Use Hemingway

A quick guide on using Hemingway to write effective content pieces for the Wednesday website.

As developers, we know how difficult it is to write well. Luckily, there’s a great tool called the Hemingway Editor that helps make your writing bold and clear.

The easiest way to start is to load up Hemingway Editor and do the little tutorial right on the home page.

1. Copy and Paste: Copy and paste your text/copy into Hemingway Editor so it can serve as your first-pass editor.

2. Eliminate GREEN Warnings: Hemingway Editor highlights all sentences with a passive voice (GREEN). Make sure you eliminate all passive voice warnings you find in your instruction text.

3. Review RED and YELLOW Warnings: Don’t be alarmed by RED (very hard to read) and YELLOW (hard to read) warnings. You don’t need to change all these sentences, but do keep them spaced apart. Avoid following a complicated sentence with another because this may tire your reader. Also, try not to lead with very long sentences. Ease the reader in with a simple one, then finish them off with an awesome full description.

4. Review VIOLET/PINK and BLUE Warnings: Take VIOLET/PINK (words with simpler alternatives) and BLUE (adverbs) warnings under advisement. Hemingway Editor will suggest simpler words, but they may not always fit your paragraph’s style. Some adverbs may also be necessary to keep your copy interesting.

5. Review Readability Grade: Watch your Readability grade. Too high is bad for non-native English-speaking readers. Too low is also bad unless you’re talking to kids.

Note there’s a handy Hemingway desktop app you can use as well!