You cannot be sure that your career path is not devoted to writing unless you try to delve into the perks of pencraft. Of course, there can be an innate inclination to writing mastery – something that magically happens at the genetic level.
Yet, even if your father was Ray Bradbury or your mother was Margaret Atwood, you would not be a born writer, but still you have high chances to become one.
The potential of becoming a writer increases in two cases: if you are a booklover and if you tend to experiment with words almost unconsciously.
Do you like pun, metaphors, and irony, and you frequently use figurative language in your daily communication? It means you either intentionally want to be an author, or you have a special gift, which hints at your possible career.
Besides, if you have a lively imagination and it’s easy for you to make up a story, a writer in you is dying to reveal his or her face.
If you find all the mentioned things boring, then it is likely you would not stand writing day by day, and even if you would, scribbling words without purpose is just a form of some hypergraphia.
To prevent such struggles, many students choose to buy custom essays and other papers, instead of finding the right words to match their knowledge and ideas.
On the contrary, if you do not see yourself as an author of fiction, acquiring good writing skills can still be beneficial to you.
The art of writing has a transforming effect on anyone. For instance, if you want to be an eloquent speaker, then you have to know how to write thought-provoking speeches.
Perhaps, if you want to become a team leader, then it will be useful to outline effective business management strategies before presenting them to your colleagues.
Let’s take a look at the simplest kind of writing related to email communication. It becomes obvious that a badly crafted letter to your boss, potential employer, or a team member may result in misunderstandings.
An e-mail full of grammar and punctuation mistakes is off-putting. You will get negative feedback, or your request will be simply ignored.
Okay, let’s face it. We’ve all had some embarrassing writing mistakes. Even if you write content daily, your brainchildren are not always perfect. Even if your grammar is spotless, you may indulge yourself in crafting long, puzzling sentences that make your readers yawn.
Such failures are typical not only of content writers, who have to be chameleons continually adhering to discrepant requirements of a work giver.
Many famous authors suffered from their editors’ disapproval. For instance, Charles Bukowski received an abundance of rejection slips throughout his life.
The main secret to becoming a better writer is to accept and reconsider your earlier mistakes. Estimate your weaknesses and learn everything that you previously missed. Look at your works and proofread them as if they were written by a different person.
You’ll be amazed at how many flaws and inconsistencies you may find. Just don’t lose courage: the ability to evaluate your failures is the first step towards some radical improvements.
Although we have already given you some precious advice, the following suggestions will show you how to improve writing skills no matter why you need them.
Just remember, if you can write well, then you can express your thoughts clearly. Whatever sphere you choose, it will make you sound professional.
Scrutinize the Basics
You cannot gain knowledge on any subject if you miss its fundamental aspects and start from more complex ones. The same with acquiring and developing your writing skills set.
If you cannot write a good essay, then you cannot write decent fiction either. Start with completing writing tasks at the elementary level, and then proceed to the intermediate one.
You may ask, “Where should I look for the necessary learning resources?” Luckily, lots of valuable free resources can be found online.
At the initial stage, pay special attention to grammar, studying the basics, and gradually move to the advanced levels. It is highly beneficial to register with diverse writing forums, where you can participate in discussions and learn from others.
Enrich Vocabulary Day by Day
Are you reading a new book? Make short pauses to write the most compelling expressions and idioms down. Then, try to generate your own sentences with those phrases.
It will be great if you can also apply your new vocabulary to daily conversations.
If you read in a foreign language, it is especially useful to jot down definitions rather than word lists with brief translations.
Write as Regularly as You Can
If you really need to know how to become a better writer, then you have to remember this advice once and for all: practice writing every single day.
Indeed, your inspiration is not always the same. In fact, every single person suffers from writer’s block. Yet, if you get down to writing regularly, you will be self-disciplined and you’ll unlikely miss weeks of writing routine. It resembles working out, doesn’t it?
To relieve this “torment” a bit, you can write anything that pops into your mind.
After practicing writing daily for at least 30 minutes during one month, you’ll develop a habit of creating something. It is also important to observe when your creativity comes to its peak. If you are more energetic and inspired at night, this is your perfect writing time.
Immerse in First-class Literature
If you habitually read meaningful books, especially the classics, it means that the magic transformation of your mind has already started. Your language becomes more subtle, and your ideas become more insightful.
Of course, it does not entail reading only old-fashioned literature. You can read literary magazines, where it is easy to find well-polished texts by modern authors.
Being a profound reader will make you notice the writing mistakes of others and, of course, avoid making them on your own.
Why not Visit a Writing Masterclass?
If some author or linguist conducts a masterclass in your town or online, consider visiting the event.
Offline masterclasses or workshops are especially beneficial because you get an opportunity to contemplate how others cope with random writing tasks.
One more advantage is that the leaders of those workshops provide their feedback on your efforts.
You can surf the web for such events – you’ll instantly encounter miscellaneous communities for both experienced wordsmiths and writing newbies.
Become Your Own Editor
Although all works of the most astonishing authors have had their editors, it is also important to master editing your own work.
After you finish your first draft, take some time to have a rest, and then go back to it with a fresh perspective. You will start noticing mistakes that were invisible during the writing process itself.
Sometimes, you will edit only grammar and stylistics. In other instances, you will edit your ideas – some will seem less trivial than others.
Let Writing Apps Be Your Friends
Even if you create your works in your native language and it seems you do not need any editing apps, you may be surprised by how helpful writing applications are.
We would recommend Grammarly and Hemingway, which have become faithful pencraft friends of writers around the globe. Using these apps, you will polish your grammar, word usage, and increase your texts’ readability.
Now you know how to improve writing skills. Reread the mentioned tips thoughtfully and ask yourself, “Do I truly want to be a good writer?” If the answer is “Yes”, then your imaginative and knowledgeable adventure has just begun.
