Becoming a Good Writer & Other Helpful Writing Tips

Writing is an exercise many humans still today find horribly difficult. Most of us can speak our mother tongue effortlessly but for some reason writing down what we can say easily is sometimes as challenging as walking on a tight rope for the first time…. while blindfold. Since writing is a steep mountain climb for so many people, I thought I’d take a break from my busy day watching CNN and write down a little humble advice on how I became a half decent writer over the years.

My college major was English. As it turns out, I didn’t set out to be a writer and I majored in English because I wasn’t good at anything else in school (except for speaking English) but overtime I’ve become an ok writer and my English major serves as a good foundation. But seriously, committing to a writing course will help you learn writing basics like sentence structure, grammar/punctuation and how to organize what you’re trying to say. After things open up, try going to your local public library or community college to see what adult learning courses they have. For the more ambitious, a 4-year school which offers more in depth, specialized, semester-long writing classes may be better suited. A 4-year college or university could have a creative or non-fictional writing classes or how to author your first screen play. However, if you're relatively new to writing or English is a second language, and you haven’t had much practice writing, perhaps the library or community college might be your best bet. You can always work you way up the writing totem pole, so to speak.

Read a great book! If you want to become a good writer my advice is to read a great book by a great writer. Three great writers that come to my mind immediately are: Ernest Hemingway (try The Sun Also Rises); Richard Wright (Black Boy and Native Son, I loved these two); and E. L. Doctorow (Ragtime is a must). Oh, and I should add Susan Collins (The Hunger Games which is simply brilliant). So, all together we have four authors. For new and improving writers, I enthusiastically recommend these four great scribes and their hallmark works. The writer's style in each novel is ‘simple’ and straight forward but at the same time elegant, beautiful and highly creative. Beyond being phenomenal writers, each of these well-known novelists are first rate story tellers too. And once you’ve picked up any one of these books, I’ll almost guarantee, you’ll won’t want to put it down. Of course, reading a great book may not magically transform you a good writer, but together with taking a writing course, it will certainly help you on your way. When you read the above recommended masterpieces by Hemingway, Wright, Doctorow and Collins, please read a little slower than you’re used to. Take time to analyst how these great communicators created and arranged those fabulous words.

Write often and keep writing! Writing is like any other discipline the more you do it the better and more natural it gets.  A few years ago, I remember ice skating at a local rink and a less experienced skater came up and asked me how I got to be so good. Before I answered he said, “you skate all the time, don’t you?” I replied “yes” and that I’ve been skating for 20 years often twice a week. Further, I understand concert level classical pianists in order to master and maintain their craft must play around 10 hours a day. I, in fact, have a keyboard in my living room and never practice so I’m not very good (but my keyboard doesn’t gather dust because I have a cover on it). Let’s get back on track. When possible, try to write at least two to three times a week. Compose a poem, an article, some personal thoughts or maybe a long email to a friend. Or if you ride the bus or train, you can pull out pen and paper and scribble down what you see or who’s doing what. But if you’re on the New York City subway, don’t make eye contact with anyone! That's a 'no no.' Some of actually have jobs requiring some written expression. After graduating from college (on the 7-year plan), I became a technical writer! Now, I can write and understand some technology stuff too.

But, even when writing from home, no one needs to see your words unless you want them to. First, write as frequently as you can, build confidence, and then when or if you’re ready show a friend or family member you can trust. As you gain know how and confidence, you’ll become more relaxed showing your work to wider audiences. And, most importantly, remember your thoughts and words ultimately belong to you and you don’t necessarily need to be accepted or critiqued by anyone else—that is until you venture toward publishing your work professionally.

Recently, when helping a LinkedIn connection with her resume, midway through, she confided in me she was trying to ‘find her voice.’ Sarcastically, I thought about asking, “well, where did your voice go?” But I quickly remembered she and I had just connected and maybe my joke wouldn’t go over too well since we were texting. Anyway, I told her don’t worry about finding your voice, ‘it’ will find you. And as we texted back and forth, for a while, reworking her resume, it became clear to me she really was a good writer. She just needed an ounce of support …. a small confidence boost. Everyone has a voice! It’s just some of us need to build the tools to pull our voice out for others to hear. Plus, a sympathetic ear or coach for positive reinforcement always helps. During your writing journey, at least in the beginning, don’t worry about expressing yourself like an experienced, published author. Do your best to express your truths; describe to the best of your ability how you feel and/or what you saw. Besides even great writers on occasion fail. Back to Ernest Hemingway. As I’m sure most of you know, Mr. Hemingway ended his life because he felt he couldn’t express himself like he once could earlier in his career. He thought he had lost his voice. And Richard Wright, after penning classics Black Boy and Native Son, never rose to literary greatness again, I’ve read. So far, I haven’t researched E. L. Doctorow post Ragtime life and I’m sure Susan Collins is still alive and well raking in beaucorp bucks from Hunger Games movies and paraphernalia.

But let’s end on an up note not a sad one.

My last writing advice tidbit is to try to write ‘end to end.’ By that I mean don’t worry about writer’s block. I remember learning in high school if you get to a point writing something where you can’t think what to write next…. write anything, whether it has to do with your intended subject matter or not. For instance, right now (at 6:23 PM on Sunday, May 10th) someone in my neighborhood is blasting their music and I’m thinking about calling the police but I’ll chill because of the pandemic and all. See there, I started writing about something taking place having nothing to do with the theme of this article (but I am going to call the cops if this music goes on much longer…. just joking, I’m not a snitch). If you hit the proverbial writing wall or block don’t stop, keep typing about 'whatever' and eventually your brain and hands will sync up and you’ll be off to the races again writing your way to completing your masterpiece.

Thanks for your time and attention and staying awake through my first musings on writing! Maybe I’ll be back with more offbeat writing advice if I can think of anything else half intelligent to say. And please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or [email protected] for assistance with your corporate or small business writing and documentation needs. I especially enjoy helping new entrepreneurs.