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The most important aspect of writing has always been to get your point across clearly. And this article I'll reveal the technique the pros use for clear, concise writing.
Many amateur writers feel that writing is about complex sentences and long, fancy words. But the professionals now that the opposite is true. Writing clearly is far more important than writing cleverly. And over the years as a professional writer, I've developed one strategy that works over and over to create clear, concise writing.
I call it the "talk to me like I'm five years old" technique.
It sounds kind of silly, but let me explain what I mean. When a child asks you how something works, they are not looking for a million details. They're just looking for the basics. For example, if my son asked me how a car works, I might say something like this:
"When I turn the key, a motor starts. And the motor makes the wheels go round and takes us from one place to another. By stepping on the gas pedal I can make the car go faster. And by stepping on the brake pedal, I can make the car slow down and stop."
Now to a college professor that definition of how a car works is woefully inadequate. But for a five year old child it's just fine. And the little secret that no one wants to talk about is:
Most readers are reading more like a five year old than like a college professor!
So here's how the technique works in the real world. When you are writing, you start off with a topic. A point that you want to cover. What I like to do is turn the topic into a question. And then I answer the question as if I were speaking to a five year old child.
For example, let's say that might topic was learning to type. I would turn that topic into a question, such as " what is the best way to learn how to type?"
Then in my head I imagine a small child asking me that question. Immediately my brain begins to break the topic down into its simplest components. In this case, I would patiently explain that to learn to type well you need either a teacher or a computer program to help you. You must carefully follow the instructions and practice every day.
Instantly I can see three points that I will need to make when writing about this topic:
- You need a teacher or computer program to help you
- You need to carefully follow the instructions
- You need to practice every day
Now, when I'm actually writing the information for this topic I may use words and phrases that are far beyond five year old level. But the general outline, and the points that I need to cover, have been broken down until they are so simple anyone can understand.
Try it for yourself. The next time you need to write about a topic, turn it into a question and then answer it as if a small child had just asked you. I think you'll be pleased with the results.
About this Author
There are many other ways to incorporate the techniques of this article into your own material. But maybe you don't know quite where to start. I've spent years as a fiction writer, learning to do exactly that. If you'd like to test drive some of my best tips, simply go to http://www.FictionSecrets.com and let me know where to send them.
Kevin Franz is a successful fiction author and online marketer. For more than twenty years he has made his living putting words to paper, and he has helped thousands create their first written works. He is currently showing internet marketers how to incorporate the techniques of great fiction into their online sales efforts. You can find the details on his blog - http://www.kevinfranzonline.com.
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