What can you do to become a better writer? I can think of lots of things: 33 of them in fact:
- Write everyday no matter what.
- Edit the hell out of your copy and then edit some more.
- Listen carefully to everyone you meet, no matter how smart or dumb you think they might be.
- You can’t please everyone, so don’t try.
- Embrace life, have fun and make every day your best day.
- Use the active voice.
- Use the passive voice when you want to emphasize the recipient or victim of an action.
- Think for yourself.
- Omit needless words.
- Use as few adjectives and adverbs as possible.
- Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences.
- Use infographics when you’re dealing with lots of numbers.
- Approach every writing job with the idea that you are going to do the best you can and nothing less.
- Think big; it’s just as easy as thinking small.
- Read everything you can get your hands on and analyze what you read.
- Write. Put your copy aside for as long as your deadline permits. Then edit.
- Use a hard copy dictionary because you never know what you’ll find when you’re just flipping pages.
- The same is true for grammar books.
- Try mind mapping.
- Keep a notepad next to your bed.
- Try writing standing up.
- Don’t wait until a deadline is staring you in the face before you start writing.
- Write in a way that comes naturally to you. To put it another way, use a conversational style.
- Write frankly and fearlessly.
- Go to the movies. Visit an art gallery. Listen to music. You never know where your inspiration will come from.
- Take risks.
- Keep you paragraphs short–three or four sentences each will do.
- Put your keywords up front.
- Put your keywords into your headlines.
- Don’t overdo punctuation.
- Break rules but only if you know why they’re rules in the first place.
- Use the present tense.
- Toss aside hyperbole and exaggeration.
- Check your numbers.
