Writers everywhere are always going to be searching for a way to improve their writing. Whether they are in the world of self-publishing, newspaper articles, or even reviews, there’s a true art to writing. Here are some of the most critical elements that make up engaging writing from one sector to another!
The top elements involved in engaging writing
While this is not a complete list, here are some of the top elements that help make a piece of writing engaging to those who stumble upon it. It will be a good exercise to see just how many of these you know, too.
- Have a killer opening: If you are familiar with writing, you already know that the first line will be the critical piece that either hooks your reader, or it doesn’t. To help engage them right from the very start, have a killer opening that will grab their interest and leave them satisfied in the end, too, that the opening delivered exactly as promised!
- Use a well-packed and diverse vocabulary: Cliches certainly are “a thing.” However, keep your reader focused and enjoy reading by throwing in synonyms and varied vocabulary whenever you think a passage needs spicing up. It’ll offer up a little something special, and it can even help them admire your writing!
- Vary sentence types: This is one element that even some of the best writers overlook, but it’s a great way to help to make your writing stronger. Varying your sentences in length and type will help the reader feel like they are listening in on a conversation rather than reading a textbook. It’s much more crucial to engagement than most will realize until it’s too late!
- Surprise and delight: There are several ways that you can interpret this, which is, in and of itself, a wonderful little part of writing compellingly! Throw in a little quirk here and there. Maybe it’s breaking that fourth wall and asking the reader about something. Perhaps it’s just a funny little aside or even a joke. Whatever you think will surprise the reader and make them commit to reading on, put it in. This is also an excellent way to display your comfort in your craft, which goes a long way.
Book printing is as much about the words on the page as it is about the page itself. The stronger the writing, the better the book. We mean this both figuratively and literally, of course.
Realistically speaking, everyone has a different opinion on what makes writing “good” or not. That’s what the word of writing is all about. However, the factors that make writing engaging are much more concrete than many people realize. The next time you are reading something, keep these four examples in mind and see if you can spot them in a piece of writing. Even better, take a moment to determine whether or not it’s engaging you. If it isn’t, what could that writer have done better? Before you know it, you’ll be as well-versed as the best critics out there!
