The saying ‘less is more’ may come across as a cliché, but it is quite applicable in producing quality writing on any medium. Writers often become trapped in creating a large word count as opposed to writing something shorter worthwhile. Whether a writer is working on a book or a blog post, the quality of a text is far more important than the quantity.
Readers generally have a short attention span and very little time dedicated to reading. This is why it is necessary to capture your reader at first word. The question of quality is an important one because readers tend to get annoyed with fluffy content with too many words and little value.
A Question of Quality
The best pieces of writing tell a story of “who did what when where how and why they did it” and the subject can be a person or an object. Writing is often about imparting a story and has a beginning, middle and ending.
Focusing on quality allows you to bring out these elements and they sometimes do not require a large word count. More than the number of words you have written, readers read your writing to grasp a story or a piece of information. By focusing on quality, a writer can focus on the story or information without worrying about reaching a certain word count.
Creativity over Quantity
Online content writers are often faced with the challenge of meeting SEO standards, which generally reward posts with a high word count. The incorporation of keywords also creates a challenge for writers to produce content that is both good and meets quantity requirements.
Online content is tricky in this regard and requires writers to be more creative in their approach. Well-researched content is necessary, and if a piece of writing requires a large word count, it should include a variety of information that is useful and well-rounded.
Writers also need to maintain consistency throughout posts and ensure that posts are regularly updated. Whether your pieces are long or short, content should be managed creatively and explore a wide range of topics and themes.
Quality Writing Goes a Long Way
The skill of sitting down and churning out up to 10 000 words a day is a good skill, however not everything you write is worth using. Holding onto every word can be quite detrimental and affect the quality of writing produced. Online content is a tricky field as well, with writers having to meet reader expectations.
The truth is, a focus on quality content increases readership and loyalty from readers over time. Never compromising on quality, even if it results in a short piece, is important because the writing is simply more enjoyable and worthwhile.
When writers see your name attached to something, they should at least know that they can expect quality writing and not just a fluff piece.
Features of Quality Content
No matter the length, there are simple ways to ensure that your content is coherent and easy to read. The idea is also to follow the cliché advice of finding your voice.
Uniqueness and authenticity is sought after in the world of writing and readers can sense insecurity or grow bored with a body of text because it offers very little. Here are some ways to improve the quality of your writing:
1. Make it easy to skim through. Whether for human or SEO rankings, content that is long or short should be easily skimmable for the reader to understand the gist of the story. Because people generally have a short attention span, they tend to prefer knowing what they are getting themselves into, and whether the content is relevant to them or not.
2. Use more than words. When writing for the online market, you sometimes need more than your words. Think of ways to make your content diverse using videos, audio and Gifs and maximize the use of headings to foreground your main topic.
3. Respond to a need. Depending on the topic and interactions on your website, you can get a good grasp of what your readers want to see. This is why it is important to create content for them that they can trust and is reliable.
A Balancing Act
If your agent has given you the daunting task of completing a full-length book of about 80 000 words, where do you begin? If you are a good churner, in theory, you could write a book in under two weeks. After two weeks, you will need to go back and work some magic on those words. In essence, churning out that many words is free writing, so that means not everything you write will be worthwhile.
Being able to determine where quality and quantity converge is pivotal to ensuring the book meets the requirements and keeps the reader locked in for the entire journey. Page-turners are not just about lots of words, but the way in which the words come together to create a story. This requires both strategy and creativity from the writer.
Conclusion
Quality is often lost because the quantity is a real requirement in everyday life of a writer. Many briefs and calls for writing will specify a word count and the world is growing at such a fast pace in advent of tech advancements.
People have very little time to invest in a writer who does not truly standout or offer quality content. There are various ways to present content in the online realm and there are quality resources available to assist a writer in improving their craft. Meeting a simple word count is not enough; quality is central to the art of writing.
Author bio:
Tobias Foster is a writer, editor and journalist with 5 years of work experience in the industry and is currently working for a resume writing service. He is ambitious and possesses a wealth of knowledge which has contributed to his success. His areas of interest include business management, marketing, finance and economics.
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