How To Make Your Writing More Powerful

Powerful writing will have a significant impact on your reader. No one wants to read something that doesn’t make them sit up and take notice, that doesn’t get them invested in the story, that doesn’t make them excited to keep turning each page.

Writing powerful prose is something that every writer should learn how to do. Taking the time, practicing and having the discipline to write effectively can make all the difference to your writing and save you lots of time when it comes to editing too.

So what can you do to make your writing more powerful?

Don’t get too bogged down in the truth.

Whatever kind of story you are writing, if you dwell too much on the facts or getting the truth across you could end up writing something long-winded and dull. If the truth doesn’t fit in with where you want to take your story, just abandon it - that’s the beauty of writing fiction after all!

Write as economically as possible.

We all know the rule ‘never use two words when one will do,’ and taking that to heart will work wonders when it comes to making your writing deliver a much stronger impact. Every word in your book needs to count, so always be on the lookout for places to cut things out and swap descriptive phrases for short, sharp sentences that deliver a more significant impact.

Use the active voice.

The active voice will entice the reader in and keep the pace in your novel moving forwards. Where possible always use the active voice in your story to create a sense of immediacy and keep readers engrossed.

Be aware of the rhythm.

Reading your work aloud can help you see if it has a natural, musical rhythm. If it doesn’t, try to address this. Readers should be carried along easily as the words flow from your book. If the language and sentence construction feel disjointed or difficult to read, it will detract from the story and deliver less of an impact.

End each chapter on a cliffhanger

Powerful writing always considers how to keep the reader engaged. Pay particular attention to the ends of your chapters. Do they always finish on a cliffhanger that makes the reader want to keep on reading? If they don’t go back and change them, until they do.

Avoid repetition

Every writer has their favourite words or phrases that they almost subconsciously overuse in their text. Make sure you use varied and descriptive language in your book, using the same descriptive words and language will bore your reader and make your writing seem unimaginative and unoriginal.

By following the above tips, you can help get your writing into great shape and deliver a powerful and exciting impact on your reader. So next time you are writing or editing your manuscript think about how you can make your writing more powerful and use these tips to help you!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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