About four years ago, I sat on a stiff cold boardroom chair, listening to a motivational speaker who was invited by our company to “uplift” us. We had lost one of our own, and the general mood in the company was capricious and melancholic. The motivational speaker didn’t come to address our moods but our poor performances.
My department was called out just when I thought the talk was about to end. According to the figures presented, we had the best results. Yet, the speaker insisted that we could do better. I walked out. Fast forward, I have come to learn that self-improvement isn’t easy. Most people settle for a satisfactory performance level, not knowing they could reach the sky if they pushed just a little harder. I was one of them.
Ways to Be a Better Writer in English: Beginners’ Guide
Are you dreaming of becoming a great writer? Fantasizing about being the next creative genius like George Orwell, William Shakespeare, Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, or J.K. Rowling? Or an accomplished academic writer to improve your college grades? All hope isn’t lost. Even the greatest writers of all times struggled before finding their footing. The journey can be long and tedious, but those who dare to try it often reap great rewards.
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. College essays were the easier part. I have since ventured into content writing, short stories, blogging, and fictional and report writing. Despite my vast experience in writing, I still work on myself every day to improve. As they say, there are no perfect writers. Everyone has room for improvement. Here are some tips on how to be a better writer in English.
How to Be a Better Writer: 7 Practical Tips
1. Read, read, and read
This is likely to be the first thing anyone will tell you. Nevertheless, it is the most critical stage in becoming an accomplished essay writer with professional skills. Read books of all kinds. It is beneficial to learn and emulate the best. Read haphazardly to develop a reading culture.
In the second phase, identify academic writers with a few publications and read them chronologically. By doing so, you’ll be able to map their writing journey, noting their growth and development. Put special attention to their content, style, and mechanics and how they evolve. The process can make you realize that writing is an ad-infinitum process.
2. Take notes
As you read, note down the ideas and concepts you like in other writers’ books. Is it a new phrase, vocabulary, an exciting flow of ideas, or a powerful description of events? Write them down. Great writers develop their styles. However, you must know and understand the techniques used by other great writers to do that. Your story should be told in your unique voice. Therefore, invest time in others to develop your style.
3. Write
You can’t learn if you don’t write. Write simple paragraphs and stories that you can edit and improve over time. Each edit will mark your development journey as a writer. If possible, open a blog where you can post your writings. If you can’t, for some reason, offer your services to blogging sites. Try not to chase monetary rewards at this stage or pursue writing as a business. Instead, seek adventure and opportunities to write. Have fun in the process. Nothing is more demoralizing than writing in boredom.
If you encounter any challenge that seems insurmountable to you, seek help. Companies that offer custom writing services are plentiful. For example, CustomWritings offers cheap writing services to students and professionals worldwide. The company has expert writers in over 70 disciplines who can write essays from high school to PhD level. Their papers are customized and personalized to meet each customer’s needs. Furthermore, they can deliver within the shortest deadlines, making it easier for you to beat even the tightest deadlines. Additionally, their services are cheap and student-friendly. Writer’s block is a reality. It affects new and experienced writers. There are times that I have struggled with my creativity, focus, and interest in writing. During those times, I have used the company’s services to keep my work going. I could never be happier.
4. Create a “thinking” ritual
People have different ways of generating ideas. Find your best way and stick to it. I find my time in the shower the most productive. Sometimes I take over an hour in the shower just thinking and fantasizing. Meditating in bed before falling asleep comes a distant second. I know a fiction writer who uses jazz as his getaway and a means to deep thinking. Find yours and exploit it.
5. Sign up for a writing course
Online writing courses are plentiful. Even though the internet is full of scams and disreputable companies, you can’t fail to find a few reliable ones. You can always take them up on their free offers before signing up. The courses can help you overcome fundamental writing problems, setting you on the right path to your writing excellence. Remember that good writing begins with the basic building blocks.
6. Develop a writing ritual
Write. Write. Write. But when should you write? Humans are productive within very narrow windows. The convenient window for writing is even narrower. Some people find writing in the morning when they wake up most suitable. Others do it before going to bed. However, people like me break down their writing tasks into small manageable bits and work on them at different times. I prefer writing for one hour immediately after waking up, another hour after breakfast, and one more hour after my evening walk. Getting into a writing routine makes you consistent. It also engrains a culture of hard work into you.
7. Experiment
Be willing to try new ideas. It is okay to walk in multiple directions before finding your path. I understand that you want to be like the greatest writers of all time, but that doesn’t mean aping them. You have to find yourself; your voice, style, mechanics, and themes. Try everything and discard the ones that do not work. Over time, you’ll be left with a precise pattern you can relate to.
Join local writing clubs. If unavailable, you can join online writing forums and communities. Writing clubs can be invaluable to a starting writer. They can provide feedback, encourage you, and help you refine your work. Most importantly, they demonstrate the power of positive group collaboration at work. Moreover, interacting with people chasing the same objectives as you can be reaffirming and comforting.
