How to Improve Reading and Writing Skills

Zilch strikes fear into the heart of a marketer quite like being asked to write a blog post. Some marketers would rather wrestle with pivot tables (or grizzly bears) for days on finish than write a weblog post – simply why?

Writing doesn't have to exist this painful.

With content marketing shaping upwards as 1 of the virtually of import marketing skills to have on your resume, getting a handle on writing could really do good your career as well every bit the obvious benefit of increasing traffic to your company'south site.

Writing is intimidating to a lot of people, particularly those who don't write for a living or on a regular basis. The good news is that writing doesn't accept to be disturbing, and about anybody can meliorate their writing skills with a lilliputian discipline and a willingness to learn. Want to get a improve writer? Here are 16 means you can starting time improving your writing skills right now.

1. Brush Up on the Basics

Before you lot can first writing incredible content, you'll demand at least an intermediate agreement of the basic principles of writing.

This doesn't mean y'all demand to enroll in a prestigious artistic writing programme at an Ivy league university, but you will need to know the nuts of grammar and spelling. Every author should accept a copy of "The Elements of Mode" by Strunk and White on their bookshelf, as this minor but invaluable book is 1 of the well-nigh comprehensive resources on the correct use of grammer and other helpful topics.

For quick and like shooting fish in a barrel online resource, bookmark Grammer Daughter and, of course, Merriam Webster.

two. Write Like It's Your Job

If you want to get amend at something, you have to practice – and writing is no exception!

Unfortunately, there are few shortcuts that can transform you into an amazing writer overnight, and even the most talented writers had to acquire their craft over a period of many years. It's admitedly even harder to write while considering SEO and how to drive traffic to your post.

If y'all want to improve your writing skills, writing on a regular basis volition not only diminish your fright of the bare folio (or blinking cursor), it will likewise help you develop a unique mode. So, fifty-fifty if nobody reads it, keep writing. Exercise makes perfect.

[ Acquire how to write improve advertisement copy with our free guide: 10 Tricks to Get the Click ]

3. Read Like Information technology's Your Job

The all-time writers are besides peachy readers, and reading on a regular basis is an easy way to start developing your writing skills. I don't simply hateful blog posts, either – diversify your reading material. Expand your horizons to more than challenging material than yous typically read, and pay attention to sentence construction, word choice, and how the textile flows.

The more you read, the more than likely you are to develop an middle for what makes a slice and then effective, and which mistakes to avert.

4. Detect a Writing Partner

If you lot work at a reasonably sized company, the chances are pretty skilful that there is at least i other person who is also wondering how to become a amend author. Although writing is typically considered a lone activity, the best writers know when it'southward time to get much-needed feedback on their work.

Talk to your coworkers (or friends) and enquire someone if they'd be willing to cast an eye over your work – they may spot mistakes that you overlooked.

Finding a writing partner is also a great mode to hold yourself accountable and go on going.

5. Join a Workshop or Accept a Night Form

Nigh people balk at the idea of standing in front end of a room full of strangers and baring their soul to the world, merely joining a writing workshop can be immensely beneficial – and a lot of fun (if you manage to detect a good one).

You don't need to have an unfinished novel hidden abroad in your desk drawer to join a workshop. These days, content marketing run across-ups and professional development groups are becoming wildly pop. Join one of the many content marketing groups on LinkedIn to meet similar-minded writers, or search for writing workshops near you on sites like Meetup. Pick a topic, write something, listen to the feedback of the group, and then revise information technology. Rinse, repeat.

6. Dissect Writing That Yous Admire

Nearly people read the same blogs or sites on a regular basis considering the textile appeals to them – simply fewer people empathise why their favorite blogs are and so appealing.

Find a scattering of recent blog posts you really similar, and so print them out. Adjacent, but like your loftier schoolhouse English language teacher did, have a red pen and highlight things you liked: certain sentences, turns of phrase, even unabridged paragraphs. Examine why you like these elements, and see if there are whatever common threads in your favored reading material. Come across how writers take i subject area and transition into another. Use these techniques to your own work.

Let's take a wait at a peculiarly powerful (and memorable piece) from Copyblogger that serves every bit a nifty case of this.

Immediately, you're hooked past Morris' opening. Yous tin't not read to meet what happens next. The pacing is excellent, information technology grabs your attention, and best of all, it keeps y'all reading. This piece was offset published dorsum in June, and I however remember it. Read the total post hither, and see how Morris masterfully tells the story of a ring named Decease and how this relates to writing content.

7. Imitate Writers Yous Adore

Earlier nosotros go whatsoever further, a disclaimer – faux is not the same equally plagiarism. Don't rip off anyone's work. Ever.

