Writing is a skill that takes time to develop. It’s also one of the most rewarding things you can do. You could be writing for work, for pleasure, or even just for yourself.
Writing whether it’s long-form articles or short stories can be an incredible way to express your thoughts and feelings, share your experiences with others, and even make some extra money on the side.
But if you’re not happy with how your writing is coming out, then let me help! Here are 75 tips & tricks I’ve picked up over my years as a writer:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Consistent practice is key to improving writing skills. |
| 2. Reading widely exposes you to different writing styles. |
| 3. Embrace constructive feedback to refine your work. |
| 4. Develop a writing routine for consistent progress. |
| 5. Experiment with different genres to expand your creativity. |
| 6. Edit and revise your work to enhance its quality. |
| 7. Cultivate strong observation skills for vivid descriptions. |
| 8. Emphasize clarity and simplicity in your writing. |
| 9. Research thoroughly to provide accurate information. |
| 10. Craft engaging narratives to captivate readers. |
| 11. Practice effective time management to balance writing and life. |
| 12. Stay open to learning and evolving as a writer. |
Practice
Practice makes perfect. This is a mantra that you’ve probably heard your whole life, but it’s true. Practice makes you better at things and helps you improve, especially if it’s something that comes naturally to you.
For example, if I’m writing about how to become a better writer (as I am now) when I’m done writing this article, it will be much easier for me to write another one because my fingers will remember how they moved across the keyboard as they did so before.
This doesn’t mean that everything needs to practice good writers know when they’re good enough but in general, practice leads to improvement and growth in every area of life!
“Practice” is not just time spent working on something; it also means doing whatever else works best for your brand of learning style:
Whether that means reading books about writing techniques or taking classes at school/community college/online courses offered through websites like Udemy or Coursera (which offer free access).
The key difference between these two methods is whether or not any kind of formal instruction takes place within each respective academic institution where students learn from actual teachers rather than just other students’ work online.”
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Learn From The Best
You can learn a lot from writers who have come before you. But reading isn’t the only way to do it you can also look at how they write, and see what makes their writing good (or bad).
What makes some writers better than others? They’re able to keep readers engaged by keeping them curious about what happens next, or by making their writing interesting and engaging.
There are lots of different types of writing out there, so just because your favorite book falls into one genre doesn’t mean that’s all there is for you.
A good writer has a solid understanding of many different kinds of stories and styles and should be willing to try new things on the page as well!
Kill Your Adjectives And Adverbs
One of the best ways to get better at writing is to read. But you don’t want just any old books; you want books that inspire writers.
Try reading some nonfiction about writing, or poetry collections by other authors. Even if you aren’t a poetry fan (yet), it’s still good practice for developing your rhythm and meter when writing in prose form.
When it comes to reading fiction, there are plenty of great classics out there you can even find some on audiobook if you’re not into sitting still for long periods!
But once again, I strongly recommend keeping an eye out for authors who write in a style similar to yours: this will help reinforce what works well in your work and help develop your voice as an author as well as an editor (yes, editors do edit their work).
And don’t forget about keeping up with current events; while researching news stories may not be fun beforehand (and let’s face it: sometimes they aren’t even fun afterward), doing so will help ensure that your work remains relevant and timely within its genre(s).
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Be Specific
First and foremost, use specific words. Don’t just say “the woman,” or even “the girl.” Instead, use concrete language for example: “the young woman who was dressed in black” or “the blond-haired woman wearing blue jeans and a red blouse.”
Don’t be afraid to make your writing more specific by adding references to time, place, and setting (if applicable).
Describe what the character is doing right now as well as where they are located at this moment. Let’s look at two examples:
The man walked into the room after his wife had been gone all day while he was working on his college paper. He smiled when he saw her sitting on the couch with her laptop open next to her glass of wine;
She’d been drinking quite a bit lately due to stress from schoolwork but also from worrying about health issues within their family history. He sat down next to her on the couch without saying anything;
Instead, he reached for his glass of white wine before starting up Netflix so they could watch some shows together later tonight after dinner was over…
Avoid Overused Words
You know, those words that have become so commonplace in your field or industry that you don’t realize you’re using them? Like “think outside the box,” “win-win situation” and “leverage.” Those are all overused. You need to avoid using those.
