Saturday

5 tips for writing engaging content

It seems crazy to me that I've never done a writing tips post before. As a teacher, I spend my days teaching children to write gripping, engaging texts, so I'm always very aware of the words I use in my posts. This also means I quickly notice writing that isn't entirely up to scratch, and it can be very distracting for me. Just a few simple tricks can ensure your writing is of a good quality and, more importantly, interesting for the reader. 
By the way, I'm going to be very honest here and say that this is something I've only recently started putting more effort into. I've always found writing comes to me naturally, but the downside of this is I can get quite lazy. Think of this post as the tips I'm currently incorporating in my posts to add interest. 


Sentence starters
Here's an exercise for you: Choose any post from your blog at random and make a note of all the words you use to start your sentences. I've just done the same thing (with this post from my visit to Highgate Cemetery) and found I started 7 sentences with "I", 7 with "the", and 8 with "it". Boring! Of course, sometimes you need to start with one of these, but try to limit them as much as possible. Words such as "although", "however", and "despite" are always really effective sentence starters. 

Linking paragraphs
On a similar note, try to link your paragraphs together. Hey, I did it right there! Without linking paragraphs together, writing can seem disjointed. Time connectives are a great way to join paragraphs. Think "after that", "within minutes" and "while" to create more fluidity in your writing.

Varied phrases
Try not to repeat the same words over and over again. I have to admit that I'm terrible at this. Adjectives like "lovely", "fantastic" and "stunning" are my downfall, and I also use the same intensifiers all the time. Writing identical phrases becomes repetitive and limited, which can quickly disengage the reader. To get around this, I tend to Google synonyms. Just typing "event synonyms", for example, will give you a whole list of different ways to say "event". 

Add some interest
Of course, you don't want your posts to read stiff and robotic. With a blog, it's important to have a voice. Your voice. To do this, we need to add some personality. The way I do this is to write as I speak. If you've ever spoken to me in real life, you'll know that I pepper my sentences with "totally"s and "not gonna lie"s, so I insert these into my posts. The danger here, though, is to go too far the other way. Filling posts with regional dialect and slang can alienate readers from further afield. Always make sure you're understandable. 

Correct grammar
Always, always, always check your spelling and grammar. Pay special attention to homophones: affect/effect, lose/loose and, of course, they're/there/their. Cheeky plug alert: my grammar for bloggers post might help here. 

Wow, this was a stressful post to write! It's difficult to dish out advice on writing without becoming very, very aware of your own written quality. Of course, rules are there to be broken, and sometimes breaking the rules can make your writing more engaging (Note the repetition of "very" just now). It's really down to your discretion. Nevertheless, I hope these tips have helped you and I'm always happy to answer any questions. 

Huge thanks to Viking Direct for the stationery (with an e- never stationAry!) used in this post. 

39 comments :

  1. Good points, I love reading blog tip type posts. I also find writing comes to me naturally so I often become lazy and don't try as hard as I could to make things better, which I really should!

    Sophie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's exactly the same with me! I don't really try, an if I did my writing could be so much better.

      Delete
  2. I'm glad you mentioned the stationary because I'm ashamed to say i couldn't stop thinking 'oOoOOoOO omg those pens though!' as i read haha. I got distracted by the pretty stationary*hangs head in shame*

    ReplyDelete
  3. This was such a useful post Becky, thank you. I find myself a little paranoid where my writing is concerned as I worry it isn't very engaging and that I use grammar wrong. Even now knowing I'm commenting on your blog I'm worried I will write something the incorrect way.

    Whilst online I do use a thesaurus as I too find that I can be repetitive with words such as lovely, fantastic etc.

    Amy x | A Little Boat Sailing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't be paranoid. I think it's always very clear when somebody has made a genuine mistake and when somebody just isn't trying. It sounds like you're putting a lot of effort in, so you're fine!

      Delete
  4. I really like this post. Writing doesn't come naturally to me at all, so I need all the help I can get! However, I do feel like I am getting better at it the more I blog. I did actually notice the other day while writing a post that the majority of my sentences started with 'I' which I needed to rectify! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so easy to start sentences with "I" when you write a blog, since it's all about yourself. I'm terrible for it too! Blogging does really develop your writing skills though, I've found.

