10 ways you can improve your writing.

When I first started off writing I had yet to learn what I was doing. In fact, I overused words and often switched tenses and changed between active and passive voice. Slowly but surely, I am learning some helpful tips as I continue to write, and I thought I would share some of those tips here.

These tips are important when starting your first draft, but they really need to be focused on the most when you begin editing. My advice is to ignore doing any of this until after you have written your first draft. Once you start reviewing what you have written, then implement these tips.

1. Start with a clear purpose in mind: Before you begin writing, it’s important to know what you want to accomplish. This could be to inform, persuade, entertain, or do something else. Having a clear purpose will help you stay focused and make your writing more effective.
2. Use concrete, specific language: Abstract or vague language can be confusing or unclear. Instead, try to use concrete, specific language that is easy for readers to understand and visualize. This will help make your writing more engaging and effective.
3. Use active voice: In active voice, the sentence's subject is performing the action. For example, “The cat chased the mouse.” This is generally more engaging and direct than passive voice, where the subject receives the action. For example, “The mouse was chased by the cat.”
4. Use transitions: Transitions are words or phrases that help connect your ideas and make your writing flow smoothly. Examples include “however,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand.” Using transitions can help make your writing more cohesive and easier to follow.
5. Edit and proofread: Editing and proofreading your work is an important step to ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and error-free. Make sure to check for typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors.
6. Use varied sentence structure: Varying your sentence structure can help make your writing more interesting and engaging. Try using short and long sentences and mixing up your sentence beginnings. This will help keep your readers’ attention and make reading your writing more enjoyable.
7. Use varied vocabulary: Using the same words repeatedly can make your writing monotonous and dull. Instead, try to use a range of vocabulary to add depth and interest to your writing. This will make your writing more engaging and effective.
8. Use descriptive adjectives and adverbs: Descriptive words, such as adjectives and adverbs, can help bring your writing to life and make it more engaging. They can help paint a picture in the reader’s mind and make your writing more vivid and descriptive.
9. Use concrete examples: Using concrete examples can help illustrate your points and make your writing more relatable and easier to understand. For example, instead of saying, “people can get sick from polluted air,” you could say, “people who live near busy roads are more likely to have respiratory problems.”
10. Practice, practice, practice: The more you write, the better you’ll become at it. So don’t be afraid to get out there and start writing! Try writing on different topics and in different styles to improve your skills and find your voice. Overall, the key to improving your writing is to be persistent and challenge yourself to continually grow and learn.

Jamie is a former addiction counselor who now writes fiction about substance abuse and mental health issues. She has authored two short novels in her Memoirs of a Black Sheep series and a series she co-authors, The Borderline Chronicles, on Amazon Kindle Vella. Jamie has also formed her own small publishing company, Flawed By Design Publishing LLC, where she produces her published works and offers other writing and media services.

Flawed by Design is a woman-owned, veteran-owned business for those who seek a writing coach, editor, or proofreader.