Hello Friends,
I’m going to do my best not to ramble on about “rambling.”
After all, rambling is a cardinal sin when writing.
For those who like words and their meanings, let’s start with a definition of the word “ramble” as it pertains to writing . . .
ram·ble
verb: ramble; 3rd person present: rambles; past tense: rambled; past participle: rambled; gerund or present participle: rambling
talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.
"he rambled on about his acting career"
So how do you clear up the confusion and write clearly?
It’s really no secret . . . but I’ll share a few basic tips that have helped me:
Start with your reader. Know your reader and tailor your language, tone, and content to your audience’s need and expectations.
Organize Your Thoughts: Before you start writing, list the purpose of your writing – is it to education, inform, get someone to visit your website or store? For me, this helps get my thinking in order before I begin the actual writing task.
Use Simple Words: You’ve heard this before but it's worth repeating. Avoid jargon, technical terms, or unnecessarily complex vocabulary when simpler words will work. Clarity often comes from simplicity. If your audience needs technical language, explain it clearly. Again, this points back to knowing your reader and the purpose of your message.
Be Concise: Remove unnecessary words and phrases. Every sentence should contribute to your message and keep the interest of your reader. Avoid long, convoluted sentences that can confuse readers.
Avoid Ambiguity: Be precise in your language. Ambiguity can lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Define terms and concepts when necessary, and ensure that your sentences have a clear subject, verb, and object.
Proofread and Edit: Carefully review your writing for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Editing is a crucial step in ensuring clarity. Lots of good grammar-checking tools are available nowadays. And you can always ask someone else to review your work.
Read Aloud: Probably one of the best “proofreading” tools (for me) is read your work aloud. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve found awkward phrasing and areas where the writing is unclear.
Revise and Rewrite: Good writing often involves multiple drafts. So don’t rely on your first attempt. Rewrite, revise and rewrite again to improve clarity.
So there you have it. Hopefully these tips help. Remember, it takes practice and like most things, it gets better the more you do it.
Unabashed Special Offer . . .
If you are interested in becoming a better writer (and marketer), I invite you to get our FREE Advertising Toolkit and check out my website: www.emettemassey.com –grab it while it’s still available.
Until next time . . .
Peace and prosperity!
Emette
P.S. Seriously, if you’ve been struggling on how to write good sales copy and you’d like some help, get our FREE Advertising Toolkit! It’s includes a “copywriting bible” that shows you exactly how to write great copy. Plus you’ll also get a slew of low cost marketing and advertising ideas that you can put to use NOW! Bonus: FREE Advertising Consultation.
I’m going to do my best not to ramble on about “rambling.”
After all, rambling is a cardinal sin when writing.
For those who like words and their meanings, let’s start with a definition of the word “ramble” as it pertains to writing . . .
ram·ble
verb: ramble; 3rd person present: rambles; past tense: rambled; past participle: rambled; gerund or present participle: rambling
talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.
"he rambled on about his acting career"
So how do you clear up the confusion and write clearly?
It’s really no secret . . . but I’ll share a few basic tips that have helped me:
Start with your reader. Know your reader and tailor your language, tone, and content to your audience’s need and expectations.
Organize Your Thoughts: Before you start writing, list the purpose of your writing – is it to education, inform, get someone to visit your website or store? For me, this helps get my thinking in order before I begin the actual writing task.
Use Simple Words: You’ve heard this before but it's worth repeating. Avoid jargon, technical terms, or unnecessarily complex vocabulary when simpler words will work. Clarity often comes from simplicity. If your audience needs technical language, explain it clearly. Again, this points back to knowing your reader and the purpose of your message.
Be Concise: Remove unnecessary words and phrases. Every sentence should contribute to your message and keep the interest of your reader. Avoid long, convoluted sentences that can confuse readers.
Avoid Ambiguity: Be precise in your language. Ambiguity can lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Define terms and concepts when necessary, and ensure that your sentences have a clear subject, verb, and object.
Proofread and Edit: Carefully review your writing for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Editing is a crucial step in ensuring clarity. Lots of good grammar-checking tools are available nowadays. And you can always ask someone else to review your work.
Read Aloud: Probably one of the best “proofreading” tools (for me) is read your work aloud. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve found awkward phrasing and areas where the writing is unclear.
Revise and Rewrite: Good writing often involves multiple drafts. So don’t rely on your first attempt. Rewrite, revise and rewrite again to improve clarity.
So there you have it. Hopefully these tips help. Remember, it takes practice and like most things, it gets better the more you do it.
Unabashed Special Offer . . .
If you are interested in becoming a better writer (and marketer), I invite you to get our FREE Advertising Toolkit and check out my website: www.emettemassey.com –grab it while it’s still available.
Until next time . . .
Peace and prosperity!
Emette
P.S. Seriously, if you’ve been struggling on how to write good sales copy and you’d like some help, get our FREE Advertising Toolkit! It’s includes a “copywriting bible” that shows you exactly how to write great copy. Plus you’ll also get a slew of low cost marketing and advertising ideas that you can put to use NOW! Bonus: FREE Advertising Consultation.
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