3 Ways to Improve your Writing Skills from Day One
Ever wondered how ‘writers’ simply come up with amazing words, right phrases, exact engaging tone so consistently and easily?
Whether you are a columnist, blogger, author or a blog writer, the ever important question – ‘How Can I Write Better’ or ‘how to improve my writing skills’ must have struck your mind a couple of times. If you want to become a strong writer and make more impact with your words for your readers, this article is for you.
So, how does one really write better? Is there a formulated guide to improve your writing skills or secret rules that separate good writers from bad ones?
The answer is - Yes.
Apart from clichéd and over suggested tips like reading more and avoiding grammatical errors, there are indeed, three simple tricks that will change the way you write for the better.
Whether you want to write simple or complex, fact or fiction, good copy or bad (okay, jokes aside), by practicing five simple and natural acts everyday will significantly improve your writing skills and make you feel more confident and clear about your personal interest or professional pursuit of writing.
Here you go with exercises to improve writing skills -
1. Cut Back on Non Sense
If there is one thing every reader in the world would agree, is the fact that less is more. As a writer, you must avoid overly-extended or lengthy sentences and phrases immediately. Take cues from great writers like Ernest Hemingway and Shel Silverstein who are the masters of conveying the true meaning in the most minimum and compact words. Start by removing strings of words, too many adjectives and repeated words from your writing. Segment your words in smaller chunks which are easy to read and comprehend.
Remember – The average reader has an attention span less than that of a goldfish!
2. Planning Before Paper
Creativity takes no planning. Wrong. As much as you would like to believe in the notion, the fact remains that writing, just like any other art, needs clarity to bring its real beauty. The art is to hold the attention of the reader and it can only be achieved once you are absolutely sure of every single word you put on the paper. Before the real act of writing or typing begins, think of the message you want to put across – are you telling a story or stating an observation? Is it a blog post or a weekly column? Understand your audience and plan your writing accordingly. This tip is essential for copywriter, bloggers and column writers.
3. Reading before Writing
Sounds weird, right? The trick is to re-read your written draft to make it more concise, consistent and clear. Figure out and understand as a reader who will read it for the first time. Ask questions like – ‘Are my words conveying the exact feeling I had in my mind?’ ‘Is there anything which I can eliminate to improve the first draft?’ Until you are writing a long self-help guide or resource book, there is certainly scope for improving your first written draft before letting it out to your readers. Plus, proofreading never hurt a writer!
The Takeaway–
Start by incorporating these tips in your daily writing schedule and you will start feeling fresh and clear with your ideas, verbiage, tone and ultimately, words.
Don’t go big on complex or cliched words and try to keep the language as friendly and easy to understand as possible. This is important as your readers will only be able to connect with your words when they can understand the emotions, depth and feelings associated with them.
Make your writing stand out from the crowd!
Image Sources -
1. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/
