Most writers believe they are amazing writers. Nothing will humble you more than loading up Grammarly and seeing all your mistakes. However, grammatically correct sentences aren’t the only aspect of good writing. Being a good writer also involves using the correct words, hitting pain points, and expressing your ideas uniquely. How do you do this? This blog post will share with you five simple tips that you can apply right now to improve your writing forever.
Write daily
You’ve probably heard this many times, but it couldn’t be more true. If you want to be a great writer, you’ve got to write and write every day. Whether you’re writing for yourself or writing for your blog or a platform, it’s important to let your fingers hit the keyboard and go.
Of course, you’re not going to write a novel or 2,000-word article every single day. Everyone has work that needs to be done, families, chores, and everything else. Where would you find the time? However, you do need to make it a priority to write as much as you can each day. Not only does writing something daily build up your discipline, but it also expands your vocabulary and helps you find inspiration as well as your writing style.
Write for one person
When you write, you need to have one reader in mind and know exactly who it is. Often, writers will throw words on a blank document aimlessly, hoping they will stick. When you write without a specific person in mind, your message won’t resonate with your reader.
So, who are you writing for? What gender? Age? Background? Where do they hang out online? These are all things to keep in mind about your reader when you are writing. When you write for one person, there are tons of people out there who will be able to relate. Those are your people.
In marketing, they say, “if you market to everyone, you’re marketing to no one.” When writing, if you write for everyone, you’re talking to no one. Know your reader. Write for them, and you’ll appeal to many.
Turn off spell-check
Spell-check can distract you more than it helps. The little red lines that appear underneath the words you type can make you lose your train of thought. The best thing to do is to turn off spell-check. It will help you stay on track. After you’re done writing, you can either turn it back on or copy your content into an editor, so it can check everything for you.
Outline your content
It is very helpful to outline your content first. An outline is a plan you follow as you write so that you make your point. Creating an outline helps you organize your writing. It also helps you choose the points you want to make and arrange your points in order. Organizing and planning everything you want to write makes the writing part much easier. If you haven’t been doing this, it may be why you sometimes struggle with finishing your writing.
Write how you speak
Many writers try to sound more sophisticated than they are. Their writing is full of fluff to reach word counts instead of sounding authentic. It is more than okay to write how you speak. You don’t have to overuse big words to get your point across. Writing how you speak engages your reader more and makes your work sound more natural. This allows for a better flow. Of course, this doesn’t apply to you if you are writing for work or your clients and have to take on their voice. You have to do your job. However, if you’re writing for yourself or your blog, be sure to write how you speak. It truly makes all the difference.
