Writing is a skill, and like any other skill, it takes practice to become a really good writer. Just like an athlete, you have to train and hone your talent. To help you, we have suggested four writing exercises that can help you to improve your writing and gain confidence.
1) Write an introduction for your text. Before you start with the main content of your chapter, start by writing a well-organized introduction. This will help you to establish what you want to say in your text and will guide you as you write. This is a strategy used by both academics and novelists to get a clear goal for your writing, which will increase your efficiency and clarity.
2) Write a summary of what you want to say. Write your piece with a very strict word limit and boil it down to the bare minimum. This will encourage you to make your point in a few sentences, will make your message clearer, and will prevent you from taking too long to get to the point.
3) Imagine that you are the reader of your text. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Start by reading the first few sentences of your work and try to construct the story you have written from an outsider’s perspective. Then ask yourself if what you have written makes sense, and if not, go back over the parts that don’t flow or that need clarification.
4) Stop, analyse, explain. Make a habit of looking at and evaluating your work as you write. Then add the information which you think is missing or correct any vague or broad statements. You will need to clarify your work, so that your argument or message comes across clearly and succinctly.
We hope these help you in your writing journey! If so, please let us know in the comments and share your writing tips!
Until next time,
The Wordwise Team