Thou Shalt Never Leave Thy Reader Annoyed

(Click below for SoundCloud Audio)

When it comes to important writing commandments, ordinal numbers are not necessarily helpful here. There are things that writers should/shouldn’t do that even in a priority listing would all need to be in that number one slot. So that’s exactly where I’m going to put them.

Is this your first semi-listicle of all firsts?

Mine too.

(Don’t be scared. I’m skittish enough for the both of us.)

Hold my hand.

Here we go:-

1. Thou shalt always submit thy best work

There is no room for misinterpretation here. Superlative degree means superlative degree. Half-stepping is kicking yourself out of ‘Write Club,’ and that would be a damn shame when there’s only one unique writing voice like yours that existence will ever get. Learn to take your time. Don’t cave in from marathon editing sessions and hit publish/submit/email/upload. Remember, paper can be burnt, but digital lasts forever (or at least until the world ends by climate change if we don’t get our acts together.) There are far too many free resources available for any excuses, from Grammarly to beta readers, and everything in between. Every writer’s got a rep. Make sure you keep yours a good one.

1. Keep Thy Spelling and Grammar Correct

Yeah, I know, you’d think it obvious, but no. I’ve seen poor writing, as in spelling mistakes up the wazoo. Maybe you have too, as in grammar that makes you wanna regurgitate an English exam cuz it’d be helpful to someone. Of course, we all want to be encouraging, but writing relies on…words. You know, the things that convey meaning. When they aren’t spelled correctly or put together coherently, that meaning gets lost. Or the focus may become the numerous faux pas in an arena where a writer is claiming some level of competency. There are plenty of avenues for improvement here, but once you jump into the publishing arena, it’s understandably a higher level of play entirely.

1. Thou shalt not confuse thy reader

As writers, it’s necessary for us to be understood by the readership, otherwise, what’s the point of sharing our work? It’s an affront to common writing decency to ‘dis’ the reader in any way, shape, or form, and confusing them is a custom-made shoe that always fits. It’s a bona fide easy way to get a reader to stop doing what is most wanted from them. To keep reading to the end. Or read any other work that you publish.

Clumsily worded sentences that misconstrue meaning? Confusing.

Changing points of view (POVs) and tenses without rhyme or reason? Confusing.

Throwing around acronyms and abbreviations without explanation beforehand? Ooh! That hits a nerve.

Have a higher education freebee: In academic writing, the introduction of an acronym-worthy term is done at first usage. In other words, tell me what it is before you start abbreviating (e.g., Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) possess a rich cultural heritage.) The same goes for the introduction of sector-specific terminology. Either define it or leave keywords as context in sentences/paragraphs to bring the reader along for this ride (e.g., Extensive comorbidities in the patient meant more clinical time required to assess their diabetes, morbid obesity, heart disease, asthma, and epilepsy before surgery.) Nothing says “I’m unconcerned and clueless about it” to a reader like throwing around terms that are field-specific without an explanation.

1. Thou shalt not be repetitively repetitive

Saying the same thing in different ways consecutively and repeatedly throughout a story is still repetition. Unless the target audience is cognitively impaired with memory loss, this wears mighty thin. It comes across as if you have nothing more to say. Or like you didn’t plan the content structure well. Or are just trying to satisfy a word count. Think of sentences as seasoning. Salt is alright, but if you put in too much, it overpowers the oregano, rosemary, and thyme flavors in the lasagne (and we don’t ruin lasagne in our house.) First bites may elicit a few polite smiles, but nobody really wants to eat that or tell you why.

1. Thou shalt not spam thy written pieces everywhere ‘til kingdom cometh

I get it. You’re proud of your work. You want everybody to read it. But sticking your story in every face of available digital place to get people to read it isn’t the best way to go about it. Incursions of personal space over and over uninvited are not endearing. Like, at all. Think three-year-old trying to show you their artwork by attempting to place it inside your eyeball. Whoa! Please back up. Badgering someone into reading your work…'meh' result plus being remembered for the wrong reasons. Be respectful. Read the works of others and genuinely engage them with commenting and sharing instead of figuratively saying “Read mine, read mine, and read mine,” everywhere. Exercise a little patience and the right audience will check out quality content if that’s what you’ve written.

There. That wasn’t too bad, was it?

Whew!

*High five*

This is a craft not focused on perfectionism but professionalism, attention to detail, and continuous development. It permanently transmits unique perspectives combined with one-of-a-kind life experiences of its authors over time and space. That qualifies, I believe, as a godsend.

So, the next time anyone within earshot grumbles about paying writers a competitive rate because “Well, anyone can write,” you can say it with me…

“Yeah sure, anyone can write, but not EVERYONE can write well.”

I really appreciate that you took the time to read my story! Thank you!

If you enjoyed this or any of my other stories, feel free to like, subscribe, tip, kofi-me, pledge, and/or share with friends and social media sites. If you wish to promote in other forums, you can secure permission @thedaniwriter