- Read out loud what you have written. If it is hard to speak – it will be
hard to read. Your writing is
meant to be read, so make it easy to read.
“So
speak out loud what you write. If
you can't speak it naturally, rewrite it.
Simple.”
- Punctuate
“Periods:
When you're writing down a thought and you're at the end of that thought,
put a period.
Commas: When you're writing down a thought and you want to take a
breath, whether mental or physical, put in a comma.”
Check your apostrophe rules!
(See comments about spelling)
- “With sentences, shorter is better
than longer: If a
sentence you're writing is longer than it would be comfortable to
speak, it's probably too long.
Cut it up.”
On the other hand, a lot of very short sentences make your
readers feel like they are watching you jump up and down - very tiring.
- Check your spelling!
You want respect from your reader. If you can’t spell, your reader is not going to
appreciate what you have to say.
Use the spell checker or a dictionary. If it looks wrong, it probably is.
Check their, there, and they’re – its and it’s. They are not that hard to learn.
- “Don't use words you don't really
know: It's nice
to use impressive words from time to time, but if you use an
impressive word incorrectly, everyone who does know what the
word means will” (know)…. and you will look silly.
- …“It’s better to be plain and
understood than to have people admire your style and have not the
slightest idea what you're trying to say.”
- If you don’t understand your
sentence, your reader won’t either.
- Keep it simple, and make sure you
understand what you wrote.
- Try to write well every single
time you write.
- Read people who write well.
Read your
work out loud before, after, and during revision