How can you improve your writing skills without attending any classes?
I've always wanted to be a writer. However, I've never considered making it my full-time job/career. At most, I would be a part-time writer.
I have two main obstacles to writing:
1.) Time: normally, I would take workshops, free online classes, etc. to help improve my writing skills, but I struggle finding time. I am a full time student who works, and I have a very demanding dog (aka drama queen).
2.) I find my writing style boring. I can write a great paper for school, but usually on topics that tend to be more objective. I struggle finding/using my voice to connect with my reader. I would like to have more intrapersonal style.
So, writers of Career Village, what do you suggest? Should I make it a goal to write something everyday (i.e. use writing prompts, etc.)? Or do you suggest something else?
14 answers
Valerie’s Answer
Sikawayi’s Answer
Cooper’s Answer
Rebecca’s Answer
Below are a few suggestions :
1. Practise makes perfect - You can write more whatever you like, e.g. short stories, articles, journals, novels, etc. You can publish on your blog, etc. The comments from your readers can also help to improve.
2. Read more - Read more different kinds of books especially those classical novels. Observe how the authors write and learn the techniques
3. Find out more information on writing techniques online
4. Attend some languages / write skills classes
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Ananth’s Answer
It is a great and important question, writing is an important skill to level up in career and life. In this post I will go about how I got started and improved my writing skill along the way.
I started my writing by journaling everyday summarizing day-to-day happenings: the good, bad and my learnings from experiences. Moving on I improved it from paragraphs to pages when I started taking detailed notes for different courses that I attended in school and took online, it is a great way to learn complex concepts and concreting the understanding on any topic. Writing helps in understanding the gaps in our knowledge and conveying our thoughts clearly. It improved further by reading books of my interest like the same way as Valerie, I saw huge improvement in my vocabulary, sentence structure, summarizing large content and also improvement in the spellings.
Like any other skill, starting small is the key, things will improve with regular practice, course correction and with quality of content you read and listen to.
Happy writing!
Ananth recommends the following next steps:
Brook’s Answer
A daily writing practice is a goal worth at least trying. If you find that journaling about your own experiences and thoughts isn't for you, try writing a few lines each day that eventually make up a whole story. If that isn't for you, try writing a mock article about something you saw on the news, or a column about a subject you are learning about in school, or a how-to on living with a "drama queen" dog. There's no wrong way to practice!
Lars’s Answer
Then practice thinking, texting and even speaking in that writing style.
When you have time to write you'll have a head start.
Christa Semko
Christa’s Answer
1. Read, read, read. Being an avid reader of all different types of content (articles, blogs, books) is a great way for you to improve the way that you write - you'll know what great writing looks like because you'll be a great consumer of words.
2. Edit. If you don't have time to write yourself, think about editing the writing of others. Your classmates / peers - having a critical editing eye will help improve your writing skills.
3. Practice. Maybe you don't have time every day to do this - but find ways to build this into your routine. Maybe it's weekly at first. And it doesn't have to be lengthy writing. Consider writing short reviews of things on review platforms like Trip Advisor or Yelp. Or consider the emails you write to friends or family as a way to practice your writing.
Writing is a skill that will serve you well in so many ways personally and professionally - good luck in your studies and your career!
Ghazi’s Answer
Shweta’s Answer
-Make sure you’re clear on the concepts you’re writing about.
-If the message is complex, outline it.
-Anticipate your readers’ questions.
-Make Your Writing More Conversational
Hope this helps!
Priya’s Answer
Elizabeth’s Answer
CVS interns here, and we think one of the best ways to become better at writing is to read more. Pick something you are interested in because you will stay engaged and it will help your writing even if it is fiction. You can also try looking up samples for what you want to write. For example, if you are looking to write a memo, look up 'sample work memo'. You should also consider asking one of your teachers to look over your writing before you submit it, and revise your writing a couple of times. Another thing that has helped some of us is reading the biographies of writers to learn more about their journey and how they developed their writing skills.