Six ways to write with authority

It is often said that the pen is mightier than the sword. But creating the necessary impact with your writing can be difficult, especially if you are writing to a strict word count, or discussing a subject in an already crowded field.  For your writing to transform into a successful weapon and have that impact, it’s important to write with a sense of authority.

Here are six ways to help you towards establishing that authority in your writing:

Be clear
People who write with authority do not waffle. Instead, they make bold, clear statements. Statements that matter, and are important to their audience.

Be credible
Bold claims on their own are often not enough. In fact, if you make unsubstantiated claims, you run the risk of writing with a great deal of style – if you’re lucky – but offering no real substance. To write with authority, your bold claims should ideally be supported by a healthy dose of evidence.

Assume personal gravitas
A lot of excellent writing is credible, but very often persuading people means making them trust you and your personal opinion. In other words, you need to assume the mantle of ‘expert’ and write with an air of gravitas.

Use personal anecdotes
If they are appropriate for whatever you happen to be writing, these add credibility to your claims.

Insert opinionated phrases
Once you’ve established your credibility within the piece, go back and insert a couple of phrases – no more – such as ‘in my opinion’, or ‘in my view’, into your copy.

Keep the ‘gravitas’ to a reasonable level
Yes, gravitas is important but equally you should make sure that you don’t overdo it! Gravitas, after all, is a garnish for your writing – not the content itself.