3 Tips on How to Create a Smooth Flow in Writing

Good writers are aware of the importance of creating flow in their documents. Of course, this is easier said than done. Writing that flows is achieved by varying sentence structure, using precise diction, and connecting ideas and topics through clearly-written paragraphs.

What’s more, to inject flow into your writing, you also need the right tone, tempo, and rhythm.

If it doesn’t have these qualities, your writing can become dreary and cluttered. Due to these flaws, your readers might end up abandoning your piece or forget about it after they’re done reading it.

So, with that in mind, let us look at a few tips on how to create a smooth flow in writing, whether you’re writing an essay, a research paper, a novel, or something else.

Find Pleasure in What You Do

The biggest challenge with writing and maintaining good flow is staying in the present.

You don’t want to dwell on what your professor or friend will say, or about the likes, comments, and social shares your content might garner. If you do so, you’ll only get distracted. When we fear that a particular piece might not be good enough or that our efforts won’t pay off, we feel anxious. These distractions take the fun out of writing and ruin your flow.

Therefore, the easiest way to create a smooth flow in your writing is to avoid thinking about the impact it may or may not have. Instead, focus on the writing process itself. Here are a few tips that will keep you passionate about writing and help you maintain flow:

• Find or create examples to illustrate your ideas
• Arrange your thoughts in a logical order
• Find different words to express emotions
• Discover new ideas to improve your writing
• Find simpler ways to formulate your thoughts
• Think of metaphors that work

Writing is an involved process. It is a journey that requires dedication, patience, and a ton of hard work. So, ensure that you find your passion for writing. Otherwise, your writing flow will go out the window.

Use Concise and Clear Words

Concise and precise words add more flow to your writing, making sentences and paragraphs easier to understand. To understand this point better, look at the sentence you just read and compare it with the one below:

“Concise and clear words, meaning words that are economical and unambiguous, will usually improve the flow of your writing, that will then enhance readers’ ability to understand the meaning of the sentence.”

While both sentences share the same idea, the latter is wordy and difficult to understand and follow. So, as Thomas Jefferson famously said, it is best to “avoid using two words when one is enough.” However, that doesn’t mean you avoid wordplay entirely. Instead, avoid repetitions and inject variety into your word usage to keep readers interested in your piece.

Here is an example:

“Avoiding repetition is critical for enhancing the flow of your writing.”

“Repeating sentences and words in a piece will destroy your flow. Repetition will drive readers away from your piece.”

It is obvious that the structure and word usage in the second sentence will kill your flow!

Make Logical Connections

Logical connections are pivotal to creating a smooth flow in your writing. Let’s consider an example to understand this better. Imagine you’re writing a paper about the benefits of online education. Your piece contains information about how online education can help people living in rural areas and adults with nine-to-five jobs.

However, suddenly, out of the blue, your piece starts to discuss the advantages of on-campus education. Wait, what?

An online education piece that suddenly starts to discuss the benefits of on-campus education will kill the flow. Your readers will have to press pause and try to figure out how the two things connect.

Such additions serve as a roadblock for your reader. Your reader will have to put in extra effort and time to understand the connection. They might feel frustrated and forgo reading the rest of your piece.

Wrapping Up

When you’re trying to bring flow into your writing, use clear, concise words, introduce logical connections, maintain sentence structure, and most importantly, enjoy what you do! If you can become proficient at these critical writing components, your pieces will have more flow. After all, what good will you achieve if you can’t convey your ideas and points clearly?

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