Career Counselling

5 Effective Ways to Hone Your Writing Skills

by amsh
We all know that it is impossible to graduate from high school if a student does not even know how to properly compose an essay. For some students, this skill is something that they only use in school. But there are students who take this skill to the next level and use it to their advantage.
Writing is a skill that everyone should be good at so students should still consider developing their skills on writing. It’s a skill that people from all sorts of field use on a regular basis. Scientists need to be good in writing so that they can effectively communicate their researches to the public. Historians need to be good in writing in order for them to coherently narrate the flow of events. Even people who deal with number deal with writing!
This is why some students do not stop using writing only for school. They do it on a regular basis, oftentimes, on a whim. There are students who try all writing formats, specializing in the one that they’re most comfortable in using. Be it writing essays or scientific journals, the ways to hone one’s writing skills can be pretty general. There can be different writing programs depending on which format, but generally, it’s the same writing path.
  1. Read a lot. If you think that it’s only about writing, then you’re wrong. A part of being a good writer has a lot to do with being a wide reader. Books can be your best teacher in becoming a good writer. Only through reading will you learn new words and understand how to use them. Through reading, you’ll be exposed to different writing styles that can be beneficial to a writer who wants to specialize in different forms of writing. Also, reading can be your source of inspiration, especially on days when writer’s block is your number one enemy.
  2. Attend writing seminars. It’s best to learn how to write under the guidance of those who know best. Usually, seminars have themes so you simply have to choose the one that interests you. There are universities that offer free writing seminars to their students but you can, of course, seek out seminars online. Attending a seminar can teach you tricks that you don’t normally learn in school. You also get to meet authors who have an extensive experience on being a writer. You don’t only get to know some secrets on writing but also on being a writer.
  3. Write everyday. How else can you be a good writer? The best way to hone your skills is to use it everyday. Writing comes more naturally if you do it often. It takes 21 days to form a habit so if you can, do not fail to write everyday for 21 days and you’ll soon find yourself itching to write. It doesn’t have to be an essay or a short story, just to write down your thoughts and or what went on your day can already sharpen your skills.
  4. Find a writing mentor. To have a guide in your course to be a better writer, it’s ideal to have someone to lead you on the right path. A writing mentor can see if you’re improving as a writer or if your skill is degrading. A writing mentor can overlook your writing performance. The mentor can also be the one to urge you to write when you’re losing inspiration from all the writing roadblocks you encounter.
  5. Accept criticisms. This may be the hardest thing a writer needs to. But done once and the next will be easy. A writer must accept the fact that he can make mistakes. His writings can’t always be perfect, and his writings can’t possibly please everyone. There will be harsh words from other people. The only thing they can do is to sort through the harsh words and pick one they can use as a basis for improvement.
For a writer to be good, he needs to seek to be better every step of the way.
Note: This article is contributed by Margaret Morris who is a graduate student and currently learning how to popularize science through written materials.

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