Write like a human

Most of us learned how to write at school or university. And even then, it was usually a secondary aspect of learning a subject like chemistry or commerce.

Writing was a means to an end in high school and that continued through tertiary education, where we needed to write assignments or exam responses. We were assessed on our ability to write academic papers, citations and all. And when one of the criteria for academic success is to produce papers of a specific word count, it often created a habit of using long sentences.

With respect to the academic sector, that style of writing has no place in everyday communication. It’s verbose, formal and often difficult to understand. It doesn’t sound human.

In my view, writing like a human is the most important tactic when we need to communicate a message. So, how do we do it?

Write it how you’d say it

Try writing in the way we’d say something. We call this a conversational tone. Here’s an example.

Instead of this: I wish to speak with your leader. I am not happy.

Try this: Could I speak to the manager? I’ve got some concerns.

Can you see the differences? The second, conversational, version uses less formal language than the first. It uses a contraction “I’ve” instead of the stuffier “I am not”. Most people reading the second version will read it faster and understand it better. Job done.

Academics may disagree, but long sentences and complex words don’t make us look smart.  In fact, they’re difficult to read and understand. And if nobody understands what we’re saying, then we’re failing to communicate.

Try to keep sentences to fewer than 35 words and use sub-headings to break up the content. This will also anchor the reader’s eye to relevant topics. And use simple words instead of complex terms or phrases. Here are some examples.

Instead of this: in relation to, with regard to

Use this: about

Instead of this: despite the fact that, even though, notwithstanding

Use this: although

Another way to be human in your writing is to show empathy with our reader. To do this, think about what your audience needs to know about the message you’re sharing. What questions might they have? Try to answer them in your core message.

There are some more tips about writing with empathy in this blog post.

Humans also write in the first person. That’s using pronouns like we, us and ours. This article is written in the first person. More formal writing formats use second person, like you, your and yours. This can make it sound like we’re talking down to our audience, which won’t endear us to them.

On that note, aim to share information rather than lecture about it. Yes, we’re sharing information that may be in our expertise, but that doesn’t mean we get on a metaphorical soapbox when we write about it. Share, don’t tell. An effective way to share expertise is to use a story about our own experience. This is why case studies are effective.

The rules of grammar will always apply. This is essential for any material that will be put in front of a client or potential customer.

Finally, we should always ask someone impartial to review our writing before we hit send, print or publish. This will be particularly useful for long-form content, like a report or white paper, because the content can be so dense that we can’t see the wood for the trees.

And if you don’t have access to a good second pair of eyes to check your work, speak to us about our editing and proofreading services.