“The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist,” said Michael Lee. Most writers will tell you that the hardest part of the writing process is the editing. If you want to improve your writing and help yourself to confidently get through revisions faster, follow these eight essential writing tips.
Practice Makes Perfect
First and foremost, the best way to improve your writing is by practicing writing. Keep reading, learning, and practicing. Keep a journal and make regular entries, especially if you're just starting out on your writing journey. This will get you accustomed to the mental and physical concepts of writing. It will also help you to gauge how your writing has improved over time and how your writing style has developed.
Less is More
Using unnecessary words makes your work tedious to read and comes across as unprofessional. Avoid using thirty words to say something that you can easily say in ten. An exaggeration perhaps, but you get the gist. For example, instead of saying at the present moment, use the word presently. Likewise, replace due to the fact that with due to or owing to, and so on. Keep it simple. Avoid verbose speech.
Show, Don’t Tell
It is powerfully more interesting to use dialogue and action to convey emotion rather than narrating it. In other words, instead of writing that Janet knitted her brows, convey her concern in the language she uses when speaking to another character.
Avoid Cliches
This is one of the most common writing tips but often, one of the most ignored. Weed out tired and overused clichés like ‘a shiver down my spine’, ‘loved him more than life itself’, and ‘without a care in the world’ by rewriting them in fresh and unique ways.
Capitalization of Pronouns
When capitalizing pronouns, remember not to capitalize a civic title, such as president or governor, unless it is used as part of that person's name. For example, the correct way is to write: "It was time for the president to address the nation." It is incorrect to write: "It was time for the President to address the nation." Similarly, write: "It was time for Governor Alfred to speak." Don't write: "It was time for governor Alfred to speak."
Avoid Adverbs
Stephen King said, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” When editing your writing, replace adverbs with stronger verb choices so that looked carefully becomes examined, ran swiftly becomes darted, held tightly becomes gripped, cried pitifully becomes wailed. and so forth.
Read It Out Loud
The best way to check how well your writing flows is to read it out loud. While doing so, if you stumble over some words, take a closer look at why it impeded the flow of your writing and clear it up. This is particularly effective when writing poetry.
Write, Shift Gear, Then Edit
Avoid editing immediately after completing a piece of writing. Stepping away for a quick break or a hot cuppa can help you shift gear from writer to editor mode. You can then review from a fresh perspective.
Your writing is a representation of who you are both personally and professionally, so it’s well worth honing your skills. Incorporating these essential writing tips can help you master the art of using words to reveal the artist within.
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