Radically Improve Your Writing by Mastering this One Technique
What if I told you that you could make one simple change to your writing and make it so much stronger that it radically improves your chances of getting published?
Sure, that sounds like your typical Facebook Marketing Hype.
We see these sorts of “Clickbait” headlines all the time.
Please trust that I have no interest in promoting this type of material. Headlines like that end up at the bottom of Google searches. While it might make a Facebook user click on a link that says, “You won’t believe what these top writers have to say about this one radical technique,” these over-hyped headlines are the worst way to build a brand and grow a following.
What I am presenting is real… it is not some “insider hack” or “secret technique.”
What I am about to present is a genuine way to improve your writing significantly, to the point of increasing your marketability.
Of course, there are several techniques a writer must eventually master. But if you can truly embrace this one, I guarantee you will notice a tremendous improvement.
I discovered this skill a few years ago when I started editing novels professionally.
Besides helping over one hundred writers get published, I have incorporated this concept into my writing. And the difference is obvious.
Consider this VERY TYPICAL sample of writing. This is the type of writing I see almost every day:
Jean could hear a loud crash outside her living room window as she poked away at her computer. She watched as her fingers came to rest on the keys. She was dismayed at the sound of heavy rain. The morning weather report said showers would not come until late afternoon. She realized she had been writing for several hours.
With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her tired eyes to deal with the strain. She decided to brew another pot of tea in the kitchen.
She gazed into the sink full of dirty teacups and realized all the cups she owned were in there. She realized she was far behind in housekeeping.
It was then she looked at the scratch marks on the kitchen window. She wondered if her tiny friends had returned.
This passage is simply poor writing. You might think, Hey…this isn’t so bad. The passage presents all the key information and offers an intriguing introduction to "Her tiny friends."
What makes this passage so bad?
And to be fair to all the writers who have submitted similar passages, sometimes we want to be inside a character’s head this much. And there is a place for writing that creates a sense of isolation and loneliness like this passage does.
But if you want to create writing that gets noticed… gets talked about… and sells copies… consider this straightforward tweak.
Look at the same passage rewritten:
A loud crash broke Jean’s concentration. She rested her fingers on her keyboard. Heavy rain beat against her living room window. Wasn’t it too early? Didn’t the morning report say heavy rain wasn’t coming until late afternoon?
A glance at the mantle clock verified she had been writing for several hours. She rubbed her eyes to deal with the dull ache. Some more tea might help.
Flies buzzed around the sink full of dirty dishes. Jean squeezed some soap and ran water, then froze. There were new scratches on the window. She gripped the edge of the counter to keep her balance.
Her tiny friends were back.
Doesn’t the second passage feel more immediate? More relevant?
There is more to it than varying the Subject-Then-Verb sentence structure. The second passage is much better because of one easy-to-follow technique.
I removed the FILTER WORDS.
What are FILTER WORDS?
There are a handful of words… typically verbs… that put distance between the reader and the story.
As the name suggests… these words FILTER the experience of the story through the eyes of the character. Rather than placing the reader in the middle of the action… FILTER WORDS focus on how the character is the center of the action.
Common FILTER WORDS:
Believed|Can|Could|Decided|Experienced|Felt|Heard|Knew|Looked|Noticed|Realized|Saw|Seemed|Sounded|Thought|Watched|Wondered
These words are very common… and very boring.
As you write, be mindful of any word that focuses the reader’s attention on the character and not on the action of the scene.
Now, if you already have a draft, no need to panic.
Word, Google Docs, and Scrivner all have ways to search for a specific word. Run through this list and highlight all their uses.
Delete the filter word and replace it with a sentence that is more direct and immediate.
FILTER WORDS have their place. You may want to highlight exactly what the character is experiencing.
Once or maybe twice in an entire novel is more than enough.
The rest of the time… keep your writing crisp and flowing by removing these focus-stealing words.
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