3 Writing Mistakes that Make Readers Abandon Your Article
Are you a new writer who wants to become more skilled? Do you want to attract high caliber readers and influencers with your words? Do you want to write like a professional writer?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I’m want to share the three things I see newbie writers do that make them look like amateurs. Make a habit of cleaning these three boo-boos up and your writing will be taken more seriously.
I’ve been writing professionally and/or teaching writing for over 30 years. I’m the first to admit that the English language is evolving; new words and conventions are constants for us writers. If we are not on top of linguistic trends, we may risk rejection from publications, poor grades for students, or even worse, offending our readers. For example, 30 years ago, it would have not been considered grammatically correct to substitute “they” for “he” or “she.” Today, it’s considered old school and insensitive to not carefully consider pronoun selection and using “they” as a substitute for “he” or “she” is perfectly fine. The errors I’m about to share, however, are not likely to be acceptable anytime soon.
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Watch your writing skills grow and expand your audience when you do these 3 things
I must tell you that all writers, no matter how experienced, occasionally make errors. Ever made a grammatical mistake on Facebook? Everyone, including the people who never comment on your posts, jumps in to point out your error. You’re an English professor with a technical writing background (yeah, that’s me) who made a mistake? They will eat you for lunch! I know because I’ve frequently, in my haste, used the wrong form of “to” or “there.” I am even guilty of writing “your welcome” when I’m in a hurry. Oh, the shame.
On platforms like Facebook, these issues are no biggie, except to the grammar police. However, on Medium, a platform dedicated to writing, it’s not okay. We should all be proofreading and editing if we want to be taken seriously. Even then, some mistakes will slip into your work. The beauty of writing online is that you can edit your posts whenever you want. I often find minor errors in my own writing many months after a piece was published online. Oooops. Egg on face. So I fix it and get on with my life.
If I begin to read an article on Medium and it is full of errors (a few minor errors don’t faze me), I abandon it. Are people abandoning your articles?
3 things you must stop doing
- The first habit you’ve got to break is overuse of exclamation points. Yeah, I know you’re excited and passionate about your topic, but if you find yourself ending every sentence with an exclamation point, then you need to find better words to convey your meaning. Even worse is ending your sentences with multiple exclamation points!!!!!!! Nothing says yelling amateur like multiple exclamation points. Try to limit them to one per article. Use an online thesaurus to help you find more powerful words so you don’t need to rely on exclamation points.
- The second habit writers make that makes me abandon reading an article (or give a student an average or below average grade) is overusing the word “very.” Again, if you find yourself using “very” often, then perhaps you need better adjectives. For example, instead of “very beautiful,” you could say “gorgeous,” or “drop dead breathtaking.” Be creative, and for the love of God, never write “very unique.” You can use “very” occasionally, but relying on it is lazy writing.
- The third habit that makes me want to slap people is using “myself” when you mean “me.” I don’t see this error often on Medium, but it is rampant among upper management in corporate America. For example, “John and myself had a Zoom meeting this moring to discuss the big XYZ project.” I can almost guarantee that the person who writes like this thinks it makes them sound intelligent and important, when it does just the opposite. It makes them look, well…pretentious and ridiculous.
Do you need new writing habits?
Why not start a practice to eliminate these errors today? Put these three writing faux pas on a sticky note next to your monitor or create a reminder on your smartphone. You will be tempted tonot care when you are tired or in a rush; that is the time to pay extra attention. Alternatively, let your draft sit a day and edit it when you have more brain power.
Is my writing free of these issues? Of course not. I am guilty of “very” overuse when I am tired. I am guilty of exclamation point abuse when I’m excited. These are not grammar errors, but they will make your writing lackluster. I am NEVER guilty of using “myself” when I mean “me” because that is absolutely grammatically wrong.
These are habits that can be broken. When you break them, your writing will become more creative, more diverse, and will likely attract more readers.
Interested in more writing tips? I am a lifelong writer with experience in technical writing, newsletters, copywriting, ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, annual reports, and creative non-fiction. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram for more writing and brain hacks, random hilarity, and deep thoughts. Visit my website at annzuccardy.com.
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