are more than just a fun activity to engage in at the start of a new year or season. While vision boards are often designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be a relaxing activity, they actually can be more helpful to your writing dreams than you...

JOIN OVER 2 MILLION READERS

WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK TO BE A BESTSELLER?

Then you need KDP Rocket – the killer advantage of pro authors.

Related Posts

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

Many creatives want to launch a writing career, but taking the steps to do so is a frequent roadblock. The good news is, if you want to launch a writing career and are committed to doing so, you’re likely to succeed.  Of course, the definition of success is...

The 7 Best Pens For Writing

The 7 Best Pens For Writing

Did you know that you can purchase some of the best pens for writing without breaking the bank? Yes, pens can definitely be a costly purchase, but if you’re looking for both a comfortable and affordable writing tool, we have you covered.  In addition to the...

About The Author

Bill Polm

Latest Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable...