Ways to Improve Writing Skills

Do you dream of becoming a great novelist or just want to express better thoughts and ideas. Whether you want to improve your writing to become a creative writer or just sharpen your skills for school assignments, follow these steps. To become a writer you need to practice and hone your knowledge, work hard and one day someone will want to follow your example!

Table of Contents

Basic Improvement

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Use active sentences instead of passive sentences. One of the most common mistakes is using too many passive sentences. The most common sentence structure is: Subject-Verb-Actuated object. “The monster bit the man” is an example of the sentence structure above. Passive sentences can confuse readers when moving the affected object to the beginning of the sentence: “The man was bitten by the monster”. Passive sentences are often longer than active sentences and use passive verbs such as “have, get”, which makes sentences lack vitality. Do not abuse passive sentences. ^{[1] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

It is not good to use passive sentences. Sometimes there is no way to express it in an active sentence, or you want to emphasize the action being performed. However, please follow the following rule before applying with exceptions.
The exception is scientific writing, where you use the passive voice to emphasize the results of your research (although this is subject to change, so see the instructions before writing). For example, “research shows that eating spicy foods causes stomach upset in puppies” emphasizes the conclusion, not the person who made the conclusion. ^{[2] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

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Use strong words. A good piece of writing, whether a novel or an academic essay, needs to be precise, suggestive, and full of surprises. Using the right verbs and adjectives can turn an ordinary sentence into one that people will remember and quote over the years. Find special words. Try not to use repetition unless you do it on purpose.

Another exception is words in dialogue. Bad posts often contain lots of “he commented” and “she said”. If you put these words in the right place, it will bring unexpected effects. Repeated use of the word “speak” makes sentences awkward, but changes can also lose the flow of conversation. “He speaks/she speaks” is almost invisible to readers and they focus only on the character’s words. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Powerful doesn’t have to be obscure or complicated. Don’t overuse complex or specialized words when you can use common words.
Use caution when using dictionary language. When using dictionary language, you should include comments so that people can understand the meaning. ^{[4] X Research Resources} If you intend to use dictionary language to refresh your vocabulary, look up new words to determine their correct definition.

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Not verbose. A good article should be simple, clear, and concise. You don’t get points when you have to use 50 words to express something in 20 words, or use polysyllabic words when a simple word suffices. Writing well means using the right words, not just writing to the fullest. Summarizing ideas and details into a short sentence can be a good idea, but this sentence can be difficult to understand. Remove meaningless phrases to make sentences clear. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Adverbs are the heart of the article, they often determine the consistency of sentences. If you put the adverb in the right place, the sentence will become airy, but usually adverbs are only used to modify adjectives. Don’t write “screaming in fear” — “screaming” is already showing fear. If you notice that you use too many adverbs, you need to review the article. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
Sometimes cutting out cumbersome sentences is the most effective part of the editing process. You don’t have to look for the shortest way to group each sentence; Write your ideas down on paper and you can edit and remove unnecessary parts.
Your writing does not exist in isolation, it is associated with the imagination of readers. You don’t need to describe every detail if a few hints are enough to help the reader think for themselves. Let readers connect them themselves.

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Don’t tell, express. Don’t tell your readers things that can be expressed in words. Instead of a lengthy explanation of a character’s biography or script, let readers discover it for themselves through the character’s words, feelings, and actions. In particular, this is an extremely important skill for writers who want to write fiction. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, “Sydney is extremely angry after reading the letter” tells readers that Sydney feels angry, but they do not feel it themselves. This makes readers lazy and unconvincing. In contrast, the sentence “Sydney rolled up the letter and threw it in the fireplace before leaving the room” still shows that Sydney is angry without saying it directly. This is much more efficient. Readers believe what they see, not what they hear.

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Avoid clichés. A cliché is a phrase, idea, or situation that is used too many times to lose its effectiveness. ^{[8] X Research Sources} They also leave only a general impression on readers. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, getting rid of clichés will make your writing better. ^{[9] X Trusted Source University of North Carpina Writing Center Go to source}

“It was a dark and stormy night” is a prime example of cliché—even a cliché. Compare with the following weather sentences: ^{[10] X Research Source}
- “It was a bright and cold April day, and the clock struck thirteen.”— 1984 , by George Orwell. Not dark, stormy, or dark. But you can tell right from the start that something was amiss in 1984.
- “The sky is as colorful as a TV screen switching to a death channel.”— Neuromancer , author William Gibson, in the same book uses the word “cyberspace”. Not only does it talk about the weather, but it also immediately plunges the reader into the dark world of the story.
- “This is the best time, and also the worst time, this is the age of wisdom, also the age of ignorance, the age of faith, also the age of doubt, this is the age of light, it’s also the age of darkness, this is the spring of hope, it’s also the winter of disappointment, we used to have it all, now there’s nothing left, we’ll go to heaven, all we’re going straight to a place, a time far from the present, where some rowdy bureaucrats insist they distinguish between good and evil, or only in comparison.”— A Tale of Two Cities , author Charles Dickens Weather, emotions, curses, and despair—Dickens wraps it all up in the opening sentence to get the reader ready for the next part.
You should avoid clichés when writing about yourself. Writing that you are a “public figure” also gives no information about yourself. Writing that you communicate well with many people because you grew up in a family with many siblings and live in 6 countries also helps readers understand that you are a “person of the public” without relying on words.

