Writing has always been something I enjoyed. And I always felt like it came easy to me. I was never intimidated by essays or assignments where lots of writing was expected. The assignments I dreaded most were ones that involved math or science.
I’ve never thought about how I write or why I write. I just write. And to ponder all of the logistics that come with writing online is a new feeling for me. I was thinking about “readability” and what makes one thing easier to read than others. It’s not just about the text– it’s about how the text looks on the screen and other elements, like photos, that draw in the reader.
What makes online text easier to read?
Anyone can write. But writing well is what makes you stand out. This day in age, everyone is moving fast. We all have things to do and places to be, and we rarely stop to read anymore. Less and less people can focus long enough to get through an article or read a chapter of a book. More of us are prone to scanning, where we scroll quickly and try to pick out the important pieces. It’s gotten to a point where we have to tailor the way we write to make the content more digestible.
The Basics of Writing Well Online
A few things I learned to keep in mind are below:
- Spacing between paragraphs is helpful to not overwhelm the reader.
- Bullets, lists, or numbers are great for skimming.
- Minimize the amount of words you use to keep readers engaged.
- Subheaders!
- Make sure your font is large enough.
- Use pictures throughout.
- The larger and cleaner the margin, the better (for the most part).
Moving Forward
As someone who writes for fun, and posts her work online, these are all important things that I never really considered in my own work. It’s an aspiration of mine to be someone who writes well. One day, I hope to write a book (maybe a memoir?), but for now, I think it’s important to know how to write online. When society is chronically online, it’s a crucial skill to have.
Mia Krysa 