As a content creator, you are an artist wielding the expressive power of the written word.

Whether you’re crafting a blog post or filming a YouTube video, your content is your canvas for self-expression.

And while some creators relish the cathartic act of writing, or use it as a tool for organizing their thoughts, many create with the audience in mind – a selfless pursuit of adding value and benefit to the lives of others.

This is what 99% of the creators aim for.

BUT, they forget that when you are writing for yourself is different from when you are writing for others.

When it comes to writing for others, your goal is to hook your readers and never let go.

Your piece must be so captivating, so engaging, that your audience simply can’t look away until they’ve savoured every last morsel of your content.

In the endless sea of over 600 million blogs and 5,750 new blog posts published every minute, it’s all too easy for your voice to get lost in the shuffle.

Writing content that stands out is already a Herculean task, but doing it without knowing these three hacks?

That’s like trying to climb Mount Everest in flip-flops – a recipe for disaster.

After honing my own writing skills over 2 years, with consistent posting on LinkedIn and more recently on Medium, with these hacks in my arsenal, I am armed and dangerous, ready to take on the content world like a seasoned pro.

And here I share them with you.

[1] Write in haste, edit with grace

I take pride in being a perfectionist – as if it is something to be proud of.

You’ll find me hunched over my keyboard, lost in the pursuit of the perfect paragraph.

It’s like a compulsion to obsess over every word, every punctuation mark until it’s absolutely flawless.

I’ll spend hours tweaking and refining that first paragraph until it’s just right before I even consider moving on to the next one.

But hey, at least I’m thorough, right? – NO

How was it affecting my writing:

• I was not allowing my creative flow to fully paint itself on the canvas but obstructing it incessantly with the critique of my editing mind.
• While my fellow creators sprinted ahead, I trudged, taking me longer to produce a piece.

I was losing my writing mojo, stifled by my own perfectionism. I couldn’t let my thoughts run wild and free, instead obsessing over every punctuation mark.

The result? A creative constipation that left me staring at my screen like a deer caught in headlights, unable to get into that sweet state of flow.

Not an ideal way to write.

What did I do?

• Write now, edit later
• Spill my thoughts on the keyboard without a second thought
• And then meticulously edit at a snail’s pace

Picture this: you’re Eminem in “Rap God” spilling words faster than a leaky faucet. When you let your creative side run free, you’re in the zone where the words flow like lava from a volcano.

But if you interrupt that flow with a critical eye, you might as well be trying to drive with the parking brake on. That’s where the magic of separating writing and editing comes in.

By waiting a day or two to edit your work, you’ll get a fresh perspective that you just can’t achieve when you’re too close to the piece.

Plus, you’ll be able to bask in the glory of your creative peak, unencumbered by the judgmental voice of your inner editor.

Writing fast can make you feel like a wizard, but the result can also be a messy and confusing potion.

It’s like someone turned off the “autocorrect” button in your brain.

The unedited raw version will be far from what your audience deserves.

This is where editing comes in – taking the time to refine and polish your work until it sparkles like a diamond.

It’s like sculpting a statue: you start with a rough block of marble, but through careful and deliberate chiselling, you end up with a masterpiece.

Editing is the chisel, and your words are the marble.

The end result is what the readers will adore.

But, how to perfect your writing through editing is that you ask? The following two hacks will help!

[2] Visual wordsmithing

We, humans, are visually wired creatures.

70% of our sensory receptors reside in our eyes!

That’s why, to make your writing stand out, you need to make it as visually stunning as Northern Lights.

Of the two, the latter is definitely more captivating to read.

Just like how a deliciously cooked meal looks more tempting than a plain plate of food, the appearance of your writing can make or break its appeal.

Even if the information presented is the exact same, a visually stunning piece is more likely to capture and hold the reader’s attention, leaving them with a more satisfying experience.

How do you make your writing visually stunning?

By breaking free from the monotony of plain words and opt for exciting ways to present your ideas. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Add pull-quotes and blockquote – Highlight your most relevant material to catch the reader’s eye
2. Use multimedia – A picture is worth a thousand words, and it can also boost your SEO game
3. Use numbers list – Break a paragraph down into easy-to-digest points
4. Keep sentences short and crisp with no paragraphs – No one wants to read a 300-word single paragraph
5. Keep enough white space – Give your words some breathing room to let them shine
6. [BONUS] Use italics and bold – Make your keywords pop and help readers skim through your article

Your readers owe you nothing. If they have voluntarily decided to click on your article and read it, give them value not only through your unique insights but also by presenting them in a visually stunning and captivating manner.

[3] Show, don’t tell

It’s a classic writing technique that many novelists use that I started only recently.

Imagine the power of words that paint vivid mental images, evoking emotions and immersing your audience in the world you create. Instead of spoon-feeding them information, you’re inviting them on a thrilling journey of discovery.

The difference between show and tell is that show invokes on the reader a mental image of the scene/emotion, while tell is a statement of an action/emotion.

Britanny Levy

When you tell, you’re stealing to the readers the opportunity of discovering, by themselves, the world you created, to add something personal to the scene — for them to get involved.

Instead of saying: Junk food is bad for health
Say: Grease-dripping fries and mouth-watering ice cream cakes are disease-inducing poison for your body

It is fascinating how a simple shift from telling to showing can make your message more convincing and engaging.

Well – Show don’t tell is easy to, theoretically, understand. However, it can be complex to apply it.

Up until now!

I’ve got a prompt engineered to make it a breeze. It’s one of my carefully curated secrets to effortlessly infuse my writing with the power of show, don’t tell.

Following is the example of words that I use to make my content witty, engaging, captive and descriptive

Junk Food: Grease-dripping fries and mouth-watering ice cream cakes
Enemy: Arch Nemesis
Excess sun exposure: Tan yourself to a crisp
Muscle soreness: Body-bending muscle meltdown

Give me such words for the following term-

[word]:

You can fine-tune it to make your prompt response more accurate with the tone you expect, but it has given good results to me so far

Here’s an example –

Remember the example I gave above?

It came from GPT himself.

And with a quick glance at your article, when you stumble upon patches where it sounds as dry as a desert, unleash the power of this prompt to spice things up.

Final Words

As I conclude, here’s a quick rundown of my ongoing quest to enhance my content creation prowess, one blog at a time:

• Write swiftly, but edit with precision.
• Embrace the visual appeal.
• Show, don’t just tell.

May these practical tips serve as valuable tools for both you, the reader, and me, the author, to navigate the realm of writing more effortlessly and effectively.

Let’s make our writing journey more rewarding and our words more impactful.