73 Ways to Become a Better Writer

Making notes is huge, as you mention in various contexts, so is reading aloud and over and over again. I also think it helps to put it down, wait a while and come back to it with “fresh” eyes, although this doesn’t work well for blogging, a medium in which fast and faulty is usually preferable to slow and perfect. Another great post. Thanks.

Read Stephen King’s “On Writing,” and keep a copy of Strunk and White within arm’s reach of your desk.

Also, Jack Bickham suggests keeping a journal specifically for work, for analyzing your progress and doing writing exercises, among other things.

I think 33 (kill clunky sentences) is very important.

73 (or possibly number 1) should be ‘always think about your reader’.

I like these tips.
I’ll try ‘em!

Learn to LOVE writing and reading, and both will love you back.

Set a time limit on each writing session, along with a goal for what you will finish in that time. Great way to defeat Parkinson’s Law.

And here I thought re-reading my post over and over (and over) was a bad thing!

One way I’ve found very helpful as of late, is reading fiction. The nonconforming thoughts and stories that come from such books shift your thinking and mindset outside of the complacent bubble you’re accustomed to.

Another: Write like you’re on a first date!

Also – when self-editing, don’t be afraid to cut out a line that seemed brilliant when you wrote it but really doesn’t add much. If you just can’t let it go, cut and paste to an “Ideas” page. If it’s good, it’ll last.

And a note to self: “Stop following links and write! Right now!”

Great tips. If you’re an okay writer then certainly you can use these to pull out the greatness in your writing. I have to say, though, that some people are just not ever going to be great writers or even a writer at all…

So, if you’re not a writer, then face the fact and just hire someone to write for you.

My suggestion: Read Copy Blogger.

Trying to convey a certain emotion but not sure how? Listen to music that evokes that emotion in you while writing.

Thanks this is a great list.

You’re a writer if you can’t not write. I’ve been driven to put words onto paper since I was very young. Before I could write, I would hold the pen to the paper and make gibberish fake writing. There was never any question what my college major would be. If you’ve got it, discipline and education can polish and improve it. If you don’t have it, those things can help, but never entirely.

May:
Excellent writing tips. Short and to the point. Thanks for sharing.
Randy

Like this one a lot!
72. Take risks – don’t be afraid to shock. You are not who you think you are.

I think #22 is one I tend to forget all to often. Thanks for this list, there are some great fundamentals and even some new ones I never considered.

Wow, 73!

You missed my #1. In fact my #1 – #73.

“Read your own writing out aloud.”

Others have mentioned it too.

My #74. Read “Reading like a writer” by Francine Prose. Best writing-about-writing I have read.

Venkat

Great list! You can’t overemphasize #2 (word limits) or #4 (editing).

I’d like to add a couple of thoughts:

Find your unique voice
Love your words when you write them, hold them in suspicion when you edit them.

Cure for Writer’s Block: Read a great article from a favorite author or publication. For me, The Newyorker works every time!

A good idea would be to write For and Against articles for the same issue. This helps to stretch your thinking

Great suggestions. Engage strangers in conversation and then write about it from memory. Describe the person, the setting, the conversation. Then use it as a launch for creating a short story.

Great list Mary. I especially love number 8. Live your life with passion. That works for me. Here are a couple more;

73. Write using a pencil and paper as opposed to on the laptop. Despite all the crossing out, arrows and asterisks, I find I’m more creative when I write using a pencil and a notebook (also prefer unruled, blank pages too).

74. Write outside. If I need a creative boost, I head to the backyard or the beach. Nature can provide great inspiration when it’s needed.

Read as much as humanly possible, and make sure you read the type of things you want to write. Best way to learn, in my opinion.

Blogging as writing practice is fantastic too.

Great list! I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to force it. Know when to walk away. The beauty about writing is that it will be waiting for you when you get back.

I’ll be taking #1 and #2 to heart in the next couple months. I’ve finally decided on a blog niche (marketing and PR for mid-sized anime conventions), and am going to ruthlessly inflict a 1000-word maximum on myself since I tend to try and cover too many things at a time.

Thanks for the rest of the tips as well. I know I’m going to need them!!

Loved # 63. Far too often I approach posting or my freelance work as a chore, however, I must say once I sit down and start, I am often thankful to have the time to write.

73. Write about what someone else has written.
74. Think before you include an expletive.
75. Check out Urban Dictionary for topical inspiration.
76. Be current – how do today’s headlines apply to your audience?
77. Can it be turned into a list? Think of at least 5 things you can list about it.

What a great list of tips! Nice job, Mary:

Here’s one that’s helped me:

Buy a small notebook & pen to take with you. You’ll never know where inspiration can strike.

