Writing Tips — Gather New Words

As a writer you must have a robust vocabulary at your disposal, to use when required, if you intend to make a memorable impact on your reader. Here are some of the ways you can improve:

1. Listen for new words: Keep your ears open to new words that you like the sound of. If you don’t understand what they mean, look up the meaning and then try to include them in your daily vernacular for an immediate upgrade in your writing skills!

2. Be a monkey: Made you laugh right? That was me just being creative and asking you to be curious, like Curious George :) Yes you read that right, if there ever is one case where curiosity is a virtue, it is this one. Make sure you find out what a new word means when you hear it and don’t stop until you find it! Your writing will thank you for it, trust me!

3. Read: This is one is a no-brainer. Magazines, books, newspapers, flyers, brochures, heck even junk mail. Read, read, read! Your mind is like a sponge and even when you don’t realize it, you are automatically adding new words to your vocabulary when you read.

4. Make a plan and follow through: As with anything, if you want to see real results, you must make a conscious decision to improve your writing skills with the help of a more robust vocabulary. Create a calendar, make a list and hold yourself accountable to follow through. Once you’ve achieved your monthly goal, take it a step further and make a list of your favorite words out of all the new words you have acquired that month!

If you keep this up then believe it when I say this, you will have a improved your writing skills by leaps and bounds in no time! And as a treat for being such a good reader, here’s a new word to chew on: INCHOATE. Go ahead, look it up ;)