Home   >   Blog Writing   >   How To Write More Persuasively

How To Write More Persuasively

By on December 27, 2017
How To Write More Persuasively

Being able to write persuasively is a skill all writers should have. Whether you are writing an article or writing a novel, you do so with a reader in mind. You might be trying to convince the reader to believe in your world or care about your characters, or urge them to change their mind about something, buy a product or click on a link.

Of course, writing persuasively for fiction requires different considerations than when writing to try to get readers to act. However, there are some principals that hold true for both and therefore learning how to write this way is something that all writers should practice and bear in mind, whatever kind of writing they do.

So what can you do to write more persuasively? Try these helpful tips:

Repetition

When you are trying to persuade a reader to buy something, for example, you might be explaining why that particular product or service will be so beneficial to them. You won’t just say this once, but instead, say in a few different and creative ways to make sure you get your point across. This is true of fiction writing too where you are trying to convince your reader that a character is a particular thing - kind, dangerous, trustworthy brave. You won’t just tell them it is so, but rather show them, through several descriptions and actions how they are this way.

Reasons

To write persuasively, you need to give readers reasons to believe that what you are telling them is the truth. In non-fiction writing, a reader will only be convinced by you if they believe you are an authority on the subject. Similarly, in fiction writing the reader must trust the author and the narrator of the story - whether they turn out to be reliable or not is another matter, but for the reader to immerse themselves in the world, they must not question what is being told.

Quality

Persuasive writing must be of a certain standard. If you are writing a blog post giving advice, for example, if it is poorly written then it will be difficult for your audience to take you seriously. If you are trying to sell a product, a badly written piece of content will not do anything to make a person buy it - if the writing is poor the product may also be so. If you are writing a book and the writing is terrible, readers won’t buy into the world or the characters you are trying to create. To be a persuasive writer, you must be a good one!

Compare and contrast

Another device used in persuasive writing is to create contrasts and comparisons which serve to highlight your points further. In an article, this might be by listing all the benefits that your product or service has over another. In fiction writing, you might create contrasting characters which make the others seem more extreme.

Solve problems

A persuasive piece of writing will present problems and provide solutions. This is the most important part of a writers work. By doing so, you are showing your reader, without a doubt, why your solution will make the problem better. In fiction writing, every protagonist must face obstacles - for the reader to care about them and root for them their road must not be straightforward. The more challenging the road is, the more a reader will invest.

Tell a story

Lastly, persuasive writing tells a story. Stories allow readers to become involved, and to care. The better you make your stories, whatever kind of writer you are, the more persuasive you will be!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

About Ty Cohen