1. Improve your writing every day.
If you’re serious about improving your writing, you make time for it every day — even if it’s only fifteen minutes at a time.
You show up for it even on the days when it feels as though the words are jammed inside you and nothing wants to come out.
Not sure what to write?
Try using any of the following questions as writing prompts:
What are you grateful for in this moment?
What makes you angry – or sad – or happy?
What comes to mind when you look around?
What does your story’s main character think about the other characters?
What will you do today?
2. Increase your word power.
While you shouldn’t force ten-dollar words into your writing to impress your readers, it can only do you good to increase your vocabulary.
The more words you know, the more likely you’ll find just the right ones to evoke the images you want your reader to see — without relying on overused modifiers (like “very,” “really,” etc.).
3. Pace yourself with punctuation.
Varying your punctuation and sentence length creates a certain cadence for your writing, which helps keep your reader’s attention.
No one wants to read a series of short, choppy sentences.
4. Respect your reader’s time (and energy).
Don’t waste your reader’s time with sentence after sentence of verbal throat-clearing.
There’s setting the stage, and then there’s killing time before the main act finally wanders onto the stage. The audience knows the difference.
Gently but quickly lead your reader to the message at the heart of your writing.
5. Write once, edit twice (or more).
Writing is rewriting. You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth repeating.
To make your writing as enjoyable to read as possible, you’ll need to edit it at least twice.
This is why professional editors tend to make at least three editing sweeps of their clients’ work before returning it.
The final sweep may be mostly about proofreading, but their eyes are always open to other details that may need fixing.
6. Try transcribing yourself.
Record yourself talking. You can learn a lot about conversational writing using this one weird trick! (Sorry, Buzzfeed, we tease because we care.)
Try transcribing a conversation you’ve recorded (with the other person’s permission, of course). Transcribe a couple of minutes of the conversation word-for-word. Then, fix or remove any false starts and remove filler (um, uh, like, you know)—et voila!—you’ve got yourself some conversational writing. The process of transcribing and editing will help you learn what to do and what not to.
7. Keep your sentences simple.
Literary greats can write long, complex sentences with flair. Why not you? Well, for starters you’re probably not trying to write like Tolstoy, Nabokov, or Faulkner. Short, less complicated sentences are easier to read. Keep it simple, silly! But do vary your sentence length so your writing has a nice flow.
8.Read it out loud.
Speaking of flow, reading your writing aloud can help you determine whether it flows smoothly. If it sounds choppy and clipped, add a few longer sentences to break up that steady, monotonous beat. If you find yourself stumbling over parts, you’ve probably found an overly complex sentence that needs rewriting. I always recommend reading your work out loud . . . because it works!
9. Infuse your personality into your writing
Letting your personality shine through is the best way to develop a writing style. Use the phrases and slang that you would normally use (within reason). When it’s appropriate, throw in a relevant personal anecdote. In all but the most formal or professional writing settings, be yourself when you write.
10. Practice, practice, practice!
The ultimate way to improving writing is to learn what weakens it in the first place and then set your mind to fixing (and eventually preventing) the glitches. The more you write, edit, and proofread, the better you get at it.
