10 Ways To Write Better

'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' - Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice. This line was written in 1797 and it can still stop us from scrolling up - in 2021. That's good writing.

How can we write better? This is not just for writers. If you journal, write technical reports, create a speech or poem or love letter, write an email or even write a product description - good writing can save the day and create a lasting impact in your audience's mind.

10 Ways To Write Better:

1. Jotting Down Ideas: Ideas come to you all the time - middle of the night, in the bus, on a flight - have a place to jot down those ideas/quotes/ imp links/ interesting articles. Use a small notebook/ Evernote app/ Notion to capture all your fleeting thoughts and sparks of inspiration. Just build on these ideas when you start writing - bye-bye writer's block! James Altucher also shares this interesting activity for creatives - every day, write down 10 new ideas. No matter how crap they are.
2. Write Morning Pages: In the book, 'The Artist's Way', Julia Cameron highlights the practice of being creative by cleaning all the subconscious goop in our minds. First thing, whenever you start the day, type out / write out at least 750 words or 3 pages of automatic writing. That means whatever is going through your head - no holds barred, no punctuations, no structure or form and definitely no judgement. This has helped me immensely as I feel my head clear and I can warm up to writing better stuff after that.
3. Write Drunk, Edit Sober: This quote, controversially attributed to Hemingway, makes sense. Write out the first draft quite mindlessly - take a break of about 15 - 20 mins after this. Do anything else. Come back and re-read it. Now you can edit whatever is unnecessary. This will be the most important part of your writing. Most writers skip this. Btw, works like a charm for emails drafted in anger!
4. Get Some Help: Use a free tool like Grammarly or Hemingway app - you can set the tone you want to convey and its autoresponders will help you edit grammar, spelling, usage, and tone very easily. Often, we get emotionally attached to our writing. We can't see how it may be difficult for others to read and comprehend. These tools have advanced features (minimal monthly costs) that can help you edit and write more concisely and with higher engaging rates. I love Grammarly and swear by it's engagement score for all my pieces!
5. Fresh Pair Of Eyes: Writers get tired and jaded and especially if you are typing or rewriting the same copy, you may become blind to the errors. Get a peer, colleague or team member to read it out. If it's a speech or presentation, show it to someone who is not from your industry - if they find it engaging, your work is solid. Take feedback selectively - don't change your entire writing style just based on feedback.
6. Read: Cannot stress this enough. I became a writer because I loved reading my favorite authors - be it Jane Austen, Ayn Rand, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, Keats, Jhumpa Lahiri, or Amitav Ghosh. When you read several writer's styles and genres, only then can you create your style and get inspired yourself.
7. Draw From Real & Reel: Use what you see and whom you see in real and reel life. No writing is completely new - it borrows from sources around. Not steal, not plagiarise but borrow inspiration from. People around you can become quirky characters in your writing; customers can become the face for whom you are writing; TV series or films can help you draw that relatable factor in your articles and social copy.
8. Use Stories Wherever Possible: Ask yourself - 'Why should someone be interested in reading what I wrote?' The answer often lies in - Does this remind them of something close to them? We are Stone Age at heart - wired to love stories. If you tell me about performance metrics, I will go to sleep. Tell me a story of how a flower seller in Kashmir used ads to increase sales - I'm all in. Use stories and narrative structures wherever possible - all ages love it.
9. Shorter Is Better: This is why listicles work. Everyone is busy scrolling - you have to be concise and pithy. A shorter copy is always better. If you are writing a research paper, use conversational language and short sentences with topic subheadings. Include white space in your writing - even if it is for a long blog. Substitute words with infographics or videos so your audience doesn't get bored and drop off.
10. 10,000 Hours: I have been writing for various mediums for 10+ years now and I still see my writing style change every 2 -3 months. I definitely write better today than I did even 4 years ago. You gotta put in those 10,000 hours if you want to be a good writer. So get writing!

Best of luck on your writing journey!