Ten Specific Ways To Become A Better Writer
Straightforward, Easy To Understand Tips
If you’re like me, then you’ll have googled “how to become a better writer” at some point or another during your writing career. Whilst there’s no shortage of articles on the subject, finding specific tips you can use is another matter.
Most will tell you to ‘remove filler phrases’ or ‘brush up on the basics’, but what does that even mean? Here’s a list of 10 practical, easy to use tips that translate into better writing when you put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard.
1. Write, Write, Write
It’s number one for a reason — if you want to become a better writer, then you need to keep writing. Like any art form, the more practice you get, the better you become.
It’s good to push yourself.
When I started writing, I’d manage 700 to 800 words in a day. After a few months of writing, I was churning out 1200. Today, I regularly write over 2000 words a day.
The more you write, the easier it will become. The same theory applies to writing in different genres. Don’t expect your first romantic scene to flow like honey over the pages of your novel, because it won’t. That’s ok, you’ll get better as you go along.
2. Pick Your Poison
Sitting with a pretty girl for an hour seems but a minute; sitting on a hot stove for a minute seems an hour.
Good writing takes time. If you’re going spend a couple of hours building up a piece of literature, at least pick something you like.
Cats, Music, Art, Travel, Donald Trump — whatever takes you fancy.
Over the past year, I’ve heard the question “but would my readers be interested?” far too many times. The fact is, if you write from the heart, your passion will shine through in a way that can’t be faked. Most of my articles on Medium are automotive, which isn’t most reader’s first choice, but it’s what I enjoy writing about.
Good writing should be fun, not a drag.
3. Connect With The Reader
The reader needs to feel ‘involved’ in the story or article, not just a passive receiver of knowledge. To explain this better, I’ve pulled a couple of lines out of my latest fiction publication, a novel titled The Execution.
“Pulling the Glock from underneath my pillow, I crept towards the door and put my eye against the peep-hole. Ron’s distorted face gazed back. He’d never been good looking, but from this angle, he was f***ing ugly.”
The last line, in particular, engages with the reader in a very direct way. Now let’s re-write the same part without engaging with the reader.
“The gun was pulled from underneath the pillow. I crept towards the door and put my eye against the peep-hole. I saw Ron’s distorted face. He looked uglier than usual.”
As I’m sure you can tell, the second version is bland when compared to the actual writing in the book. Connecting with the reader ensures they’ll read more of your work. Sometimes without even realising, they are eager to know what happens next.
4. Read Other People’s Work
Your mind works a lot like a bonfire.
The more wood you chuck into it, the bigger the flames. Reading what others have written keep you ‘topped up’ with topics to write about, or gives you new perspectives on old ideas. If you stop fuelling your creativity by reading, then it’s no surprise you’re going to struggle to write.
The worst-case scenario is being stuck in writer’s block, where you feel like you’re out of ideas, unable to write anything at all.
Don’t let it happen to you.
5. Keep A Notebook
Writer’s minds are funny little things. Mine has an uncanny tendency of coming up with brilliant ideas in the most inopportune places.
Whether it’s midway through a lesson (I’m a teacher by profession), or during a medical examination, that’s when my mind decides to kick into “creative writing mode”.
Given that I don't have an amazing memory, the next best thing to do is keep a notebook or something to jot down ideas on. My phone permanently has a stream of short, two or three-word notes in it — complete nonsense to anyone but me.
Keeping a notebook, or electronic equivalent, will help keep track of your creativity, as well as take the weight of your mind. It’s a lot easier to scroll through your notes and start writing, rather than staring at a blinking cursor, trying to remember the brilliant idea you had two days ago.
6. Abolish The Adverbs
If used well, adverbs add spice to writing.
They modify a verb to add a subtle level of detail. Occasional use is good, going overboard will make your writing sound cheap. Let’s look at the following example:
“Justine’s happily looked at me and smiled warmly. The lovely shine in her big, emerald eyes shone more brightly than I remembered. We stood inside, behind the door, facing each other, looking longingly at each other. Her mouth drew quickly into a tight line, as though shyly holding something back. She looked slowly away, reminding me of an awkward teenager. I could sense the pulse throbbing sensually through her body.
“Hey.” I reached out and put my hands lovingly round her waist.”
Sick of adverbs yet? Here’s the actual version of the text that appears in my novel:
“Justine’s beaming smile greeted me, beckoning me in. The shine in her doe, emerald eyes was brighter than I remembered. We stood inside, facing each other, our gaze locked. Her mouth drew into a tight line, like she was holding something back. Looking away, she reminded me of an awkward teenager. I could sense the pulse throbbing through her body.
“Hey.” I reached out and put my hands round her waist.”
The second version is cleaner, giving the same amount of detail to the reader in a much more efficient and flowing way. Removing adverbs where possible tends to make writing sharper and more direct.
The same applies to filter words like “seem”, ”know“, “watch”, “feel”, “look” and “sound” to name a few.
7. The Power Of Editing
Anyone who tells you that they can write something perfect first-time round is either not human, or a liar.
When writing fiction, I tended to spend much more time editing a piece rather than writing it. Editing your work is an essential part of the process if you want to create something that stands out.
I’m not saying you have to hire a professional editor to go through every single thing you write, but re-reading and making a few choice changes works wonders.
8. Ask For Help.
There’s no shame in it.
If you’re struggling with a particular scene in a novel or a certain topic in an article, reach out to someone who’s done it before. Not only will it ease your frustration, but you might find that your struggles are in fact normal. Chances are the expert you reach out to ran into the same issues when they were starting out.
9. Accept All Criticism Even When It’s Negative
While writing my novel, I used to share parts of it with other writers for criticism.
One particular critic, let’s call him Joe, clearly had an issue with my writing. Joe would say things like “your writing is too complex” or highlight the fact that I’d used a word twice on a page, making it repetitive. His concluding remarks were always that the novel needed heavy re-structuring or a complete re-write.
His criticism was anything but constructive, yet I still learned a lot from it. Listening to all your critics, even those who shoot you down, gives you a clearer picture of where your writing stands and how it can be improved.
Take it all on board, then pick and mix what you think is right.
10. Know When To Send It
I have to admit, this is a trap I still fall into a few times.
It’s easy to get caught up in an endless loop of editing and re-editing. Whilst it’s important to go through your work, multiple times if need be (see point 7), you have to learn when to let go.
Part of it is accepting the fact that there is no perfect piece of literature, only different shades of improvement. My advice? The minute you’re done editing and you’re happy with the result, just hit Publish! Leaving your work as a draft for one more day will only make you want to take it apart further.
Happy Writing!