How to improve your writing skills

Tips on Taking Your Writing Skills to the Next Level

You may have spent the better part of your life as a writer or you may be new to the game, but no matter your writing skill level it could always be better. Some of the best and most famous writers regularly look for ways to improve their skills and you can improve yours with these tips to help you. Give them a try and you will be amazed how your seemingly good writing skills can be taken to a level you might have only dreamed of.

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When you have finished writing you may be exhausted from having to exercise those intelligent muscles so much and the last thing you want to do is look at more words, but instead of taking a little nap upon finishing your writing, read a book. Reading allows us to become different people and take on new adventures. It also sub-consciously gives us the ability to take on the words of great writers. Having a continual stream of words entering your mind’s eye is one of the best ways to improve your writing skills without really having to try.

Join a Group

These days it is not difficult to find a writing group. They seem to be meeting in every book store and coffee house throughout the world. Even if you cannot make the meeting, many writing groups will meet for online sessions. Allowing your work to be reviewed by other writers will empower you like never before. Be sure however that you are able to take positive criticism without feeling as though you are being attacked. Others can help you see the improvements that need to be made within your writing if you allow them to.

Keep a Journal

The best artists keep a pad and paper with them at all times. They draw things that they see in everyday objects as well as people that may be doing interesting things. These drawings are rarely detailed as the world is always on the move, but it gives them new ideas on things to draw in a more detailed perspective at another time. A writer needs to be able to do the same only instead of drawing, simply write everything down. Keeping your journal with you throughout the day will keep you from forgetting details that will give true life to anything you write.

Analyze Writings from People You Admire

We all have our favorite writers. Whether you enjoy a good mystery novel or just reading the paper in the morning we all have our most revered authors and should analyze their work. Sometimes it may even be beneficial to re-write one of their pieces in our own words to see how we stack up. This is not to say that you should copy their work and post it as your own, but you should keep it within your own writings to improve upon yourself and how you write.

Outline Your Work

Too many times writers fail to understand that outlines can be a great help to you while you write. Instead of taking the time to make an outline, writers simply dive right in and write. They only think of outlies as something they were made to do for busy work back in high school, but an outline gives you perspective on your work and allows the writing to flow in a way that just writing off hand cannot. Your teachers were on to something great when they encouraged you to write out an outline before you wrote your final paper.

Re-Write, Re-Write, Re-Write!

It is often stated that, “Rome was not built in a day,” neither was Moby Dick written in an afternoon. Just like the way outlines give you a map as to how the story will progress, writing drafts give you perspective on how your writing is perceived. The first draft will almost always be terrible because you are basically getting the idea out of your head and onto the paper. Writing multiple drafts will take up time, but it gives the writer the opportunity to refine the story and make it better with every draft. Getting discouraged with your first work and giving up is no way to win the battle. Keep at it and keep those drafts coming.

Writing, like art, is not an exact science. Sure, there are ways in which to structure a sentence to ensure that it is structurally sound, but writing in general is free form. A good writer is able to take even the most mundane topic and turn it into an inspiring piece that hooks readers in the beginning. Even if you believe that your writing ability is at its peak, there are improvements that can be made. These tips can help you become a better writer in no time. 

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