This post by Andrew Griffiths originally appeared on Inc.
As much as we might think the written word is slowly being phased out in favor of video, right now we are writing more than ever before, both in general communication and in sharing information through content. But very few people are actually taught to write the type of copy that we have to produce these days.
I write a lot. I write books, blog posts, magazine articles, newspaper columns, and much more. I’ve learned a lot, to the point where now I teach people to write and publish everything from books to blogs.
The following 12 tips have really helped me over the last 20 years, and they might prove helpful to you.
1. Always visualize a person who is your ideal niche whenever you write
For example, when I am writing an article for a small-business audience, I put a picture of three small-business owners whom I know on my computer and I write as if I were sitting and talking to them (in fact, as if I were sitting and having a cup of coffee with them).
2. To keep continuity with your writing voice, at the beginning of each session, go back and read what you wrote last time
This is a great tip to ensure that your writing style and voice stay constant. Great writers and popular columnists have a consistent voice and your writing will develop the same style if you follow this tip.
3. Don’t waste a whole session on a piece that isn’t working