A Simple Trick to Ensure My Writing Gets to the Point Quickly
Speed Up Your Writing and by Avoid Delaying Your Main Message
Hey Friends!
If you have been here long enough, you know that I've always said that one of the best ways to add value for readers is by respecting their time.
Every time I write, I ask myself if I could make my piece more efficient for them to read. So I look for little tweaks to make my writing more time-friendly. One thing I noticed, though, is that I often reveal my main point later in the piece. And that’s a bit counterproductive—it ends up delaying the message rather than delivering it upfront.
Since my goal is to save readers time, hiding the main point in the second half of the piece doesn't exactly help.
So why does this happen?
I think it comes down to my writing style. My archetype as a writer is a storyteller. Whether I’m giving tips, sharing lessons, or just anything, I always feel the need to set the scene with a backstory. And while storytelling isn’t a bad thing (it can add personality and draw readers in), I sometimes get carried away. I add too many examples, descriptions, and details—often turning the first half of my piece into a long introduction that’s not even the point I want to deliver!
To keep this tendency in check, I’ve developed a little editing trick, a little checkpoint of mine.
I call it "flipping" the article.
When editing, I swap the first and second halves of my draft. Flipping the article lets me see if I’m being a “slow” writer (meaning I’m taking too long to reveal the main point). More often than not, if I’m being a slow writer, my main point is already buried in the second half, which isn’t ideal.
Online, every second a reader spends on your work is incredibly valuable as they could easily be anywhere else.
If I place the main point back at the top, I’m then challenged to restructure the entire article with this format, where I still include stories but get to the main idea as early as I can. This works for a paragraph as it does for a whole article.
This "flip" isn’t necessarily how I leave the final draft, but it helps me double-check if I’m rambling at the start instead of getting to the point, which is exactly why I call it a checkpoint.
That is all and Have a Great Day!