Tips to be a better writer
There are so many tips and tricks out there for writers and to become a better writer, so here are a few I could think of off the top of my head:
Find your style. Every writer has their own writing style, whether it be the way they write, their genre, or even when they write. It's essential to understand your own style of writing. You can, of course, have multiple writing styles, but you should try to be aware of what that style is. Knowing how you like to write things can make writing so much easier. You can pull inspiration from other writers, but don't exactly copy their writing style. Put your personal twist on it.
Expand your vocabulary. You don't have to sit and read a dictionary. You can expand on your vocab by merely reading books, reading other peoples writing, or even looking up a synonym for a word while you're writing.
Research. If you're writing a nonfiction piece, please make sure you do tons of research to make sure you have a strong understanding of the topic, even if you feel like you know about a particular topic really well. Double-check your information. It doesn't hurt just to take another look. It might take up some time, but I rather have wasted some of my time than have incorrect information in my writing. As a writer, you don't want people to discredit your work because you didn't spend a little extra time researching.
Grow your genre knowledge. You don't have to write every genre. You can pick your favorite and only write in that one genre for your whole writing career, but a writer who can write any genre and the writing still is good is genuinely talented. Nothing can stop you. You open so many doors when you can write in multiple types of genres. If you're an author that can write many genres, you have the ability to appeal to so many different kinds of people. More people will read your work, and the more that read/buy your books, means more cash money for you. Not that writing is all about making a profit, but the extra money sure doesn't hurt.
Be confident. Never be ashamed of your writing. If you write a piece and you like that piece, then you shouldn't let other people bring you down. Not everyone is going to enjoy your writing. That's just a fact of life. You should be proud of what you write. Honestly, when you're confident about your writing, it makes your writing so much better. If you're confident about your skills as a writer, then your writing will reflect that.
Be brave. Don't be scared to put your writing out there for the world to see. Believe in your skills. Believe in your talent. It's as simple as that. Be bold. If want to write something that might end up being controversial, do it. Forget about everyone else. It’s your writing, so let the writing reflect that. Be daring. Don’t let the fear of how other people will think about your writing stop you from writing something. Be unforgiving. You said what you said and you meant what you said.
Read. This one is probably obvious, and you've probably heard it a million times before, but seriously read. Reading makes you a better writer. Reading allows you to make all of this mention before this point. Reading helps you find your style, expand your vocab, grow your knowledge on genres, be confident, and brave. Reading is essential for writers.
Be open-minded. Every idea is worth something, so don't shut down an idea before you've really looked at it. The initial idea might be rough, but you might be able to revise it to make it better or it might even inspiration for a better idea. Ideas for things to write can come with anything at any time, so keep an open mind. You’ll be surprised at what can stimulate your creativity and the more creative you are the better writer you are. I once wrote a series of short stories based on an idea that came to me because I was eating a pretzel. Now the short stories weren't great, I'll admit that, but writing them gave me practice and practice is valuable to be a better writer.
Write down all your ideas. Ideas usually pop quickly and randomly into your mind, but unfortunately you forget them as quickly as they came. So, write down your ideas when they come to you. You can carry a notebook with you to write down ideas or even use the notes app on your phone, but having someplace to write down all your ideas when they come is valuable. Also, when I say all your ideas, I mean all of them even the bad ones. Bad ideas can be revised and improved. Bad ideas can even inspire better ones. Also, when you're going through some writer's block you'll have a personalized selection of ideas that you can use.
Free write. It’s like freestyling, but you’re writing. Don’t make a plan or an outline or put a bunch of thought into what you're going to write. Just sit down and write. Let your active imagination run wild. Try giving yourself a singular word to use as the theme for your writing and see what you come up with. Freewriting is a good way to practice writing, but it also trains you to be more creative. The end product of your freewriting might not be good, but some of the ideas and concepts that you wrote will be good, so use those.
Experience new things. Go somewhere new, eat something, do a new activity, hang out with new people, or literally do anything you haven’t done before. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It could be as simple as writing someplace new for a day. Just to get a change of scenery. Doing new things can bring new creativity.
Clean your workspace. For some people, a messy workspace leads to a clouded mind. Try cleaning up your desk. You can even change the way you have your workspace set up. That simple task might make all of the difference when it comes to being creative and being a better writer.
Collaborate. Working with others can be such a good way to become a better writer, whether they help you with actually writing, give you some tips and tricks, give you food for thought, or just give you some feedback. They might tell you something that you might not have ever come up with or realized on your own. Two heads are better than one!
Never stop writing. Being a writer can be so tough when you deal with things like writer's block, critics of your work, how long writing takes, distractions, and so many other things. It can be not very encouraging and can make you want to stop writing altogether. DON'T! Never give up. If you're passionate about writing and it's truly what you love to do, you'll never stop writing. You'll write until you physically can't type or scribble another word. When that day comes, you'll just get someone to write what you say.
What you do to become a better writer honestly depends on the person. Not all of these tips will work for everyone, and that's okay. You have to find what works for you. Remember that you'll never get better without putting in some effort and time. Happy writing!