“If you are a freelancer, you must possess great writing skills” – isn’t this what you always hear? Right. Today though, I will change your perception. Being a good freelancer requires being perseverant and willing to work hard – that’s it. It does not require “great writing skills,” it does not require a certain diploma. All of that can be learned. The only quality you must possess is persistence.
I do not know the reason behind your desire to be better at writing, but I can probably guess it. You want more traffic, higher ratings, less stress, and more money. Guess what? You are not the only one. We all want the same thing in the endless financial stress. So yes, acquiring good writing skills is crucial in your journey. Take a look at the following list of ways to improve your writing. Leave feedback after, and mention your progress!
Getting Accustomed With The Basics
Before starting to write articles, you have to make sure you understand the basics of writing. You do not need to develop advanced or professional qualities, but you have to be willing to open your mind to new ideas. No need for you to sign up for tutorials or how-to videos on YouTube. That would probably take too much of your time and help too little.
What you need to do instead is revise your spelling and grammar. No good writer will ever make a grammar mistake, or if she will, she will correct them quickly: mistakes. Check out the available online resources on how to check your grammar and spelling mistakes to get some good help!
Practice Makes Perfect
Practicing is always essential, regardless of the skills you are trying to achieve. Whether it’s cooking, dancing, or fighting, no practice means no improvement. There are a few details to take in consideration when practicing:
Make sure you are in a comfortable setting, with few background noise.
Concentrate on your writing and on your writing only.
Do not use a cellphone, have your TV on, or do anything that might distract you.
Set a specific time slot in which you practice writing, regardless of having ideas or not. If you do not find yourself being productive, take a walk around your house and breathe.
Do not get anxious about writing – you will eventually get where you want to. It takes time and patience to evolve.
Set daily goals and stay committed to them.
Practicing will also help you develop a unique style that will attract your readers. No matter what happens in your life, or what event you need to attend, please take at least one hour per day to practice your writing.
Reading Helps
When working towards better writing skills, a good tool to use is reading. I know this should be considered common sense, but not many people use this method. While it is true that reading takes a lot of time, it provides you with a new perspective on how to be a good writer. Reading different books, articles, or blogs will make you observe different writing styles.
When reading, pay attention to the used writing techniques such as sentence structure, word order, or word choice. The more you read, the better you write, believe me – or actually, don’t. Try and see it for yourself.
Pairing Up with Somebody
Nowadays, there are so many methods to connect with people who have the same interests as we do. Since the best way to learn and progress is through competition – or teamwork (depending on the person) – you should definitely reach out to somebody who has the same goals as you do.
First, try asking a friend or a colleague. If you see no active interest, there is no reason to give up. Your next step is to reach out to someone online. I bet there are a lot of people who wish to improve their writing skills. There is no reason to feel ashamed of it, so connect with someone soon and start developing!
Inspiration is Beneficial
When reading other author’s works, you will find specific elements and techniques that you will like. Take a red pencil and underline what you admire. Make sure you write down why you like it. You can use this technique in your later posts!
Draw a parallel between your writing style and your favorite authors. What are you missing? Is there something that you can improve? If so, what? Keep track of your progress constantly and give yourself feedback. You are the best person you can learn from.
Structure is Your Best Friend
Many writers tend to be chaotic when it comes to keeping organized. Learning how to set up an outline and come up with a strong thesis might take time and perseverance. But without those and a clear structure, you have no good article to share. In order to make people interested in your work, you have to be specific. Readers do not like chaotic articles, or randomly organized writers.
An outline has to be concise, but powerful. It has to contain everything that you will use in your future post. You have to highlight and demonstrate why the main ideas are important, and you must ask yourself “what am I trying to prove and why” at all times. Having a plan will make your job easier.
Editing and Publishing
Now that you’ve come this far, you are probably quite confident on your skills. That is amazing! Now you will have to start giving yourself feedback and criticize your writing. Isn’t that fun? Yes, not quite, but this is how you improve.
Editing is tough even for professional writers, so being a beginner will be even more challenging. Pay attention to extra-long words or sentences, complicated usage of language, and interminable paragraphs. Try to stay away from using the passive voice. Do not overuse the same word over and over again, and stay brief and simple. Use can use the Hemingway Editor to see how you did regarding spelling.