3 Simple Things to Do to Become a Better Writer

by Elle Ray | Mar 23, 2014 | Writing

Anyone Can Benefit from These Tips, Even You!

Here at Ray Access, we are professional writers. We became writers the old-fashioned way: we worked at it by writing and rewriting. You can too. Here are three simple things you can do to improve your writing skills.

1. Read

read what you want to write

That’s right: reading helps your writing. Ideally, we suggest that you read the types of things you want to write. If you want to write science fiction, load your shopping cart with Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clark. If you want to write for the newspaper, read — not scan, but really read — everything from the local rag to the New York Times. And of course, if you want to blog, read other blogs. Like this one!

Here’s how it works: when you read, your mind takes in the words on the page, the ideas behind those words, and the way the words are strung together. Before you can write like a genius, you have to know what a genius writes like.

It’s also important to read a variety of authors, so when you begin to write, you don’t subconsciously copy the tone and cadence of the one you like the best. A little of that likely will happen anyway, but your influences gradually fade as your own voice becomes stronger.

2. Write

Write every day Like any skill, writing requires practice to improve. If you wanted to become a better baseball pitcher, you’d have to practice throwing. To become a better carpenter, you spend years refining your skills and knowledge. Writing is no different.

Now you’ve probably heard that writing is an “art,” meaning it’s something only artists can do. At a certain level, that’s true, but very few people reach that level. For the rest of us, writing is a craft, like knitting or driving. The more you do it — when you have the intention of improving; when you do it consciously — the better you’ll get at it.

The best advice for becoming a better writer is to write. Practice every day. It doesn’t matter what you write about or how good that writing is. Just keep writing. Keep a journal. Your writing will improve the more you do it.

3. Solicit Constructive Criticism

seek objective criticism When you feel you’re ready to share your writing, find a person or a group who promise to be brutally honest. Sharing your writing with your mother or your best friend might be nice for them, but it usually will not improve your writing. You need an objective, impartial reader.

Writers need feedback. Writers need to have their work read. It’s the primary reason Mark left the lucrative field of technical writing: no one reads technical manuals except other technical writers. Mark needed a broader audience. You will too when you suddenly find yourself writing.

So continue to read, write every day, and seek outside feedback. These are three things you can do, in order, to become a better writer. Writing a blog post will no longer feel like climbing Mount Everest. Composing a letter or email will no longer take all day. And maybe someday you can join the ranks of professional writers, just like Linda and Mark of Ray Access.

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.

Writing Tips

by Elle Ray | Jun 19, 2013 | Writing

How to Master the Art of the Article Opening

Two of the most common openings we see for blogs, newsletters and marketing blurbs are:

“Well, here it is summer again and the kids are calling to come out and play, but we’ve got work to do…”

And

“I can’t believe it’s summer again and time for my next newsletter…”

writing on a laptop

Beginning an article is one of the most difficult aspects for unprofessional writers. Once they get started, however, the words seem to flow a little more seamlessly, and they can get to the point. Unfortunately, by then, many if not most of their likely readers (except for friends and relatives) have moved on to something … anything … better.

When Linda started on her first newspaper gig, her editor almost always cut the first line of her submissions. That first line tended to be mundane and uninformed (like the sentences above) or were filled with words she’d fallen in love with. (Don’t worry; she’s learned her lesson.)

Putting words on paper is one way to start a writing project — a task many people we know dread as much as public speaking. So take a page from Linda’s editor and start writing however you can, but then cut the first sentence or two. You’ll probably find the meat of your topic by the third sentence.

Write the Way You Talk

The next tip is to quit trying to impress your readers with your three- and four-syllable words, unless they’re college professors, medical doctors, or simple politicians. Do you normally talk that way? Probably not. Write like you talk and you’ll find the process so much easier. And your audience will find your writing so much easier to read.

You can get your message across without torturing your readers. If you have important information to impart, the last thing you should do is write really, really long sentences that cause readers to stop and ponder your meaning. Write crisp, clear sentences. Help your readers understand, especially if you’re writing an online article.

In the long run, through many trials and errors, even after overcoming my fear of not being good enough and trying to get it right the first time, trying to make it perfect and then even when I try, it seems I don’t get anywhere quickly, then I begin to feel like I can write a sentence that makes sense, especially when the words just don’t seem to come very easily and I understand how writers feel when they are blocked and can’t write anything. That’s hard.”

Ugh. Even though you may find this kind of run-on sentence in a daily newspaper or so-called professional magazine — don’t do it yourself. It may be counter-intuitive, but it’s much more difficult to make information clear and concise than to run on forever. Bite-size information is more palatable. Just like a good meal, you don’t swallow the whole thing in one gulp. You take your time and savor each bite. Let your writing be that way. Your readers will appreciate your brevity.

We Are Writing Pros

For professionals like us here at Ray Access, writing is an art, a skill and a talent. It’s our passion. We sit down at the keyboard and don’t stop until we’ve produced a great article anyone can read and understand. The writing task that you might agonize over, we long for. The words that you struggle to put down on paper, we can twirl and twist and type out with flair.

Our best writing tip? Either brush up on those dormant writing skills so you can compose straight, clean prose … or let us help you get it right. Words matter, whether you’re writing an online blog or marketing brochure. Don’t lose your audience before the final period.