Improving writing skills is an individual process, but tips include grammar and punctuation, audience awareness, peer review, reading aloud, reading others’ works, problem identification and organization, regular practice, rewriting, and looking for details. These techniques can help writers improve their communication and connect with their audience.
Most professional writers will agree that there is no single right way to improve writing skills and that doing so is an individual process that is different for everyone. Even so, they consistently mention a few tips as particularly helpful, including looking at grammar and punctuation, paying attention to your audience, getting peer review, and reading personal drafts aloud. Reading the works of others, taking the time to identify what the reader needs to know and organize the piece, writing frequently, and reworking drafts are additional techniques. Many people also find that consciously looking for details in their surroundings is a good practical strategy that can be done anywhere, anytime.
Grammar and punctuation
Some linguists consider grammar and punctuation rules to be the most vital element in written communication because they have such a major effect on both the flow and meaning of what a person is trying to say. Improving these two aspects of writing begins with studying language and style manuals, which explain what the basic elements belong to and how they work. Once a person knows these guidelines, he can practice applying them. A commonly used way to do this is by completing paper or online change tests. Through this process, it’s a good idea to identify which rules need to be changed — any doubts should motivate a person to take a second look at a manual.
Public
A common refrain among professional writers is that, to truly connect with members of an audience, a person must speak in a way that they will understand. The two sentences “Who are you talking about?” and “Who are you talking to?” get the same idea, for example, but have a dramatically different feel. One exercise for connecting with your audience is to take a single work and rewrite it multiple times for different groups. It’s worth noting that while grammar and punctuation rules generally shouldn’t go completely out the window, it’s okay to bend or break them in some way and lean toward foul language if it actually improves how well someone will follow through on meaning.
Peer evaluation
Related to the idea of an audience is the concept of having someone else take a look at one or more drafts. Many authors are not completely objective about their work and are not always aware of this when something in a piece is confusing or contradictory. Getting a peer review, from a friend, family member, or group, provides an opportunity to see how accurate a person’s assessment of their writing is, and the constructive criticism found in feedback allows someone to be very specific about what and how to change.
Read aloud
If a writer has paid attention to both the audience and punctuation and grammar rules, the connections between ideas will typically be very fluid, making the content easier to understand and remember. Peer review can help alert someone to issues in the stream, but when this option isn’t available or when one person wants to polish a draft before others review it, the best choice is usually to read the piece aloud. The general rule is that awkward to say and awkward to read are essentially the same thing. Changes to sentence structure and word choice are common with this technique.
Read the works of others
Reading is a way to improve writing skills because it exposes a person to many different communication styles. It’s also a vital way to gain insight, not just about writing, but a wide range of other topics that could inspire new work. Many people also find it provides a starting point for developing good habits, serving as a visual way to internalize elements of structure, punctuation, grammar, and even plot.
Problem identification and organization
One of the biggest problems with “poor” writing is that the point is not clear, which is usually because the author has not absolutely identified the problem or the information he needs to give the reader and organized himself beforehand. around it. A simple way to solve the identification problem is to create a title for the piece: it should be concise but comprehensive enough that even if someone reads nothing else, they can get an idea of what the work is about. After a person gets his title, he can use the same strategy to single out each of the main points he wants to make and organize them by importance and what flows best. Many people say it’s simply a matter of filling in the gaps from there.
Regular sessions
Some experts suggest that practicing as often as possible is the best way to improve writing skills—it’s not the same as churning out lots of pages. The idea here is that constantly returning to the computer keyboard or traditional pen and paper builds discipline, providing focus and keeping the rules at the front of the mind. It also produces a larger portfolio that a person can use to get feedback. Prompts are good sources of topics or guidelines for each session, and journaling works too.
rewrite
As a person seeks to increase the amount of time they spend putting their ideas on paper, one specific technique that sometimes yields great benefits is to rewrite something that already exists. It may be the author’s previous work or it may be someone else’s. This teaches an individual to look at the same concept from a different angle and gives them a chance to explore what changing important elements like sentence length or voice would do to work. Another benefit is that it reminds the author that there is not necessarily one “right” way to present something, which goes a long way in reducing anxiety and breaking writer’s block.
Looking for details
An easy way for a writer to develop even when not at a desk is to look at everything around them and mentally identify as many details as possible. Being able to tell that there is a male voice in a bar is fine, for example, but being able to tell that it is deep and boomy with a tired tremor is better. The point with this exercise is that details are at the heart of description, and a good description is essential in maintaining the reader’s interest and bringing scenes and characters to life. Even when a work is non-fiction, the specificity makes the author seem professional and as if he has been thorough in his research and preparation.
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