In recent years, writing has been pictured as an easy way to make a quick buck. Yet, If you begin with this mentality, you will certainly fail. Rather than shooting arrows in the dark, aim to study the art of writing.
Find out the process writers follow to improve their writing skills. What writing exercises do they indulge in? How do they increase their vocabulary? Taking a student’s approach will allow you to discover the secrets of this craft for yourself.
I have elaborated on a few tactics and lifestyle habits that every writer must develop. Follow these tips to quickly improve your writing skills and enjoy the process at the same time.
- Read: –
- Clear thinking: –
- Look for words: – (thesaurus)
- Simplicity: –
- What you like to write about?: –
- Establish a writing schedule: –
- Analyze your options: –
- Offer to work for free: –
- Don’t set a standard: –
- Let your emotions flow/ free-write: –
- Show your work: –
- Enroll in a course: –
- Read what you wrote: – (find mistakes and all)
- Tools: –
1. Read
All writers are involved readers. They read a variety of content, including books, magazines, newspapers, etc. Pretty much any piece of written content they can get their hands on. Even the brochures, whitepapers, product descriptions, sales copies, everything.
Make it a habit to read as much as you can. Keep a few books in your glove box. Install a bookshelf in your toilet. Never miss an opportunity to read.
Yet, you must have a different perspective from a common reader. You don’t read for entertainment, you read to learn the craft.
Understand how eloquent writers lead their readers. Study words, punctuations, sentences, and tones they use. Discovering through reading is the best way to find your style.
2. Think Clear
Writing is all about laying your thoughts on the paper. If you can’t think clearly, you can’t write clearly. You must have a clear direction to lead your readers.
Pro writers start with a clear motive for anything they write. It allows them to frame their work around that idea. As a beginner, you must try this as well. Begin with a one-line purpose and stay true to it. For example, the purpose of this article is to help you become a freelance writer.
Make sure to prepare an outline before writing. This way you can stay focused on your purpose.
3. Look for words
Reading enables you to discover new words regularly. Now, I don’t want you to memorize their meanings. It has no utility. I want you to look at their etymology and their roots. Look at their implementations and the meanings they convey. Every word implies a different idea.
Remember, words are a writer’s weapons. The more weapons you have in your arsenal, the better it is. Have a thesaurus at your disposal, look at the synonyms of a word. Find out their roots, and find out other words with similar roots. It is the best way to build a strong vocabulary.
A good understanding of words allows you to write eloquently.
4. Leverage simplicity
When it comes to writing, simplicity is the best policy. Knowing a lot of words does not mean using a magniloquent style. It hurts users’ attention span and makes you sound less confident.
Effective writing is all about making an intimate connection with the reader. Aim to provide valuable information and not to show off your vocab. While a portion of your readers may understand buzzwords, others won’t. It can make your content come up as pompous.
Write like you are conveying an idea to a 6th grader. In this way, you’ll connect with most of your readers. Use a tool like Hemingway Editor to edit your content and make it readable.
5. What do you like to writer about?
Begin by reading anything you can find at your disposal. Yet, as you keep reading, you will start to have favorites among topics. Most probably, these will be topics that you already know about. In writing language, these are referred to as niches.
Read more about topics that come easy to you. Since you like them, you can write without getting bored. This is how you identify your writing interests and start developing a niche expertise.
6. Establish a writing schedule
If you don’t write regularly, you’ll end up quitting. Plan a schedule that works best for you. There is no cheat code to the perfect writing schedule. Some writers prefer to write early in the morning some in the night. Choose a time when you can maximize your productivity.
Whatever schedule you establish, make sure to stick to it. Decide the number of words that you’ll write each day, and stay accountable. Additionally, make sure to minimize distractions while writing. Put your phone to DND, and stick a note to your door with the same message.
It’s vital to build a writing habit early in your writing career. It will help you manage your workload and meet deadlines as a professional.
7. Analyze your options
Writing a book and getting published isn’t the only option you have. There are other ways to make money writing. You can start a blog, Guest post, become a journalist, or write for online publications.
Yet, the most popular choice among beginners is freelancing. It is the fastest way to monetize your writing. Businesses worldwide pay writers to write content for their websites. It includes web copy, blogs, whitepapers, case studies, etc.
You can use freelance platforms to sell your writing services. If you find these platforms competitive, there are other ways to find freelance work as a beginner.
