Writing conversationally
If there’s one thing I dislike, it’s writing that’s too stiff and too formal. I don’t have a lot of fun reading work like that, and I sure hope I don’t write like that.
Something that I try to do with my articles and blog postings is to write in the way in which I speak. OK, maybe not quite — my writing isn’t laced with “umms” and “aahs” and the like.
But using a more relaxed tone while writing makes reading more enjoyable for your readers. If done well, that conversational tone can create a personal connection with readers. It makes the read more satisfying and accessible.
This post at Pick The Brain offers nine tips for effectively writing in a conversational tone.
One of the problems I have replicating conversational speech is the fact that I’ve a propensity to talk in very long sentences, sentences which frequently have a number of asides in them. Transcribing these accurately is one thing but for someone to come along afterwards and read them is quite something else. Sometimes it’s better to break up sentences like these into smaller units. I don’t say sentences because many of these block of text won’t be grammatically correct. But they’ll read better. Oh, and don’t forget contractions. Otherwise you will end up talking like Data from Star Trek The Next Generation and that will make you sound stiff and unnatural.
Jim,
I think that you hit on one of the keys to writing conversationally — editing. As William Zinsser said, because you’re writing fluently doesn’t mean you’re writing well. Editing makes all the difference, and can actually improve the flow.