1. Write Every Day
Writing on a daily basis will develop your skills and hone your ability to craft grammatically correct and engaging sentences.
2. Use Active Voice
Active voice is more engaging than passive voice. Consider how “My mother baked the cake” is better than “The cake was baked by my mother.”
3. Be a Voracious Reader
Read widely to grow your vocabulary and enhance your understanding of various styles of writing. Sample different genres and authors.
4. Be Clear and Concise
Use clear and concise language to communicate your message effectively. Avoid excess language as filler, and flowery language that obscures your message.
5. Vary Sentence Structure
Change up the structure of your sentences. This will make your writing more interesting to the reader.
6. Avoid Overused Words
Avoid the use of clichés and overused phrases. Strive to come up with unique ways to describe what you’re trying to say.
7. Be Descriptive
Use descriptive language to help your reader picture your words in their mind’s eye. This will make what you wrote more memorable to the reader.
8. Use Similes
Integrate similes and metaphors into your writing whenever it makes sense to do so. This will make your writing more relatable to the reader.
9. Use Strong Action Words
Try to use strong verbs instead of weak verbs. For example, instead of saying “walk”, say “saunter.” Instead of saying “get,” say “obtain.”
10. Avoid Jargon
Avoid using terms that are only known to a select group of readers. Jargon and technical terms can make your writing inaccessible to those who are not “in the know.”
11. Use Transition Words
Implement the use of transition words to help guide your reader from one idea to the next. Transition words include, “However,” “Therefore,” and more.
12. Use Headings
The use of headings and subheadings helps to organize your piece and make it less overwhelming to the reader.
13. Use Bullet Points
Use bullet points and numbered points to list items that are related to each other in order to break up long passages and enable your reader to quickly scan your piece.
14. Consider Your Audience
Always know who your audience is so that you can write for their perspective, using language and style that they can easily understand.
15. Don’t Overuse Exclamation Marks
Avoid pepper in your article with exclamation marks or words that are unnecessarily capitalized. If you write your article well, you won’t have to draw attention to certain words with exclamation marks and capitalized words.
16. Use Italics and Bold Sparingly
Don’t overuse italics and bold formatting. The more you use them, the less emphasis you will be placing on important points in your article.
17. Integrate Quotes
When relevant, quotes from authority sources can help to support the arguments that you make in your article.
18. Include Data
Depending upon the piece that you are writing, the inclusion of data and statistics can help to back up your arguments.
19. Be Consistent With Tone
Use a consistent tone throughout your article in order not to confuse your reader. For instance, if you want to use humor, it should be a humorous piece throughout.
20. Use Anecdotes
When relevant, integrate anecdotes into your writing. This can help to add interest to your writing and connect better with your reader.
21. Review and Edit
Before considering an article as finished, read through it carefully and review it for any improvements or edits that need to be made.
22. Don’t Overuse Adjectives
Excess use of adjectives and adverbs can give your writing an amateur tone that makes it look like you are unable to describe things without adjectives.
23. Be Detailed
Use specific details whenever possible in your writing. For example, instead of saying, “a car drove down the road,” say, “a Pontiac drove down Wilson Avenue.”
24. Use Examples
Include examples to illustrate the points that you want to make and to make your piece more relatable to the reader.
25. Avoid Qualifiers
Using too many qualifiers, such as, “very,” “really,” and similar words weaken your writing and can cause your reader to lose interest.
26. Learn Grammar
Spend time learning correct grammar and punctuation. Don’t rely heavily on outside software or applications that promise to improve your writing. If you don’t learn grammar and punctuation yourself, you’ll never become a better writer.
27. Equip Yourself With the Proper Tools
As a writer, there are certain tools that you need in order to do your job well. Invest in yourself and equip yourself with the proper tools.
28. Avoid Repetition
Vary the words you use in the article. Avoid using repetitive language. Instead, use synonyms for various words throughout your piece in order to keep the interest of your reader.
29. Adjust Your Writing Space
Experiment with different screen sizes, fonts, and font sizes. You may find that you write more comfortably in a different font or size. Adjust your writing space in a way that works best for you.
30. Take Breaks
When you have brain fatigue, it’s more difficult to be the best writer you can be. Periodically, take breaks from your writing and step away from the page in order to refresh your brain.
32. Review the Brief
When writing something for a client, be sure that you carefully review the content brief so that you can deliver exactly what they asked for, including all the information that they requested.
33. Learn SEO
Online articles almost always require SEO. Learn the basics of SEO so that you can be a more valuable resource for your writing clients.
34. Experiment With Styles
Excrement with different writing styles. Just like anything, it’s possible to get stuck in a rut with writing.
35. Outsource
Know when to outsource your writing. Few people have the time to run a business and do all the writing that may be involved. Outsource to the experts in order to ensure that you get the best writing possible.
If you’d prefer to spend less time writing yourself so you can spend your valuable time on other aspects of your business, take advantage of the free trial at WriterAccess, where you can access thousands of professional writers.