Essential tips for making your writing readable
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Base your writing style on your audience.
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Speak to your audience personally, if appropriate, using a conversational tone.
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Choose an easy-to-read font and colors.
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Use blank space liberally – specifically, avoid the “wall of text”.
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Highlight important information with bolding, or indentation.
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Use informative headings to provide organization and to add visual appeal.
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Use sub-headings to transition between ideas and to break up long passages.
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Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or concept.
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Introduce the main idea of the paragraph in its first sentence.
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Each paragraph should include 3-5 sentences.
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Single-sentence paragraphs can be very effective.
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Use transition words between sentences, such as “first”, “therefore”.
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Standard sentence length is 17 words; 11 words or less is considered easy to read.
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Sentences should be no longer than 20 words.
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Mix long and short sentences for better flow and variety.
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Look for opportunities to break up compound sentences and to eliminate superfluous or redundant ideas.
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Remove unnecessary adjectives or adverbs.
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Introduce no more than one idea in a sentence.
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Use words with no more than 4 syllables.
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Avoid jargon whenever possible.
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Use synonyms for variety.
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Passive voice tends to be longer and more difficult to follow; active voice is concise.
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Make sure your writing is as readable as you intended.
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Cheatography n. The art of mapping complex subjects into clear, instantly navigable reference guides.
