You can get lost on the interwebs looking for writing tips.
So, where do you begin and which are the really useful ones?
After looking for a while, there are a number that stand out which I find work to improve your writing. To save you time, I’ve distilled these down to two – just two – essential tips to improve your writing.
- READ
- You can’t be a good writer if you’re not a good reader.
- Reading expands your vocabulary and exposes you to different writing styles.
- The more you read (and the more widely you read) the more you inculcate the craft of writing.
- Ideally start by noting passages, words, sentences that jump out at you. Over time, you will build a wonderful arsenal of mentoring notes that will inform your own writing.
- Read in your genre.
- Read the iconic books and authors.
- Read for enjoyment too.
- WRITE
- Sure, study the craft of writing but that doesn’t make you a writer. Writing makes you a writer, just as publishing makes you an author.
- The more you write the more you build your writing muscle. You can’t do a 100 push-ups by watching tons of youtube videos and googling how to’s forever. At some point, you’ve gotta put your hands and knees on the floor and start pushing up.
- The more you practice the easier it becomes and in time the more you can do.
- Same with writing. Practice it every day, even if you’ve only got ten minutes.
- Schedule writing into your day.
- Make it a routine like brushing your teeth.
- Squeeze extra time into your lunch break or just after you wake up.
- Use a pen and paper, use a laptop, use a voice recorder, use whatever you’ve got to work with. Get fancy-schmancy later.
- Just start and keep the practice up.
Really, these are the two critical tips you need. What you do need to do is apply them! Don’t worry about all the what-ifs: they will work themselves out once you build your confidence and your craft.
The article below has some good expanded tips that are worth a look too. (I’m not promoting this mob, by the way. But their tips are useful).
Of course, you could just turn off your browser now and go write 🙂
17 Writing Tips & Actionable Exercises to Write Better Today [VIDEO]