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Delicious Tips For New Writers

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Delicious Tips For New Writers

From an editor on Medium

Tree Langdon
Dec 4, 2022
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Delicious Tips For New Writers

wordsinmotion.substack.com
It’s Tree Langdon from Medium and LinkedIn
Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Here are my most common tips as an editor.

Short and sweet, here is the low-hanging fruit to take care of before you submit on any platform.

Your article is missing a subtitle

Your display subtitle shows the first few lines of your text, which looks unprofessional. Add a subtitle below the title and format it using the small T format tool. Also, go into edit mode (click on the three dots), choose Change Display Title/Subtitle, and make any needed changes there.

Formatting is more important than you realize

Most people read using their phones. They’re daunted by large blocks of text. I try to keep paragraphs to 4 or 5 lines maximum.

Break it up

Large blocks of text benefit from increased formatting. Feature a single sentence in between two blocks for emphasis. Create subtitles to break up the main sections of your text.

The reader needs a place to rest their eyes.

Relevant Quotes add value

Use the double quote format tool to really give it emphasis. Quotes provide another perspective. They also allow the reader to pause in your story.

A video adds value

A relevant YouTube video may add to your content. A reader will spend more time in your article, and that might equate to more money.

Don’t repeat the same words

I sometimes search for words that I know are overused. The word ‘like’ and ‘that’ are often culprits for me. Use Ctrl F and search a word. Change some of them to synonyms and improve your writing.

Get to the point

Use a direct approach. Instead of writing: ‘In his memoir, the famous author Alice Smith said…..’, TRY THIS ‘Alice Smith, the famous xxx recently …….”

What is your message?

If you aren’t clear about your message, how is the reader supposed to figure it out? Decide what you want to say, then say it. If you ramble on with no clarity, your reader feels like they are sitting beside their confused Grandfather at a family get-together. If your message is clear in your opening, it will draw your reader in. A one-line takeaway at the end always improves an article.

‘Tell them what you are going to say, say it and then tell them what you said.’

Use this article as a quick checklist before you submit.


On Medium…

How to Feed Your Writing Mind

How to Use Substack Blurbs to Get Subscribers

How Blue Zone Habits Help You Live Longer (my all-time most popular post)

Things I’m Enjoying…

Today’s Deals

Start with what, not why

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Delicious Tips For New Writers

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4 Comments
Anthony Signorelli
Writes Intertwine - Carbon 350
Dec 20, 2022Liked by Tree Langdon

Oh, so many of us need to learn and relearn!

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1 reply by Tree Langdon
Kathryn A. LeRoy
Writes Inspiring Your Best
Dec 4, 2022Liked by Tree Langdon

All excellent advice! And a reminder is always a good thing. Thanks.

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