James Madison High School: How To Improve Your Writing Skills
Being able to write effectively isn’t just a skill you need for school, it’s one that you’ll use in your everyday life and work.
Des Sinkevich
Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Being able to write effectively isn’t just a skill you need for school, it’s one that you’ll use in your everyday life and work. From writing effective cover letters when you’re applying for a job to crafting a clear email to a coworker, good writing can help you stand out and get your message across. But if you’re not a confident writer naturally, that’s okay! Writing well is a skill that you can learn over time and your high school classes can help. Here’s how to improve your writing while you’re in high school. 5 tips for writing better
Becoming a better writer doesn’t happen overnight, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’re not learning fast enough. It takes work to improve but, in the end, it can be worth it! Whether you’re already working on your writing skills in your English class, or you want to learn how to become a better writer before you ever come face to face with an essay, try these five tips to improve. Practice. Like any skill, practice makes perfect. In order to improve your writing skills, it helps to get a little bit of practice every day. This doesn’t mean that you have to sit down to write an essay every morning! You can practice your writing by journaling, blogging, or even writing emails to friends and family.
Read. Reading a little bit daily can help improve your writing because you’re seeing how other people form sentences, use grammar, and tell stories. It can also help inspire you in your own writing! You can read whatever you like – just make sure you’re paying special attention to what the writer is saying and doing.
Outline. Before writing something, start getting into the habit of outlining. Outlining helps you gather your thoughts and have a clear idea of what you’re hoping to say. It can also make the writing process a lot quicker.
Proofread. Writing well isn’t just about putting words on paper, it’s also about building proofreading habits and editing skills. When you’ve completed a first draft, go back and review what you wrote for typos, structure, and grammar. Sometimes, it can be hard to edit yourself, though, so a good way to get used to it is to set it aside for a while. After writing, set aside your work for a few hours, or, if possible, a day or so. Then, when you’re ready, go back to it and read it through once or twice. You’ll have some distance from what you wrote and will be able to better edit your work.
Edit. Don’t be afraid to make changes. Editing is an important part of becoming a better writer and making changes can help you improve your work before you submit it for grading or review.
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