How To Write As You Talk, As Told By One Of The Best

I’ve been writing for a living since 1976, and I still hate the words “elaborate” and “reiterate.” Neither word has much meaning. I can elaborate on something until you’re giggling with boredom, or I can reiterate it without saying anything new. 

Both words are just ways to bloat a sentence with extra syllables. Here’s what’s even worse: In my 40-plus years of writing, I’ve used both words hundreds of times in letters and speeches, and articles even though they’re horrible. 

When you write as you talk, though, your true voice (yours!) comes through. People will hear your voice when they read what you write; that’s why they keep coming back to see what you have to say. So start talking instead of elaborating or reiterating. 

Let your writing be as natural as the speech patterns that make up your personality because if not you, who?

Takeaways
1. Embrace Natural Language: Incorporate everyday language and expressions to create a relatable and approachable writing style.
2. Use Contractions: Utilize contractions to mimic spoken language and make your content feel more conversational and friendly.
3. Tell Stories: Integrate personal anecdotes and stories to engage readers and create a connection that mirrors a real conversation.
4. Address the Reader: Write directly to your audience, involving them in your content and making them feel like part of the conversation.
5. Capture Tone and Emotion: Infuse your writing with emotion and the appropriate tone to convey authenticity and keep readers engaged.

Make A-List

Now that you’re in the groove of writing and have made some good progress, it’s time to make a list. I call this my A-list because it has everything I want to write about.

Things you know about the best place to start is with what interests you. If there’s one thing you can’t stop talking about, chances are others will be interested in reading a post on that topic too!

People (for example, celebrities) who inspire or interest other people (your readers). These can be people from any walk of life: an actor or musician; a politician; your parent or child; 

Even someone further away like someone who inspires great things like Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., etcetera. It could even be as simple as your dog if he were famous!

Things that interest other people (like celebrities), but also inspire them this is where it gets interesting because not only does this post inspire readers through content but it also inspires them by providing something new for them to read about!

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Start With Positives

A common mistake is to open with a negative or joke. If you’ve ever had someone start a sentence for you with “you’re not going to like this,” then you know what I’m talking about. 

It’s never good to start by telling someone their emotions are going to be negative, and it’s especially bad when the stream of consciousness style means that whatever follows will be as well. 

The same goes for starting with a joke it can be funny, but if it doesn’t land, then your reader will wonder why they bothered reading on after that awkward start.

Statistics are also problematic because they’re often cited without context or explanation, making them hard for readers new to the topic at hand (which would include most people). 

That said, statistics shouldn’t necessarily be excluded entirely; just remember: no one likes being told what they think without having their own opinion validated first! 

They also tend not to work well as opening sentences because they don’t typically flow into other points in quite the same way as examples from real life do (though there are exceptions). 

Finally and perhaps most importantly they’re usually very difficult to explain succinctly in one sentence or paragraph (if at all), so it might take several paragraphs before getting back around again!

The same goes for questions: unless asked rhetorically (in which case maybe don’t even answer), questions should only come near the end of any piece where everything else has been laid out clearly before asking anything else directly from us as readers.”

Write What You Know

Your first thought may be to write about what you know. And that’s a fine place to start, but don’t stop there.

If you’re writing fiction, you can create characters and set the scene in ways that are familiar to them you just have to take it a step further and translate those experiences into something new and exciting for the reader.

For example: if your character likes to play tennis, don’t just say “he plays tennis.” Instead, show us what goes on in his head during a game: how does he feel when he misses an easy shot? How does he envision himself winning? What does winning look like? How does losing feel?

Embarking on a writing journey can feel daunting, but remember, you have the potential to achieve greatness. Discover why it’s important to stay persistent and optimistic in our article on Why You’ll Never Finish That Book.

Use Your Voice

Let’s get one thing clear: you’re not writing an essay or a blog post, so you can’t just sit back and let it happen. No. You have to make it happen. As in, you have to take responsibility for what comes out of your fingers and onto the screen (or paper). 