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Avoid generalizations. One of the most conspicuous characteristics of sloppy writing is broad generalization. For example, you might write something like this in your academic article “In modern times, we are much more advanced than humans were hundreds of years ago.” This statement makes a series of baseless assumptions and fails to assert that the key idea is “progress”. Keep it short and concise. Whether you’re writing a short story or an academic essay, making a clear and broad statement will help improve your writing. ^{[11] X Research Source}

This also applies to creative writing. Don’t assume anything until you’ve tested it. For example, if you’re writing a story about a female character, don’t assume that she’s more sensitive than men or gentle and kind. This subjective way of thinking will keep you stuck in the way of thinking and unable to explore many other aspects of reality.

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Back up what you say. Don’t speculate without proof. In creative writing, this is similar to the “express, don’t tell” rule. Don’t just say that without the police force, society will collapse. Why is that? Where is the evidence? Paraphrase the thinking behind the statement so your readers understand what you’re saying. It also helps them decide whether to agree with you.

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Use caution when using metaphors and similes. Although a good metaphor or simile can liven up a sentence, using it incorrectly can backfire. Overusing metaphors and similes can also make your readers think you’re not confident with what you say and depend on numbers to explain your ideas. They also quickly become cliché.

The “combined” metaphor is a mixture of two metaphors. For example, “We’ll burn the bridge when we get there” combined with the common metaphors “We’ll cross the bridge when we get there” and “Don’t burn the bridge.” If you’re not sure how to use metaphors, look them up or don’t use them.

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Break the rules. A great writer doesn’t just stick to the rules—they know when and how to break them. Everything from traditional grammar to writing tips can be changed if you know how to improve. It is important that you write well enough and only break the rules when you master it.

Moderation is key. Using rhetorical questions to create a persuasive opening can be effective. Using a sequence of six rhetorical questions reduces effectiveness. Choose wisely when and why you should break the rules.

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Edit. Editing is the most important part of writing. Once you’ve finished writing a paragraph, wait a day and then reread it, look for misunderstandings, or dismantle the entire passage—whatever makes it better. When finished, have someone else read the passage.

Some people confuse “editing” with “proofing”. Both are important, but editing focuses on the content. Don’t pay too much attention to a particular word or idea when you have no intention of changing it, when you find that the idea would be clearer or more effective if expressed differently. Proofreading is more technical and finds mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting.

Read to Write

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Choose a good book. Whatever genre you write, familiarizing yourself with classic examples from the same genre will help you improve your writing skills. Read and study the works of famous and influential writers to learn vocabulary and see reader feedback. Immersing yourself in the work of famous writers, you will expand your vocabulary, knowledge and imagination. ^{[12] X Research Sources}^{[13] X Research Sources}

Find a variety of ways to organize a passage or present a story.
Try comparing different authors’ approaches to the same problem. For example, Tpstoy ‘s Death of Ivan Ilych and Hemingway’s The Snows of Kilimanjaro .
Remember that even if you write casual stories or scholarly articles, referencing good works improves your tone of voice. The more you familiarize yourself with the many ways to connect ideas, the more varied and personal your expressions will become.

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Alluded to through culture. You may not realize it, but books, movies, and other media all contain references to and homage to typical literary works. Reading classic books, you will build cultural knowledge more easily than self-gaining.

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You need to understand why a classic is considered good. You can read the novel The Catcher in the Rye but “don’t understand” or recognize its value immediately. If this happens, try reading some essays on the work to understand why it is so influential. You can explore each layer of meaning. Understanding what makes that piece of work or is the best way to improve the skill.

This rule also applies to normal writing and academic writing. Check out some of the works of famous authors in your field. What makes them famous? How do they work? What can you learn from them?

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Go to the theater. Plays are written and put into performance. If you don’t “understand” a piece of literature, go to a performance. If not found, read the work aloud. Put yourself in the position of the character. Listen to the character’s words as you read.

The plays are like bringing words to real life, only with the director’s interpretation and the actor’s transmission that you can imagine the author’s words.

