All freelance writers know how difficult it is to churn out interesting and informative articles all the time. Churn out is the right word, because faced with the pressure of earning a living as freelance writers, they usually juggle multiple articles at once. When that is the case, it is difficult to maintain originality and quality and the writing process becomes automatic, quantity prevails over quality. However, in order to be a successful writer, one needs to keep the reader engaged by avoiding dull sentences and always offering a fresh approach to the topic.
The good news is that one does not need to be Stephen King in order to accomplish that. All it takes is to keep several writing rules in mind and adhere to them:
Do a Research
There is no doubt about it – no matter how good of a writer one is, there is no quality article without doing a thorough research. It is true that there are writers who are word wranglers par excellence and who can take a single article and turn it into something completely new, almost beyond recognition, by using different expressions and relying on their eloquence. However, their readers end up seeing through it, sooner or later (not to mention that they can get into troubles over plagiarism). The solution is to do a thorough research on the topic by checking out multiple similar articles and using them as a base for creating something original.
Follow Google Content Policy
In terms of SEO, Google does not like copy-paste content, to say the least. Those who develop a habit of writing copy-paste articles do not rank high in search (or they are removed from search results as a form of punishment) and their articles do not drive much traffic. On top of that, it is morally wrong (and against Google content policy) to plagiarize articles someone else wrote and put an effort into. Those who resort to that, will sooner or later get into legal trouble. Not to mention that no one will hire freelance writers who plagiarize their work.
Write in the Active Voice
Those who want to “electrify” their readers should avoid writing in the passive voice. It is a common misconception that writing in the passive voice makes the article more academic and intellectual. On the contrary, it makes it more boring and less readable. Writing in the active voice, on the other hand, ensures a better flow, makes the writing more concise, energetic, direct and easier to understand. To understand what it means to write in the active voice, it is advisable to check the popular media in order to find the most shareable posts, analyze them and try to imitate their writing style.
Use Figurative Language and Avoid Cliches
It is recommended to spice up one’s writing through the use of figurative language: metaphor, personification, hyperbole, analogy. This approach helps in making the writing more vivid by helping the reader visualize it and get a better grasp of what would otherwise be unfamiliar concepts, by comparing them with something more familiar. In the similar vein, one should avoid cliches, because they do not contribute to the quality of the article, but make it boring and predictable. Instead, it is better to use rhetorical questions- a well- known hook for grabbing the reader’s attention.
Proofreading & Editing
The article could be a top class when it comes to the quality of content, but having it riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes can send all the good work down the toilet. To avoid this, it is important to proofread & edit meticulously, using a specialized software such as Grammarly if necessary.
Everyone wants to write shareable and popular articles. However, just like preparing the best dish requires a cook to use the best ingredients and follow the recipe, so does writing attractive articles requires a writer to follow some rules and strive to make great content- instead of trying to churn out as many articles as possible within a short time. This quality over quantity approach will pay off long-term and help a freelance writer stand out from the crowd of those writing dry and dull articles.