Conversational writing is like having a one-on-one conversation between your audience and you.
It’s real, meaningful, and builds trust.
It helps you connect with your audience by using language and phrasing familiar to the audience.
It avoids heavy words and long, winding sentences.
Back in the day, authors used to use formal English to write books.
Today, more and more authors choose conversational English to convey their message.
Here are five ways you can achieve a conversational tone:
Take Notes – Most of my ideas come from reading. I make sure I write them down, using whatever is handy – an iPhone, a notebook or a piece of paper.
Write in ‘first’ and ‘second’ person – Use ‘Your’ and ‘I’ rahter than ‘them’ and ‘they.’
Use Contractions – Use I’m, you’ll, I’d, How’s.
Tell stories – A good story can appeal to emotions and create empathy. We are tuned to like stories from childhood.
Use simple words – Don’t say ‘utilize’, say ‘use.’ Don’t write ‘accorded,’ write ‘given.’ Don’t say ‘expedite,’ say ‘speed up.’ Don’t write ‘convene,’ write ‘meet.’
Avoid passive voice – Passive voice is “The outcome is guaranteed by the company. Active voice is “Our company guarantees the outcome.”
Write as if you are talking to a friend.
Another tool to make your writing more conversational (something I forgot in the excitement of making Canva slides) it is parentheses. Parentheses are used to provide additional, yet essential information but can also add liveliness to the writing. Here, see them in action:
She left work early and bought the ingredients on the way home: a chicken, streaky bacon, butter, olive oil (she’d never heard of it), garlic (ditto), button onions (ditto), button mushrooms (ditto), herbs (mostly ditto), a quarter bottle of brandy (you only needed two tablespoons but you couldn’t buy two tablespoons) and a bottle of burgundy (you only needed half a bottle but they’d drink the rest).