Originally posted on Twitter by Tanmay Singh Chauhan
Here are the FIVE principles that will instantly upgrade your writing:
- Avoid jargon and acronyms.
Know your audience before using an Acronym:
- Explain technical terms the first time they appear.
- Don’t try to sound clever, be clear instead.
- Say what you mean, in plain language, and let the reader decide whether it was “groundbreaking”
- Use fewer than 30 words per sentence
- Focus on one idea per sentence.
- Strip out qualifiers like “I think,” “I feel,” and “should we consider”.
- Eliminate anything that reads like “style.” Refrain from using your writing to extend your personal brand.
- Replace adjectives with data
Don’t force readers to decode your words.
- Buzzwords are empty boasts to kill authority.
- Replace adjectives with words that can be visualised.
- Profit increased drastically last quarter -> Profit increased by 40% compared to Q3.
- Use subject-verb-object sentences
When in doubt, keep things simple:
- Subject: Who or what you’re writing about?
- Verb: What they did or will do.
- Object: Who or what is acted upon.
Keep them from sitting on a couch after reading your copy.
- Use the “So what?” test
Tell readers instantly what you want them to do.
- Do you want them to order now?
- What do you want them to order?
- When will it be delivered?
Make sure to be as specific as you can.
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