One Thing You Must Do To Become A Better Writer
Learn and utilize.
How do you become a better writer?
By taking courses? Improving your grammar? Writing more?
Sure, these would help.
Getting better at writing is primarily about being consistent. Even if you take the best writing course, you cannot become good at writing unless you practice.
Only then will you improve your grammar, writing style, and audience engagement.
However, many other aspects have an indirect yet significant impact on your writing.
For instance, meeting exciting people will help you learn about new topics that you can use in your writing. Similarly, your experience teaches you lessons that help you express yourself better.
These will give you more writing ideas and allow you to communicate your thoughts well.
Writing is primarily about expressing your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences.
Most people (especially beginners) do not know about an activity that can impact your writing significantly.
It’s reading.
Yes, reading makes you a better writer.
I was a reader long before I was a writer. My daily reading habit allowed me to become a better writer quickly.
If you want to become a better writer, you’ve got to start reading more. And by reading, I do not mean only the things associated with writing. It can be about anything.
Read fiction, non-fiction, biographies, literature, and everything you can.
How reading can make you a better writer
Any successful writer is also a reader. There is no doubt about that.
Below are a few explanations regarding how reading will make you a better writer.
#1. Reading makes you a better thinker
Reading is good for the brain. It is a mental workout.
When you read the words of a book, your brain is processing the information. You focus on the context and try to understand what you are reading.
So, you are exercising your mental ability subconsciously.
It will come in handy when writing because it requires you to think. In writing, you must come up with the right words to express your ideas.
And for that, you need a sharp mind, and reading helps you develop one.
#2. Reading improves vocabulary
When you read a variety of texts, you will learn new words. You will find different ways to use them in your writing too.
Since childhood, we learn through various life circumstances and use (or avoid) them later in life.
It’s the same with reading and writing too. For instance, we read something, find new context, understand it more profoundly, and use it in writing or speaking.
#3. More writing ideas
This one is the most crucial for me. I started my writing journey by blogging about the books I read.
I used to write about a specific topic from a book. Sometimes, I even wrote book summaries.
But writing ideas does not mean summaries, reviews, or anything associated with a particular book.
Instead, they represent various thoughts, ideas, and feelings about specific topics.
Like I said in the previous point, when you learn something, you process it, and then you can express it better with your understanding of the context.
#4. Identify your writing style
I have seen a variety of writing styles in the books I read. Different authors have different ways of expressing themselves.
By this, I do not mean only the genre or topic. Writers use various structures, literature, and choice of words.
Being exposed to these styles helps you develop your own style — a mixture of multiple writers or just the one you took from a particular writer.
Don’t limit yourself.
Reading has multiple benefits. It helps you learn different aspects of life.
This simple habit can make you a better person and transform your life.
Make reading fun. Do it because you like it, not because everyone is doing it. So, it should not be forced.
Finally, don’t limit yourself. Read everything. Even if you are doing it only to become a better writer, read whatever you can get your hands on.
Of course, if the material is BS, stop it immediately.
Otherwise, the more context you expose yourself to, the better you (and your writing) become.
Final Tip
While reading, don’t just read out the words and forget about them. Instead, take notes, highlight the text, and remember what you read.
You should have a purpose. Merely following the words will get you nowhere. You will only be wasting your time.
Read with intent.
Thanks for reading.
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