{"id":73252,"date":"2017-03-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/?p=73252"},"modified":"2017-03-20T20:33:52","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T09:33:52","slug":"irresistible-reading-psychologys-6-tip-guide-to-great-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/irresistible-reading-psychologys-6-tip-guide-to-great-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Irresistible Reading: Psychology\u2019s 6-Tip Guide to Great Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Irresistible<\/a><\/p>\n

There is plenty of great advice around for creating compelling blog content<\/a>. We read it, but knowing something and doing it are two different things. The missing link is often understanding the why<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Why is great writing irresistible to your reader? And how to you do more of it? Here\u2019s six tips from psychology for creating content your audience can\u2019t resist.<\/p>\n

Tip 1: Don\u2019t write like a psychologist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It has taken me years to unlearn the habits of indecipherable academic writing. Dry, disinterested and difficult to read, it\u2019s the opposite of clear communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour reader should be persuaded by the message. She should not notice the words\u201d was the sage advice of a once-upon-a-time writing tutor. Good counsel that could be spread to better effect around university campuses methinks.<\/p>\n

Tip 2: Elicit emotion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Use words that your reader automatically associates with an emotion. \u2018Angry\u2019 and \u2018fearful\u2019 describe emotions but \u2018cruelty\u2019 and \u2018spider\u2019 trigger real feelings. When we read our brains recognise and process each word, one by one. A neutral word elicits no particular response. An emotionally-charged word lights up part of the brain\u2019s limbic system \u2013 the bit that triggers your emotions. What you feel you will often remember. Want to create memorable content? Use words that make your reader feel something.<\/p>\n

Tip 3: Tell a story<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Human beings are wired to look for meaning in everything we see \u2013 or read. In 1944, 34 college students were shown a short animated film<\/a> of two triangles and a circle moving across a screen. When asked to describe what they saw, all but one interpreted the scene as a complex story complete with characters interacting with one another. There were fights and drama, scenes of innocence and rage. Nothing is without meaning to the human mind.<\/p>\n

Enthral your audience with a story \u2013 a beginning, a middle and an end. Find something that matches their experience and creates a connection. You can keep it simple. Your reader\u2019s brain will fill in the blanks.<\/p>\n

Tip 4: Speaking of simple<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The writing process is cognitively complex<\/a>. To write well, you engage a lot of brain power. You\u2019re focused on the bigger story or purpose of the piece while juggling the individual words and imagining how your reader will interpret it. All at the same time.<\/p>\n

Keep your sentences short, your language simple and your point clear. You work hard to write well so that your reader doesn\u2019t have to work at all. Reading should be seamless and painless.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The added bonus? Studies<\/a> show that writers who use simple language are seen by readers as smarter and their work as more impressive.<\/p>\n

P.S. To keep it clear, don\u2019t forget to edit, edit, edit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tip 5: Imagine<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The best way to connect with your audience is to give them what they want, but when you\u2019re writing you can\u2019t always ask. Your next best strategy is to use your imagination to connect with what they want to read<\/strong>, not what you want to say.<\/p>\n

Understanding another person\u2019s intentions, goals and beliefs is known as Theory of Mind<\/a>. Imagining their feelings is empathy. Both are uniquely human skills. Before you lay finger to keyboard, sit and ponder your reader, her interests, her problems, her challenges and her dreams. Sit in her skin and imagine<\/em> her life and experience. Now go ahead and write what she<\/em> wants to read.<\/p>\n

Tip 6: Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Becoming an accomplished writer is a lifetime\u2019s pursuit<\/a>. Writing what you know for your benefit<\/em> can be done by the time you\u2019re 25. Conveying what you know for your reader\u2019s benefit takes a lot longer. Practice is the key, so go forth and write!<\/p>\n

Ellen Jackson from Potential Psychology<\/a> is ProBlogger\u2019s psychology expert and a specialist in how people work. She writes, teaches, coaches and consults to organisations across Australia. Ellen can teach you everything you need to know to be happy at work and in life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is plenty of great advice around for creating compelling blog content. We read it, but knowing something and doing it are two different things. The missing link is often understanding the why. Why is great writing irresistible to your reader? And how to you do more of it? Here\u2019s …more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":78860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nIrresistible Reading: Psychology\u2019s 6-Tip Guide to Great Writing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Great writing is a lifetime pursuit - but when you don't have a lifetime and have to write blog posts now, then we've got a strategy for you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/problogger.com\/irresistible-reading-psychologys-6-tip-guide-to-great-writing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Irresistible Reading: Psychology\u2019s 6-Tip Guide to Great Writing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Great writing is a lifetime pursuit - 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