Many people wish to become better writers, and enjoy the process of writing. It’s perhaps one of the easiest crafts to try out, because all you need is paper and a pen, or word processing software installed on a device, which has become the new norm. There are also a range of reasons to write.
A painter could apply his craft in many ways, but none quite as versatile as the writer. They often say a picture can speak a thousand words, but a volume could contain tens of thousands.
On top of this, writing is a life skill that is often required in many ways. You will need to write in some capacity through most jobs you hold, perhaps not creatively or with imagination, but with clarity, and organized thinking.
Naturally then, the idea of becoming a better writer is attractive to many people no matter the end purpose imagined. Just like learning a language, it will have positive effects throughout many other, hidden and unexpected areas in life. With the following advice, you should have a better time taking care of this admirable goal:
Practice
It’s important to practice any craft, but writing is perhaps one of the most important to keep on top of. For example, if you write technical prose for your job, such as instructional manuals for products, it might be that this will hamper your creative writing abilities.
But writing something is better than writing nothing at all. The more you can practice, the more you can begin to construct sentences clearly. The more you practice, the more confidence you have for experiments in language. It’s essential to sit at your word processor for at least twenty minutes a day. It can be worthwhile to journal your thoughts, as this content will come naturally, and you can begin to work on the form instead.
It might also be worthwhile to keep custom notebooks in your work or travel bag, as this can help you note things down on the fly, and become more adept at the small insight-gathering descriptors that can truly help the lucidity of your writing.
Read
It sounds almost too simple and obvious, but to write well you have to read plenty. It’s always best to grapple with impressive and celebrated literature, but reading the latest popular genre fiction can also connect you with impressive prose.
But you’ll get more out of reading a classical novel than you might a simple short story online, for example. However, the more you can expose yourself to great writing, the more you’ll begin to think through that lense. This will also naturally help you fall in love with writing, which you will need if you’re ever to note something yourself.
Don’t Stay Limited By The Craft
While there are general rules to good prose construction, just as there is to painting well, you need to learn the rules so that you can subvert them. Don’t stay limited by the craft. Once you begin to feel adept, feel free to adopt your own natural style. The more you refine this the better it will develop, and that can help you plenty in the long term.
Source: https://minutehack.com/guides/helping-yourself-become-a-better-writer