I will be sure to come back to this post again & again!

73 Tips… Never got myself to read all of those
but the 20 I did read are excellent.
I especially love the read, edit, read, wait and read some
more part. So damn true.

~Igor

Loved your list….except for # 6. It’s almost always a bad idea to outline because it turns writing from something that should be fun into a chore. Also it exercises the wrong (ie: non-creative) part of the brain. Tip # 71 is more like it: mindmapping. In fact, I’d phrase it as: Replace outlining with mindmapping. It’s a little bit of magic.

Tell the story that you most desperately want to read.

That is an awesome list. I spent all my life running away from school and responsibility, so I never really cared to much for writing. About 5 months ago I started my online marketing journey and I find that I have to do a lot of reading and writing. Now I have a wordpress blog with 17 posts in it that is a month old. I know I need a lot of work on my writing, but I find the more I read and write the easier it gets. Great Website!

Always ask the question … “What if …”

Wow- we’re up to 122 now! Let’s keep on collecting, folks. There nothing in the list yet about writing sales copy…

Here are questions 92 to 122:
Hamilton Wallace
93 Read great writing
94 Write the opening sentence or headline last
Venkat
95 Read your own writing out aloud
96 Read ‘Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
Julio
97 Write to agitate the mind and the nerves.
Kevin
98 Find your unique voice
99 Love your words when you write them, hold them in suspicion when you edit them.
Barbara Ling
100 Write solely from the heart and shun copying others.
Melanie McBride
101 Cure for Writer’s Block: Read a great article from a favorite author or publication.
Sophomom
102 Use a voice recorder (or iPhone) when the right words come to you – but not in the shower.
Chanda:
103 Write a For and Against article for the same issue. This helps to stretch your thinking.
Cynthia
104 Engage strangers in conversation. Then write about it from memory, describing the person, setting, and conversation.
Sami
105 Write using a pencil instead of a laptop for more creativity.
106 Write outside
Jeffrey Tang
107 Read as much as humanly possible.
Darren
108 Remember: if you’re not sure, you don’t know.
Andrew G.R.
109 Know when to walk away – and when to come back.
Cat Wagman
110 Believe that you’re a writer
111 Never trust your spell checker.
Cindy
112 Write about what someone else has written
113 Think before you include an expletive
114 Check out the Urban Dictionary for topical inspiration
115 Be current – how do today’s headlines apply to your audience?
116 Ask, “Can it be turned into a list?” Think of at least five things you can list about it.
Stefanie
117 Never take a mundane experience for granted.
118 Bookmark this list and come back when you need to get those creative juices flowing.
Mark
119 Buy a small notebook and pen to take with you
Janice
120 Read the comments on your blog, treasure the folk who take the time to leave them and gather the seeds to make a great post.
Dragana
121 Tell the story you most desperately want to read.
Jerry M.
122 Always ask the question…”What if…”

Having just finished an ebook entitled, “101 Slightly Unpredictable Tips for Novelists and Screenwriters,” I read your list with great interest. Loved ‘em all. Many are in common with my list. (In fact, one of them WAS mine, as contributed to the Writetodone post you mentioned.)

But the most important tip that I know of is missing here. And that’s to study story architecture and criteria-based writing. All of these tips are wonderful and valid, every last one. But you could say the same thing to a budding musician, and while empowering, they’ll be of the greatest value to the one that actually studies and masters musical theory, or least learns to read sheet music rather than play by ear.

To many writers approach the craft of storytelling with a “playing by ear” bias. It’ll work, but it’s a slow and inefficient road. So the best tip out there, for my money, is to go deep into the theory of storytelling and understand what makes a concept great, what makes a character wonderful, what ellicits and killer theme, how to craft scenes and how to discover your voice, and most of all, gain an understanding of the structural paradigms of effective fiction.

Then these 73 ideas, and the other 29 that I add to them, will really take you where you want to be as a writer.

Haven’t read through all the comments yet, but might I also suggest taking up story challenges?

- Write in 101 words.

- Take up Nanowrimo, and set yourself to write a certain amount of words each day.

- Write about what you want to write, not what you know.

- There’s no hard and fast rule to writing. Only tips and notes, left on the road by the many others travelling the same path.

“25. Read lots of books. Both good and bad.”

It’s incredible how helpful this is. You can learn a lot observing a master.

“72. Take risks – don’t be afraid to shock. You are not who you think you are.”

I shocked quite a lot of people with this story (not just those who left the comments). It was great fun to write, though

http://www.observingcasually.com/fiction-friday-the-tale-of-the-wolf/

Only writing makes us better writers!

