Although writing is fun, it can also be a long, anticipating process to get a new project done. We can look at our writing sometimes, wondering exactly how we can improve. In fact, this is a question that should be explored by anyone who has this wonder: How can we become a better writer?

At first glance, this question might seem like a puzzle that’s almost impossible to solve. However, writing is a work in progress, and just like any skill, can be perfected and improved.

Let’s discover what it takes to truly become a better writer–from one creator to another!

1. Write. Every Day.

Writing can be a hobby, a career, and a skill. Either way, one of the key factors at making your writing skills stronger is practicing. By writing every day, you are putting all of your creativity on paper and stimulating your mind.

Each time you write, take time to think about where you could’ve done better. Make a mental and physical note. Then, carry on your own feedback, as well as another person’s, if you want to take a step further, to the next day.

2. Your Characters — Who Are They?

As writers, a huge part of our stories are our characters. We want the readers to go on an emotional ride with them. To help them feel what the protagonist is feeling. We want our readers to relate to our characters, and know who they are. But, how can we teach our readers about our characters when we don’t know who they are, ourselves?

Create a document full of information about each of your characters (appearance, personality, hobbies, likes, dislikes, motives, etc.). Afterwards, try having a conversation where you ask questions, and respond to them in the way one of your characters would. What do they sound like? What’s their body language? These are questions that we should answer in order to truly connect to the characters in our works.

3. Pay attention to your grammar.

Whether you write technically or creatively, your grammar is a must. While or after you write a new project, pay attention to things like homophones (words that sound the same), punctuation, taglines, sentence structure, and the overall flow of the words that you use.

Maybe there are sentences that, while grammatically correct, don’t flow together or make sense. Make those changes during the editing and revision processes to enhance your writing.

4. Try to avoid the overuse of words. Especially boring verbs.

One of the biggest mistakes that we can make while writing is using typical, boring verbs like “said” or “jump” or “smile.” When we do this, our readers will eventually get bored, regardless of the context around these words. The verbs that we use have an extreme effect on our writing. During an intense moment, you may want to use the word “vault” instead of “jump.” Or in a noisy moment, “prattle” sounds more interesting than “talk.”

Using strong verbs will help transport your reader into your story, which is one of our goals, as creators.

5. Read your works out loud.

Sometimes, we might feel like reading our writing in our heads, quickly scanning through the pages of alphabet soup. While it may be easier, it is much more likely that you will miss a grammatical or structural defect in your writing while doing so.

Reading your text aloud will help decrease the possibility of any issues in your writing, and possibly make the amount of required drafts drop, as well.

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Although I won’t consider this a point, I will say that before you write anything, make sure you love what you are writing. If you are invested in it, then you can insure that your work is your best. Readers should be able to feel our passion for writing while reading our stories. They should be able to say “This one can write!”

Never forget this: a story starts with the one who writes it.

Have an amazing day! God loves you! ✨