5 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills
June 30, 2022 By Karen Layman, aka Karen
Have you been asked to write a blog post but felt intimidated to start writing? Or are you someone who knows blog posts are a great way to connect with your customers and yet, you don’t feel like your writing skills are strong enough? Thankfully, writing doesn’t have to be intimidating! Whether you’re writing a blog post, a book, or something else, here are a few ways to improve your writing skills and gain some writing confidence!
1. Revisit the Basics
Writing is an art, but there are basic principles involved. It can be very helpful to brush up on the basics of writing. Writing is about communicating, so be sure to communicate clearly and concisely. This is also one of the tips for writing an effective blog post for your business.
If you’re serious about writing, consider reading The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It’s a great resource to have on hand as you write. For quicker and online sources, try Grammar Girl or Merriam-Webster. These sites have great tips and are easy to understand.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to becoming a great writer. It takes a lot of practice, but don’t let that get you down. The more you practice writing, the better you will become!
The good news is you probably have more experience than you think. If you communicate regularly via email or other written forms, you have a great baseline. Just keep practicing, even if no one else reads it. Writing is a lot like building up muscles; you will improve your writing skills the more you write. Consistency is key to creating a good writing routine.
3. Read About Writing
Prolific writers are always asked about their writing processes, inspiration, and technique. A lot of those writers have written books about these processes and there’s a lot to be learned from them. You can learn a lot by reading books about writing and absorbing writers’ knowledge.
But you don’t just have to read books specifically on writing. Reading in general is a great way to learn about writing. Follow your favorite authors on social media and read their blog posts. Read your favorite novels and focus on the writing style, sentence structure, and word choices. Take note of the blog posts your favorite brands write and learn from their style.
4. Join a Class
If you still feel intimidated by writing, you can always join a class to help you strengthen your skills. Joining a class or even a writers workshop will be very beneficial to your writing. Simply having the option of letting other people view your work before you publish or post anywhere is an asset.
They can help you figure out if you are being clear enough and what needs to be worked on. They also can offer gentle critiques and also build up your confidence. This can be highly beneficial to you as a writer and will help you better convey your message or content. Plus, the change of scenery and different perspectives can help you tap into your creativity if you feel stuck.
5. Make Editing Your Best Friend
Editing is an essential part of the writing process. It will take a few drafts to get your writing where you want it to be. Starting off with a very rough draft is very helpful to get your thoughts down and then you can rework it from there.
It can be very helpful to read your drafts out loud so you can hear if anything sounds clunky or out of place. If something doesn’t work, cut it out. You will need to be your own harshest editor, but it will be worth it in the end.
These are just a few ways to improve your writing skills. The most important thing to keep in mind is to keep practicing your writing. Over time, you will develop the right skills and become a better writer!
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