Excellent writing has an informative title, makes its point early, sticks to one topic, uses short sentences and simple words, ends with a clear call to action, and is free of spelling mistakes. If you are not sure whether your writing is up to par, check it against these 7 signs.
1. An informative title
A good title names the main theme of your text. It tells readers the topic right away, with no guessing required.
If you like to leave the title until the end, you can take it from your text. Look for the attention-grabbing phrases that describe the whole piece accurately, and build the title from them.
Think about your audience, too. An article written for an academic audience should use formal language, with no room for jokes.
2. A clear point from the start
Most texts need some kind of introduction. That is fine, as long as you keep it short. An introduction is just that: a little background to your work.
Say you are writing about how to grow figs from seeds. In the introduction, you tell readers how many steps there are and how long it takes. After that, you go straight through the steps, from the first to the last.
3. Focus on one topic
An article about how to grow figs from seeds should cover that topic only. Save your opinions on which fig variety is the most productive, the hardiest in the cold, or the most delicious for another article.
4. Short sentences and paragraphs
Long sentences are hard to understand. As a rule of thumb, split a sentence of more than about 20 words into two.
Avoid walls of text, too. They are hard to read on a computer screen and almost unbearable on a phone. Read how long a paragraph should be for more on this.
5. Simple words throughout
Take the example of growing figs again. Here is a sentence a fig expert might write:
Smyrna-type figs set fruit only after caprification, when fig wasps carry pollen from the caprifig into the fruit.
If you are new to figs, that sentence is not easy to follow. What is a Smyrna-type fig? What is caprification? And what is a caprifig?
To make things easy for your readers, explain every term, acronym, and abbreviation they may not know. In an online article, you can link a term to a page that explains it. In print, add a short explanation the first time you mention a term your readers may not be familiar with.
6. A clear call to action
When your text asks readers to do something, say it as clearly as you can. State what readers must do, where they should go, and when they should do it. These tips help you write a better call to action.
7. No misspellings
Even after you have proofread your writing, a few misspellings may still slip through. Run your text through the Spell Checker to catch them, and work through a proofreading checklist before you publish or send it.
Those are the 7 signs of excellent writing. Check your next piece against this list to make sure it really is as excellent as you think it is.