By: Lei Anna Craig

A challenge for everyone that comes with writing would be the need to make your work engaging. It’s a hard pill to swallow when you’ve written this almost perfect essay, only to read it back and realize how boring it is. We’ve all been there, and we get it, writing about Ancient Rome isn’t fun for everyone but we are here to help you keep things interesting. However, it is important to keep in mind that making things interesting does not equate to word-bombing and adding unnecessary fluff to your work.

Keep it simple

It is okay to keep things as easy as it possibly can be. A good tip to remember would be to write as if your readers are at a fifth-grade reading level. This ideology isn’t to downplay your readers’ abilities by any means but is instead there to help you put into perspective how to better write out your sentences and help you choose the correct words to use. Many feel inclined to use “big” or complex words in their writing when it doesn't need it, with the common misconception that it would sound better. Keep it simple, thinking you have to do this in your writing will only make it more difficult for yourself.

Going back to less “fluff”; try to avoid inserting things that aren’t necessary. Readers bore easily, do not make them linger on, and feel forced to read a ten-sentence paragraph that could have been summarized in five sentences instead. Make sure that what you’re writing is something that will be easy for anyone to read and understand.

Incorporate Storytelling 

Now, we are not telling you to channel your inner favorite author whenever you’re writing your next piece—although you can if you want—but to make your work more engaging it is helpful to include storytelling elements. We as human beings love to learn new things, but we love to be entertained just as much; so, combining the two will be the key to your success. 

Include analogies and metaphors in your work, add in some imagery, and if the topic calls for it let your personality shine and be a little playful! Do what needs to be done to make your readers interested and stay engaged.

Re-Write your Sentences 

Nothing is concrete until you say so. Don’t be afraid to re-word your paragraphs or even re-write them entirely. If you’re reading back a paragraph or two and you realize that you made the subject matter more difficult than it needs to be, or there could have been an easier way to say something, do not hesitate to start from scratch.

Overall, writing is not an easy task to take on, so do not be discouraged if these tips do not come easy to you. Writing comes with a lot of trial and error, and as long you are ready for that ride you can accomplish engaging your audiences in no time.

We wish you luck!