Today I'm doing something a bit different. I'm writing this post in actual WordPress editor. Why is that different? Because earlier this month I switched to the Hemingway editor to help me improve my writing. I write in Hemingway, Hemingway lists suggestions, I make a few changes and then copy it into WordPress. It's an extra step but the suggestions are so useful and I've already learned how I tend to write and the types of things I have to watch out for.
Be Concise
The first thing that I noticed about my writing is that I use a lot adverbs. And while adverbs are good for story telling they can also be filler words that don't add value. You don't need to use very good, really good, or amazingly good you can use just good. And if something is truly amazingly good then just call it amazing.
Why Not Write In Hemingway?
The reason I'm not writing in Hemingway today is because I'm trying to write this whole post without thinking about the app. I want to show you what my writing normally looks like. Then I want to show you what the blog post will look like with the changes. The differences are subtle. A word here. A word there. But when you're reading everything feels like it belongs. There aren't any rough edges. Your eyes can flow from one word to the next.
I may not be the next Shakespeare but I can spend a few minutes getting rid of the debris.
The Hemingway Editor pointing out a hard to read sentence in this post.
Care About Your Writing
One of the most important skills you can learn is how to write. It's not about writing it's about clearly communicating ideas. It doesn't matter what job you have you need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively. I've learned a lot of skills over the past few years and many of them won't last more than five years. Spend some time and learn how to speak to people. You can take it with you to any job, any position, doing just about anything.
Happy writing!
Image credit: Giphy