So if things aren’t going well, don’t blame it on the computer blame yourself! And when things are going well? Well done! Take a breath and bask in that glory for a moment. Then keep going because there’s more work ahead of us yet today…

This is how we use our voices: We speak with confidence; we speak with authenticity; we speak with engagement; 

We speak memory-making moments; we speak persuasive words, and lastly but not least above all else…we want others who read our works to feel like they know us personally by hearing us talk through those same words again over again

Write Like You’re Having A Conversation

Writing as you talk is not as easy as it sounds. It’s a simple concept, but there are many ways to approach it. 

Some writers write like they are telling a friend a story, while others write like they are talking to the reader directly. Some writers use humor in their writing, while others prefer to be more serious and informative.

We’re going to walk through some different styles of writing that you can use when writing your copy. By exploring these different styles and practices, we can help you develop your unique voice in your work!

Eliminate The Vague

Be specific. Rather than saying something like “I will try to achieve my goals,” say “I will write a blog post every week for five years.” When you are specific, it’s easier for people to understand what you mean and how they can help.

Use the word “do” instead of “try.” If someone asks you if you’ve finished your project, don’t say “Yeah I think so.” Instead say: “I’m done! 

Here’s my project.” It takes more energy to say “Yeah I think so,” or use other vague words like might or could because it leaves doubt in the mind of the person listening to you. 

They might think that maybe your work isn’t done at all! Be sure to use language that lets others know exactly where things stand and what is happening next (or not).

Transforming your passion for writing into a freelance career is possible with dedication and strategy. Find inspiration and practical advice in our post about How I Became a Freelance Writer in Less Than Two Years.

Let Your Personality Shine Through

To put it simply, don’t be afraid to be yourself. If you’re funny and sarcastic, then let your personality shine through in your writing. If you’re serious, then show that side of yourself as well. 

You should never feel like you have to tone down who you are or hide behind a false persona to write well; if anything, being yourself is going to make your writing better because it will come from the heart rather than from trying too hard (and therefore not sounding natural).

Don’t Be Afraid To Cuss

The most important thing to remember when writing as you talk is: don’t be afraid to cuss! Cussing can add emotion to your writing, it can add emphasis, and it can give your writing personality and humor (if used correctly). It adds shock value too.

If you’re not comfortable with swearing just yet, don’t worry; the more comfortable you become with it, the more natural it will seem in your writing.

Rearrange Periods And Commas At Will

You can use periods and commas in any order you want. For example, you can put a period anywhere in the sentence (not just at the end) and it will always be correct, as long as it separates two ideas from each other. 

In this way, periods are like commas: they are used to separate ideas from one another, but unlike commas, they don’t have any other uses.

If you have a single idea that doesn’t need to be split up into multiple ideas or parts, then you should use a comma instead of a period to separate them. 

For instance: “I love writing.” This sentence has only one idea that I love writing which is separated by two commas because there’s no need for more than one part of speech between “I” and “love.”

Ask Questions Instead Of Answers

The first thing to understand is that questions can get people talking. This is a good thing! But the second thing to understand is that questions can get people thinking and not just about their answers, but about what you’re asking them.

People are used to giving straight answers, but asking a question that makes them think before they answer can be quite revealing. It shows that you care enough about what they say, and about how they feel about it, to give their response careful consideration. 

These conversations are especially valuable when you want someone who has been holding back on some important detail or feeling to open up and share more of themselves with you.

It also gives your writing an added layer of personality if you have a character who doesn’t just spout facts or recite information from memory; 

Instead, they ask questions in order (or not) while trying (or failing) at getting others involved in the story or investigation being told: “Where did my credit card go?” vs “Why did my credit card go missing?”

Balancing a full-time job and freelance writing may seem challenging, but with the right approach, it can be achieved. Explore how one writer turned spare time into success in our article on How I Became a Full-Time Freelance Writer in My Spare Time.

Take Risks

As a writer, you are a creator. Creators always take risks, and risk-taking is the key to being an amazing writer. If you’re not taking risks in your writing, then what’s the point?

