Search and you can find many suggestions for becoming a better writer. Through my own research on the web, in books and experience I have formed my own list which I have found to be the most essential in creating a better writer.
1. Read, Read, Read. The most important exercise to becoming a better writer is to read. Experiencing the styles and techniques of other writers is essential in evolving your own writing abilities. One cannot expect to write a successful story if they have limited experience reading other author's work.
1. Read, Read, Read. The most important exercise to becoming a better writer is to read. Experiencing the styles and techniques of other writers is essential in evolving your own writing abilities. One cannot expect to write a successful story if they have limited experience reading other author's work.
2. Practice. As with most other things in life, writing improves with practice. Writers need to do just that, Write. By engaging in the craft of writing, abilities can and will improve. Without practice there can be no expectation of getting better.
3. Write What You Know. When writing, you should stick to
what you know. It is usually obvious to readers when an author writes about a
topic they have little or no experience in. If you are not knowledgeable on a
specific topic, stay clear of it. However, when well researched, a topic that was formally
unknown can become a learning experience that may evolve into a well written
piece. In fiction writing, researching specifics can add legitimacy to the
story and create a fuller experience for the reader. Unless you are willing to
devote the time to the research before writing, unknown topics should be
avoided.
4. Watch Your Spelling and Grammar. Nothing is more
distracting to a story than misspelled words and grammatical errors. At a
minimum, spell check your work. Even this will not eliminate all writing errors
but it should clean it up enough for a first draft.
5. Edit and Rewrite. No work should ever be complete on the first draft. The bulk
of your labors should be done in the first draft but it doesn’t end there. No
one is perfect, including even the best writers. When editing your work, not
only are you looking for simple writing mistakes, but think about whether or
not the story flows well and will make sense to the reader. You are the only
one that knows what you mean, if your writing is unclear, no one else will ever
know.
6. Open to Suggestions. Unless you are writing a personal
journal or diary, where you are the intended audience, comments from others are
important. It’s not easy hearing negative feedback about your work but sometimes
it is essential to becoming a better writer. Writers need to be thick skinned
and open to creative criticism.
These six activities I have found to be essential to gaining
experience and improving a writer’s abilities. Do you have any particular
technique that has helped to improve your own writing? If so please share.
