It’s one thing to say you’re a writer. It’s another to take writing seriously enough that you strive to improve your writing skills every day.
Ask any writer if they read and the answer will be “yes.” However, it takes more than reading newspapers, magazines, journals, blogs, and books to improve your writing skills. You must immerse yourself in the world of writing and be 100% committed to the craft.
To help you become the best writer you can be; here are 10 techniques to improve your writing skills.
10 No-Nonsense Techniques to Improving Writing Skills
Journal
Believe it or not journaling can help you improve your writing skills. It can also help you discover new story ideas that could be developed into the latest best-seller.
When you journal, don’t censor your words. Allow them to flow freely.
Participate in Writing Prompts
Writer’s Digest, Creative Copy Challenge, and other writing resources provide writers with writing exercises and prompts. These are good ways to improve your writing and test out story ideas.
Rewrite Blog Posts
If you have a blog, go back a couple of years and rewrite and repurpose a few blog posts. You may be surprised how much your writing has improved throughout the years.
Rewrite Newspaper and Magazine Articles
Choose your favorite newspaper or magazine and rewrite a couple of the articles. Challenge yourself to write a stronger headline and copy.
Google Alerts
Setup a Google Alert for writing, writing skills, book writing, and other alerts and follow the latest stories. Read what other writers are doing to improve their writing skills.
Read beyond what you normally read
If you have a hunkering for fantasy, Sci-Fi, romance, memoirs, YA, NA, middle grade, self-help, or whatever tickles your writer’s fancy, get out of your comfort zone and read something different. Stretch your mind and you’ll stretch your writing skills.
Comment on Your Favorite Blog Posts
Challenge yourself to write in-depth comments instead of the tired familiar, “Great post!” or “Thanks for sharing this brilliant information.” These vacant comments do not add to the conversation, nor do they improve your writing skills. Here’s a tip: if you want to get noticed by the blog owner and taken seriously, write a decent comment.
Join a Writer’s Group
Don’t be shy about sharing your writing. One of the greatest ways to improve your writing is to join a writer’s group where you’ll receive valuable feedback such as how to strengthen introductions, how to develop characters, how to write stronger scenes, and more. Please note: you may have to test out a few groups before you find groups that work for you.
Attend a Writer’s Conference or Workshop
When I lived in Chandler, Arizona, I was blessed to have found Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ. The owners schedule writing workshops throughout the year. Not only did I meet fellow aspiring authors, I met published authors who shared their writing tips and tricks such as the importance of using an outline when you write fiction and non-fiction.
Writer’s conferences and workshops are good places to meet editors, literary agents, publishers, and other writers. You can take a class or two and improve your writing skills in no time. And… the contacts you make are invaluable to your writing career.
Write!
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you must write to improve your writing skills. Try to write at least 1,000 words each day or every other day. When you think you’ve finished writing, write some more. And when you think you’ve really finished writing, keep writing!
To improve your writing, you need to write five days a week, 50 weeks per year, if not more. The craft of writing is one that requires dedication and time. If you’re serious about being a published author, you need to write and write and write.
If you want to improve your writing skills and write a best-seller, start writing at least 1,000 words every day.
Being a skilled writer and published author is not an impossible dream. It’s closer to reality than you might have believed.
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skywaywriter
January 21, 2013 at 10:10 PM (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This post went beyond the usual advice of “write often” to include practical solutions for writers. I particularly enjoyed the piece about Google Alerts, and expanding your reading to include genres you’ve never read before! Thanks! I’m sharing this with everyone I know!
Krissti Bryant
January 21, 2013 at 10:57 PM (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This is so very true!! You have to practice your craft in order to become proficient.
Celeste
January 22, 2013 at 12:25 PM (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hi Skywaywriter,
Thanks for your comment!
Sometimes, it takes more than writing every day to improve your writing skills. Another tip is to open the dictionary, find a word, and write something, anything, based on the word. You could write a poem, blog post, article, etc. This exercise will definitely stretch your writing legs.
Celeste
January 22, 2013 at 12:26 PM (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hi Krissti,
I agree. You must practice your craft if you want to improve your writing skills. Even if you have to schedule your writing time, it will be worth it.
Stop Wasting Time! How to Go from Ideas to Blog Posts
February 13, 2013 at 8:03 AM (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] Click here to read a post I wrote for Nascent Digital Press, LLC. That same post was picked up by Ragan.com, “the leading publisher of corporate communications, public relations, and leadership development newsletters.” My post was retweeted more times on Ragan.com than it was on Nascent Digital Press, LLC. Why? Ragan has been around since 1970, and Nascent Digital Press, LLC is an up and coming publisher located in Detroit, MI. People are still getting to know Nascent. [...]