Avoid overused words in your local area as well. This can be tricky because it’s really easy to think of all the stereotypes about a place before actually living there (or visiting) and then just continuing to use them without thinking about whether they fit anymore.
For example, saying “I’m going down South” when referring to Texas is probably not accurate any more people from Texas don’t think of themselves as being from “down” anywhere!
But hometown pride aside, this stereotype seems outdated now so it should be avoided if possible when writing about Texas (or wherever).
Also, avoid overused phrases among your friends and family members (or coworkers!). These might seem like good ideas at first but then later on they sound incredibly unprofessional.
Or cliche which makes readers lose trust in whatever else you’re saying in an article or essay because they’ll wonder why someone would say something.
So silly out loud without realizing how bad it was until after hearing themselves do so…and then realizing how much worse off someone else will look after reading what sounds like nonsense!
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Don’t Be A Slave To The Thesaurus
It’s tempting to use synonyms for words because you want to sound more educated or you think it will make your writing more interesting, but this is never going to happen if you don’t know what word fits best in that sentence or paragraph.
If you can’t tell if “abundance” is better than “plenty,” then go with abundance and be done with it!
Use The Right Word The First Time Around
Don’t take forever finding just the right word; write down whatever comes out of your fingers and come back later to fix things up later on if necessary but don’t spend half an hour searching for a synonym when there’s already one at hand!
You’ll only frustrate yourself (and potentially bore everyone else). As Stephen King has famously said: “There is no edit button on life…or death.”
Beware Of Clichés
Here’s a simple rule of thumb: avoid clichés. These are phrases that have been repeated too often and are overly familiar to readers, typically because they’re lazy and predictable.
Think “last but not least,” “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” or “let me tell you what happened.”
These are all boring, unoriginal phrases that make your writing feel tired and therefore more difficult to read.
They can also be frustrating for readers who’ve heard them so many times before and now expect them when reading new things in the same genre (for example, science fiction).
Writers who use clichés tend to either not care enough about their work or lack creativity altogether or both!
Avoiding cliché usage is easy if you just think about what expressions come naturally as you write; that way you’ll avoid using something so common it seems almost meaningless by default.
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Consider Your Audience
Your readers are the most important element of your writing. You must consider them at all times, especially when you’re drafting or revising your work. Consider the following questions:
Who is my audience? What experience do they have with this subject matter? What are their interests and expectations? Do they like to read long articles that have lots of detail, or would they prefer a short article with bullet points to keep things simple and easy to read?
Are they more likely to go for something funny, serious, or somewhere in between? If you’re writing for an international audience (like many bloggers).
There might be different expectations about what makes good writing versus what makes bad writing depending on cultural differences across countries.
What’s my purpose for creating this piece of content? Is it meant as a quick reference guide for how-to steps on an existing process;
Or is it supposed to provide more thorough information about a particular topic so someone who has never heard about it before can learn more about it now and apply those lessons elsewhere later down the road;
Or does it represent some kind of analysis/opinion piece where I’m trying to persuade people into thinking differently than how they normally would by providing evidence from research studies showing why certain things happen based on anecdotal evidence that I’ve collected myself through interviews with experts working in these industries (or other methods)?
It’s important not only knowing what type of writer we want ourselves perceived as by our readership but also considering whether we’re satisfied enough with these types themselves based on whether they align well enough with our interests too.”
Read
Reading is the most important part of becoming a better writer.
Read a lot! It doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you are reading in your spare time, but it’s important to read a wide variety of books. If all you ever read is fantasy novels and comic books, then that could hinder your ability to write well.
