The Difference Between Being Interesting and Being Useful

Getting someone's attention is one thing.

Keeping it is another.

And there is an important difference between writing that is interesting and writing that is useful.

Interesting writing may get a reader to stop scrolling. Useful writing gives them a reason to stay.

Interesting Gets Attention

There is nothing wrong with being interesting.

In fact, you need some of it.

A good headline, an unusual idea, a surprising statement, or a good story can make someone curious enough to start reading.

But curiosity alone doesn't carry an article very far.

Think about the last time you clicked on something because the headline caught your attention, only to discover that the article didn't really tell you anything.

You probably didn't finish it.

You certainly didn't bookmark it.

And you probably won't go looking for another article from the same writer.

The writer got the click but lost the reader.

Useful Gives the Reader Something

Useful writing answers a question, solves a problem, explains something confusing, or gives the reader a new way to look at something.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

Sometimes the most useful articles are about things the writer considers obvious.

That's because what is obvious to you may not be obvious to someone else.

If you've spent years doing something, you probably know things that you don't even think about anymore.

Those ordinary things can be valuable to someone just starting out.

Don't Confuse Information With Help

Here's where many writers get into trouble.

They give the reader a lot of information but very little help.

Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

You can write 2,000 words about a subject and leave the reader wondering what they are supposed to do with all of it.

Good writing doesn't just dump information on people.

It helps them make sense of the information.

Instead of asking, “What else can I tell them?”

Try asking:

“What can I help them understand?”

That's a much better question.

Useful Doesn't Mean Boring

Some writers are afraid that if they make their writing practical, it will become boring.

It doesn't have to.

You can tell a story while teaching something.

You can use humor while explaining a problem.

You can share an experience and still give the reader something they can use.

In fact, some of the best writing does all three.

The reader enjoys the journey and arrives somewhere useful at the end.

Give the Reader a Small Victory

One of the best things you can do as a writer is give your reader a small victory.

Maybe they finally understand something that confused them.

Maybe they know what to do next.

Maybe they avoid a mistake.

Maybe they have a better question than they had before.

That is value.

And it doesn't require you to be the world's greatest expert.

You just need to help the reader move one step forward.

Write for the Person Who Needs It

You don't have to impress everybody.

That's an important lesson for any writer.

Trying to sound intelligent can actually make your writing harder to understand.

Write like you're helping one person sitting across the table from you.

Explain it the way you would explain it to a friend.

If you know something they don't know, don't talk down to them.

Bring them along.

That's what useful writing does.

The Goal Isn't Just Another Page View

A page view is nice.

A click is nice.

A new subscriber is even better.

But the real goal is to have the reader finish your article and think:

“That helped me.”

That's the kind of response that builds an audience.

Interesting writing may bring someone through the door.

Useful writing gives them a reason to come back.

And when you can combine the two, you have something worth building on.

Final Thought

Don't ask only, “Was this interesting?”

Ask a better question:

“Was this useful?”

If the answer is yes, you've given your reader something they can take with them.

And that's what good writing is supposed to do.

The First Few Sentences Matter More Than You Think

You can write a great article and still lose your reader before they get to the good part.

Why?

Because the reader has to decide whether to keep reading.

That decision often happens in the first few sentences.

Your Opening Has a Job

The opening doesn't have to explain everything.

Its job is to make the reader interested enough to continue.

Think about the television series we talked about in the last article.

The first episode has to give you enough to become interested—but it doesn't give you the whole story.

Your blog post can work the same way.

Start With the Reader

One of the easiest ways to create a stronger opening is to start with something your reader recognizes.

Ask a question.

Point out a problem.

Describe a situation they've experienced.

Make them think:

"That's me."

Once you've done that, you've earned another few seconds of their attention.

Don't Start With a Long Introduction

We've all seen articles that take several paragraphs before getting to the point.

By then, the reader may already be gone.

You don't need to explain why you're qualified to discuss the subject.

You don't need to tell the reader everything you're going to cover.

Get to the reason they clicked.

Curiosity Is Powerful

A good opening can create a question in the reader's mind.

You don't necessarily have to answer it immediately.

Give them enough information to understand the problem, then lead them toward the answer.

That's what keeps people reading.

Your Title Makes a Promise

The title and opening should work together.

If your title says:

Why Readers Don't Finish What You Write

the opening shouldn't spend three paragraphs discussing the history of blogging.

Start talking about why readers leave.

You've already made a promise with the title.

Keep it.

Write the Opening Last

Here's a trick that can make writing easier:

You don't have to write the opening first.

