Better a Blog #4: Seven Ways to Polish Your Writing
Written by Maryellen Lazzaro on April 19, 2016
EXTENDED-CARE MARKETING EDITION
Whew, glad you got through that writer’s block! Now that your entry is finished, let’s polish it up.
1. Do the easy work. Read it through and get rid of the yadda yaddas. Correct obvious mistakes. Tighten up sentences that are rambling.
2. Consider the structure of the piece. Does it flow? Do you tell your story in an organized way? Does the entry start with a catchy sentence or compelling quote? Are the paragraphs in a sensible order? Is it one big block of copy? That’s hard on the reader. Breaking up your copy with paragraphs, headlines, subheads, bullet or lists makes it easier to access.
3. Examine the sentences. Are there excessively long ones that should be trimmed or divided? Can you say the same thing in two sentences versus three? Alternatively, do you need another sentence to clarify your thought?
4. Drill down to the words. Are you using simple and precise words? Are you avoiding jargon, technical terms and acronyms? Omit these words: just, quite, very, first (or, heaven forbid, firstly).
5. Not sure about grammar? Spell checks and grammar checks are useful, but they don’t always catch everything or make the best choices. The internet to your rescue. Search exactly what your confusion is, for instance, “which or that.” You’ll find answers.
6. Avoid the passive voice. Instead of, “The woman’s memory has been damaged by dementia,” try, “Dementia damaged the woman’s memory.” Do a search for “have” or “has” to help you spot problems.
7. Read it aloud, slowly and from hard copy. Catch any typos? Does the punctuation cue you properly, for instance, is a sentence begging for a pause, which probably means it needs a comma? If you hear yourself saying any one word too often, search for the instances of that word and change it up.
> If you need help building or bettering a blog or writing entries, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
> Coming soon: What you need to know about search engine optimization or SEO.
Posted Under: Blogging, Editorial, Extended Care, Social Media, Tips
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