There are many different ways in which you can improve your writing skills; some will benefit you more than others but that is really all down to personal preference. Sometimes writers don’t look at the bigger picture and focus purely on one point such as spelling or grammar instead of focusing on all the aspects that they can improve upon. In this article I aim to show you some of the best methods which will help you improve your writing on numerous levels rather than just one subject area.
- Write – The key to improving your writing is to write. It sounds simple but it can be a lot harder in practice. Many writers will suffer from writer’s block; however this shouldn’t stop you from writing. In order to improve you must write when you want to as well as when you don’t. The more you write the more experience you will gain and you’ll be able to find your own style as well as which subjects you really enjoy writing about. It is also important to go back and reread over work which you have written a while ago. Can you see that your work has improved since you wrote an older piece?
- Read – Another great method is to read. Many aspiring writers stop reading or read a lot less when they start to write their own pieces. This may be because they have less time on their hands but either way you must realise that reading is an important step to improving your own work. Reading lets you see what other writers do, what techniques they use and also helps improve your vocabulary. After reading many different articles or books your brain will automatically try and repeat some of the techniques which have been used in your own writing. Reading will also allow you to explore new concepts and open your mind, thus allowing you to be more creative within your own writing.
- Vocabulary – Extending your vocabulary is vital because with words you choose how the reader should feel and what they should see in their minds when reading your piece. In order to involve your reader in your work you must vary your vocabulary. There are many words with could be used to describe a character or a location; however the ones you choose will dramatically change the readers perception of that person or place. By changing a few words you can change the whole atmosphere and this is why it is so important to build up a strong vocabulary. A good way to learn new words is to open a dictionary at a random place and choose a random word on the page. Once you have chosen a word you should then write for five or ten minutes about that word; this should include the words definition and a little story revolving around the word itself. There is also software such as Vocaboly which will test your knowledge and score you. Vocaboly is also useful because it shows you the meanings of words and allows you to build your own vocabulary on your computer. The program will also help you learn the spelling of words if you are having trouble.
- Critique – If you are unsure about something you have written or are not sure about a piece of work then you could join a Writer’s Group or forum to help get feedback and critiques. There are many groups online which will give you feedback on your work and help you improve. Critiques are also useful to receive if you are going to publish an article because you can get the feedback you need which will allow you to edit your article before you hand it over to a publisher. There are also programs such as AutoCrit which will check your work for spelling mistakes, repeated phrases or words and clichés. The program isn’t free but if you don’t have a critique partner then this is definitely worth investing in.
- Plan – Know where you want your writing to go. Have a plan. Whilst many writers’ can write an article off the top of their heads it is always best to know what direction you want your writing to go. Having a plan allows you to plan out the structure of your work, as well as to pace your piece properly and effectively. A piece of writing should be consistently strong; starting with a strong opening paragraph to hook the readers in and then enough information paced out to keep them interested. The end should never feel rushed or unplanned. Your writing should flow smoothly and be easy to follow.
- Effective Editing – When writing it can be all too easy to keep editing the same paragraph until it is ‘perfect’ rather than continuing your writing. Whilst editing is important, it is something which should be done near the end of the article. This way you can get the overall feel of the article and edit the parts which you still think should be changed. A sentence may look out of place as you are writing, but it may fit perfectly in the finished article, so don’t rush to edit your work! This is also why writers’ normally use drafts to edit their work and see which areas could be improved, and then they compare the edited draft to their first draft to see which they prefer. It is also important to read out loud as you are editing, this way you can really hear how each sentence sounds and work out if the pacing of your writing is how you had intended.
- Word Count – Writing to a publisher or website which has specific word limits may make you more prone to ‘fluffing’ your article with words that aren’t really needed. Don’t add words just to make up the number, look for words which will add something to your writing. If you are stuck trying to reach a certain word count why not try describing objects, places and people in more detail?
- Proofread – Many writers’ forget to proofread due to word processing programs. Writers’ are generally confident that if they made a mistake the software that they are using would highlight it or change it for them, however this isn’t always the case. Word processing programs are not perfect and will certainly not find every little mistake that you make. Programs are also incapable of telling you if a line should be rewritten or changed. You may reread your writing and realise that you could have made more of an impact by structuring your sentence differently or changing the choice of vocabulary. Writers’ have used drafts for many, many years, so don’t expect your writing to be perfect on your first try.
- Writing Course – If you are still struggling to see an improvement in your writing then you may wish to attend a short writing course. There may be writing courses offered in your local area but if not then you can find plenty of them online. You can even gain a qualification in creative writing or journalism if that is the road that you wish to go down. Many online courses are free, however for more in depth courses there may be a small fee.
Each day you write you are improving, whether you notice it or not. By reading you are picking up new words to use in your own work as well as analysing the techniques of other writers’ subconsciously. There are no set boundaries for writers’; there is no perfect way to write. Each writer has their own style, so don’t try to write like someone else, just be yourself and enjoy what you do!
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