Writing follows you through every aspect of your life. This
article will be particularly helpful to you if you are a student struggling
with daily essays, content creator with immense content but no structured way
of presenting it and anyone who plans to write an important e-mail in their life!
In this blog, we shall look at a few tips for improvement in one’s writing skills.
1. Know your basics
I know what you must be thinking- of course
we know the basics of writing. Well, if you are like most people, the only obstacle
in your path is the fact that you struggle with grammar and spellings of your
articles. Moreover, there are many ways of writing the same piece of
information. The sentences - “she likes reading” and “she enjoys reading”
convey the same idea but while reading an essay or blog, the latter is preferred.
2. Write for yourself.
It is obvious that the first blog you publish
or the first essay you put your heart and soul into might not get the level of
appreciation you had expected. If you write for others to read, you will lose
hope. Of course, your writing should be reader centric but realise that
everything you write, no matter how insignificant or invisible it is, it always
gets you a step ahead. So, write for yourself. Write what you enjoy reading. Write
again because the last time was not good enough. And take it from someone who
loves writing, the last time will never be good enough.
3. Read – a lot!
To fulfil the above two requirements of
good writing- grammar and practice, you need to read. You will not learn new
styles of writing unless you read a different book very often. You will
definitely not have new content, if you do not consume more of it. So, read as
often as you can and read a variety of genres. Reading a different genre than
you are already comfortable with, gives you a new perspective and hence
enhances your writing skills. If you are someone who enjoys fiction, pick up a
non- fiction book next time. Obviously, it will be a little uncomfortable to
not reread the books you have loved. The key here, is transition. If you love
fiction, don’t pick a technology-based book directly, instead, get an
autobiography.
4. Embrace criticism
The best way to get better at writing is to
have someone else’s perspective. Write with a friend about the same topic and
see what they get right and you do not and what you get right and they do not.
Learn from each other. Do this as often as possible and with different people.
Don’t let them dictate your writing. Continue with what works for you but if
there happens to be something that they practice and you have not thought of
before but find interesting, go ahead with it! More often than not, there will
be a lot to learn!
5. Embrace more criticism
Your friends or colleagues are generally
people you are comfortable with. Once you think you have learnt enough from the
4th point or that you need to learn more, get more feedback. Join a
workshop, writing group or any other online community that can help you grow.
The best part is that these people might not hesitate as much as your friends
will because they are not as emotionally attached to you. Moreover, knowing
more people can bring in more opportunities for you!
6. Watch yourself
We all know that there are some blogs or books
that you just cannot stop reading. Well, enjoy the piece but after that, pull
out a piece of paper and note down the points that you felt kept you hooked. What
is it that makes that piece of writing so irresistible? In some cases, it is
the beginning while in others it is the language. No matter what it is! Sit
down and analyse the points that the writer of that piece kept in their mind
that you did not.
7. Sit down before you write.
I am not talking about the act of sitting
down here. What I mean is that before you put pen to paper, instead of beginning
to write from scratch, draw a plan of your article. Use flow charts to decide
upon the different elements of your article and the extent of each! It will be
your battle plan that might help you survive the blinking cursor.
8. Edit!
Once you are done drawing an outline for
yourself, the next step will obviously be writing. Once you are done with that,
please give time for editing. If you follow the steps mentioned above, you are
likely to gain confidence in your work, which is good but overconfidence isn’t.
Writers tend to value the time and effort they invest in one piece of writing
and eliminating parts that they had so meticulously put together is hard. However,
editing is important to give your work the finishing touch it deserves. If you
think any element of your writing needs to be rewritten, please do so! If you
cannot be so harsh on yourself, hire an editor.
9. Speak your mind
Don’t be afraid to put forward a point that
most people might disagree with. Explain it well though. The point of writing
is to express yourself, your views and to eventually make a difference. So, don’t
be afraid of whether someone will like what you write or not. The right people
will like your work and you will get the comfort of being around like-minded
people. Even as you write, try to sit back and think whether what you are writing
is indeed something you believe in or is it something you are writing to please
your audience. In some cases, it is not that big of a deal while in others, it
is a serious crime towards yourself!
10. Research
I know I just said that speak your mind,
but as a writer you have immense responsibility on you. There might be thousands
of people who read your articles and change their mind. This is a power and you
must use it judiciously. Please do your research before writing anything. Also,
support your writing with facts and figures you come across during your
research. This tells your readers that you are a reliable source and enhances
your writing skills.
I hope this helps you to improve your writing
skills!
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