- Avoid cliches: Nothing takes the life out of writing faster than cliched expressions. They are part of our daily thought and speech and often find their way into our writing. (Ex: mad as a hornet, clear as glass, hot as a frying pan, etc.) Readers recognize these cliches as being overused and unoriginal, and therefore, they don't resonate with readers. Come up with your own expressions, even if it means stretching conventional imagery a bit. (Ex: mad as an un-oiled engine, clear as a borrowed thought, hot as a hornet's sting, etc.) Using fresh, original language will energize your writing and excite readers.
- Use active voice: Using passive voice (i.e., she was staring him down) removes readers from the action and creates distance between your readers and your message. Active voice (i.e., she stared him down) puts readers right in the middle of the action and makes them feel part of it rather than passive observers. Passive voice is flat and uninteresting, but active voice has texture and intrigue and makes your readers want to know more. Passive voice may sometimes be useful, but as a general rule, active voice will pump energy into your writing and give it the dimension and life that readers crave.
- Minimize modifiers: When describing, less is more. Overwhelming readers with modifying adjectives and adverbs not only slows your writing down, but makes it tedious for readers to wade through. (Ex: She heartily ate her delicious meal with urgent gulps). Using modifiers judiciously allows you to really pinpoint what's most important to convey in your description and choose the words that will convey that image most effectively. (Ex: She gulped her meal). Lean, mean and clean should be the guide for your descriptions. Get to the point using the best words and fewest words possible. This will give your writing energy by eliminating the baggage of too many modifiers.
- Be concrete: Abstract language serves only to confuse readers and keep them at a distance. (Ex: He was nervous about the meeting.) Readers can't relate to abstractions and generalities, but they can relate to concrete details. (Ex: His hands were sweating as he reached for the door knob of the meeting room) In the first example, readers can't form an image in their mind about what the person's nervousness looked or felt like. In the second example, they have a specific image of sweating hands reaching for a door knob, and they know exactly what the person was experiencing. It's the difference between looking at something through an unfocused lens versus a focused lens. Concreteness will add energy to your writing and engage your readers in the action and imagery.
- Tap into emotions: Writing that doesn't tap into readers' emotions is flat and lifeless. (Ex: Her grief was a heavy burden.) This sentence carries no emotional impact because it is a flat, observational statement that evokes no emotional response in readers. Language that makes use of the senses taps right into readers' emotional centers. (Ex: Her grief sat on her heart like a rock she couldn't budge.) This sentence brings in the sensation of touch or pressure to convey the concept of heaviness and allows readers to feel the grief the person is feeling. Use all the senses when writing, not just the visual, to reach readers in the place where they are most receptive to your message.
Transforming flat, lifeless writing into energized writing can be accomplished by avoiding trite and cliched expressions, using the active voice, writing lean description, writing concretely, and tapping into readers' emotional centers. Employing these strategies will allow you to achieve your primary purpose of engaging readers and providing them with the inspiration and excitement they need and want. Energize your writing and you will energize your success.
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