These 6 quick benefits of subheads will surprise you

Maybe you would have come across a great advice and had even felt its fascinating merits tapping the core of your heart.

But, lack of implementation or mental laziness – or whatever you call it – had kept you from plucking its fruitage.

The same happened with me when long time back I heard the super successful blogger Jon Morrow advising his readers to give subheads to their pieces.

To my joy, recently I was shaken by the idea of doing whatever is presently in our hands to scale up our progress, so I started to take this top tip in earnest.

Here’re 6 benefits that come when we begin to use subheads in our works:

1. They give clarity to the reader

William Zinsser said that the reader’s subconscious need is for order and to feel that everything is fine at the helm.

If this need of his remains unfulfilled, he feels deprived of the clarity that he searches for. He feels put off and looks at the nearest opportunity to click away from the piece.

With proper subheads, points seem to be neatly anchored in the core topic, and thus the reader’s subconscious desire of clarity is quenched.

2. They give clarity to the writer

Oftentimes it happens that when we write, we think about the entire topic, and all the points that we intend to incorporate in it. This rush of points makes it difficult for us to distinguish one point from the other, and consequently our writing straggles off in different directions.

But when we get specific about a particular point, we quickly cull out the points not in conformity with the point we’re shedding our focus on. It gives clarity to the writer, and stability to the overall structure of the piece.

3. They prevent points-overlapping

In complementary to the above point: Because all the points that we have in our mind pre-writing are relevant to the main topic, we tend to touch, and sometimes even elaborate, other points, and this causes overlapping of points. This overlapping occurs because when we write, we feel an urge to take out whatever we have in our minds on paper as fast as possible.

Due mainly to this reason writing becomes a struggle. Failing to curb this urge makes our piece look repetitive and even confusing.

But when we see a point as a signpost to take a specific route, we don’t go back and forth, left and right, and road ahead firmly. We’re prevented from taking detours, and cover our course without any confusion or friction.

4. They organise the piece

Obviously, when we subhead our piece pre-writing, we feel more in control of the piece. We’re sure about what points are to be discussed and when, and this organises our piece.

It’s said that we should control our material instead of it controlling us. With getting organised, we feel an element of clarity and organisation while sailing our writing ship ahead in the sea.

5. They speed up writing

A person who sees the way to his destination pre-embarking on a journey arrives at his destination faster than the one who chooses to make inquiries on the go.

The reason is simple. When you see the landmarks you have to cross, you drive without taking wrong turns.

Just as landmarks are for a journey, subheads are for a piece. You shed light on one subhead, covering and wrapping it up before gliding on the next, and this helps you avoid coming back to correct what’s already written down. You therefore move ahead smoothly, and wind up your work faster.

6. They prevent the writer from feeling overwhelmed

Breaking down a big project in small manageable chunks prevents us from feeling overwhelmed. Giving proper subheads does the same thing.

Crossing off the material falling under a specific subhead offers us a sense of relief and contentment. Yes, it’s like resting for a few moments under the shade of a tree and quenching our thirst from some cold water before we restart our arduous march for the final destination.

So well, these were a few benefits of subheads.

Plenty of great ideas are around…it’s our mental laziness that delays our success. I’m inspired by the idea of doing what presently is in my hands so I can pluck its sweet fruits in future.