Conversational Writing Tips
Many people could benefit from using a more conversational style when trying to appeal to an audience. A conversational writing style seems to be more fluid and can convey just about any message to your audience. You may notice a conversational writing style in company newsletters as well as in certain newspapers and magazines. In order to have a better conversational writing style you will probably need to study a few user friendly conversational writing tips.
A conversational writing style seemingly breaks all of the grammatical rules. It is aimed at the target audience and addresses them as such. Its sentences may begin with pronouns and end with verbs. Sometimes there are fragmented sentences infused to display a thought. Sentences may even begin with “and,” “but,” and “yet.”
Samples of Conversational Writing
Use Contractions in Your Writing
One of the things that most writers who are fluent in conversational writing style may do is use an abundance of contractions. If the name of the game is to catch and keep the reader’s attention one of the only ways to do this is to use contractions in sentences.
For example, if you were trying to interest the reader in buying a product or service, you may want to use more contractions in your sentence. When a reader sees a contraction almost instantaneously he or she will let their eyes go back to the contraction. Whether to better digest the text or just because their attention was caught, the reader will re-read the statement.
Tell a Story
The single most important part of a conversational writing piece is that it tells a definitive story. The story is fluid and delivered in such a way that the reader will feel as if he or she were talking with their best friend.
If you are unsure about how to deliver the fluidity of the conversational tone, then record yourself when you are talking on the telephone and then transcribe your conversation. You will notice when you go back and read it that there is a definitive conversational style that is apparent. Once you see your conversational voice you will better be able to use your conversational voice in your writing on demand.
Write the Way You Talk
It is important to listen to that little voice in your head – you know, the voice of reason. If you listen to that voice when you talk you can listen to it when you write. And when you do, your conversational style will definitely shine through.
Use Easy to Understand Words
There is no need to use large, unintelligible words – the average reader may not appreciate anyways. You can dumb down your vocabulary when you are writing conversationally. People are more apt to follow you if you use words that they can understand.
Avoid Rambling
Rambling creates both chaos and confusion. It should be avoided at all costs. Alongside of rambling is its distant cousin, wordiness. Too many words will turn a reader off and make them stray away from your work. The point is to be smooth and conversational, not abrupt, wordy and aggressive.
If you can read out loud and it flows then you have accomplished your innate mission of writing conversationally. If at any time your stumble as you are reading your work, then it may not necessarily be flowing in the way that a conversation would flow. Look for fluidity in your work. Try not to over analyze what you have written. Writing in a conversational tone may take a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it, you will always be able to use it as a most effective writing tool.
