Work Out Your Writing Doubt
Not long ago I had coffee with a friend whose job title is, loosely speaking, “Marketing Department of One.” She’s amazing at what she does and she’s in charge of it all, from social media management to web updates to blog writing. When I asked how work was going, she gave a little sigh and said, “I just wish I knew if what I was writing was any good.”
As it turns out, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got great writing chops and a lot of experience to back you up. If you’re a solopreneur or your company’s go-to for all things marketing, sometimes it just feels like you’re writing in a vacuum. Life is good when you know you’ve got a banging idea that’s ready to share with the world. No help needed – print and publish!
But what about when doubt creeps in and makes you wonder if you’re the only one who thinks what you wrote is clever or inspiring or funny or poignant? Second guessing is an inside job and it’s hard to get out of that one-person feedback loop without a sounding board down the hall or in the next cubicle. I know this for a fact because my home office brainstorming partners consist of four walls and one goofy golden retriever. That’s why I count on these three actions instead:
Give it a read…out loud.
It’s so helpful to hear the rhythm and flow of your words, and you can only do that by reading out loud. In fact, science says doing so makes you process words with a different part of the brain, so you experience your work through a different lens.
Are you being overly clever? Creativity is great but being precious wastes precious time your readers don’t have.
Do you run out of breath before you hit punctuation? Shorten your sentences and use simpler words.
Did you take a winding path to make your point? Edit until you find the straightest line possible.
Give it to someone else.
Skip this step if you must, but I imagine you have a friend, family member, or fellow collaborator willing to give your words a read. Be picky when picking your reader because you want someone who will give you constructive feedback. (Extra credit if they are part of or adjacent to your target audience.)
If they don’t understand something you wrote, ask what’s unclear and then clear it up.
If you used jargon that’s not familiar to them, ditch it or define it.
If they say your content is great, ask how you can make it better. There’s no such thing as perfect but there’s always room for improvement!
Give it a rest.
Your brain is a muscle, and writing is a big workout. After you’ve incorporated your reader’s edits, walk away from your work. Overnight is best if you have the time, but even a few hours of separation from your piece is helpful. You aren’t actively staring at your words, but your brain is most definitely mulling and processing them. The subconscious work it’s doing while you’re doing something else can reveal viewpoints and ideas you hadn’t considered before. Unless I’m on a tight deadline, I always let my copy marinate and I always find ways to make it better when I come back with fresh eyes.
Give these tips a try the next time you need to escape the dreaded “doubt loop”. If you still feel like you’ve written yourself into a corner, drop me a line. I’d be happy to talk with you about what has you stuck so you can share your content with confidence!
