Writing – what an interesting and fun activity. Practiced as a hobby by many, writing plays a very important part in people’s lives. Especially those whose jobs revolve around writing and communicating messages to their audiences through mediums like blog posts, articles, vlogs, copywriting, essays, and more.
Students, on the other hand, focus on writing for academic and creative purposes. They have assignments given to them by their college professors or school teachers. Students are supposed to write essays that are informative, persuasive, educational, and easy to read. Other writing assignments that a student might come across are informal and formal letters, creative stories, personal blog journals, and others. No matter what the purpose is, the writer has to follow the basic rules of the English language and make their writing as coherent and impactful as possible. Here are 5 useful tips for a student to improve writing skills.
1. Read more
If you want to be a successful writer you should read a lot. Reading greatly improves one’s vocabulary and provides you with a base knowledge of how to begin writing. Understanding different tones and writing styles, following appropriate formats, and communicating something clearly are all habits that one can pick up from reading well-written texts. These can be essays, novels, stories, journals, letters, or anything else.
Even reading the daily newspaper can enhance your writing skills. If you already read and are looking for something advanced to help you improve your writing skills, try to read texts from areas or disciplines that aren’t your own. For example, reading technical papers that don’t cover a topic you’re knowledgeable about can spark your curiosity and help you explore new things.
2. Write regularly and freely
This is an unsaid rule. Anyone looking to improve a skill has to practice it regularly and consistently. Try to write every day, even if it is just a simple journal entry. Writing a few sentences every day will help you maintain the habit of writing and also clear any mental blocks you usually have when you pick up the pen.
In today’s technologically-led world, you don’t even need a physical book and pen to write something. Use your phone’s notes app to write whatever you feel, whenever you want to. The portability and accessibility of a mobile phone can inspire more than usual. Reading and writing regularly can also help you improve your critical thinking skills.
Open your mind to write about topics you’re normally guarded about. These can be sensitive areas like your childhood memories, a love confession, or your deepest, darkest secret you dare not utter to another human being. Challenging yourself to write freely can help you open up and communicate what you feel without any hesitation. Remember, honest writing is good writing.
3. Create outlines in advance
A good outline of a piece of writing is what the skeleton is to the human body. The latter can not stand without the guidance and structure provided by the former. Without a clear structure, a writer can not know the direction their essay or paper will take. This leaves the quality of the piece of writing dependent on too many variables and doesn’t guarantee a high-quality result.
Do not dive into a topic without creating a proper outline for it firsthand. This is significant even if you are an expert on the topic. Having a structure made in advance can help you put your thoughts on paper in the proper order and understand what comes next. It will help your thoughts flow freely and improve the reading experience for the reader.
A basic outline for an essay or an article typically consists of the following:
- Introduction.
- Main headings.
- Subheadings.
- Body paragraphs.
- Conclusion.
More detailed outlines for longer pieces of writing can consist of more parts. It all depends on the topic you’re writing about and the word limit.
4. Get someone’s help
Nowadays, students can get tons of help from outside sources. Whether it is a parent, classmate, or academic writing service, getting someone else to take a look at the words you’ve been staring at all night can help you see things from a different perspective. Do not be closed off to advise, suggestions, or even some good old constructive criticism. Let people who you trust help you get better at your skill. If you don’t want or can’t enlist the help of a friend or family member, you can always reach out to TrustMyPaper. It is a writing service whose express will gladly proofread your paper, or even help you write it.
Of course, you have to keep in mind that you can not be easily swayed by someone else’s opinions. Sometimes, even a well-wisher’s suggestions aren’t what you need when it comes to your writing. Your writing is personal and sacred to you and people have to respect that. Stand firmly for your beliefs but be open to changes if required.
Developing a strong sense of self is crucial to help you figure out what kind of writer you are. This makes it easier for you to accept help from others to an extent where it helps your writing but doesn’t strip it of its originality. Good proofreading and editing can elevate your skills.
5. Research comprehensively
To write an intelligible essay or story, one must be extremely learned in the topic. The best way to come up with quality work that is also original is to put in the work that comes before the actual writing itself – research.
Research is an important preliminary step taken by writers to compile information from different sources that will then help them in putting together their final piece. Finding sources to make sure your paper is credible is a very crucial step in writing. Make sure you spend an adequate amount of time on this step.
Final Words
Being a young writer who also has to focus on studies can seem difficult. You can manage to practice a skill you love regularly and your education side by side if you follow the above-mentioned tips carefully. Make sure you stick to the rules but enjoy the process. Happy writing!
