Writing & Composition - Techniques for Writing That Resonates
Learn the basic principles and practical techniques for writing that resonates with readers, enabling effective communication in all situations.
The Power Writing Brings
Writing is one of the most important means of communication in modern society. From business emails to proposals, blog articles, and social media posts, we interact with others through writing daily. However, many people have concerns like "I have things I want to write but can't put them into words well" or "I can't write things that people will read."
By learning writing techniques, you gain the ability to clearly verbalize thoughts in your head and accurately convey them to readers. This is not just acquiring techniques but also leads to improved logical thinking ability and developing empathy to think from the other person's perspective.
Conditions for Good Writing
Writing that gets read has common characteristics.
Clear Structure
It's important to organize information in a logical flow so readers can understand content without getting lost. The basic structure is showing conclusions first and explaining supporting evidence in order.
Consideration for Readability
Making sentences short, avoiding jargon, giving concrete examples - efforts to reduce reader burden are necessary. Readability directly relates to comprehension of content.
Awareness of Readers
Clarifying who you're writing for and appropriately providing information that reader needs is the core of good writing.
Recommended Books
We introduce books for systematically learning writing techniques. Each provides practical skills through different approaches.
Writing Lectures for My 20-Year-Old Self
This book is a writing lecture designed to solve the problem of 'being able to speak but not write.' A working writer generously shares the know-how cultivated over 15 years of field experience, teaching specific methods to convert spoken language into written language. It provides practical guidance to overcome the sense of difficulty in writing and learn to express your thoughts accurately.
- Writing is 'translation' - the work of converting thoughts in your head into words that readers can understand
- Thoroughly organizing 'what to write' before writing is the first step to good writing
- By sitting in the reader's 'chair' when writing, you can avoid self-indulgent prose
- Being conscious of rhythm and structure in writing dramatically improves readability
The New Writing Skills Classroom
A book explaining the writing training methods practiced at news site 'Natalie' for general readers. It systematizes 77 rules for writing 'text that gets read completely,' cultivated in an environment that continues to publish thousands of articles monthly. It provides practical methods for gradually developing ability even for those who feel they are bad at writing.
- Good writing is 'text that gets read completely'; write with the goal of being read to the end
- Deciding the 'main point' and 'outline' before writing creates text that doesn't waver
- Clearly separating facts and opinions creates persuasive text
- In revision, the perspective of 'removing unrelated elements from what you want to say' is important
The Forbidden Art of Writing That Manipulates People
A book explaining writing techniques that apply mentalism techniques to text to prompt reader action. Using seven triggers and five techniques based on psychological knowledge, you can specifically learn how to write text that moves hearts. It provides practical skills for those who want to achieve results through writing in business and daily life.
- The purpose of writing is not to 'make people read' but to 'make people act'
- People move by emotion not logic, so word choice that stimulates emotions is important
- Deliberately omitting information has the effect of stimulating the reader's imagination
- Writing that understands and addresses the other person's worries and desires most moves hearts
The Art of SEO Writing (Updated Edition)
A practical introductory book that teaches SEO-strong web writing techniques in story format. It aims to achieve both text that search engines evaluate well and text that resonates with readers, explaining specific know-how through storytelling. It provides techniques that can be immediately used in the field for managers and writers who want to achieve results on websites.
- Understanding search intent and accurately providing the information users want is the essence of SEO
- The combination of logical text structure and emotionally appealing expression creates content that gets read
- Information dissemination conscious of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness leads to long-term evaluation
- Writing with an attitude of solving readers' problems results in improved search rankings
沈黙のWebライティング —Webマーケッター ボーンの激闘— アップデート・エディション
松尾 茂起, 上野 高史 / エムディエヌコーポレーション / 2022-04-22
SEOのためのライティング教本に、改訂版が登場! 「検索エン...
Summary
Writing techniques are not acquired overnight, but you can definitely improve by learning correctly and practicing continuously. The books introduced here approach the essence of writing from different perspectives. Start with one that matches your purpose and challenges, and cultivate the power to write that resonates through practicing writing.