Read books that interest you! If there is no joy in reading something, then why would anyone want to read it? Reading should be enjoyable or else why bother?
You might even find yourself enjoying some genres or types of writing styles more than others because they suit your tastes more.
Whatever kind of stories catch your eye and make an impression on you could help shape what type of style works best for YOU when writing down those ideas in YOUR BOOKS!
Read Some More
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating. Reading a lot of reading is one of the best ways to improve your writing all around. Reading not only gives you a sense of what kinds of words and sentences are used in writing.
But also shows you how others have combined those words and sentences into something that feels natural and easy to read. You can learn from both new books as well as old classics (assuming the book isn’t about outdated technology or some other thing).
Don’t just limit yourself to nonfiction texts try fiction too! Not only will it give you a better understanding of how other writers use language, but it will also help bring out your creative side while honing your skills.
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Write Every Single Day
Write every day. Even if it’s just for a few moments, or even if you don’t have time to write more than a sentence, try to write something each day.
The best way to make sure you get in the habit of writing every day is by setting up an automatic timer on your phone or computer that sends you an alarm at a specific time every morning. This will help ensure that you don’t forget about your daily writing goal!
If this seems overly complicated, there are also apps available that allow you to set up reminders with one click: [1] (see link)
Proofread Your Work
Proofreading your work is a must. Everyone makes mistakes, and the only way to catch all of them is to proofread. To do this, use a spellchecker (but remember it’s not perfect) and read your work backward. You’ll be amazed at how many errors you find this way!
Read aloud; it’s another good way for you to hear the rhythm of your writing as well as catch mistakes. Finally, ask someone else to proofread your work; they might spot things that escaped your attention during proofreading because they’re not familiar with what you’ve written.
Keep A Notebook And Pen By The Bedside Or In The Car
There are a lot of reasons why this is a good idea. First, it’ll give you something to do while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or sitting on the train. Second, there’s nothing like looking back at what you wrote a week ago to help put things in perspective.
Also, if it’s late at night and your brain is fried but still running through one thought after another, keep that pen in hand so that you don’t forget any ideas when they come up.
You can also use this tool as a way of keeping track of what’s going on in your life: write down ideas as they come to you; write down what kind of mood you’re in;
Write down what project management software (if any) appeals most to your needs; write down anything else that comes into mind!
Encourage Your Ideas To Come Forward. Schedule Regular Writing Time
Schedule Regular Writing Time
All writers have to schedule a time to write. Whether it’s 8:00-9:00 am or 11:30-12:30pm the point is that you need to set aside a specific block of time when you can focus on your writing without any other distractions.
This mustn’t be an open invitation for procrastination because if you find yourself getting distracted by work emails or social media notifications, then that’s a problem!
If it helps, set an alert on your phone as an extra reminder so that nothing comes up between now and when it’s over (unless it’s urgent). Write on a schedule.
Writing every day or several days per week will help keep you accountable and ensure consistent output (and quality!).
It may take some effort in the beginning but once each week becomes second nature, then embracing such discipline won’t seem so daunting anymore! Write when inspired.
This goes hand in hand with #1 above because inspiration doesn’t always come at convenient times; sometimes we need some motivation from ourselves before we’re ready for action!
So don’t force yourself into writing if there’s no desire there yet – just wait until later (or even tomorrow) until inspiration strikes again…
Don’t Be Afraid To Reach Out For Help When You’re Stuck
No writer is perfect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and we should be willing to admit that.
If you find yourself stuck on something in your writing, consider reaching out for help from someone who has more experience than you do (or can at least provide a fresh perspective).
You don’t have to be afraid of asking for help it’s okay if not everything comes naturally at first! If someone offers constructive criticism or advice, listen carefully and try not to dismiss their ideas out of hand.
The more willing you are to accept input from others, the more likely it is that your writing will improve over time.
