How To Become a Better Writer – Get It Done With These Tips
If you’re looking for ways to improve your writing, you’re doing it right now. Reading is one of the most effective ways o improve your skills. Aside from that, you’ll need to follow so many other methods, so you can start your journey to becoming a better writer.
Note that all these steps will require discipline and perseverance. Stick with the process long enough, and you’ll be handling paragraphs and sentences like a pro soon enough. That’s great because writing skills are becoming more important nowadays.
As with any guide on how to become a better writer, we will go through ten tips on how to do it. However, this article will do something different by elaborating on why you need to improve your writing skills. What’s more, we will see how you can use them even if you’re not a writer.
Here are the top tips for becoming a better writer:
- Begin writing!
- Brush up on the basics.
- Have a plan before writing.
- Jot down new ideas.
- Have a writing routine.
- Check your own writing.
- Avoid cliches as much as possible.
- Try a new way of writing.
- Read from other writers.
- Accept comments about your work.
#1. Just start writing!
This might not be the first article you’ve read about how to become a better writer. You probably went through several options provided by search engines like Google.
You may have spent hours taking in all the tips and watched a few online videos about this topic. Sadly, people often forget to apply what they’ve learned.
This isn’t a problem if you’re still in school or you write for a living. The rest may treat such tips as another diversion before they do other stuff.
Yet, the best way to become a writer is to simply write. Don’t think too hard about where you’ll use your skills. Avoid trying to find a certain activity for your newfound writing skills.
Just get a pencil and a piece of paper since you can’t erase pen marks easily. After that, just write the first things that come into your head.
It could be the recent news you’ve heard or something you discovered while chatting with friends. Perhaps you’d like to jot down your current concerns.
Try to follow a sentence structure on that blank page. It doesn’t have to be formal, but you should organize your writing. Otherwise, you might not understand what you’ve written.
If you prefer typing, that’s fine too. You could do this on a mobile device, a laptop, or a PC. Freewriting is an important step because of these reasons:
- You apply what you’ve learned as soon as you can.
- This will help you follow the succeeding steps, such as critiquing and revising your work.
Do this for about 5-10 minutes. You’ll find other articles that recommend about an hour, but a shorter period will help you build a daily writing habit. Later, we’ll talk about this crucial step.
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#2. Brush up on the basics.
After putting down a few words on a sheet of paper or a text document, read your work. Often, people find that they’ve made several grammatical errors.
If you want to become a good writer, you’ll have to refine your grammar. It’s not enough that your English skills let you talk to other people.
Remember that writing is a form of communication. You send messages while following certain rules so that you and another party can understand each other.
Fortunately, this is when the internet shows its bright side. You can find so many articles that teach English grammar for free. They even provide learning materials like exams and modules at no extra cost.
Here are some of the common mistakes that writers make:
- Using the passive voice, where your subject seems like it’s being acted upon instead of performing an action itself.
- Mistakes with using contractions (i.e. “your” vs. “you’re”)
- Misspelling words with similar pronunciations (i.e. “to” vs. “too”)
- Subject-verb agreement, where you use the form of the subject that corresponds to the tense of the verb that modifies it.
- Placing commas in the wrong place or not at all.
We won’t have time to discuss the other tips if we go through all of the examples. Just remember that you can learn these using free online resources.
#3. Have a plan before writing.
Try reading only the headings of this article. You’ll notice that it prioritizes the list of tips for good writing. Then, it will discuss the applications of these skills.
This article follows that outline because it follows the main goal of helping readers become great writers. In other words, this follows a certain plan to achieve this goal.
That’s the same thing you should do if you also want to become a better writer. Take note of why you’re writing, then plan how you’ll do it. Since you’re already on this blog post, we might as well use it as an example.
Create a writing plan with the following steps:
- Determine what you’ll be writing. Is it a book report or a job application? This will guide your writing later.
- Then, look for templates or tips on the internet. You’re not supposed to follow them word-per-word, but those can provide structure to your writing. For example, you’ll learn what to put on your job letter’s introduction, body, and conclusion.
- Write down that general structure, and then place a brief description of each part.
After that, you will have the “skeleton” of your writing project. This will guide you through composing your first draft, so you can focus on your objective.
#4. Jot down new ideas.
You can find inspiration easily, but you may forget to catch it. For example, a new idea may spark in your head after reading short stories.
As you snap the page shut, you may find that it wiped away the idea. That could have been your next new article, and now it’s gone. If not, you may have missed out on a new way to improve your skills.
That’s why you need should be prepared to jot down such ideas whenever they arise. If you can take out a pen and a piece of paper, try doing so.
Otherwise, try to keep it in your mind until you find some. You may also download a note-taking app for your smartphone, so you’ll have a more convenient way to jot down ideas.
Try to apply those ideas the next time you write something. They might help you with writer’s block should it happen. If the ideas don’t apply to your current task, it might offer some insight.
#5. Have a writing routine.
A good writer may have talent, but a professional writer has dedication. If you truly want to improve your writing, you will have to practice.
You can only hone your skills if you keep on using and refining them. This requires a repeated effort that comes from following a certain routine.
Allot a specific period every day for practice. Find times in your day when you’re not busy, then use that to write stuff. Try doing this at least an hour a day.
That’s the most realistic amount of time as most people do a lot of things. Some people need a lot of time to study, or you may have a job or two.
If you can’t afford an hour, then put as much time as you can. Half an hour or less every day may not seem useful, but it’s better than nothing. This can give you progress no matter how small.
#6. Check your own writing.
