6 Ways to Improve Your Writing Style

Practice makes perfect

Some people have a natural way with words while others struggle to get their message across. They write and delete, write and delete, and wonder — is this good enough?

1. First, second, or third

Some writers, when hit with an idea for a story, wondering whether to write in the first, second, or third person. All three are acceptable and depend entirely on preference. When in doubt, write the same sentence in the third, second, and first-person and determine which style appeals to you the most. For instance:

a. When writers start a new story, they know exactly what to write about, but somewhere along the line, they run into difficulties.

b. When you start a new story, you know exactly what to write about, but somewhere along the line, you run into difficulties.

c. When I start a new story, I know exactly what to write about, but somewhere along the line, I run into difficulties.

Personally, I prefer to read a first-person approach because it makes the story more believable. Whatever advice is to follow seems to come from personal experience.

However, when discussing health issues, a second-person narrative is acceptable if not preferable. When writing in the second person, the writer seems to talk directly to the reader. Stating ‘I know what you’ve been through and I sympathize’ seems more personal than ‘I know what people have been through and I sympathize.’

2. Choosing a subject

On the rare occasion that you are short on inspiration, there are four possibilities. Write about what’s popular, write about what you know, step out of your comfort zone, or write about something your passionate about.

Writing about what’s popular will most likely give you a large audience, but if you don’t care about that subject, chances are your story will lackluster. For instance, electric cars may be hot on everyone’s lips, but if you’re not interested in that type of vehicle, how can you engagingly write about it?

Writing about what you know, whether it’s computer programming, dealing with diabetes, cooking or gardening might come naturally to you, but you might be bored with the subject and ache to write about something else.

Stepping out of your comfort zone might be refreshing and enlightening, but takes time and comes with a risk. Not only will you have to do thorough research, but you’ll have to make very sure that what you write is believable. Reading a few articles about visiting the Eiffel Tower and looking at pictures cannot accurately describe the Parisian atmosphere and your feelings as you looked up at the tower, or looked down on the city from the three different levels.

Writing about what you’re passionate about, however, is most likely where you will shine. Whether it’s your pet parrot’s antics, your successes and failures in the kitchen, or your ups and downs with your diet when you write with zeal for the subject your words will leap off the page.

3. The right words

If you find you falter in your writing, imagine that you’re sitting on a park bench with your best friend. When talking to your friend you’re unlikely to search for the right words, you just talk. Now write as if you’re in the middle of such a conversation. Tell him/her what you think he/she needs help with, what happened the other day, or what’s bothering you. If you struggle to express yourself, switch on the microphone of your computer and dictate your story.

4. Silence your spell checker

It’s also a good idea that while writing to turn your spell checker off. Every time you see a red squiggle line under a word, you are most likely to click on it to correct that word. By doing so, you interrupt your train of thought. Better to get your thoughts onto the screen and let your fingers fly over the keyboard without giving spelling and grammar a second thought. When your story is finished, turn the spell checker back on and fix those mistakes.

5. Let the story simmer

When your story is finished, don’t edit it right away. Think of your story as a stew and let it simmer for a few hours or even overnight. When you return with fresh eyes, add some information or delete something. Before hitting publish, read the story aloud to yourself. When reading a sentence, it might seem great, but when hearing it, the words might sound forced or cumbersome.

6. Day or night

The time that you choose to write is also rather important. While some people can write any time of the day, others are at their most creative before the sun is up, while others write at their best when the world is asleep.

Whatever your preference, experiment with a few possibilities and see what suits you best. And remember, practice makes perfect.