Share Your Writing With Others
It’s one of the most difficult parts of being a writer, but it’s also an important one. If you find yourself struggling with this, try these tips:
Ask for feedback from people you trust. This can be in the form of friends and family members who have read your work or even just strangers on the internet.
Your goal should be to get feedback from someone honest and willing to give constructive criticism about what needs improvement in your writing so that you can grow as a writer and become better at telling stories!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help with editing or proofreading since everyone makes mistakes sometimes–that’s why we have editors!
And don’t worry about asking advice from others because everyone has something valuable to offer when it comes time for editing or proofreading before publication (as long as they’re not BSing their way through it).
Immerse Yourself In Your Story
Read the story aloud to yourself. If you don’t know how to read aloud, try it out while you’re alone in your room and no one can hear or judge you.
This will help get a feel for how the words sound when spoken out loud, which is important because we tend to write differently than we speak.
And sometimes even unconsciously change our language patterns from written speech to spoken conversation without realizing it (especially when we’re stressed).
You might also find that reading aloud helps put you into the mindset of your characters; after all, if they say something out loud, they’ll usually have thought about it before saying it!
Imagine how it would make them feel: One way I like to do this is by thinking about what emotions would be appropriate for each scene before writing anything down. For example: “If I were in this situation myself,” or “What would my reaction be if someone said/did X?”
Use Pictures V. Text
When it comes to writing, pictures are a powerful tool. There’s no denying that a picture can help you make your point and illustrate a story. But did you know they can also be used as an alternative to text?
When you’re trying to write something but don’t know how simply use a picture instead of typing out what you want to say! That way readers will understand what the heck is going on in your article without having to decipher it themselves!
It’s easy: just start with an image (this one), then add some text around it like this one here, and boom! Your reader will get all the information she needs without having too much work at all.
Write Clearly And Concisely
Being clear and concise is extremely important in writing. The fewer words you use, the more powerful your message will be and it will make an impression on the reader.
To do this, avoid unnecessary words! For example: “He went home.”
Instead of saying “He went home,” try saying: “He went home.” Do you see how much shorter that is? You can shorten it even further by just using a verb like “went” instead of adding in an adverb as well (“went quickly,” etc.).
Think about what types of language are needed to effectively communicate what you’re trying to say, then leave out anything else that isn’t necessary!
Conclusion
The key to becoming a better writer is to keep your mind open, be critical of yourself and other writers, and be willing to learn from everyone.
Take what you’ve learned here and use it in your writing process. If nothing else, knowing these secrets will help you improve your writing skills!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you on your journey to becoming a better writer:
Grammar School: 10 Writing Tips to Make Your Readers Love Your Blog Short Description: Learn essential writing tips that will captivate your readers and make your blog content stand out.
How to Become a Better Writer: 21 Tips from the Pros Short Description: Discover expert advice from seasoned writers to improve your writing skills and create compelling content.
Mastering the Art of Writing: 6 Tips to Becoming a Better Writer Short Description: Explore six valuable tips that can elevate your writing abilities and help you create impactful stories.
FAQs
How can I enhance my creative writing skills?
Improving your creative writing skills involves consistent practice, experimentation, and learning from experienced authors. Try incorporating various writing techniques and exploring different genres to expand your capabilities.
What are some effective strategies to become a better writer?
Developing your writing skills requires setting aside dedicated time for writing, seeking feedback from peers or mentors, reading extensively, and continuously honing your craft through consistent practice.
How can I engage readers with my blog content?
To captivate your readers, focus on creating compelling narratives, using vivid descriptions, and addressing topics that resonate with your audience’s interests and needs.
What role does grammar play in writing?
Grammar plays a crucial role in conveying your ideas clearly and effectively. Proper grammar ensures that your writing is easy to understand and maintains your credibility as a writer.
How can I overcome writer’s block?
Writer’s block can be tackled by trying out different writing exercises, changing your writing environment, taking breaks, and practicing freewriting to spark your creativity and inspiration.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.