The purpose of writing is to share ideas and knowledge in a way that impacts someone else. But how do you keep readers interested?
In the age of information overload, more than ever, you need to treat your readers’ attention like the precious asset it is. Don’t assume you can ramble at length about any and every idea that comes to mind. That’s an easy way to lose your readers fast.
Most often, less is more.
So how do you keep your writing focused without restricting your thought process?
I have one simple rule that will help you say everything you want to say in a way that keeps the reader engaged.
It’s called OTAT: One Thought At a Time
Avoid Rambling to Keep Readers Interested
Have you ever gotten stuck in a conversation with someone who floated from idea to idea? No sooner do you respond then they’re off on another tangent. Before long you forget what the conversation was even about. It can be exhausting.
You might try to stay engaged for a while in order to be polite. As time drags on, you start getting ancy.
You shuffle uncomfortably, look sideways at something—anything!… to show you’re not paying attention,
You’re thinking, “Get to the point, dude!” as your foot taps feverishly (and audibly) on the floor. They’re too busy describing their big idea for dominating the organic baby clothing market to notice.
Writing is less forgiving.
There’s no social pressure on the reader to not “be rude” by just walking—or clicking—away.
If you’re trying to share your knowledge and ideas through writing, you need to keep readers interested. So bring some order to the swirl of thoughts that may be running through your mind.
Why It’s Hard to Write One Thought At a Time
When you’re an expert in your field, your mind is filled with knowledge, ideas, and experience, and trying to communicate all that you have to say can feel overwhelming.
Maybe it all wants to come out at once.
Or, there’s so much that you don’t know where to start.
Or, you know you have so much to say, but for some reason the ideas just aren’t there. And then eventually they all come out at once…
You might feel like you’re just not a good writer. Or that it’s too much trouble.
I was doing a website critique recently for a brilliant wellness coach. I could tell by looking over the site they had lots of enthusiasm and a wealth of interesting ideas. But most of those ideas were either unclear or smushed together on the site.
One paragraph in particular had 5 sentences that each expressed a complex philosophical concept. To the coach, they all flowed together, but for a new visitor to her site, the text jumped quickly from theme to theme.
Once I shared what I was seeing and suggested the One Thought at a Time approach, they got excited about bringing more clarity and focus to the pages.
How to Write One Thought At a Time
The rule is simple: focus on the point.
Each piece you write should have a unifying theme. Getting clear on that theme helps you determine what to include and what to leave out.
save for later.
Express each point completely. Avoid tangents. Create a logical flow from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, section to section, and so on.
Make a note of any extraneous ideas, and see if it makes sense to bring them in later in the piece, or save them for another day. (Don’t trash them!)
In addition to keeping an entire piece focused, apply One Thought At a Time at every level of writing, from paragraphs to individual sentences.
For example:
While you might be tempted to create complex sentence structures in order to sound more sophisticated and impress your readers, using shorter, simpler statements improves clarity and readability and provides a more enjoyable experience.
That’s a grammatically correct sentence, but it’s essentially a full paragraph. How many thoughts are there?
If we pop that into the fantastic (and free!) Hemingway editor to check reading level, we get a score of “Post-graduate.” That might sound like a high mark, but actually it’s a poor grade. The truth is, even highly educated people get more enjoyment from grade-school-level writing.
Compare to this:
You might be tempted to use complex sentence structures to sound more sophisticated. But does this impress your readers? Actually, using shorter statements improves clarity. It makes your work easier to read and creates a more enjoyable experience.
See how each sentence sticks to one idea? Hemingway approves:
More Tips for Writing in One Thought at a Time
Now that we’ve looked at some ways to apply the One Thought At a Time rule to keep readers interested, we need to talk about when to apply it, and when NOT to.
When to apply the rule
Use this rule when PLANNING or EDITING, not drafting.
Planning, usually in the form of an outline, is a great place to set up your piece for clarity.
But some people prefer to write freely first, and then add structure. (Personally, I use both approaches at times.)
Either way, when you’re writing, just write. When you edit, that’s the time to simplify and clarify.
When NOT to apply the rule
Do you have to apply OTAT 100% of the time? Definitely not!
Writing is a creative process, and you’re in control. This is just one principle to keep in mind along the way.
Sometimes, you might want to keep that long sentence. You might want to use a style that’s more poetic, conversational, or stream-of-consciousness. Done well, these styles can be incredibly powerful. For a great example, check out youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb.”
However, even stream-of-consciousness writing is more powerful and impactful when it has a unifying theme and a narrative arc. As you flow from idea to idea, can the reader follow the pattern? Is it really a stream, or are you jumping from puddle to puddle?
A Simple Way to Make Your Writing Better
Expressing one thought at a time will instantly uplevel your writing and help keep readers interested and engaged.
Remember, it’s not about limiting your creative flow or dumbing down your brilliance. It’s about making sure that your readers can get the full benefit.
P.S. If you’d like help with your writing, you can hire me as a coach, editor, or ghostwriter.