Write the article.

Figure out what you're really trying to say.

Then come back and write an opening that leads naturally into it.

Sometimes the best opening becomes obvious only after you've written the ending.

Final Thought

You don't have to grab your reader with tricks.

You simply need to give them a reason to stay.

Start with something that matters to them.

Create a little curiosity.

Then deliver what you promised.

The first few sentences open the door. Good writing gives the reader a reason to walk through it. 

Sometimes Good Writing Means Leaving Something Out

 

When we write, we naturally want to include everything we know.

After all, we spent time learning it. Why leave something out?

Because your reader doesn't need everything you know.

They need what helps them understand the point—and sometimes they need a reason to keep reading.

More Information Isn't Always Better

It is easy to believe that adding more information makes an article more valuable.

Sometimes it does.

But sometimes it simply makes the article longer.

A reader can become buried under information and lose the very point you wanted them to remember.

Good writing isn't about putting everything on the page.

It's about putting the right things on the page.

Think About Your Favorite Series

Have you ever started watching a television series and told yourself, "I'll just watch one episode"?

Then several hours later you realize you've watched half the season.

Why?

Because the writers didn't give you everything at once.

They answered one question and created another.

They solved one problem and left you wondering what would happen next.

They left you hanging.

And you clicked Next Episode.

That same principle can work in your writing.

Give the Reader a Reason to Continue

You don't have to end every paragraph with a cliffhanger.

But you can leave the reader with a question, an idea, or something they want to know more about.

For example:

You answer:

"Why aren't people reading my blog?"

Then you introduce another question:

"But what makes someone stay once they start reading?"

Now the reader has a reason to continue.

Don't Confuse This With Withholding Information

Leaving something out doesn't mean frustrating your reader.

If someone needs an answer to understand your main point, give it to them.

The goal isn't to hide information.

The goal is to control the pace of discovery.

Give the reader enough to satisfy their curiosity—and enough to create the next question.

Your Reader Doesn't Need Your Entire Journey

You may have spent hours researching a subject.

Your reader probably doesn't need to see all those hours.

They need the result of your work.

Think of it like giving directions.

You don't need to tell someone every road you considered before choosing the best route.

You simply give them the route that gets them where they need to go.

Editing Is Sometimes Subtraction

We often think editing means fixing sentences.

It also means removing them.

A shorter article isn't automatically a better article.

But an article where every sentence has a purpose is usually stronger than one filled with information simply because the writer had it.

Final Thought

Think about that television series again.

You didn't watch episode after episode because every episode answered every question.

You kept watching because you wanted to know what happened next.

Good writing can do the same thing.

Give your reader an answer.

Then give them a reason to ask another question.

Sometimes the best way to keep a reader is to leave them hanging—just enough to make them want to turn the page.

 

Your First Draft Doesn't Have to Be Good

One of the things that can keep a writer from writing is expecting the first draft to be good.

It doesn't have to be.

The first draft has a different job.

Its job is to get the ideas out of your head and onto the page.

Write Before You Edit

Trying to write and edit every sentence at the same time can slow you down.

You write a sentence.

You change it.

You change it again.

Then you wonder where the idea went.

Sometimes you have to let the first draft be messy.

Get the thought down first.

You can improve it later.

Your Ideas Need Somewhere to Start

A good article often begins with a rough thought.

It may not have the perfect opening.

The paragraphs may not be in the right order.

You may even discover that your original idea wasn't quite what you thought it was.

That's okay.

Writing helps you discover what you actually think.

Editing Is Where the Article Takes Shape

Once the ideas are on the page, you can step back and look at them.

Now you can ask:

• Does this make sense?

• Is the main point clear?

• Does anything need to be removed?

• Is something missing?

• Is the order right?

That's when the article begins to take shape.

Don't Confuse Rough With Bad

A rough first draft isn't a failed article.

It's unfinished.

There's a big difference.

A carpenter doesn't look at a pile of lumber and complain that it isn't a finished table.

The materials have to be there before the table can be built.

Your first draft is the material.

Give Yourself Permission to Rewrite

Sometimes the best sentence in an article doesn't appear until the second or third draft.

Sometimes you discover a better opening after you've written the ending.

That's part of writing.

You don't have to get everything right the first time.

Final Thought

Don't wait until you know exactly how the article should sound before you begin.

Start writing.

Get the ideas down.

Then improve them.

The first draft isn't supposed to be the finished article. It's supposed to give you something to work with.

 

Answer the Question Your Reader Is Really Asking

Every reader comes to an article with a question.

