Transform your writing in 4 simple steps

How many times have you wished you could express yourself better in writing? There's no doubt that it's an essential skill and the way you use words could help you get the results you want instantly.

I spoke to professional copywriter John Forde about the techniques he uses everyday and I want to share them with you today, because they "are simple tricks anybody can master"...

Transform your writing in 4 simple steps
By John Forde: Professional copywriter and prize-winning poet

Most people fear writing and feel that they can't compare with the pros. What you need to realise is that no writer has a perfect first draft. It's in the editing process where the magic is added to the words. These are a few simple editing tricks that you can master today.

Write a clear message

Journalism 101 holds the simplest trick of all. Keep it simple: Stick to one idea per sentence and one idea per paragraph. One well expressed idea is much stronger than a mess of notions. Hold a page of your writing at arm's length. Are there any large, daunting blocks of text? Break the paragraphs in half and then look for commas. Almost every dependant clause can be turned into a fresh sentence.

Technology has made the editing process even easier. Try these steps with your next piece of writing (they're written for Microsoft Word, but most word processors will have similar features):

1. Go to the "Tools" menu. Select "Track changes" and under that same menu, "Highlight changes".

2. Go to the "Edit" menu and select "Replace".

3. Use this search tool to start weeding. Be sure to put a space before and after each of the quoted phrases below.
Replace "am", "is", "are", "was", "were", "be", "been" and "being" with "NEW VERB".

4. Here comes the only challenging part. Rewrite each of those sentences with a stronger verb. For some sentences this will mean rewriting it altogether. At first you may find it a bit tricky but don't worry. You'll soon be faster and more expert at this. Within minutes you could see an incredible difference in your writing.

I urge you to try this on the next piece you write. When you finish, look back and marvel on what you've produced.