I mean just take a look at my work: it’s full of risk! I’m telling people about things that happened in my life and asking them for their opinions about those things! It’s all very intimate; I’m baring my soul. 

But it feels good to be honest with yourself and others because this is who you are your real self without any filters or pretenses or apologies. And when someone reads something like that and says, “Wow,” you know they get it you can feel their appreciation like energy all around you. 

And if no one ever responds positively to your words or actions then maybe they’re not worth being friends with anyway (because people who aren’t supportive are jerks).

Be Bold

You’re bold. You have confidence, and you’re bold in your writing. It’s important to be confident, but not too confident you don’t want to sound like a know-it-all or come off as the type of person who thinks they’re better than everyone else.

Being bold is about being confident in your work and yourself as a writer, but you also need to be able to take criticism without bristling at it. If someone gives you feedback about your writing style or voice, take that information for what it is: an opportunity for growth!

Be Honest

Be honest. Don’t be afraid to write about the things that you care about. I have a friend who writes for a blog and she wrote about how much she loves winter, even though most people think it’s cold and boring because she likes the coziness of it all. 

The article was so well-written, but also controversial enough to get her readers talking! It became one of their most popular posts ever!

If you think something is funny or interesting or important share it with your audience! Write like you talk because then your reader will know that they can trust what they read from you; 

They will feel like they know where you stand on different issues and topics in life, which makes them feel closer to reading your writing than if everything were just blandly “professional” all the time. You don’t need to hold anything back when sharing with us as long as we know what kind of content best suits our interests (and interests vary widely).

Be Serious

Your writing style is a reflection of who you are and what you believe. So, when it comes to your work, be serious about it. Be serious about your writing. Be serious about your readers. Be serious!

The more seriously you take your writing process and habits, the better equipped you will be to deliver top-notch content that’s meaningful to both yourself and others.

Formal credentials aren’t the only pathway to success in B2B marketing. Discover why your unique skills and perspective matter in our piece on Why You Don’t Need Credentials to Do B2B Marketing.

Conclusion

This is, of course, just the start. There are many other techniques to try and practice. But the key takeaway here should be simple: let your voice show through in your writing. Don’t hide behind a veil of formality or technical jargon we all have a voice, and it deserves to be heard! 

I’m not saying you should use every curse word you know (though I don’t personally see anything wrong with that); what I am saying is that you should be yourself when you write because there’s no point in writing if it isn’t an expression of who we are and how we think.

Further Reading

Explore more resources on writing conversationally and improving your writing style:

How to Write Like You Talk: Tips for Natural and Engaging Writing: Discover practical tips to infuse your writing with authenticity and capture your natural speaking style.

Wanna Write Like You Talk? Here’s How: Learn effective techniques for bridging the gap between spoken and written language, making your content relatable and engaging.

How to Write a Great Talk: Crafting Compelling Content for Speaking: Explore strategies for creating powerful and engaging speeches by understanding the nuances of effective written communication.

FAQs

How can I write in a conversational style like I talk?

To write in a conversational style, focus on using simple language, contractions, and sentence structures that mirror natural speech patterns. Incorporate personal anecdotes and engage with your readers as if you were having a conversation.

What are some benefits of writing like I talk?

Writing conversationally can make your content more relatable, engaging, and accessible to a wider audience. It can also help build a connection with readers, making your message more memorable.

How do I maintain professionalism while writing conversationally?

While writing conversationally, it’s important to strike a balance between informality and professionalism. Use appropriate language for your audience and topic, and ensure that your message remains clear and coherent.

Can I use humor and slang in my writing to sound more conversational?

Yes, using humor and occasional slang can add a conversational tone to your writing. However, be mindful of your audience and the context. Ensure that humor aligns with the subject matter and that slang is easily understood.

Is writing conversationally suitable for all types of content?

Writing conversationally is particularly effective for blog posts, personal essays, and content aimed at engaging and connecting with readers. However, for formal documents like academic papers or official reports, a more neutral tone might be more appropriate.