      Delete
  5. This post is outstanding! You can tell the work you've put into this, and of course you must have been worried about your own writing throughout this. I love these tips, I found them so useful. You have addressed some issues I have with my own writing, for example linking in paragraphs and how I start sentences. I'm always so aware of it and constantly wanting to improve, but I've not known where to start. Thank you so much for this post! I hope to use these suggestions to refine my writing :)

    Jemma xx
    www.dorkface.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was so stressful to write haha! I think I checked it about 5 times. I'm really glad you enjoyed it :)

      Delete
  6. These tips are *fabulous*. Personally, my fatal flaw is a limited vocabulary. I use the same phrases all the time, unless I take the time to visit thesaurus.com! I'd love it if I could be witty on the spot, but I have to think about it for a while to come up with anything I'm proud of.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read your comment in Sharon Osborne's voice: FAB-ULOUS!
      There's nothing wrong with taking time to produce work you have pride in. It shows you have commitment to creating quality, rather than just any old thing.

      Delete
  7. VERY useful post Becky especially the first three posts thank you. x

    Amy at Amy & More

    ReplyDelete
  8. I enjoyed this. As a writer, I get where you're coming from, however even I'm vulnerable to some errors; especially when I over think what I am trying to say. I must say though, I am also one to write how I speak, it definitely adds more personality. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think everybody makes errors sometimes. I know I do!

      Delete
  9. I liked this alot, made some really great points. Especially grammar, I find it so hard to take anything seriously with a whole bunch of spelling errors & what not!

    x leah symonne x

    www.itsleli.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, me too! I know some people have real problems with writing but it's really obvious when you see somebody who just can't be bothered.

      Delete
  10. Always remember E for envelope and you'll remember E in stationery. Great post Becky. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great post darling, I'm horrible for grammar and spelling, I do check, but will always miss one or two! I'm a huge fan of " typing as you would talk IRL ", Thought like you say it can be too much at times!

    Lucie xx
    Fatbeautyx | Plus Size Fashion & Beauty Blogger & Vlogger

    Oh & despite hating spammy comments, I'm close to 1000 followers on Bloglovin' & If you like my blog, I'd love it if you could follow me and help me reach my next milestone as I've got a HUGE giveaway that I'm excited to launch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love how you talk in real life so I'm glad you write your posts like it!

      Delete
  12. This is going straight to my bookmarks. Thanks so much for writing this post. I had a little giggle at "stationery with an e" - I always remember it as E for envelope. It annoys me so much when people spell it "stationary".

    http://www.stephstrays.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always say E for envelope too. Stationary drives me nuts!

      Delete
  13. Great tips, will defiantly be thinking about theses tips next time I write a post.

    http://doinglifemyway.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. This must be one of the most practical advice posts I have every read! :D
    Megan x
    London Callings

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Becky! What a wonderful post! I really enjoyed reading it and couldn't agree more on all your points. What an interesting exercise it was to count up the words I use to start my opening paragraph - I was like you! Have a lovely week :)

    Carly

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think I'm addicted to the word 'despite'... I have to take it out a few times as it's a little too much.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a great post. I know that I can write well, but I'm just too lazy a lot of the time. I do google '---- synonym' a lot though! Now I'm going to have to have a look at my posts and see how my writing is doing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who Googles synonyms!

      Delete
  18. Whenever I write my Wednesday Loves post (and I've no doubt that you've picked up on this!) I just cannot think of any other words to describe something. Amazing, cute, awesome and pretty are my go-to words. I need to start thinking up some new ones! Maybe I could make my own? Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've used sublime and exquisite to describe me before. I like those ones.

      Delete
  19. So glad other bloggers care about writing :') I try so hard, I'm sure I make mistakes, I know I use the same words all the time and am probably too casual with my slang but that's my focus on my blog, to just be really chatty. I wrote a post about more specific mistakes bloggers make - the word infamous, getting brought and bought mixed up, things like that drive me crazzzzyyyy!
    amber love

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm aware of lots of these and yet, I cannot stop using the word LOVELY! Egregiously, can't seem to find a word that conveys all that 'lovely' suggests to me. Typos crop up all the way through and I am sometimes too lazy to change them! I am a teacher too- oops!x

    ReplyDelete

I read all comments and appreciate every single one, even if I can't always reply. If you have a question or need a reply, feel free to tweet me @BeckyBedbug- I always reply to tweets!

Blog Design by Get Polished | Copyright Becky Craggs 2017