People write for many different reasons. Some people write for an audience, and others write for their personal enjoyment. No matter the reason, each writer can improve their skills by utilizing writing tips to practice and enhance their stories, essays, books, blogs, or office memos.
Daily Writing Tips
The best way to become a better writer is to write regularly. You can begin to develop this habit by making it a point to write every day. Of course, like any other healthy habit, you need to make sure that you are dedicated and ready to make time for writing each day.
Here are some ways to make writing a part of your daily life:
Set aside a certain amount of time each day to write
If you aren’t a morning person, try setting aside 30 minutes each night before going to bed to write about your day. If you don’t like writing before bed, try making time in the mornings while eating breakfast.
Find a quiet place to write.
Sometimes, writing can be hard. Having a quiet place that is free of distraction is the best way to make sure that you can think and write your best. If your house is too chaotic, try writing outside or going to a local restaurant or coffee shop to write for an hour.
Keep a journal
Journaling is a great way to develop a daily writing habit. Have you got writer’s block? Just try recalling your favorite moment from the day and writing about this moment in detail.
Look everywhere for inspiration.
If you find yourself without a topic or unable to write, try looking for inspiration in unexpected places. Get out of your house and go to a new location to begin to describe and interpret the things you see and hear.
Though it might seem hard at first, once you have made a habit of writing every day, you will find that the words start flowing!
Become a Better Essay Writer
Essay writing can be difficult, especially if you are coming back to school after a long break. Luckily, there are certain ingredients that all essays have, and you can become a better essay writer by practicing a few simple writing tips:
Brainstorm before you start
Though you might want to get the essay over with, it’s important to take the time to gather your ideas before you write so that you can expand on your initial ideas and narrow your focus.
Create an outline
All effective essays have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. After you brainstorm ideas to write about, take those ideas and organize them into sections using an outline. This will help you make sure that you stay focused and don’t forget anything when you begin to write.
Begin your essay with a “hook.”
You want the reader to be excited about reading your essay. To do this, you want to start with an attention grabber. Sometimes using a relevant quote or anecdote can be a great way to begin your essay.
Make sure your thesis statement is specific.
The thesis statement is the main idea of your essay. Therefore, you want to make sure that this thesis statement is very thorough and specific so that the reader knows what you will discuss or argue in the essay.
Begin each body paragraph with a strong topic sentence
The topic sentence tells the reader what each paragraph will be about.
Use specific details and evidence to support your statements.
Readers (and your instructor) are more inclined to believe your point of view if you provide research and other evidence as support for your statements.
Always explain your examples.
After you’ve provided support for your statements, explain how this support backs up what you are trying to say.
Restate your thesis and main points in the conclusion
You want your conclusion to wrap up your points. Think of your essay like a movie. If it doesn’t have a satisfying ending, then the reader (or audience) might become confused.
Think about the bigger picture
The conclusion should also let the reader know why your topic is important.
Whether you want to improve your essay scores or perform well on a standardized test, it’s important to practice essay writing if you want to get better. Take the time to plan so that each essay reflects your best work carefully.
Creative Writing Tips
Many people find creative writing to be therapeutic. Writing short stories, poems, or personal essays can be a great way to unwind and express yourself. Whether you want to publish your creative pieces professionally or keep them all to yourself, there are many ways to improve your creative writing skills.
Use the writing tips below, and you will be on your way to becoming a better creative writer:
- Become an active reader. If you want to know how to write a good story, you have to read good stories! Find books that you enjoy at your local library or bookstore and try to read for at least 30 minutes every day. This will help you expand your vocabulary and expose you to a variety of creative writing techniques that you can use in your work.
- Find out when you are most creative. Try writing at different times during the day to find out when you are most inspired and productive. Some people enjoy writing first thing in the morning before starting their day, while others prefer writing late into the night. Find what works for you, and write your heart out!
- Use writing prompts to exercise your skills. If you find yourself with nothing to write about, try using a writing prompt to help you get started. Find some writing prompts online and keep a list nearby whenever you need a topic.
- Take a creative writing course. Even if you have already graduated, there are plenty of local and online options for creative writing classes. Classes are a great way to improve your skills because they allow you to get feedback from your instructor and peers.
- Don’t worry about being perfect. Many new and seasoned writers find themselves agonizing over whether or not a sentence is grammatically correct or a plotline is interesting. Remember that all writers have to edit their work. You will have plenty of time to revise and make changes later, so focus on the draft and try not to worry too much about the finished product.
These are excellent tricks for beginners writing their first short story, but they can also be used as great tips on writing a book.
Business Writing Tips
Writing does not stop when you leave the classroom. Many jobs require that you communicate effectively in writing through emails, memos, proposals, and presentations. Though business writing is a little bit different than academic writing, there are still ways that you can practice your skills to become a better writer.
Here are some helpful tips for improving your writing in the workplace:
- Be concise. Your boss and co-workers are busy, so be brief and get to the point quickly.
- Avoid informal language. Though informal language like slang might be fine to use at home, this isn’t appropriate writing etiquette for the workplace. Stick to professional language.
- Proofread your work. A typo can give off the wrong impression, so always re-read your emails or office memos before sending.
- Use templates. If you find yourself sending similar emails to clients, save the format as a template so that you can save time later.
- Use headings and bullet points. This helps you stay organized and helps readers more easily locate information when referring back to your correspondence.
Using the tips above, you can make sure that you communicate your ideas and represent your company in the best way possible. You can also use these tips for communicating on a variety of business topics.
No matter what type of writer you aspire to be, you can improve your skills through lots of practice. So make time to write regularly so that you can continue to exercise your creativity and talent. Who knows, maybe one day you will see your name on the front of a book jacket!
