Is Your Writing Enjoyable?
In the age of information abundance, where people peruse a dozen articles and a hundred Tweets in a single morning, why should someone read your writing? Why would your article be the one they remember? If you want your writing to be memorable, it has to be enjoyable to read.
It’s not enough to write with $20 words and be the most concise expositor in the game. To make a lasting impression on your reader, your writing needs to also be poetic, relatable, exciting — fun!
Reading can be like taking medicine; it goes down smoother with a spoonful of honey. Language needs to evoke emotions and make the reader nod and think, I know what that feels like. To make an impact, words need to reach a reader’s heart. That’s why most of us don’t pick up textbooks as a pastime.
Even tragic stories can be enjoyable to read: childhood stories about fighting with your dearest sibling, the anger and shame of being fired from a job — or think of anything by Dostoyevsky! We are thrilled, and ultimately, moved by writing that makes us feel our humanity deeply.
Make your readers feel your emotions with you. If you want your work to be enjoyable, make it relatable.
Many of us are eloquent writers with bright ideas and enviable vocabularies, but all that can get in the way of having fun on the page. And don’t forget — a casual reader wants to have fun when they read. A reader might learn a lesson or pick up some new words from your blog post, but the ultimate question they will ask is: Did I enjoy reading this? Was this a good use of my time?
As you revise your work, step out of your own head and put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Ask, “Would someone else enjoy reading this?”
Make your writing fun to read, and it will be impossible for your audience to forget about you.
