This Is Why You Suck At Writing (11 Dumbest Mistakes)
Make your writing better
99% of people suck at writing.
Why?
Because they make these 11 silly mistakes over and over again.
Avoid making these mistakes if you want to write “wow” content.
Let’s dive in:
1. You try to write for everyone
If you try to write for everyone, you end up writing for no one.
If your targeted reader has no idea if your content is for them or not, they won’t read. Force them to think “This is me, I need to read this”
Be specific in your writing.
2. You overuse the word “that”
You can remove this word 95% of the time.
Want an example to understand it?
❌ You think that I’m a good writer, but I’m not.
✅ You think I’m a good writer, but I’m not.
Just remove it.
3. You use lengthy words
Academic writers use lengthy words, you’re not an academic writer. Are you?
So write simple words.
Simple words are easy to read and remember.
Ex:
- Utilize → Use
- Proficiency → Skill
- Component → Part
4. You don’t read your work out loud
You sound like Shakespeare until you read your work out loud.
Why you should read out loud?
- Catches your errors
- Catches your mistakes
- Shows your writing fluency
Read. Out. Loud.
5. You sound like a zombie
Write words that make sense.
Digital writing is not your academic writing. You’re not here to get good grades or a degree.
You’re here to:
- Educate them
- Entertain them
- Influence them
Period.
6. You don’t use contractions
If you’re still making this silly mistake, you’re not a writer.
The use of contractions in your writing makes your content more conversational.
Ex:
- ❌I have ✅ I’ve
- ❌Should have ✅ should’ve
- ❌would not be ✅ Wouldn’t be
7. You don’t give whitespace
Whitespace is the distance between one paragraph to another paragraph.
If you tend to write long paragraphs, you simply deny whitespace in your writing. And it’s brutal.
The reader’s best friend is whitespace. Give it a place.
8. You try to edit and write together
Don’t edit your content when you are in the flow.
If you edit your work while writing, it takes you 2x times to write the same content.
First, finish the work, and edit it later.
9. You prefer grammar >> psychology
So many writers are obsessed with grammar.
I’m not saying don’t follow the grammar rules, you SHOULD follow them. But break the rules when needed.
Psychology is important.
10. You consume more than you write
- You watch 4 hours of YouTube videos per day
- You listen to podcasts 2 hours per day
- You read books 1 hour per day
- You write 10 minutes per day…
…And you want to become a writer!
That’s not how you become a writer. Write more.
11. You have no idea about formatting
You don’t know how to format a post.
You don’t use:
— Dashes
→ Arrows
• Bullet points
And this is why you suck at writing. Fix them at any cost.