Great post—#74 Drink booze!

Thanks for the list, I will try to follow it.

One from my side..Keep writing inside your brain when you are not writing it anywhere else. And sleep with a paper and pen behind you.

Fantastic! What a diverse list of writing tips. I am really impressed by these – sending to all my writers right now.

CC

What a great list. Very helpful. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful tips.

A few more:
- Ask questions
- Interview interesting people
- Everyone has a story to tell: be a vehicle to help them tell it

What and inspiring list! I would like to add:

Write on ugly paper – I use small scraps of recycled paper for handwritten first drafts, because it tricks my brain to really believe, that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Typing afterwards actually is a lot faster than staring at a pristine white sheet for hours

Write in small paragrapghs – It usually takes me between 20 and a 100 words to get to the point. If I break it into paragraphs from the beginning it’s much easier to rearrange (or delete!) later, and get to the point immediately.

I am writing for the past couple of years and have written for magazines like smashing magazine..but I admit that this list is very refreshing and useful to bookmark…

Another tip: Look closely how successful writers make the sentences….

I’d say, write when it comes to you!
I have written most of my articles, when the idea simply popped in my mind. Fortunately most of those times I was in a situation to jot down the points or better still, type out the entire article on my laptop.

At other times, I frequently use this tip of writing down the basic outline and then later building on it.

This is indeed a Great post for all bloggers, both new as well as experienced.

While I follow quite a few of your points, using WordWeb (a dictionary/thesaurus) and reading my post/article “through the mind of a random joe” helps me quite a bit.

True story.

Whenever someone asks me how to get started on writing their book, I tell them 3×5 cards. Keep stacks of them rubberbanded together on your person, in your car, around the house, etc. When you think of something for your book (or magazine article), write down it down — one item per card.

For fiction, these would be character descriptions, plot twists, tidbits of dialogue, scenery, etc. When you have a substantial stack, spread them out on your dining room table and see where the patterns begin to appear. Then gather together all related items into separate piles to develop character sketches, plot arches, etc.

For non-fiction — in this example a how-to book — again, it’s one item per card, (step, example, description, list). Then you spread the cards out and put them in sequential order.

Once you have your cards stacked, then sit down at your computer and type the items in. From there you have the framework on which to build and develop your full-blown FIRST draft

Waisybabu is right about the dictionary/thesaurus. I use a thesaurus all the time. It comes in really handy when trying to compact ideas into 140 character tweets.

I do think there’s a close connection between talking and writing. If you’re born with a touch o’ the blarney, a golden tongue, you most likely can put that same stuff down on paper.

Y’all are right about drinking booze sometimes too, when trying to reach deep into the emotional aspects of a matter. I’m surprised no one has mentioned smoking weed. I suspect many have thought of it. Of course, not me.

This discussion calls to mind another I’ve had recently somewhere else about self-editing. I think the most successful bloggers, those who ramp to the next level, end up with credentials or as talking heads on TV shows are the ones who don’t hold back, who write what’s in their hearts, consequences be damned. That always means offending some readers. I’m terrible about that, overly concerned about what my children or future employers might think, which is why I’ll likely stay just a run of the mill blogger.

Do I recognize Larry Brooks in no. 67?

WRITE. Simple as that, WRITE.

My tip would be DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! That is one writing tip that always sees me through. Always.

Also, subscribe to Procrastinating Writers (a shameless self-promoting plug, I know )

Great Article ! Bookmarked ! These posts about better writing is the best we could get. Concrete and sometimes subtle techniques that really make a difference. Really thanx for what is one more time a great resource.

Wow, awesome post copyblogger! I generally keep a running file of relevant posts/resources to use for my public affairs staff, and this one is going straight to the top of the list! Sometimes in PR, we get so bogged down writing (or re-writing) annual releases that we forget how to be fresh, even when something really newsworthy comes along. These tips will really help to keep us on our toes as writers. Thanks!

Try writing without thinking about accuracy. I find that not worrying about errors (left brain) allows for easier flow of thought (left brain). Then go back and correct later. Saves time also.

Wow, what great suggestions. Having worked as a freelance writer, editor and PR consultant, I’ve learned that there is truth to the phrase – all writing is rewriting. From my perspective, your first draft is to get your thoughts and information down, from that point on, your job is to clarify and communicate your ideas. Less is more is generally right. This is particularly true if you’re dealing with the media where the way you present a story, is often as important as the story you’re presenting.

As well as asking other people for criticism, why not write with them in the first place? Writing collaboratively is a great way to learn from others. And tools like Google Docs, Basecamp and EtherPad are making this easier and easier to do.

