I recently met with a coaching client who wanted to know how to become a better writer.
If you've ever felt like you're not a good writer, or felt like you have a long way to go to improve, you're not alone.
I've always been a writer, but that doesn't mean I've always been a good writer. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but about 5 years ago, I finally started writing in public.
In 2010, I first started my first blog about personal finance. At first it was disjointed and didn’t have great flow. I was writing about whatever was on my mind. But once I started Unsettle I really started to focus on my writing to make sure that my message was getting across. My writing has been five plus years in the making, and is still a work in progress. Creating strong arguments in the written word work like magic when you’re trying to organize thoughts in your head. Writing also separates you from the crowd. It helps position you as an expert. So writing is important… But difficult. Luckily, writers are made, not born. In this episode, I’m going to share some tips to help you become a better writer.
How to Become a Better Writer:
- Publish consistently, publicly.
- Study the writing of those you love.
- Read. A lot.
- Play with perspective and emotion.
- Change your angle.
- Read your writing out loud.
- Write your conclusion first.
- Don’t wait until you’re inspired.
“ Writing is a practice. It’s just like any other skill. You get better at it because you put in the time” Start with a small goal. Meet those goals and constantly re-evaluate them. Inspiration strikes when you have your butt in the chair. I have no doubt that if you follow these tips you’ll see a huge improvement in your writing, but if you want honest writing critique, visit the Unsettle Facebook group, work with your peers and get some critiques from your fellow bloggers and authors.
Mentioned in this Show:
- Recommended Reading: The War of Art – Steven Pressfield Daily Rituals: How Artists Work – Mason Currey
- Recommended app: Byword
Thanks for Tuning In!
I love hearing from my listeners, so if you have some feedback you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below. Make sure you subscribe to the Unsettle Podcast on iTunes to get automatic updates, or if you’re an Android user, find it on Stitcher here.]]>
Dear Sarah,
I listened to the above podcast, and I thought I was a reasonably good writer, but I also now realise, there are a few lessons to be learned here.
Reading out aloud is a good one.
Writing your conclusion first, in a blog post is also good, but is more difficult in a research piece, where you write as you find. Though I suppose that comes under the guise of note-taking – and organising your thoughts/findings/conclusions etc etc.
I used to teach, and to my students, I always suggested leaving 24hours (or overnight) between writing the words, and hitting submit (or dropping the finished piece in my in-tray). It also means they have to finish it early, and are therefore more likely to spot errors of thought or writing.
Coming back to a piece later separates you from the authorship. It distances you, and makes it easier to be critical of your own work… I still think that one could be one you might add to your list above. If you visit my blog, you will no doubt realise, I would have benefited from taking my own advice in more than a few posts.
Thanks for the web-site and thanks for this piece – Great work!
W.
Fantastic, very practical list there. Your seventh point is in my opinion the most crucial. Lots of writers fumble because they don’t plan the conclusion. They spin such wild plots, or throw in so much information, there is just no way to wrap up. To be able to foresee the conclusion is the first step towards any proper writing. Otherwise it is just a pointless stroll in the park. You don’t even know when you should go home.
Hi Sarah,
I downloaded several podcast episodes (in no particular order, just randomly based on their subject titles) and have been enjoying listening to them on my work commute.
While all of them are fantastic, this one resonated with me in particular. I’ve also been writing stories and poems when I was younger. The fact that I’m blogging makes me want to become a better writer. This podcast has some great tips, that I’m going to try and incorporate. Thanks!!
Great Post Indeed!
These days, with so such of competition around, writing epic content is crucial. But it is sad to see, that most of the people are still not focusing on this most important factor.
As far as I know, catchy headline with problem solving content, can reach huge audience very quickly and can attract good quality Backlinks.
So, we really should focus on content.