5 Reasons why Jack Reacher will make you a better writer

Lee Child, aka Brit and Aston Villa fan Jim Grant, has written 25 Jack Reacher books. His writing has made him one of the most successful writers in the world, with a current net worth of $50 million. 

He knows how to write.   

Most estate agents do not.  

That’s ok, because we’re not really required to write, right?  

Wrong…  

Because good writing is at the heart of everything we need to do as estate agents, as marketers and as business owners.  

Good writing persuades effectively. Property descriptions, job adverts, client responses, tricky emails, sales letters – they all need skillful writing. If you’re not a great writer, you need to work on it. You need to be a better writer.  

And to be a better writer, I’m going to tell you what I tell our AJ Mastermind members: 

“Read some Jack Reacher.”  

Of all the ways you can become a better writer, reading some pacey action books is at least fun. And it works.  

Here are 5 reasons why Jack Reacher will make you a better writer 

1. His openings are compelling  

“The cop climbed out of his car exactly four minutes before he got shot.” (Persuader) 

A compelling opening ensures your writing gets the attention it deserves, and doesn’t get overlooked or ignored.   

Try: make sure your openings are attention-grabbing 

2. His sentences are short and snappy 

“He was calm. I said nothing. He remained calm.” (Killing Floor) 

Sentences that are punchy are easier to read. If your reader doesn’t have to expend effort, it’s more likely they’ll actually read what you’ve written.  

Try: Splitting up long sentences by removing conjunctions (and, so, because) and making one point per sentence.  

3. He writes with a rhythm  

“He left home early, as he always did, six days a week, fifty weeks a year.” (Die Trying) 

Prose that has a cadence to it is more enjoyable to read, as our brains are wired to seek patterns in what we’re reading.  

Try: read your sentences out loud and hone them until they have a cadence you can hear. 

4. He uses specific details 

“The car was a seven-year-old Chevy Caprice.” (Persuader)  

Generic writing is sloppy, uninteresting and lacks credibility. Want someone’s attention? Tell them specific details.  

Try: Don’t say 90%; be exact. 89.77% is more believable.  

5. He includes unusual ideas  

“The clock in Reacher’s head showed four minutes since he had walked away from the Suburban.” (The Sentinel)  

I had to read this sentence twice. And when I did, it intrigued me. If you want to evoke your readers’ curiosity, find unusual ways to say ordinary things. 

Try: don’t just insert longer words into your writing, it’s your ideas that need to be unusual, not your language. Read back your writing and ask yourself if it passes the ‘so what?’ test. If not, work on it until it does.   

 

If you’re feeling frustrated by your writing, and you want some pro help, ask me how our AJ Mastermind can save you wasted hours, days, weeks and more, writing stuff that no one will read. Much less act upon.

And if you want to know how effective our sales letters and content can be for our own agency and our AJ Mastermind members, swing by our free AJ Mastermind group and check out our results.  

Here’s a taster:  

 And here are three ways we can help you to get real results from our persuasive writing:  

1. Send me your latest letter for his frank Northern feedback 

2. Call Emma to check if your area is available on 015394 40892  

3. Message me on Facebook and ask me your toughest copywriting question 

Sam  

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