I love my English teachers! They introduced me to literature and the wide world of reading. They taught me the basics of writing and forced me to write and read a lot. That was all excellent preparation for the writing I would do later in life. But there’s a problem.
The Writing My English Teachers Taught Me
My English teachers taught me the basics of English grammar and usage when they taught me to write. “Good writing” featured long, winding sentences, complex constructions, and fancy vocabulary. It was meant to be read silently.
That’s perfect if you’re writing that academic paper. But it can be hard to read, and if you’re writing a book, that’s a bad thing. Writing like that slows readers down and increases the possibility they’ll stop reading altogether.
That’s the problem, but there’s a solution. Write for your mouth instead of your eyes.
Write Like You Talk, Only Better
When you talk to other people, you don’t use words like you used them when writing those English papers. You use simple words. You use short sentences, usually 10 words or less. You use contractions. That’s good. It’s the kind of writing that keeps people reading.
Of course, you do some things when you talk that you don’t want to do when you write. Take out the “ums,” the “errs,” and the repeated words. Take out the pretentious words, too. Just write how you talk to a good friend at a social event.
Read Your Writing Aloud!
Read your writing aloud to test whether you’re reading like you talk only better. Your mouth will trip over things your eyes missed. Your mouth will find places where your flow breaks down. When you’re done reading aloud, edit your piece. Read it aloud again. Repeat as needed.
When you write that way, you’ll produce writing that lets the reader keep moving along. You’ll like that. Your readers will like that.
Write to please your reader, not your old English teacher. Write like you talk, only better. Improve your writing by reading it aloud and then fixing the problems you find.
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I’m Wally Bock. I’m the player-coach who helps mid-career authors create a business book they’re proud of without going crazy or shredding important relationships. Contact me if you’re finally ready to make that dream about writing a book a reality.
