How To Improve Writing Skills For High School Students And Adults

how to improve writing skills

Updates: 07/11/2024

Many of you would like to write more compelling articles, blog posts, or web copy. It is totally true that everyone can write, however, not everyone can be a writer. Though we have heard about many old tips about writing skills improvement, not all of them can be applied by us. To be master in writing skill, even some individuals might spend a lifetime picking up on all the nuances of writing. Then, to help you shorten the amount of time of boosting your writing skills, we reveal some of the most effective tips on how to improve writing skills fast.

How To Improve Writing Skills Fast For High School Students And Adults

1. Read

This is the first tip on how to improve writing skills fast you need to know. Most people are rather busy these days that may make finding time for simple activities like reading seem impossible. However, without reading regularly, you cannot truly understand how correct and effective writing is. It is not necessary for you to read tons of novels and massive encyclopedias; you just make reading a habit in your daily life. Spend every day time reading new articles, short stories, or different forms of written documents. By this way, you can familiarize yourself with various writing styles.

Refer tips to develop reading ability naturally and simple methods for quick reading now.

2. Write Often

Sure. Practice makes perfect. You will never really develop your writing skills without spending time of writing. Similar to sports, keeping yourself active with writing task and create healthy habits from the beginning point is key. It is recommended that those people who are actually interested in writing skill enhancement should practice 15 minutes per day instead of two long hours for about three times per week. Fact is, even if you just can spend some minutes per day to practice writing, it can become a habit easier over the time.

3. Learn Style And Grammar

In order to get great writing skills, it is critical for you to learn correct grammar and various writing style. You will never discover a piece of writing which is so mind-bogglingly good that readers easily overlook bad grammar. Bad grammar will, later or sooner, disrupt the reader’s ability to catch up a writer’s train of thought. In fact, many people focus on building up their writing skills while skipping learning grammar as it takes from them much effort, patience and is more academic then creative. Yet, once you get to know the rules, it will be much easier to retain that information and make use of it in your future writing.

Discover steps to create an impressive novel and ways to write a comedy easily to expand your understanding about writing styles.

4. Refer Peer Reviews

Writing seems to be a personal thing so many individuals tend to struggle in this regard. When writing, you are reflecting your passions and intelligence. Yet, when someone else edits your work and begins pointing out flaws, you can feel like you are personally attacked. Nevertheless, you should not feel that. Taking other’s comments as well as edits and integrating the proper comments into your writing style will be good ideas to boost your writing skills. Nothing is perfect. There will always be something that you can learn more about writing and different manners you can learn to perfect your writing style.

To discover other useful tips to improve your writing skills, The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need is the best guide you should read.

5. Be Clear And Be Concise

how to improve writing skills in englishOf course, you have heard this one for so many times. Concise, tight, easy-to-read works are ideal for readers. In contrast, long, convoluted, complicated ones are confusing.

Often, the long your writing is, the less you can help your readers’ interest. Once you cannot write it simply in just several words, you will lose your readers. The advice here is to try to write short, clear, and lean, so you do not have to waste your words in explaining what you have already written.

For becoming a professional author, read on unique tips here.

6. Keep It Short

The idea of keeping it short is not for your writing, yet your line length. You understand what I mean, right? Interestingly, people really read longer sentences faster. Nevertheless, quick reading is not necessarily what you wish them to do. Your purpose is to make readers absorb your content, understand your message, and read comfortably.

Thus, just create short lines. Set the page layout so that it is not full width. In case that you need your lines full width, just keep your sentences short and use frequently and properly paragraphs breaks.

It is estimated that 100 characters per line will be optimal for good reading speed. Yet, just 45 characters will be the best for reading comfortably.

how to improve writing skills for 2nd grader

7. Remember The Magic Number: Three

According to estimation, people could process about 7 bits of information at a certain time. Yet, the most compelling number is: 3.

The rule of 3 means: 3 bullet points, 3 steps, 3 strategies. So, use the number of 3 as regular as you could. By this way, you will be able to capture your readers’ interest better and also improve the ability of your readers to memorize your content. We often chunks information into groups of three, then we recall them easily.

Discover: tricks for brain function enhancement to exploit your mind power effectively.

8. Pay Attention To Your Tone

how to improve writing skills for 3rd graderActually, it is quite easy for writers to assume readers can catch up with their tone and understand their mood from their writing. After all, of course, we, as writers, know our mood, humor, feelings, intent, and state of mind when writing. Yet, for readers, not everyone can get. The majority of them just guess your tone. And, they might guess wrong. So, your tone plays an important role in creating readers’ reading effectiveness.

If you care about writing lyrics, then do not overlook innovative techniques to write song lyrics, and ways to develop song ideas here.

To discover other useful tips to improve your writing skills, The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need is the best guide you should read.

9. Break It Up

how to improve writing skills pdf

As a habit, many writers create too long, chunky paragraphs. It is totally not a good idea. Try making it easy for readers to read your document. The easier it is, the more people will get your point and love your writing. Obviously, that is what you want to achieve.

