01 May Tips to Become a Better Writer

Read. Take time to read and learn new vocabulary. Read the newspaper in the morning, a book in your spare time or a magazine on your iPad. The more you read, the more you’ll learn about styles of writing.

Write. Practice makes perfect. Don’t be afraid to write and explore your voice through your writing. Offer to write something for a colleague, practice with your blog, or pick up a part-time gig writing for your local paper or a magazine. Everything you write may not get published, but you’ll see your writing gradually improve with practice.

Be well-versed and educated on topics that you’re writing about. I couldn’t write a 500-word article on hormone replacement therapy because I know nothing about that – write what you know.

Make a mind-map or outline. When I’m writing something that requires research or multi-layers, I like to create a mind-map or outline. Jotting your thoughts on paper will help you hone in on what you need to cover.

Don’t rush through your writing. Take time to write something, re-read it, and as a rule of thumb, I always read what I write out loud to catch any mistakes. It turns out better in the end if you can read it and hear out loud the way that your writing will come across.

Write first, then edit. Sometimes I get so distracted with editing and cleaning up my language that I lose my train of thought. Write everything out, then go back and edit.

Use a thesaurus or word guide, but don’t overuse these tools. Words can have multiple meanings and synonyms can work well in a sentence, or confuse a reader. Use your thesaurus lightly – don’t try to appear overly wordy.

Adopt a style guide as your bible. Some great ones that I use on a daily basis are: The Canadian Style Guide AND the AP Stylebook.