How to become a better writer

Answer 1

The best advice I can give is what not to do. When I was learning how to write, how to really write, our teacher gave us a list of words we absolutely could not use in formal writing, along with other practices that were off-limits. Giving yourself a limitation to start, and forcing yourself to practice writing formally with these bounds may open you up to many other forms of writing in the future.

Some of the words you absolutely should not use in formal writing are: any form of get (got/gotten/getting/gets), world, worldly, thing or things, someone, anyone, no one, somebody, anybody, nobody, anything, something, nothing. There are a few more.

Some practices you could also implement are:

1. Eliminate sentences that start with 'This...' Such as 'This shows that the dog, indeed, had rabies.'
2. Eliminate any 'be' verbs, but use only two or three per essay if you must; so words like "is, are, am, being, been" etc. need to be removed.
3. This may seem crazy, but eliminate the word 'and' as much as possible. Might be the most challenging item on this list, but it can be done.
4. Don't go too overboard with commas. If you have any doubts a comma should be there, take it out.
5. I can't help but point out that formal writing loves present progressive verbs. So, rewriting the sentence 'I assisted my mother with her chores and then the doorbell rang' to something like 'Assisting my mother with her chores, the doorbell rang' will help your writing become tighter, more meaningful, and focused.

Also remember, if you cannot read your own writing without your mind drifting, your writing is not engaging enough. I can't recall how many books I've read where this happened to me; only about 10% actually captured my attention for the story's duration (mostly Stephen King and Douglas Adams). I implement this 'mind wander-proof' practice with film theory and criticism too, along with content creation and video editing.

Answer 2

Write, write, edit, rewrite. Put it down and read, read, and read. Read your work again, edit it, rewrite it if need be. Repeat as often as necessary.

I became a better writer when I got my first computer (back in the days of the first, really floppy discs). It wasn’t much compared to the tools we have today, but it took away my fear of rewriting and allowed me to try out changing words, sentences, and whole paragraphs at basically zero risk. As scary as that blank screen is, much worse for me is the neatly typed manuscript with its lead buried in the middle.

Answer 3

"Don't let them know you had to learn how to write. Tell' em you were born that way!" (Ernest Hemingway)

I would like you to close your eyes and visualize your favorite writer, the one so talented you could never imagine being their equal. (You would not be the first to be intimidated by the mystic of famous authors)

But then I would like you to imagine what you have in common with the one you have placed on a pedastal. Are you the same gender? Gender orientation? Same nationality? Same age or generation? Were you both raised by abusive parents? Were you each orphaned? Did you kill somebody in war? Did you beat your addiction? Did you beat your spouse? Did you both protest a war? Do like each like dogs? Were you each married and divorced at least twice? Did you both either attend or drop out of a university? Both cancer survivors?

Make as complete a list as you can, and open your eyes. I don't really CARE what is on your list...because I know for certain the only important thing is the one you left off your list...

You, and your favorite author, were at one time (drum roll) BOTH illiterate.

Therefore, writing is not a gift from god, but something that is learned, and while your thoughts may differ from those of your favorite author, your ability to tell the story, YOUR story, is boundless.

To be an interesting writer, be an interesting person, observe all details, and follow Hemingway's advice. (By the way, the original Old Man and the Sea was 600 pages beforre his editor trimmed his excesses and focus on the story. Even HE needed an editor!)