As you practice, you’ll notice that you have your own style. You’ll see that you tend to follow a certain pattern and stick to a certain set of words.
This is when you need to become a critic of your work. Improvement comes when you realize your flaws and hone them. Unfortunately, you will have to take a deep breath and identify your issues.
Start with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. These can be the most uncomfortable to check, but you should make them your priority.
You can make this easier by copying and pasting it into Microsoft Word or a similar program. Nowadays, text creator apps have built-in grammar checkers and many of them are free.
Next, you should get into your style of writing. Watch out for unnecessary words or filler words. Most guides on how to become a better writer say that concise language is important.
However, you have to balance that with creativity. As a writer, your goal isn’t just to make the reader understand your message. You must also capture their attention.
You need the right word choice and combinations to keep your audience engaged. You can’t do that if you trim your work to the bone until only the core message remains.
Great writing comes from using the right words but keeping them at the minimum to convey your message. This is why you need a writing routine.
#7. Avoid cliches as much as possible.
If this article is truly cheesy, it would have opened with a quote. For example, the first sentence could have been, “People say that the pen is mightier than the sword, so this proves that you need writing skills.”
Many writers start with cliches like this, and they need to stop. You can still use them sparingly, just like what this article did with the example above.
It just serves as an example for this section. Great writing requires creativity, and using cliches shows that your own work lacks this characteristic.
As a result, you’re likely to bore your readers. This is why you must always practice writing. That will allow you to form a style that’s truly yours, so you won’t have to rely on cliches.
You should still be aware of them, though. You can search for a list of writing cliches on the internet, so you’ll know if you used one by mistake.
#8. Try a new writing style.
You’ll notice that you write in a certain way as time passes. That can serve as your signature way of writing, but you shouldn’t be stuck with it.
You may notice that it doesn’t fit certain projects as time passes. For example, your unique style may work with a short story, but it may not suit a formal document.
That’s why you should find new ways to adjust or improve your style. Feel free to change its aspects such as the word selection. It’s fine if your first drafts turn out awkward.
The point is to find a better version than before, not the perfect one. With enough trial and error, you can find new ways to adjust or improve your style.
#9. Read from other writers.
You should lose sight of the pursuit of excellence, but you must find inspiration from other writers. Thanks to the internet, you can read many of their works for free.
Those will expose you to different styles of writing. You may see that they appeal differently to their intended audience. Also, you may pick up new words for your vocabulary.
Perhaps you’ll notice that they’re doing certain things better than you. These observations show avenues for improvement that can lead you to become a better writer.
#10. Accept comments about your work.
As mentioned, you can’t improve unless you hone the flaws of your writing. You will have to accept that your current skills always have room for improvement.
If that’s the case, then prepare to take in constructive criticism. As you continue writing, you’re bound to meet people who comment on your work.
Perhaps they want you to use simple words. If not, they may remind you to be grammatically correct or to revise entire paragraphs. Maybe you need to write in a way that helps people relate to your work more closely.
If you don’t post your work online, then you’ll have to reach out for comments. Show it to your friends because they’re less likely to sugarcoat their criticism.
It’s uncomfortable to hear such things, but that’s the way to improvement. Instead of taking them personally, try to apply those comments to your work.
However, you’ll have to be selective about the comments you’ll apply. Let’s say you showed a research paper to someone, and they asked that you use simpler words.
You could reduce the jargon if it turns out to be excessive. You can’t remove them all though, or you might remove terms that are important for your topic.
Compile these comments on a “status report.” Critique those suggestions and see if they apply to your work. Cross out the useless ones or find another way to use them.
Would I need writing skills in everyday life?
Many people overlook the significance of these skills. Unless you write for a living, you may not see the point of improving them. That is until you recall how often you write things every day!
For example, you write when you chat with people via Messenger and similar apps. You may not write with proper grammar and punctuation since it’s common to use certain acronyms and emojis.
That’s fine, but you’ll need a certain level of writing skill to properly communicate. Otherwise, people may get confused about your messages.
You need them in school.
This is a typically overlooked application of writing skills, so let’s cover some more apparent ones. If you’re still a student, then writing skills are a must.
You’ll need it in all your subjects as they will have some form of writing activity. For example, you may have to write an essay for a history class or a research paper for a chemistry course.
Writing skills can help you land a job.
Your need for writing skills doesn’t end once you graduate. You’ll need them when you start looking for work. Nowadays, you can easily apply for numerous jobs on the internet.
Just click a few buttons and you’re set. However, job search platforms often require users to have resumes and cover letters. Again, this is when writing skills come in handy.
Those documents should highlight your qualifications for a certain role. This requires concise writing as you’ll have to use shorter sentences and fewer words.
Employers don’t have time to read too much text, so you’ll have to express yourself effectively in a few sentences. As a result, you’ll have a better chance of landing a job.
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You need them for certain jobs.
Writing skills can help you communicate effectively at work, regardless of your role. Once you land your first job, you’ll have to know how to send the right messages to your boss and clients.
As you move up the ranks, your skills should improve as well. You’ll have trouble leading people if you can’t get your point across. These instances prove that writing skills are important no matter your job position.
Final thoughts
These are enough to improve your writing skills, but there are other methods we didn’t cover. For example, you might want to attend a writing workshop.
This is great if you prefer learning with another person. Your neighborhood might be hosting one for free, or you may pay for them on the internet.
As mentioned, you should read from other writers to hone your craft. Fortunately, the Inquirer USA provides more articles that can show skills from different writers.
Contact Anthony @ Inquirer.net if you’d like to become one of our contributors!
