Going Back To Basics To Make You A Better Writer

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Whether you write creatively, write for business or just write for fun – it never hurts to brush up on your skills. All writers should assess their writing from time to time to see if it could be better. Just like a chef uses ingredients to make a dish – your ingredients might all be there, but the method could need some work. Going back to basics is a great way to refresh your skills and help make you a better writer. Read on for some great tips on how to improve your writing.

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If you want to become better at something, you should study it. That’s why writers should also be readers. Stephen King, in one of his many useful tips about writing, said that we should stop watching television as it is ‘poisonous to creativity.’ It’s tough to argue with a man who has written more than 90 books, and you can learn a lot by reading books by a variety of authors for inspiration on style and word choices.

Write intensively

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Want to become a better writer, fast? Then do it intensively. AJ Hoge offers advice on learning English stating that people must be immersed in it for at least eight hours a day to advance, and the same could be said for writing. By writing consistently and really immersing yourself in it, you’ll learn how to write better quicker and possibly improve your words per minute too!

Write down your thoughts

It’s one thing to write about something, but why not write for the sake of writing? Writing about what you know best, yourself, can help you to get into the practice of writing and is a great way to free your mind of any thoughts that might be troubling you. Keep a journal or even a blog – nobody has to see them if you don’t want them too but it’ll be a good way to practice your writing if you have nothing else to write about.

Keep an ideas book

You’d be surprised at how many ideas you could get from walking down the street or hearing a conversation in a cafe. Some of the greatest minds in recent times were known to keep an idea journal to hand, and you can be one of them. The inspiration for great stories and ideas can come from all sorts of places and by keeping an ideas book to hand, you can make sure that you always jot them down. Write down quotes that have inspired you or music lyrics you love – when it comes to sitting down to write your next piece; you can take a look at it and let the ideas flow from ones you’ve already jotted down. If carrying a notebook isn’t for you, your phone is also a handy tool for writing down the things that inspire you.

Looking for ways to improve your writing will not only help your skills and technique but can also help you to think of more creatively. If you’re looking to get your writing published, you’ll need to put the effort in to make your pieces worth reading. Honing your skills may seem like a chore, but you will become a much better writer for your efforts.