Talk like a 3rd grader

Editing can be a real drag sometimes.

I remember writing my first ever newsletter.

It was a loathsome process.

And not because I didn't like to write.

It was because of my editing process.

It was so boring that it was the last thing I looked forward to doing

... until about 2 months ago.

Do you struggle with the editing process?

Are you willing to sacrifice sounding like a writing scholar?

If so, I'm about to share my favorite editing app of all time.

This app makes editing feel like I'm playing a game.

Let me explain.

Talk Like A 3rd Grader

Real quick, before I share my favorite editing tool with you, I want to share one of my rules for writing.

That rule is this: Talk Like A 3rd Grader.

And I know what you may be thinking.

"Well, I don't wanna insult my audience."

Quite the opposite, actually.

When you make your writing easy to read, and easy to follow along, your readers will appreciate it.

Reading already takes more effort than watching a 7 second TikTok.

Plus, if you make your writing complicated, that person is as good as gone.

So, why wouldn't you want to make your writing easier to read?

There's an entire list of benefits to making your writing easy to read that I could dive into.

But that's neither here nor there.

Let's do an exercise real quick.

What's easier to read?

The scholar's version:

Enhancing the readability of one's writing is imperative as it fosters greater accessibility, comprehension, and engagement among diverse audiences, thereby facilitating effective communication and the dissemination of information across various demographic spectra.

Or

The 3rd grader's version:

Making your writing easier to read helps more people understand and enjoy it better.

Unless you have an audience of scholars or are building one, start talking like a 3rd grader.

We aren't in school anymore.

You don't have to write for a grade.

The Hemingway App

Now that we know to talk like a 3rd grader when we write, I want to introduce you to my favorite editing app.

Editing sessions have become addicting since I started using "The Hemingway App".

My two favorite features are the readability grade.

And the highlighted colors feature.

Oh, and it's also free to use.

There are no commitments needed.

How I Use This

Step 1:

First, I'll open up any long form piece of content that needs editing.

Once I do that, I'll copy it, then paste it onto the Hemingway editor.

Step 2:

Once I have my writing pasted onto the Hemingway editor, I like to break it up.

This means whenever I see periods, I hit return.

Or enter if you're using windows.

Step 3:

Cue the knuckle cracking.

I start with the first sentence that I wrote and work my way down.

I read my writing out loud and if it makes sense, I'll keep going down the line.

If something does sound off, I'll go back and make some tweaks.

Step 4:

Whenever I run into a sentence or a word that's highlighted in a certain color, I will edit it until the color is gone.

This feature makes it easy for you to know where your writing needs a little touch up.

Step 5:

After I'm all finished up, the last step is checking my readability grade.

If it's 3rd grade or below, that's when I'll copy my finished piece and save it on a folder, or in my notes.

Anything higher than that and I'll go back and keep on editing until I hit that 3rd grade reading level.

So, there you have it.

My new favorite editing app.

This is a tool that makes editing so much easier.

I hope this helps you avoid using any complicated words or hard to read sentences.

P.S.

If you wanna check out my Twitter/X where I post often, you can check it out here.

It’s your brother Alex signing out.

Until next time.

Peace.