15 Writing Tips That Will Improve Your Writing

Proven methods to boost your writing success

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We all desire to be better writers. In order to improve, we have to hone our writing skills.

The 15 following tips will help you to consistently improve your writing.

• Write first thing in the morning. After a good sleep, writing just comes more naturally. Grammarly has said that based on their research, early birds make fewer writing errors.
• Research your topic. Prior to writing, broaden your horizon by reading about your proposed topic. Your ideas will blossom and you will benefit from some great ideas.
• The importance of an outline. Organize your thoughts from the start with a coherent writing structure to keep you on track.
• Brevity is better. Our reader’s have limited time. Keep your writing as clear and concise as possible. Eliminate unnecessary words.
• The active voice is best. An active voice sounds more self-assured and confident. Your writing will be more animated and this practice will eliminate irrelevant words.
• Write like you speak. If you want your writing to sound authentic, write as though you are talking to an old friend.
• Tell a great story. Human beings by nature are drawn to a good story. Remember the classic line “once upon a time.” Write like you are telling a fabulous story.
• Consider your readers feelings. Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Engage them by displaying that you can understand and relate to their experiences and feelings.
• Don’t be cliché. Refresh overused phrases with fresh content. This is one of the most ignored writing tips.

Drop adverbs. Adverbs are weak. Use stronger word choices. Stephen King says “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

• Put things in the proper order. While our thoughts generally guide the order of our writing, this may not result in the best format. Outlining is very important.
• Take the time to read your writing out loud. Watch for areas that trip you up and re-structure. Reading out loud allows you to become aware of clumsy writing structure.
• List your mistakes. Keep track of your most frequent mistakes. This will help you consciously prevent their occurrence.
• Have a friend read your writing. A second pair of eyes is always useful. Remember, the final decision about your writing is your own.
• Try writing prompts. Writing prompts encourage creativity and inspire our imagination. Writing prompts can be found online.
• Set goals for your writing. Write your goals down and work toward them. Remember you can’t reach a writing goal if you don’t have a clear one.

Professor Millburn says: Here’s something I know for sure: You can learn to write better and add massive value to people’s lives — even if you are not a “natural writer.”