10 Timeless Tips To Write With More Impact

Whatever professions we might pursue, however we might define ourselves, we are all writers. Always have been, always will be.

And as writers, we constantly strive to express ourselves more clearly, and with more impact.

Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we don't. I've had my share of both writing wins and losses over the years, that's for sure.

I've jotted down some tips that I use as my own personal guide when I write. I've never written these down in one place like this until now. I thought they might come in handy for some of you.

Whether you're writing a report, drafting a sales letter, punching out a blog post, or dashing off a quick email, here are ten tips to keep in mind as you write.

(I've also pulled these tips together with a stack of gorgeous images into one easy-to-read ebook, in case you want to read it on your tablet or phone, share with a friend, or print out and keep next to you as you write. Just click here to grab your free copy.)

Tip #1: Grab your reader

"Your lead must capture the reader immediately and force him to keep reading. It must cajole him with freshness, novelty, or paradox, or humor, or surprise, or with an unusual idea, or an interesting fact, or a question." -- William Zinsser

Lots of great content gets lost in the flood of words being published each day.

Often, this is the result of a poorly written headline. A well crafted headline will increase the chances that your content will be opened and read.

Your headline should provide a clear indication of what the reader can expect from your content. Don’t try to be clever: clarity and value should trump cleverness.

Write a headline that will not only make people want to click and read, but also prompt them to share your content with their own tribes.

Similarly, your lead sentence or paragraph should draw your reader in and offer a clear and concise roadmap for the rest of the piece.

Grab your reader.

Tip #2: Get to the point

"The job of the first eight pages is not to have the reader want to throw the book at the wall, during the first eight pages." -- David Foster Wallace

Readers have little patience these days to wait for you to get your message across.

Get to the point. Fast. Don’t “bury the lede” in paragraph six or page three. Pull it up to the very top, and let your reader know what your piece is about, and what they can expect to get out of it once they’re finished reading.

Get to the point.

Tip #3: Tell a story

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." -- Maya Angelou

Borrow the simple but powerful and still widely used story-telling structure from the world of fiction.

Your beginning kicks off with a conflict, which sets into motion a series of scenes and events that gradually increase tension, leading up to the climax, followed by the falling action and conclusion.

Use these techniques in your non-fiction writing—whether you’re writing a sales letter, a business proposal, a blog post, or an email?.

Engage your reader and entice him to follow you from beginning to end.

Tell a story.

Tip #4: Take a stand

"You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Readers are looking for answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. Offer your version of an answer, your take on a possible solution.

Your reader may agree or disagree. That’s her prerogative.

But don’t shy away from arguing your case, or expressing your point of view on a topic.

Persuade with logic and facts and examples. Be brave.

If you want your writing to stand out, take a stand.

Tip #5: Aim for clarity

"A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?" -- George Orwell

Clarity of writing goes hand in hand with clarity of thinking. If you aren’t clear in your mind about what you want to say, it will show in your writing.

For everything that you write, ask the question “is this sentence or phrase saying exactly what I want to communicate?” Also ask, “will my reader understand what I’m writing?” If the answer to either question is no, then revise.

If a passage looks like it might confuse the reader, rephrase it in plainer, simpler language.

Try this technique: write in the simplest terms possible what you’re trying to say with your sentence. Say it out loud if you must (or silently to yourself). Then write that down. And revise. Revise again.

Aim for clarity.

Tip #6: Inject action

"You have to do tricks with pacing, alternate long sentences with short, to keep it vital and alive.... Virtually every page is a cliffhanger--you've got to force them to turn it." -- Dr. Seuss

Many writing experts equate the need to inject action into your writing with the use of active verbs. This is true, but it goes beyond choosing active over passive sentence structure.

Your entire piece should sound like it’s moving toward a destination. This starts with a headline that encapsulates—or at least clearly hints at—what you’re promising the reader will get when she finishes reading your piece.

And it ends by offering something of value, whether it’s a three-step action plan, a ten-point checklist, or a single, simple sentence with the one piece of advice you want to leave with your reader.

Inject action.

Tip #7: Write to one

"I am writing for myself first and I don’t have to stay within my limits, not even margins. This gives me a psychological freedom and permission." -- Natalie Goldberg

Don’t scare yourself with visions of the hundreds or thousands of people you hope will read what you write.

Regardless of the size of your audience, you need to reach individual readers and resonate with what they are interested in or care about.

Just aim your message at an imaginary? (or, if you prefer, a real) reader, and write as if you’re writing to just that one person. Or if that doesn’t work, write to yourself.

Open up a new email, enter your address in the “To” field, and type away. This should destroy your inhibitions.

Write to one (even if the one happens to be just you).

Tip #8: Break it up

"In the beginning, when you’re first starting out, there are a million reasons not to write, to give up. That is why it is of extreme importance to make a commitment to finishing sections and stories, to driving through to the finish." -- Anne Lamott

Facing a blank page is daunting. Rather than sprinting from starting line to finish, break up your writing into smaller chapters and sections that are easier to start—and finish.

This not only helps you organize your thoughts and tackle writer’s block, it’ll help your reader as well.

Long stretches of text are hard to digest, and make the reader’s eyes glaze over.

Straight blocks of text will make your reader want to skip ahead or stop reading altogether.

Break up your thoughts into smaller, bite-sized morsels, and add sub-headers that the reader can scan.

Number or bullet your lists to make them easy to read and remember.

Break it up.

Tip #9: Make music

"Always be a poet, even in prose." -- Charles Baudelaire

Words on a page are not lifeless, inanimate objects. They are your thoughts and even a part of your soul channeled onto the page (or screen).

Read what you write and listen carefully to the tone and rhythm of your words. If they sound clunky and out of tune, then your reader will immediately notice that too.

Vary the length of your paragraphs and sentences. Add rhythm by inserting short sentences right after much longer ones.

Mix up your vocabulary. Use punchier, more compact, monosyllabic Anglo-Saxon words.

Make music.

Tip #10: Paint a picture

"Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream." -- Mark Twain

You don’t just put words on a page when you write. You’re actually painting (or drawing) a picture in your reader’s mind.

Thankfully, you don’t have to be a graphic designer or artist to do this. But you do need to dip into a more varied and colorful palette of language and style to paint the picture you intend to evoke in the minds of your readers.

Illustrate with examples: show, don’t just tell. Get specific: use names of people and things.

Quote sources. Add dialogue.

Paint a picture.

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Which of these tips do you find most useful as you write? What would you add to this list? Please share what you think in the comments!

Next month I'll be launching a new podcast all about writing: Write With Impact. I'll interview writers of all stripes. I'll talk to them about who and what inspires them, strategies and techniques they use, and what advice they have for writers like yourself. I'll also occasionally riff on writing topics dear to my heart (and fingers). Click here and be the first to find out when I launch, and while you're at it, grab a copy of my free ebook with 10 timeless tips (and 10 gorgeous images) for writing with more impact.