Polish that prose of yours. Write like a real pro. Write engaging books. Bring creativity to your writing. Use the right words. Don’t mess with the tense. Avoid repetition. Don’t use redundant words. Don’t make common writing mistakes. Know how to write. Avoid making the following writing mistakes.
Unnecessarily Long Intro
Make your introduction short. It’s all about getting straight to the point. Your intro is a few sentences long. It should be around 150 words long. Use the right words. Explain issues vividly. Don’t make it dull. Creativity is also needed when crafting an intro.
Shorten your introduction. Delete unnecessary words. Do away with unnecessary sentences. Make it clear and concise. Consider rewriting it to achieve more clarity. Ensure that it makes sense. It should have the necessary keywords.
Explanations Lack Backup
Backup your points. Don’t write jargon. Don’t use words that can create confusion. Readers don’t want to be left behind. They want to be part of the content. Thus, use simple words. Give more explanations. Write clear sentences.
Use details to back up your points. Research before writing. Doing so establishes trust. Don’t overstate things. Readers are intelligent.
Using Passive Voice
Avoid using passive voice. Instead, use an active voice. Active voice brings out a stronger voice. It is stronger. It’s authoritative. Active voice describes actions vividly. Use the present version. Active voice is more engaging and direct. It helps the reader to stick to the story.
On the other hand, passive voice makes your sentences look wordy. Make your sentences look natural. They should be clear. Use tangible nouns to make your content more authentic.
Too Wordy
Being too wordy can piss off your readers. Of course, long-form content still works. However, it’s important to be economical with words. Remove needless words from your content. Prioritize vigorous writing. Ensure that your content is concise. Remove unnecessary sentences, words, and paragraphs from your content. Use short sentences.
Avoid overused adverbs. Stay away from overused adjectives. For instance, don’t overuse adjectives such as very, actually, and quite. Eliminating overused words will make your writing more persuasive, concise, and interesting.
Poor Conclusion
Any content should have an elaborate conclusion. Thus, don’t fail to conclude. The purpose of the conclusion is to tip up your piece, helping readers to go home satisfied with it. The piece should not abruptly stop. As a writer, don’t put all your energy on the meat. You need to leave some energy to the conclusion. Make the conclusion exciting. Summarize the whole book or content in the conclusion. Use the conclusion to request readers to start engaging with you. Use it to redirect your readers to relevant content. The conclusion should push the reader into action.
Ignoring Micro Writing Errors
Micro issues can also mess up your writing. Issues such as punctuation, choice of words, and spelling can mess up your writing. For instance, confusing words like “their” for “there” is a grave mistake you shouldn’t make. Double-check your work for these micro errors. Ask somebody else to go through your work to minimize these errors. You can also use editing tools to make your pros look more professional.
Misusing Homophones
There are several examples of homophones. Common ones include “They’re,” “there” “their,” and so on. Essentially, these words come with similar sounds. However, they have different spellings as well as meanings. The same applies to words like “affect” and “effect”.
Use these words correctly. Pay close attention to the meaning of a word before choosing it. Again, you need to proofread your work thoroughly to spot these errors. Consider creating a memory aid before using these words.
Apostrophe, Catastrophes
Of course, many cases of apostrophes happen because of homophone confusion. This is because punctuation marks (i.e. the pesky) turn “your” into “you’re”. These two words have different meanings. However, they are pronounced the same. The same case applies to “its” and “it’s”. These issues can change the meaning of your writing. Proper editing will minimize such cases.
It’s all about getting the subject agreement right. Thus, expand them in your mind before applying them. Again, revise your work. Edit it thoroughly. Ask a friend to edit it on your behalf for optimal results.
Misplacing Commas, Semicolons
Don’t let semicolons become a major point of contention in your writing. Apply commas and semicolons in the right places. Master the art of using commas. Semicolons are used for connecting two thoughts. It’s like pausing. Don’t use them wrongly. Read on how to use them properly. There are different materials put there. You can also get inspiration from great writers out there.
As stated before, semicolons are used to connect two different thoughts. These thoughts must be complete. Thus, whenever you are using them, make sure the words after the semicolon stand on their own.
Repetitive Words
Don’t use the same word often in your content. Doing so will send bad signs. Readers will conclude that you are struggling to pass information across. Thus, use words economically. Use different words. Don’t beat around the bush.
Give readers variety. Master different words. Expand your vocabulary. Cut down overused words. Consider reading your pieces aloud to identify overused words.
Misusing Words
Choose your words wisely. Employ the right sequence when using your words. Ensure that your words are making the right meaning. Pick the best world. Remember, words are not the same. Certain words sound better than others. Consider the context first before picking a word.
Read books. Learn from the best writers. Use your dictionary well. Watching movies will also help you master the use of the right words. Practice more. Make a list of commonly misused words.
The Bottom-Line
Writing can be enjoyable, especially if you have mastered the art of doing it. It makes you feel complete. Writing well doesn’t have to be that hard. All you need is to follow the rules. Embrace creativity. Practice more. Use the right words. Make your intros concise. Stay away from spelling mistakes. If you want to polish that prose, avoid making the above writing mistakes.
