Everything we do in our day-to-day lives involves storytelling, whether written or verbal. Throughout life, we learn to confide and share our stories with others, communicate effectively with colleagues via email, explain our issues to customer service, or craft the perfect Instagram caption. Whether you realize it or not, all these acts rely on your storytelling abilities.
So, the same goes for writing. Writing relies heavily on your ability to create engaging, thoughtful, and exciting content that draws the reader in and keeps them reading — which isn’t always easy. While some of us may be used to writing our thoughts and feelings down on paper, telling our stories aloud is a much more comfortable method for others. But no matter where you’re on your writer’s journey, we could all use some tips to help us grow and improve.
Here are my 6 tips for becoming a better writer.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
First, you can’t become a better writer without practice! Get into the habit of writing daily — whether that’s a journal, blog, social media post, or even a bullet journal.
Of course, this is easier said than done, but even if you only write a few paragraphs, you’ll find that it strengthens your writer’s muscle over time, just like if you go to the gym one time, you’re not going to grow six-pack abs suddenly. If you want to be a better writer, it must be a consistent practice.
2. Read More
Whenever I’ve come across super eloquent, engaging storytellers (whether verbal ones or writers), one thing they all have in common is how much they read. When you’re an avid reader, your mind subconsciously picks up on sentence structure, grammar, and stylistic choices that can’t really be taught.
If you’re looking to grow as a writer, start reading more — and more variety! Read everything from non-fiction self-help books to your favourite genres and everything. Over time, your vocabulary and strength as a writer will undoubtedly grow.
3. Attend Classes or Workshops
There is nothing wrong with looking for a bit of help! Nowadays, micro-credentials and classes are all the rage, and you can gain a lot from taking a miniature course. Plus, when you put yourself in a room with other talented writers, you will likely find how inspired and motivated you are to go back home and write.
Even if it doesn’t drastically change or improve your writing ability, there’s no doubt that you will have at least one takeaway that will help you become a better writer.
4. Review Old Work
While this may seem like a cringy exercise, reviewing your old work is essential; firstly, you’ll see how far you’ve come! Looking back at my old work, I’m amazed at how much more I know now than then. It’s sometimes important to reflect to feel proud of how far you’ve come, and feeling inspired is vital to being a solid writer.
Secondly, when you review old work, you might come across old content that you could re-work or build off of in the future. By identifying old pieces that performed well, you can discern what types of content to create with similar themes.
5. Find Prompts
Now, most of us don’t strike literary gold on our own every time we sit down to write, which is why it can be helpful to find prompts.
There are many great ideas to be found on Google, Pinterest, and even other blogs that can serve as building blocks for the type of content you want to write. Or, better yet — grab my 101 Content Ideas for a PERFECT starting point (grab them here).
Or, if you are just ready for some plug-and-play content, you will want to check out my Content Kit (right HERE!). You will receive and entire years’ worth of content that you can use for your business (seriously, 365 days worth)
6. Write First, Edit Later
Sometimes, it’s all too easy to get stuck on what to write about that we forget to write. Get writing rather than get caught up in what you want to say or how your article will be structured! There will be edits later, but once you get the juices flowing, you’ll find that it’s easier to come up with ideas and build upon them.
Focus on words on a page, and the rest will come.
Resources
Email: catherine@catherinenikkel.com
Need help telling your story in your own voice? Let’s make it happen. Schedule a consultation with me here
Catherine Nikkel is a content creator, ghostwriter and the founder of Mindful Media. She specializes in helping CEOs, entrepreneurs and influencers create copy that engages and converts. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Huffington Post, Yahoo!, Authority Magazine, FemFounder and more.
