How can you tell if a sentence is persuasive? Sure, you can know if a text is persuasive. But how can you tell if one sentence in particular helps the text being persuasive? The answer lies in the certainty of the language. Some words and phrases such as "I think" and "I believe" insert doubt in your writing. Unless you actually doubt what you are writing, in which case you perhaps should not be writing it, do not use doubtful language. The more doubt you insert into your writing, the less persuasive you are.

This episode is the first in a series of podcasts on the topic of persuasion. I would like to thank you Carlo Cabrera for asking me questions about writing and persuasion.

Visit www.triviumwriting.com to learn more about writing, read our blog, and grab our resources. Get your copy of Write a Book That Matters today.