Becoming an excellent writer is not all about having natural ability. Creative talent comes because of hard work, determination and persistence. The biggest success stories come because of consistent effort; when you put the time in to invest in yourself only good things will come as a result.
We always stress how important it is to practice self-care, taking time for yourself is an essential part of daily life. Using this message of self-improvement, we can also apply it to our writing and our work. By taking time out of your day to work on your craft, in turn you will become a better and more successful writer.
Here are some top tips on how to improve your writing:
Read!!
It might sound basic, but reading is the number one way of improving your writing abilities. By drawing inspiration from others around you, the work you create will come on leaps and bounds. Knowledge is key to power; therefore, it is vital that you are constantly immersing yourself within the world of words. Not only will your vocabulary improve, but so will your understanding of the written word. When you learn and engage with the writing styles of others, you will have the means to discover your own style.
Practice makes perfect
A bit like revising, when you are constantly looking over and evaluating things, then your work will improve. Practice does make perfect, so it is essential that whenever you feel a desire to write you do so. Writing little and often is far more proactive than overloading yourself with tons of tasks. It will become a lot less overwhelming to sit down and write when you practice doing it more often. Every task seems easier when it is ingrained in your daily routine.
Eliminate distractions
It can be hard to know how to set up the correct environment for your workspace. Many thrive from listening to music, many like to sit near a view so that they have a sense of peace whilst writing. Whatever works best for you should always be pursued. Eliminate anything around you that you will find distracting later on, this can be background noise or a busy room. By finding a serene and peaceful environment, your writing will be able to flow easier.
Get feedback
Learning how to receive feedback can be difficult. Writing is often a very personal activity, therefore facing critique can be a daunting and upsetting prospect. However, when we understand the difference between constructive criticism and nastiness, then we are armed with the tools to become a better writer. It is vital that you take the feedback from others as a way of bettering yourself, rather than it being an attempt to try and push you down. It is incredibly rare for someone to criticise your writing out of ill intent, chances are they want you to succeed just as much as you do!
Be confident
Finally it is essential that you have confidence within your abilities and your talents. There is an art to being confident that you have something to give. It is never pretentious to accept when you are succeeding and thriving, or when you have finished a piece of work that you are proud of. When you learn to acknowledge your successes, your writing will only progress. A loss of inhibition can only ever be a good thing.
