People may have different reasons for improving their writing skills. Some of them need to advance their career, while others want to write high-quality essays without resorting to the assistance of writing services from which you can buy college papers. And there are also individuals who dream of becoming famous writers.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, writing is included on the list of 30 professions projected to be the most profitable and prestigious in the U.S. within the next ten years. Also, an online survey of 26 thousand Americans has shown that being a writer is considered very trendy and fashionable nowadays.
It is commonly believed that it takes having the talent to excel at writing. That’s true — an ability to put your thoughts on paper is an essential skill for this profession. However, it is not the only precondition for becoming a good author. Education and expertise play a significant role, too. In fact, it is impossible to write a good book without due preparation.
Acquiring exceptional writing skills requires extensive training and a lot of hard work. However, with due diligence, persistence, and practice, everyone can do it.
Training courses, workshops, and video lessons can be useful for improving a beginner writer’s writing skills. Nevertheless, not all have an opportunity to attend such classes or find a professional online course on the Internet. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, you’ll probably find the below tips quite useful.
1. Read Every Day
It may sound too obvious, but it is impossible to express yourself in writing without reading hundreds of different books — and not only fiction but also scientific and philosophy ones. To pick up some good writing skills, you need to learn from acclaimed authors, and there’s no better way to do that other than through their books.
Reading a book from the beginning to the end requires your brain to be active. When you make such a conscious effort, you train your ability to think and improve your cognitive skills. It also allows you to expand your vocabulary, get acquainted with specific writing techniques, and adopt a particular way of presenting thoughts.
While reading, you should constantly analyze texts. If you encounter some useful words or phrases, you should take them down for later use — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Also, try coming up with your own phrases. To be able to do that, you should pick a noun and find some adjectives that describe it in the best possible way. That way, you can create an emotionally charged collocation.
2. Practice Writing
William Faulkner, an American prose writer, who won the Nobel Prize at the age of 52, shared some of the secrets of his success. According to him, no one should set themselves the goal of becoming a writer; to excel at writing, all one needs to do is write. Faulkner also believed that anyone who can read is capable of being a writer.
Do not spend hours trying to figure out what to write about — just select a topic and start writing. It can be anything — your job, things you hear or see, the latest news, or even a story you made up. If you get stuck selecting a topic, use the Internet and read some interesting blogs to get your inspiration.
It is vital to develop a daily writing habit and let it become part of your identity. You will not sense any significant improvement unless you set yourself the goal of becoming the best author. You won’t be able to create great stories or articles if you’ve never tried your hand at it. Remember — all it takes is patience and a little effort.
When inspiration hits, you should just go with it. Almost every successful literary work starts with a voice in the author’s head. Just focus on it and listen to yourself.
3. Experiment From Time To Time
Paulo Coelho warns beginner authors against overly concentrating on their emotions. According to him, books are not created to demonstrate the writer’s level of education but to reveal their inner world. However, if you include too many “smart” thoughts in your writing, you may end up boring your readers and yourself.
When beginner writers start their apprenticeship, they often want to write something fundamental — something they can write all their life. At the same time, they lose precious opportunities to try their hand at different forms and genres of literature.
Why not write a play or script for a movie? You never know what will come out of it and what hidden talents you may unexpectedly discover in you. Even if you can’t do it well, you can always return to your previous work and benefit from your valuable experience.
4. Read Aloud What You Have Written
Read aloud everything you’ve put on paper to make sure your writing sounds natural. Every sentence you come up with should add something new to your story and help you further advance it. Also, it’s a good idea to get rid of useless and meaningless sentences. To create a beautiful work of art, you need to make sure that every little thing in it is related to what has been previously stated and what will be written afterward.
Your work can become even better after you read it out aloud, correcting, and further improving it in the process. When you revise or rewrite your work, you are able to convey your ideas more clearly by adding something new and important. Also, you should avoid useless and off-topic suggestions.
You can read some extracts from your work to your friends or relatives. Their feedback can help you improve your literary creation and come up with some fresh ideas for continuing it. Also, when reading your work, other people can quickly detect errors in it you have not noticed. For beginner writers, communicating with like-minded people and getting some practical advice from them is invaluable.
5. Use Powerful Words
Writing is often unpredictable and full of surprises. The verb is the most powerful part of speech. Thanks to high-sounding words, you can turn simple sentences into emotionally charged ones and thus impress your readers immensely. However, a powerful word does not always mean something complex. Sometimes, a simple word used in the right place at the right time is the most appropriate one.
Make the most of your abilities and resources. There shouldn’t be any sign of negligence in your work. Everything should be double and triple checked. Edit your writing and do not be afraid to change anything if it needs improving. Rewrite it and change the words in it as many times as you see fit. And do not forget to check your work for spelling and grammar errors.
Remember: if you’re a beginner writer looking to complete your book asap and get heaps of money for it, you should probably consider pursuing a different career path. Many famous authors have warned inexperienced ones against writing for money. After all, where business begins, creativity ends.
