eSCAping Type 1

This new era of social distancing means a lot (two words) of you are working from home. Which probably means you’re doing more typing than talking. Plus social media has taken on a whole new level of popularity.

Even if you’re not working, I bet within the past 24 hours you have composed an email, or posted a status, or captioned a picture, or sent out a text… And that, my friend, is also why YOU should want to become a better writer.

Communication is how we get to know one another. And when people can’t interact – and you should be isolating so this is very relevant! – it all comes down to your ability to write.

Do you seem educated? Funny? Trustworthy? Coherent? Your writing tells a lot (again, two words) about you.

So, as my tiny effort to offer some form of help during this trying time, here are some easy ways to improve not only your writing, but everyone’s impression of you, too.

1. Avoid Repetitive Diction

This tip is #1 for a reason! Diction is word choice, and good writers have a variety of diction. Very simply: don’t use the same word or phrase more than once close together.

In last week’s post, I wrote, “…Plus, I naturally acquired a level of compassion and acceptance far beyond what most children are taught. Finally, teaching teens made me realize that the emotional support a kid requires is almost as important as the physical support…” Notice anything? I meant to change the word “taught” since I say “teaching” in the next sentence. Ugh. 

This might not seem like a big deal to you, but that’s exactly why I’m starting here! Vary your word choice whenever you can – especially at the start of sentences & paragraphs. Repetitive writing is boring.

2. Vary Sentence Length

Speaking of repetitive writing, you also want to make your writing flow by varying your sentence length.

My favorite example of this comes from a lesson by author Gary Provost:

3. Combine Similar Sentences

A good way to vary length is by combining similar sentences. Not only will this help to eliminate repetitive words, but your writing also won’t sound quite as choppy. Use a semicolon or a dash to help you out.

For example, instead of writing, “I’ve been inside for over a week. I miss my friends. I’m so bored.” you could say, “Having been inside for over a week, I miss my friends; I am so bored.” Or, rather than, “I secretly enjoy quarantining. In quarantine, I can wear sweatpants every day. I also never have to clean.” write “I secretly enjoy quarantine because I can wear sweatpants every day and never have to clean.”

4. Know Your Audience

The tone and style of your writing should reflect its intended audience.

You don’t speak to your boss the same way you chat with your best friend, and you don’t talk to strangers like your family. So, your Facebook posts need to sound different from a work email, and different still from that family group chat. 

Where saying “im gonna go 2 the store” might be ok as a text, please know people on Facebook might judge you for not capitalizing, and not using an apostrophe, and using a word that isn’t real, and using a digit… I’m not saying you have to be super formal on social media, but your perceived intelligence is at stake here. A simple “Im gonna go to the store” is already an improvement.

And a work email should say, “I am going to go to the store,” since using fake words (gonna, wanna) and/or not capitalizing proper nouns (I) in a work email should be a fireable offense.

5. Use Punctuation Wisely

I intend to dedicate a whole post to proper punctuation, but until then, here are some quick tips to help you out:

– There is never a space before any type of punctuation mark, but always one space after. I don’t know where people got the idea that this looks right , but it does not .

– An ellipsis has three dots… not just however many feels right in that moment.

– Use commas, like I do here, to set apart non-essential information, and before most conjunctions.

– Apostrophes show possession, not plurals. So, your Christmas card was sent to the Smiths, not the Smith’s.

6. Read what you write!

I think people dislike writing because they expect it to sound good immediately, and when it doesn’t, they get discouraged. But even the best authors write shitty first drafts.

It’s impossible to catch all of your mistakes as you write them, even if you’re only writing one sentence. So make sure you read what you write, and then revise it!

7. Essay Tips

Oh hey students! No matter what grade you’re in, if you write essays these are for you:

– Never write, “This essay will be about…” By reading it, we’ll know what it’s about, so just get right to it.

– Similarly, don’t say, “In conclusion…” Any reader can see it’s your last paragraph – you don’t need to tell us! Try starting with whatever you would say right after that.

– Avoid writing in the first person (“I,” “you,” “we,” “us”). Your statements are stronger when they look like facts, not opinions. Rather than “I think we should self-quarantine because…” say “People should self-quarantine because…” or “Self-quarantining should be mandatory because…”

– Academic writing is formal writing. This goes along with #4, but remember, you’re writing for your teacher, not your friend. Try to sound more like an old British man sipping tea, rather than a teenage YouTuber.