Hyojeong Shim/Writing Advice/ Thursday 1-3pm

3 Tips for You to Become a Better Writer

             I'm not a professional writer myself, and I don't know a lot of powerful and persuasive writing techniques that would come in helpful to all of you. But I do love writing and often write down what I think about specific topics that I randomly come up with. So basically writing is a daily occupation for me, and I thought I would share three of the writing tips based on my daily writing habit that perfectly works well for me and I am sure will work for a lot of you as well.

 

             My first tip is just as simple as, just start writing. We all had that experience where we fiddled around before getting ready to write about something. We are sometimes so focused on creating a perfect structure and outline that we have trouble actually getting started. The point is, "getting ready" should not be part of the writing process. Jump right into writing whatever is in your head related to the topic and you will gradually get the grasp on how your essay should be written more quickly and accurately than just thinking about it. This is similar to "brainstorming" but you don't just keep the idea inside your head, you write it down. Don't worry about an outline at this stage. It will come soon.

 

             After getting the hang of how and what you should write, tip number two kicks in. It is time you start outlining your writing. Think about the best structure to organize your ideas and thought into, and stick to it all throughout writing. This is crucial because outlining prevents you from losing track and cause less confusion. At some point during your work, you would want to add more subjects or leave out certain part. Outline will serve as a perfect guide when you are adjusting your writing in mid-stream and help you stick to the original path without getting lost.

 

            Last but not least, it is incredibly important for your sentences to make sense. Writing is a series of sentences, so your sentences are basically what decide a reader's overall impression on your writing. You may think you wrote a great article, but for readers that might not be the case. Good sentences are easy to understand and contextually necessary. Fancy vocabularies or highly specialized knowledge would not always come in useful in this case. Try as best as possible to be in reader's shoes, and eliminate unnecessary parts and be specific on the parts where readers might find difficult to understand or not well aware of.

 

             These tips may come off as cliché or common sense, but I think when we focus on the fundamental, our writing becomes more solid and that's how we start becoming a better writer. I do agree that details and techniques are important, but building the most basic and fundamental part of writing should come in priority. After all, all good writing takes a lot of effort and time, so keep practicing your way into better writing and you will gradually notice the progress.