Nowadays, the number of online documents is increasing. And, reading online is rather tiring. So, to make it less strain, you should:

  • Use less than three sentences per one paragraphs
  • Keep your sentences short
  • Add subheads as well as bullet points in order to instruct readers

10. Stay On Your Topic

When it comes to learning how to improve writing skills, this is difficult, particularly for those new writers. If you add too many points to a single writing document, then readers will get confused about what your main point is.

Thus, in that case, creating an outline can help. At first, you should decide what your main point is and create three sub-points supporting that main point. Guarantee that each one will tie back to the message you want to send off to readers, and ensure that each of sub-points will be relevant and supportive.

11. Read Your Piece Out Loud

how to improve writing skills for 4th graderA good practice for writing is to simply read your document out aloud. It can help you if you are going to use it for an oral presentation. Moreover, it is also helpful in different areas as well. Sometimes, hearing your words rather than looking at them could change your ideas or opinion about your current writing and expose some flaws like boring dialog, pretentious terms, or run-on sentences.

12. Join In A Writing Group

Writing groups could be both horrible and wonderful. Do not be ashamed of sharing your writing. One of the greatest manners to boost your writing is to take part in a writer’s group in which you could receive valuable comments and feedback like how to improve introductions, how to develop each kind of characters, how to create stronger scenes, and so on. It depends on how lucky you are in looking for a group of writers who are actually respectful and honest, who are ready to give and receive. Getting feedback from those peers who do not have a personal investment in you could be so helpful. Feedback from a writer’s group does not have to hurt. You might have to experience a few groups before finding out the one that really works for you. The advice is to choose groups wisely and do not be afraid of moving on if it is not suitable for you.

13. Attend A Writer’s Workshop Or Conference

People schedule writing workshops throughout the year. Not only could you meet fellow aspiring writers, you could met published authors who can share their writing tips as well as tricks, such as whether you should write nonfiction or fiction, or the importance of creating an outline.

In other words, writer’s conferences as well as workshops are considered as good places to encounter authors, publishers, literary agents, and editors. You also could take one or even two classes to improve your writing skills within a short period of time. Yet, remember that sometimes, the contacts you make may be invaluable to your dream career.

To discover other useful tips to improve your writing skills, The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need is the best guide you should read.

14. Activate Google Alerts

Never forget to apply new techniques for your study and work. Join Google Alert for book writing, writing skills and other alerts with the latest stories there. Read what people are doing there for improving their writing skills.

15. Establish A Writing Schedule

 

Design a schedule to write regularly every morning, every night or every week. You can fix a certain hour to write, for 2 or 3 hours each time, for instance.

Recommended reading: Ways To Enjoy Life

establish a writing schedule

16. Create An Outline

Don’t skip this step as it can help you have a well-organized writing that focuses on the topic you chose. When a reader read your writing, he will know how logical the outline is when it covers the whole writing.

17. Separate Writing & Editing separate writing & editing

Get clear about 2 concepts. In fact, editing is a step of writing. You need to edit an expression, a sentence, a paragraph or a writing after completing one of these cases. You should write and write down an idea in your mind first. Then, if you are not satisfied with your expression, you can edit. Separate into at least 2 times of editing for each paragraph and after finishing your complete writing.

18.  Highlight For An Editing

When completing the whole writing, don’t forget to read it again to check out all things about grammar, awkward phrasing, spelling, illogic and wrong expression, or anything you may want to edit it at the last time. Highlight it for a careful editing.

19. Read Beyond What You Often Read read beyond what you often read

Do not limit your knowledge when only read normal things daily. Open your mind to find new pages, new books and dig knowledge for enrich yours. In this way, you may get out of comfort zone and challenge yourself with something different and difficult but they can benefit you for more interesting knowledge for your excellent or advanced writing.

20. Comment On Blogs You Like

Try writing in-depth comments on a bog you like. I think this is an interesting way for you to improve your writing skills while opening your social knowledge. In addition, you can make more new friends and have new perspectives that you learn from them. Sounds good, right? Why don’t you start doing it right now?

21. Don’t Plagiarize

Plagiarism is like copying phrases and ideas from Wikipedia or other websites without enclosing statements in quotes or including references. Moreover, if you depend on other people’s ideas, this is an easy way you are killing your creation. So, avoid plagiarizing or using other people’s work for more creative compositions you are able to produce.

22. Show Your Work show your work

This is a great way to enjoy your fruits, too. Show your work to your friends and if they are honest to show real estimation, you will know how good your work is, what you need to improve for better writing next time. So, don’t be shy to show it to a trusted one. All writings become masterpieces when they are shown in the public.

Being a skilled writer is not an impossible dream. It is even closer to reality than you may believe. What you should do now is to learn how to improve writing skills via the useful tips above.

If you are interested in this topic of 22 ways on how to improve writing skills for high school students and adults, leave your words at the comment section to let us know your thought. We will answer all soon!

To discover other useful tips to improve your writing skills, The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need is the best guide you should read.

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