Easy writing tips for readability
Is your novel written in a way that is easy to read and understand?
This is one of the most important things to think about when writing or revising your work. When you focus on making your writing more readable, you will be able to communicate more effectively and keep your readers engaged in the story.
Watch out for unfamiliar words
When you use words your readers are less familiar with, you make your writing less readable.
It’s important to have a clear understanding of who your readers are and what they know.
Writers often know more than their readers
We often write about topics we are particularly knowledgeable about.
If, for example, you have a background in physics and are writing science fiction, think about how well readers are likely to understand any concepts you’re using to create your worldbuilding.
What words do they know, and what should be rephrased or simplified to make sure the average readers can understand the story?
This doesn’t just apply to areas that are scene as more technically challenging.
If you know a lot about horses and write a main character who has a horse, remember that most readers know less about horses than you and could be confused by something that you take for granted.
The more accessible your writing is, the more you can broaden your potential readership, which will help your book do well.
Limit unfamiliar names and worldbuilding terms
On any given page, and throughout your book, it’s important to decrease the number of names and terms that will be unfamiliar to your readers.
New words can be hard to keep track of, and if the reading experience is difficult, readers may simply stop reading.
It’s good to limit the number of named characters per scene and throughout the story. If a character is less essential to the story, they may not need their name in the text, even if you’ve given them one.
It’s also good to limit the amount of worldbulding that you give your readers at any one time. Since these will be new names and terms you created, they will all be unfamiliar to readers.
You know them well, so they may not seem like a lot to you, but they can significantly decrease your readers’ ability to understand the story. And they could make readers stop reading altogether.
You can world build as much as you want, but carefully choose how much needs to be stated in the story and how much readers need to know at any given time. If you build up their understanding of your worldbuilding slowly over time, it will become much more manageable for readers to remember them and keep track of which is which.
Avoid overcomplicated language
I recommend opting for simplicity as much as possible.
Concise language is more direct, easier to understand, and often more impactful.
Flowery language can make you feel smart, but they can make your points less clear and give readers less value for the time they spend reading your book.
(Poetic language is different. Poetry tends to have even more value per word and be worded even more carefully than concise prose.)
Simplifying your language can improve the experience of your readers and help them get more enjoyment from your story.
You’re trying to take complicated story ideas from your head and convey those to readers. And this becomes much easier when you make an effort to be concise.
Cut out extra words
A big part of the revision process is cutting out anything that doesn’t add value to the reader’s experience.
When you find words that aren’t doing much for the story, cut them out. You can almost always find words, phrases, or even sentences that are unnecessary or redundant and can be removed.
Replace long phrases with shorter ones. Longer sentences are more difficult to follow and demand more of your reader’s brain power.
If you can split a long sentence into two shorter ones, this will make the reading experience more fun and help you keep your readers engaged.
Don’t waste the reader’s time
If every word adds value, readers will feel they are using their time well. This is important if you want them to stay engaged.
For fiction, the value is typically entertainment.
Increasing the effort you’re asking from readers without increasing the value you’re offering will encourage them to pay less attention or even stop reading entirely.
People read fiction for enjoyment. If your writing makes it hard for them to enjoy themselves, they’re likely to give up.
When you can convey the same meaning in fewer words, you improve the pacing and draw readers further into the story.
Consistency improves readability
Inconsistencies are distracting and can prevent readers from staying engaged.
Pay attention to your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In the gray areas where multiple options are correct, make sure you are consistent. If you want more information on this as well as tips to implement a consistent style across all your writing, I wrote a whole article on consistency, correctness, and how your individual preferences fit in.
Consistency also applies to your writer’s voice, or how you talk to your readers. Your writer’s voice is the reader’s guide through the story you are telling.