8. Offer to work for free
It is one of the best ways to wet your toes as a writer. You’ll learn from experts at no expense. It allows you to surround yourself with writers and catch a feel for the career. It is how I started my journey as a professional writer.
Approach a local marketing agency or a newspaper. Let them know that you are interested in writing and offer to work for free. You can also look for internship options on LinkedIn. At least you’ll get a free cup of coffee every day.
Once you reach a certain level of skills, your employer will most probably offer you a job. If not, you’ll have learned a lot and will at least receive a letter of experience.
9. Don’t set a standard
It is normal to have doubts about your writing. Like, is it good enough? Who will read it? But, remember you’ll get better with practice. Comparing your craft to that of experts is not a good idea. It can hurt your self-confidence and prompt you to quit.
Just stick to the process and trust your writing. As you begin to get more involved, you’ll start to enjoy writing.
10. Freewrite
Freewriting is one of the most common practices among writers. It is when you don’t put any restrictions on your writing and go with the flow. Freewriting is like a brain dump. You lay on paper whatever comes to your mind.
Write as fast as you can without worrying about punctuation, sentence formation, or grammar. Freewriting allows you to discover your voice and helps generate new ideas. It is also helpful for overcoming writer’s block.
11. Correct yourself
Writing your first draft is only half the work done. The main hustle is to make your piece reader-friendly. This practice is also called proofreading. It allows you to point out hard-to-read, words, clauses, and sentences. Anything that obstructs the rhythm of your content.
Having an eye for your mistakes is a distinguished skill. It develops over time with practice. Make sure that your content is polished and satisfies the purpose you are writing it for. If you stumble upon an off-putting sentence, replace it with an appropriate one.
Skillful editing is the difference between clear and cluttered writing.
12. Tools
There are various ways tools can help you improve as a writer. For instance, Grammarly can help you correct spelling, punctuation, Grammar, etc. It also highlights readability improvements with a yellow mark. You can use Grammarly’s paid version to correct them.
Hemingway editor enables you to improve your content’s readability. It highlights, passive voices and hard-to-read sentences. You can make amends to improve the quality of your content. Aim for a score of Grade 7 or lower.
13. Show your work
Since you are putting in so much effort, you would wanna monetize your work. For that to happen, you must let people know that you are in for business. You can either take the creator’s path by starting a blog or provide your services through a freelancing platform.
Yet, these ways are competitive and hard to infiltrate. Instead, use platforms like Linkedin, Medium & Quora to publish your work. This way, you can network with other freelancers and potential employers.
14. Enroll in a course
Unlike other professions, you do not need a degree to become a writer. Yet, you can learn some useful skills and tips by enrolling in a course. You can consider going to community college or opt for an online writing course.
Creative writing, journalism, and SEO-content writing are some of the popular choices. Make sure to research before making a decision.
Conclusion
Writing is a lifestyle, and treating it as one will allow you to enjoy this process. As a writer, you’ll have to read a lot, think clearly, and develop a writing schedule. It will require a big chunk of your productive time.
If you are willing to commit, there are various ways you can approach a career as a writer. It includes starting a blog, seeking an internship, or enrolling in a course. Additionally, there are various exercises and tools you can use to improve your skills.
Proofread and seek constructive criticism to identify your mistakes and improve. Freewrite, when it’s not coming easy and you seem to have reached a dead end. And, most importantly, stick to the process.
FAQs
1. Can I make a career in writing without a professional degree?
Yes, you can. Yet, you must commit to the process of writing. With practice, you’ll get better at it. You need not show proof of education to start a blog or to publish on Medium. Need not to mention that both of these platforms are highly lucrative.
2. Who is a content writer and how to be one?
A content writer is someone who writes informative content pieces for a website. Their writing is aimed at increasing a website’s visibility, leads, sales, and brand awareness.
Professional content writers are niche experts. Hence, you must develop a niche expertise to become one.
3. How long does it take to become a good writer?
If you are committed to the processes, you can develop an eloquent writing style in 6 months.
4. How can I become a successful writer?
If you can write clearly, you can monetize your work. Focus on improving your writing skills. Stick to your writing schedule and read as much as you can. Then, find a way to get your writing in front of an audience. Once you do that, you can monetize your work in many ways.
5. What should I write about?
Pick a subject you are passionate about. This way, you can write for a longer period without getting bored.
Ayush is the writer and editor at Excelatwriting. He is fond of reading books, playing chess, and tracking. He currently lives in Indore with his best friend and talks about marketing.