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Read magazines, newspapers, etc. Literature is not the only place to consult ideas, the real world is full of passionate people, places and events that give you inspiration to write. A talented author is someone who captures the day-to-day events.

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Know when to stop the influence. This happens all the time: you finish a great novel, you quit your job to focus on your writing career. But when you sit down to write, these words don’t sound like your own voice, like imitating some author you’ve read. With the things you learn from the famous author, you need to develop it on your own. You need to practice writing a lot, re-reading old articles to remove the influence.

Skill Training

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Buy a notebook. You should choose a notebook that you can take anywhere. You can come up with an idea anywhere, and you want to catch it before it’s gone, then this is a good time!

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Write all your ideas on paper. Titles, subtitles, themes, characters, situations, phrases, metaphors — write anything that sparks your imagination when you’re ready.

If you’re not inspired to create, practice writing case notes. Rewrite how people work at the coffee shop. Write down how the sun shines on your desk at dusk. Attention to specifics will help you write better, whether as a poet or a journalist.

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Finish the notebook and move on. When you’ve finished your notebook, label it so you can reread it whenever you need inspiration.

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Attend a writing workshop. One of the best ways to improve your writing skills and stay motivated is to talk to others and get feedback on your writing. Find a group where you live or online. In these groups, members often read each other’s posts and discuss their likes and dislikes and ways to improve them. You can give feedback, get feedback, and they are valuable lessons for building skills.

Workshops aren’t just for creative writers! You can improve your academic writing by having a friend or colleague read it over. Working with others also encourages sharing ideas.

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Write daily. Write a diary, write a letter, or set an hour to practice writing. Choose a topic and start writing. It doesn’t matter what the topic is — mostly you practice writing, writing more, writing forever. Writing is a skill that takes hard work, it will develop if you take the time to nurture and practice properly. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Outline Story

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Choose a topic and write a general story about it. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just give the direction of the script. For example, a classic HPlywood story: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again. (Chase scenes will be added later).

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Write an outline. Start writing and then offer a twist, and a change in the script sounds appealing. But don’t do that! Just a simple outline will help you get the whole picture and save time when editing. Start with the basics and gradually expand. Add story, add characters, time, place and mood.

Once you have an outline, you just need to use a few more words to create a side outline for each subsection.

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Leave some space in the outline to add characters. Creating a story for the character, even if you don’t add character information, this helps readers get a feel for how the character is acting in the given situation.

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Don’t be afraid to “jump”. If you suddenly have a great idea to solve the situation near the end, but you are still writing Chapter 1, don’t hesitate to write the ending! Don’t waste ideas!

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Write the first draft. You’re ready to write your first draft! Use an outline, add characters and stories.

Don’t let yourself get bogged down. When writing a manuscript, there is no need to focus too much on using perfect sentences. More importantly, you need to focus all of your ideas so you can edit them.

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Let the story guide you. Letting the story unfold can be surprisingly effective. You’re still the director, just more open to inspiration.

You find that if you’ve given enough thought to the character, what they want, and why they want it, then that character will lead you to continue writing.

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Complete the first draft. Don’t get caught up in the bad points, just write the story on paper. If you recognize 2/3 of the story as a character who is an Ambassador of India and the story ends the same way, make a note of it. Don’t rewrite that part immediately, but wait for the first draft to be completed.

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Write again. Remember the first draft? Now that you can write from scratch, you’ve got the full details of the story so the characters will be more realistic and believable.

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Write from start to finish. When you finish the second draft, you’ll have all the information about the story, characters, main plot, and subplot.

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Read and share stories. You’ve finished your second draft, now it’s time to read it again — as calmly as possible so you can at least have some objectivity. Share with a few close friends whose opinions you value.

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Write the final draft. Armed with notes from reading the story, notes from friends or publishers, rewrite the story one more time and perfect it to your liking. End the story, resolve conflicts, remove characters that are not added to the story.

Advice

Don’t get distracted by the first draft. They are usually not perfect. When reading, keep it in mind and edit!
If you didn’t like the idea at first, you should try it, maybe it could turn into a good story.
Writing is fun or torture. This completely depends on who you ask the question. It can leave you euphoric or exhausted. There is no one correct answer about how it feels to write. Find your own style.
Try to have a natural flow. But if you overdo it, the details of feeling or thinking get heavy. Always keep in mind how you feel when you read the article and avoid things that upset you.

Warning

Be careful when using words. There is nothing worse than using words out of context. If you’re not sure how to use a word, look it up in a dictionary to make sure you understand what it means.
Do not steal! Expressing someone else’s words or ideas as your own is a serious offense in academics, journalism, fiction. If caught, you could be deported, fired, sued, or banned from publishing in the future. Therefore do not steal from others!

Steps