Addition: read Dr. Frank Luntz’s “Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear”

Wonderful post, especially with the additional 60+ ideas

writing is a therapy… “write what you say, say what you write…mean what you write, write what you mean.. it like our walk matches our talk and our talk matches our walk” =)

I have a white board in my office. To try and learn a new word a day, I’m going to a new word on the board every morning with the definition.

Then when I find myself glancing off at it along the day, hopefully I will learn it.

Great list! Here are my additions:

~ If you have a sense of where you want your piece to wind up, start there instead and see what happens.

~ Steal time for writing wherever and whenever you can find it. (I bring my laptop and write on the train during my commute — and now I write more outside that time, too.)

~ Make writing a priority in your life. If you say it’s important to you, then show it in how you spend your time.

Tell the truth- that way you don’t need to remember what you wrote.

My tips:
~Don’t edit your work to death.

~Collect words

~Don’t be afraid to bust out the thesaurus to find a word that fits better in a sentence than the one currently there

~Give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft

If you can’t write a book, write a blog post. If you can’t write a blog post, comment on a post.

Love your tools. As St. Bumpersticker says, “My fountain pen can write better than your honor student!”

The list a prayer.
To my ear, it says, “This is the way to where I want to go.”
Great of you to capture these ideas this way.

Three that I find useful:

1. When you reach a block, e.g. unsure how a scene should be written or how the plot should develop, do something mindless, like ironing or going for a quiet walk. It allows your thoughts to run free.

2. Practise condensing. Write a synopsis and then condense that. Précis the condensed synopsis. It helps to get to the bare bones of a story and reveal what it’s really about.

3. Rewrite from memory a good story you’ve read and then compare the two. Evaluate and learn from the differences.

BTW, I strongly commend 62 and 63.

My favorite is #63. Often times as writers we don’t include the background details and those details give depth to any story or article. Thanks so much for the great list – it is a must have for anyone who writes!!

Trick yourself into starting – you only need to commit to 15 a day to get sucked into more.

Great Post…amazing tips to become a better writer.
Thanks for sharing,

Maria

I especially love tips #62 and #63! But they’re all great. Thanks so much.

#6 (write to an outline) makes me a clunky writer. I like a little more free-form structure… to start with. Then I’ll go back and outline to what I’ve written – that way I can find what doesn’t make sense, where there are gaps, how to fix them.

Write on your body and see what happens.

My Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale is never far from my desk. It’s a 1,361 page doorstop full of amazingly useful words.

#62 WRITE AT THE SCENE IS EXCELLENT. BUT WRITING AWAY FROM THE SCENE IS ALSO KEY. IT ALLOWS FOR CREATIVITY, METAPHOR, AND TO THE ABILITY TO CONSTRUCT YOUR VERY OWN UNIQUE WORLD.

#46 SET A TIMER FOR UNINTERRUPTED WRITING. THIS IS KEY. START WITH A SHORT GOAL AND WORK ON YOUR ENDURANCE. EVENTUALLY, YOU WON’T EVEN NOTICE THE CLOCK

ALSO, READ BOOKS WITH THEMES, SETTINGS, AND IDEAS THAT RELATE TO WHAT YOU ARE WRITING. EMULATE WHAT YOU LOVE.

Tremendous resource. Thanks so much for compiling the list. One thing I think might be missing from this discussion – and which would provide some potential filters for the list is an examination of WHY we write. Depending on your profession, personal aspirations or personal stage of enlightened development, the function writing plays in your life can be very different. And as with all things, your goals can certainly shape your path, and the steps best to explore along it.

I’d like to think I could get around to a blog post on this subject, but given my life these days, if it’s of interest to you, go for it.

I like the idea of writing on the toilet I find it kind of funny, but I bet it’s a great place to get some peace.

Every one of these tips listed is impeccable advice, but I must say, the one that stuck with me most is “Tell people: ‘I’m a writer’”. That’s a nice big confidence booster for anyone who aspires to be one of the timid creatures we all know as authors in this day and age.

I liked this one: Rethink what is ‘normal’. Does that mean that I can change things around in my life so I am the normal one and everyone else are the weirdos? Sounds awesome.

I can’t wait until I’m old enough to drive so I can put #62 into practise. Maybe I’ll start with describing school classroms and go from there. Baby steps

I didn’t really find any part of this list special that I hadn’t heard before…except the 24 hr thing which I think was just a joke anyway. I have inadvertently started #11 by buying a book of weird words called “The Completely Superior Person’s Book of Words” by Peter Bowler. It’s kind of funny, especially the listing for “abecadarian insult”.

It’s funny how writing tips get recycled so much to the point where the same things get repeated over and over.