Sometimes they know exactly what that question is.

Sometimes they don't.

As a writer, one of the most useful things you can learn is how to discover that question and answer it.

The Question Behind the Question

A reader may search for:

“How do I write a better blog post?”

But what they may really be asking is:

“Why aren't people reading what I write?”

Those are two different questions.

If you answer only the first one, you may give good information without solving the reader's real problem.

Listen for the Problem

Before you start writing, ask:

What is my reader trying to accomplish?

Then ask:

What is keeping them from accomplishing it?

Those questions can change the entire article.

Instead of simply giving information, you begin helping someone.

Don't Assume Your Reader Knows What You Know

This is one of the easiest mistakes for experienced writers to make.

You know the subject so well that you forget what it was like not to know it.

A term that seems obvious to you may be completely unfamiliar to your reader.

Explain what needs explaining.

There is no shame in making something simple.

That's your job as the writer.

Let Questions Shape the Article

Questions can also give your article a natural structure.

For example:

• What is the problem?

• Why does it happen?

• What can I do about it?

• What should I do first?

Now you have a path for the reader to follow.

You don't have to force a complicated structure onto the article.

The reader's questions can provide the structure for you.

Give the Reader Something Useful

A good article should leave the reader with more than information.

They should have something they can understand, use, or think about after they finish reading.

That's when writing becomes useful.

Final Thought

Don't begin every article by asking,

“What do I want to write about?”

Try asking,

“What does my reader need to know?”

That small change in thinking can make a big difference in your writing.

You aren't simply filling a page.

You're helping someone find an answer.

 

The Measure of Good Writing

Many writers measure their work by how much information they include.

The better question is this:

Did the reader understand the message?

Writing is not a contest to see who knows the most. It is an opportunity to help someone else learn, understand, or solve a problem.

Knowledge Isn't the Goal

A writer may know a great deal about a subject, but if readers leave confused, the writing has missed its purpose.

Knowledge is valuable.

Communication is essential.

The goal is not to impress readers with what you know. The goal is to leave them understanding something they didn't understand before.

Put the Reader First

As you write, imagine someone sitting across the table from you.

Would you explain everything at once?

Probably not.

You would explain one point, make sure they understood it, and then move to the next.

Writing should work the same way.

Every Sentence Should Help

As you review your article, ask yourself:

• Does this sentence make the point clearer?

• Does it answer a question the reader may have?

• Does it move the discussion forward?

If the answer is no, consider removing it.

Clear writing is often the result of careful editing.

Understanding Is Success

Readers may not remember every sentence you write.

They will remember the ideas they understood.

That's why simple examples, clear organization, and everyday language are so important.

When readers understand, they gain confidence.

When they gain confidence, they come back.

Final Thought

The measure of good writing is not the number of words you publish.

It is the number of readers who finish your article and say,

"Now I understand."

If your writing helps someone reach that point, you've accomplished something worthwhile.

 

Keep Your Reader Moving

Getting someone to start reading your article is only the beginning.

The next challenge is keeping them moving from the first sentence to the last.

Good writing creates momentum. The reader always has a reason to continue to the next paragraph.

Here are a few simple ways to do that.

Start With a Reason to Continue

Your opening should make the reader want to know what comes next.

You don't have to use a dramatic headline or make a big promise. Simply introduce a problem, question, or idea that matters to the reader.

Give them a reason to think:

"I want to know where this is going."

Give Each Paragraph a Purpose

A paragraph should move the reader forward.

It might explain something, answer a question, give an example, or introduce the next part of your thought.

If a paragraph doesn't do any of those things, ask yourself whether it needs to be there.

Don't Give Everything Away at Once

Good writing unfolds.

You don't have to explain your entire conclusion in the first paragraph. Let the reader discover the idea as you develop it.

Think of your article as a conversation.

You wouldn't tell someone the whole conversation before you started talking.

Make the Next Step Obvious

At the end of each section, the reader should naturally be ready for the next one.

One thought leads to another.

One question leads to an answer.

One answer leads to a new question.

That's how you keep the reader moving without forcing them.

End With Something Worth Remembering

The ending is your last opportunity to leave the reader with something useful.

It might be a simple thought, a practical suggestion, or a question for them to consider.

Don't just stop writing.

Give the reader a reason to remember what they just read.

Final Thought

Good writing isn't just about getting a reader's attention.

It's about respecting that attention once you have it.

Give your reader a clear path.

One thought at a time.

When the path is easy to follow, readers are much more likely to stay with you until the end.