10 Steps to Improve Your Writing

WRITING can be a real challenge for some folks. Sometimes you just don’t know where to start. Or maybe you “choke up” watching the blinking cursor on a blank computer screen. Maybe you don’t know how to logically express your thoughts. Perhaps your written language comes out so stilted that it’s almost unreadable. The truth is there are no shortcuts to good writing. Even for professionals, it can be hard work. Edgar Miller has been a successful professional writer and editor for more than half a century. Here are his tips on how to improve your writing:

1. Know your audience. In other words, know the person or group you are writing for.

2. Research before you start to write. Get your facts, write them down, rearrange them in a logical order.

3. Using as few words as possible, summarize what you want to say.

4. Make an outline of your main points in descending order of importance.

5. Write a draft.

6. Use words that you know. Use the dictionary to make sure your words say precisely what you mean.

7. Edit your draft. Read it several times (see our tips on editing).

8. Check and double check your spelling. Spellcheckers are wonderful tools, but they don’t catch words that sound the same but are spelled differently: they’re, their, there, for instance. Check your grammar. Incorrect grammar can change the meaning of sentences and convey the wrong message.

9. Rewrite — as many times as necessary.

10. If possible, get someone else to read what you have written before you send it or publish it.