14 Ways To Make Your Writing Memorable

What makes writing memorable? Let’s work backward.

We live in a world with an abundance of words, and, incredibly, one doesn’t have to use ALL of them. Moreover, the use of fancy and clever words to hide simplicity can become just another piece of writing that fades away from memory as soon as we read it.

Ward Farnsworth, a scholar and teacher of law, states that clarity and rhetoric reign supreme over ornamental words. He uses historical speeches and prose (including Bible references) to emphasize the contrasting nature of words for effective writing.

This list of core principles is not a list of tricks to writing, but a habit that Ward Farnsworth wants you to abide by.

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14 Core Principles of Ward Farnsworth You Should Know

1. Using Simplicity of Language

Farnsworth gives an example from the Bible, Gen. 1:3 — “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

In this Bible reference, fewer and simpler words create a profound effect. Oftentimes, people prefer Latinized words because they think it makes them smarter when reading. On the contrary, using simple words and better drafting conveys that the writer knows what he is talking about rather than coming across as vague on the matter.

2. Importance of the Beginning and the End of the Sentence

From Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall…” you don’t take away the beaches or grounds for the most part, the repetition of “We shall” at the beginning of every line captures your attention.

“We shall fight” rings in the ear with its musicality and rhythm. The illusion of rising pitch titillates our gut. The same goes for epistrophe, which is repeating the words at the end of a sentence.

3. Writing Passive Sentences, but with a Pretty Good Reason

Writers know it — writing passive sentences is a big No-No. However, rules are meant to be broken, provided there is a good reason for it.

Many historical references, such as “All men are created equal,” feel eloquent and conclude strongly with “created equal” at the end.

Take another example of Churchill’s “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” The passive voice, coupled with the contrasting words at the end, makes it look irresistible.

4. The Fewer the Words, the More the Clarity

This boils down to the absolute necessity of words to convey the thought. Only write what is of utmost importance, as jotting down extra words weakens the message.

The more words you use, the more unclear your writing becomes — this hints at the unclear thought process of a writer. Writing what matters makes a writer sound confident, precise, and meaningful.

5. Ideas Are Important, Not Style

We forget about the intention of writing when we start decorating the page with words.

What happens is that writers use complex, vague, and metaphorical language too much, and the meaning gets lost in translation.

After all, a reader will be lured just so far as they want to add new ideas to their existing knowledge. If you fail to give them something substantial other than fancy words, the reader will lose interest.

6. Ending with Simple Saxon words

Closing a paragraph with a simple Saxon word that wasn’t very simple in the beginning gives the reader a satisfying resolution. It creates a more forceful and memorable prose.

The contrast of sound and style makes everything look well put together. It leaves a strong impression as the words stand out better with contrasting tones.

7. State It Twice in Two Languages

Using two styles of language — one simple and the other complex — creates subtle shifts in tone and language. These shifts are more appealing than using simpler words altogether. One group can consist of bigger and more complex words, and the other a metaphor or more picturesque (short and decisive). In short, contrast is the key to becoming memorable and getting to the heart of a person.

Source: Bernard Hermant

8. Use the Rule of Three

In the famous words of Abraham Lincoln, “Government of the People, by the People, and for the people…” notice that “People” appears three times, setting almost a musical rhythm and creating a sense of intrigue for the resolution.

Repetition itself is a great way to grab attention; doing it thrice makes the listener/reader automatically wait for what’s coming next.

9. Mix Anaphora with Epistrophe

“Repeat in the beginning” and “repeat at the end” are classic devices that Winston Churchill used together to create a good ol’ contrast.

In Churchill’s “giving all, daring all, enduring all to the utmost, to the end,” he shifts from repeating “all” at the end to repeating “to” in the beginning. It breaks the monotonous tone in writing by only one repetition and keeps it from becoming boring.

10. Relentless Epistrophes Combined with Structure Variations

Let’s take an example of Lloyd Bentsen's famous insult, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy; I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine; Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.”

After a couple of epistrophes, the structure provides relief, but attacks again with another epistrophe. The variations of repetition and the pattern create a satisfactory and memorable response. There’s a reason why, even today, everyone remembers this line.

11. Endings Should Be Strong

Endings are what matter, and they should be decisive and strong. Avoid clutter and weak words to end a sentence or a paragraph.

Pick a single-syllable word that evokes an emotional response in the readers. Over-complicated words or a combination of words meaning the same do not create memorable endings.

12. Reversal Rhetoric Devices

It’s a classic A-B to B-A structure used to shift a reader’s focus to the other end of the stick.

When Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” people’s way of thinking was flipped over. This device challenges people’s beliefs and encourages them to search in the other direction.

13. Let the Words Flow

Construct sentences such that they flow from the smaller words to the bigger, more complex words, and end with the smaller ones.

Experiment with the structures and correct them if the flow becomes turbulent. At the heart of it is relentless rewriting and structuring to make the writing sound good.

14. Be Specific

Beating around the bush doesn’t do any good to readers or writers. All it does is create ambiguity, and unclear ideas do not stand the test of time. Specific details help readers visualize the thought. Those ideas, which paint a picture in the readers’ minds, are remembered for a long time.

Final Thoughts

Ward Farnsworth’s writing advice is not flashy, as memorable writing doesn’t need stylish and exaggerated words. His core principles regarding structures, simple words, anaphora, and epistrophe techniques are enough to make you a better writer.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.