Conquering The Conversational In 5 Easy Steps

It's easy for someone like me to tell you to "write like you speak" or "use a conversational tone," but what exactly does that mean?

First thing's first: you don't always want to use a conversational tone. Formal essays, technical writing -- anything professional will probably require something more serious. However, the dirty little secret about using a conversational tone is that it does not, in fact, mean writing exactly as though you were having a conversation.

This is because real dialogue, and speaking in general, is not usually presented in a way that translates well into writing.

Of course, you already know that. In our daily lives, we'll use "uh" and "umm" and slang terms and a lot of times we won't even know what we're talking about. Or maybe that's just me.

A conversational tone is instead defined as writing in a way that would appear to be conversational, personable, but that is actually planned and structured in the same fashion as more formal writing. Like a well rehearsed monologue. It's all about the style.

Why would you want to use a conversational tone, though? Because it will greatly improve readability and help you better form a connection with your readers. Plus, you won't sound like a robot.

Here's how you do it:

1. Use the vocabulary you already have

Put that thesaurus down. The first word you choose to describe something is usually the best, and almost always the most natural.

2. Forget about English class

Back in school, you probably learned that you shouldn't use And or But or So at the beginning of a sentence. And contractions, oh boy -- those were out of the question. Forget all of that; you must unlearn what you have learned, as a green puppet once said. It's perfectly fine to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Just don't get too carried away.

3. Write quickly

I've mentioned this before. Don't edit while you write. Your natural voice will come through if you give it a chance, and that means getting your words onto paper in their most unstable and volatile form. You can revise later. When you're first beginning to write, let the words flow naturally.

4. Revise with rhythm

A conversational tone has rhythm. This is not something you can necessarily read about and suddenly be able to accomplish, but trust the natural rhythm of your sentences. Think about the way you put words together when you speak. Your rough draft probably has all the rhythm it will need, since it's the most natural state of your writing, so don't destroy it by over-editing.

5. Read aloud

The best way to ensure that your writing has a clear and natural conversational tone is to read it out loud. Really, it's that simple.