Two key focuses of my blog are Blogging/Writing and General Education. The ability to write is a critical skill no matter what sector you aspire to go into. The better you get at it, the better off you’ll be. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips To Improve Your Writing Skills.
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Writing is one of life’s most underrated skills. Of course, there are many ways to make money from being a great writer. You could craft a Booker Prize winning novel, work as a freelance copyright, or create and monetize your own blog. These are all respectable ways to earn a living, but writing is not just useful as a means to financial success. It is a valuable skill in its own right.
Whatever career you are in, there is a good chance you have to write occasionally. You may have to draft business proposals or create Powerpoint presentations to deliver to clients. Monthly reports, marketing plans, press releases, financial statements: all of these are examples of the written word in which a miscommunication could be disastrous. Even if you are in a manual line of work, you probably still have to send emails or participate in Whatsapp conversations.
Being able to write well makes you more articulate and helps you get your point across in a much more concise and meaningful way. This can benefit you when convincing a client to do business with you, asking for a pay rise, or getting yourself out of trouble. But how do you become a better writer if you’re not naturally talented with the written word? Here are five tips to improve your writing skills.
Read more
The best way to become a better writer is to read profusely. This way, you can absorb different techniques and styles and gain a better understanding of what makes for good writing. Look at things like vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Consume a variety of different texts from novels to news articles to scientific journals. Eventually, all this content will rub off on you and you’ll develop a keen eye for excellent writing.
Write a lot
Practice makes perfect, so make sure you devote some time each day to write. It doesn’t have to be public or even meaningful, as long as you make an effort to put pen to paper. Start a journal, publish a blog, or even just scrawl down some random thoughts in a notebook. The more you write, the more comfortable you will become and you’ll soon cultivate your own unique style.
Take a course
If you’re a complete beginner when it comes to writing, it is a good idea to learn from an expert. There are many courses and workshops that can help you develop your writing skills and turn your passion into a profession.
Edit everything
Once you’ve started writing for real, you need to become a perfectionist. It’s not enough to just churn out a blog post and hit publish. Be ruthless with the editing process and scrutinise every paragraph, sentence, and word. You need to be able to get your point across in as concise a manner as possible.
Get feedback
When you’re a writer it can sometimes be hard to see the wood for the trees. That’s why it can help to get feedback from an impartial observer. Ask friends and family to read your material and offer their criticisms and advice for how you could improve it. You’ll soon learn to identify your own flaws and work on them.