Merely every bit you probably have a list of blogs you read frequently, yous'll likely as well read the same writers on a regular basis. Identify what it is yous enjoy near their piece of work, and run into if y'all tin use it to meliorate your writing skills. Does a writer you like use sense of humor to spice up dry topics? Try it. Practice they apply pop culture references to make their piece of work entertaining and useful? Try that, also.

When I get-go started writing, I imitated some of my favorite nonfiction writers and essayists, such as Joan Didion, Truman Capote and Bill Bryson. I also attempted (and failed) to imitate writers such as Dave Eggers and Dan Kennedy, but presently realized that I wasn't funny plenty and gave information technology up. Over fourth dimension, I eventually developed my own style, merely reading the works of these writers and seeing how they constructed their essays and books was immensely helpful to me every bit a author (see tip #three).

eight. Remember That Outlines Are Your Friend

The blinking cursor of a bare page is a considerable foe, even for the most experienced writers. Before putting pen to proverbial newspaper, sketch out an outline of what y'all plan to write. This will be your battle plan, and it will help yous win the state of war. Very few – and I practice hateful very few – writers sit down to write anything without a solid plan in mind.

An outline doesn't have to be complex. A simple framework of which sections should announced in a item order, along with a few sentences about what each department contains, may be plenty. If the topic you're tackling is a little more complex, your outline might have to be, too – but having an outline before you write is like having a roadmap in the glove box of your automobile before a route trip. If yous start to feel lost, refer back to your outline and get dorsum to boot ass and taking names.

Let's take a wait at a existent example – ane of my own outlines:

Introduction

Brief summary of the post

Section 1 – What is Brand Phonation?

Paragraph(s) explaining the key principles behind brand vocalization (style, tone, and messaging)

Examples of each

Section 2 – Developing Brand Voice with Content

Explanations of how to develop brand vocalization using content (written, visual, video)

Considerations for content producers/marketers to carry in mind when producing content (strategy, goals, overall make messaging)

Department 3 – Examples of Content That Builds Brand Voice

Several examples (three or four) of content that aligns well with marketing positioning and branding of recognizable brands

Conclusion

Wrap-up

This outline eventually became my contempo post nearly brand voice. I deviated from my initial outline slightly, merely the overarching structure was always there to keep me on target.

9. Edit Your Piece of work Ruthlessly

So, you're writing every day (or regularly, at to the lowest degree), and you're feeling more confident nearly your work. Awesome! Now you're going to get your own harshest critic.

Editing is a tough skill to learn for beginner writers, because they identify immense value on the fourth dimension and endeavor they put into writing in the offset place. Notwithstanding, a lot of writing is actually rewriting, and this is where the common cold, difficult eye of an editor volition serve you well.

Develop the subject area it takes to eliminate extraneous words (more on this shortly). Resist the temptation to wax lyrically and go to the signal. Non sure if a paragraph works? Information technology probably isn't. Be tough on yourself, and know when to delete or rework something. Your work will be much stronger as a result.

ten. Accept That First Drafts Are Almost E'er Crap

The best writers make information technology look so easy. After reading a slap-up post, it's tempting to imagine your favorite bloggers effortlessly turning in incredible posts with minimal effort earlier spending the remainder of their twenty-four hour period reading obscure books in a quaint corner café somewhere. Take comfort in the knowledge that this isn't how writing works.

Showtime drafts are most always crap, and that'southward okay. Don't beat yourself up if y'all don't create a masterpiece on your outset attempt – chances are, yous probably won't, and that's okay, too. Just get your ideas down on paper first, then become back and start cleaning up. Writing is an iterative process, and fifty-fifty the best writers accept to spend a lot of time reworking material they were probably besides embarrassed to show anybody.

11. Notice a Good (Patient) Editor

Whether yous're trying to make the case for a content strategy to your manager or want to start invitee blogging on your favorite sites, finding and working with a good editor is 1 of the all-time things you lot can do to improve your writing skills. I've worked with dozens of editors over the years, and in my experience, the best are those who show y'all why something doesn't work, rather than merely telling you that it doesn't.

Assuasive someone else to read your piece of work can be brutally difficult for some writers, especially when they're just starting out, just it's crucial that you develop good habits from the outset and learn to take constructive criticism most your work. Remember – writers are desperately needy creatures who need to be constantly reassured that they're the artistic geniuses they believe themselves to be, but you'll need to develop a thick skin if yous're serious most your work, and a good editor is invaluable when it comes to toughening up.

12. Eliminate Unnecessary Words

Another common mistake among beginner writers (and some more experienced writers who should know better) is writing overly complex sentences in an attempt to "sound" more than authoritative.

In many cases, shorter sentences tin take a greater impact. Yous may take heard of a half dozen-discussion story that was supposedly written past Ernest Hemingway, which reads, "For sale: Baby shoes, never worn." Whether Hemingway wrote this or non is irrelevant – the power of these six words shows that brevity can be a powerful tool when used correctly, and non every judgement needs to be overwrought to go your point across.

Let's wait at another real example from 1 of my posts – my very offset postal service for WordStream, as it happens. This lengthy sentence is a prime number candidate for a ruthless red pen, fifty-fifty if my lame jokes were intended to give information technology a fiddling more flavor. I've edited the sentence to bear witness you how you could edit a similar line in your ain work (additions italicized).

"Whether yous're a newcomer to Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) or take been running PPC campaigns for years, yous've probably given a swell deal of thought to virtually which keywords will effect in more clicks and college conversions – not to mention that holiday home in Lake Tahoe you lot've been dreaming about."

xiii. Accept a Stroll Down Retentivity Lane

I've been writing professionally, in one fashion or some other, for the by ten years. When I expect back at my early work, which I do every so often, it literally makes me blench. I don't exercise this because I'm a masochist, but to remind myself how far I've come up.

Writing should be fun, and along with the thrill of seeing your byline for the first time, seeing how far you've progressed is one of the most satisfying parts of being a writer. Every at present and and so (but not as well oftentimes), re-read your before work and marvel at how much better you are now than you were and then. Pat yourself on the back. You've worked hard, then don't be shy – congratulate yourself.

14. Don't Exist Afraid to Say What Yous Retrieve

Most content on the web is bland and dreadfully boring. This is because far too many bloggers focus on regurgitating the aforementioned news every bit everybody else without bothering to add together their ain opinions. Manifestly you don't want to fall afoul of libel laws, but that doesn't mean yous tin can't (or shouldn't) say what y'all think.

Once you've started to discover your own "vox," don't be shy almost sharing your opinions. This makes for more interesting reading. Don't exist contrarian for its own sake, and don't set out to purposefully piss anyone off, but make sure at that place's enough of y'all in your writing to brand it a worthwhile read for your audience.

xv. Do Your Research

Aside from plagiarizing someone else'south piece of work, nothing will undermine your credibility faster than failing to practise your homework.

In their eagerness to exist washed with a web log mail (or even major newspaper article), many writers try to have shortcuts with the facts. This can range from accidentally fudging a statistic out of haste to existence lazy when it comes to sourcing or attribution. Not but can this country you in large trouble with your editor/content marketing director/other boss-blazon person, it too makes you wait similar an amateur.

Everybody makes mistakes, and you don't need to spend weeks cross-referencing every concluding statistic (meet the next tip), but common sense should prevail hither – don't rely exclusively on sites like Wikipedia, and apply electric current, principal sources whenever possible.

16. Remember Done Is Meliorate than Perfect

You should definitely take the time to write as well equally you lot tin, proofread and edit your work thoroughly, and ensure that your piece flows logically from i point to the next.

Nevertheless, this doesn't hateful you should take weeks to write something.

No piece of writing volition ever be perfect – you take to know when it'due south time to let it go. This is peculiarly of import in content marketing, because you'll rarely (if ever) have the luxury of crafting agonizingly cute blog posts full of poignant sentences and evocative imagery. As you go more confident, the "writing" part of writing will get easier and faster, just never lose sight of the fact that deadlines, or editorial calendars, are just as much your masters as any dominate or managing director.

As for me, I'm going to take my ain advice and phone call this post washed. I hope you find these tips useful, no matter how long you've been writing.

Summary: How to Improve Your Writing Skills

1. Brush up on the basic principles of writing, grammar and spelling.
2. Write like information technology'due south your job and practice regularly.
3. Read more and so you develop an eye for what effective writing looks like.
4. Find a partner. Enquire them to read your writing and provide feedback.
5. Join a workshop, meetup, or take a writing nighttime grade.
6. Take the time to analyze writing you admire.
7. Imitate writers yous admire.
8. Outline your writing.
9. Edit your writing.
10. Accept that kickoff drafts are frequently bad and revise.
11. Find an editor who demonstrates patience.
12. Eliminate unnecessary words from your writing.
13. Review your earlier work and run across how you've grown.
14. Don't be agape to say what you mean in what y'all write.
15. Make sure you do acceptable enquiry on your topic.
16. Don't delay writing. Go it done now.

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Source: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/08/07/improve-writing-skills

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