How Reading More, Alongside 9 Other Tips, Can Help Any Student Become A Better Writer

First of all, every student needs to understand that writing is just as much about creation as it is about conscious consumption. To become a good writer, you first have to become an avid reader. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to start forcing yourself to read all the “good” books. (Especially the classics, and especially if you don’t like reading classic literature.)

Nowadays, having access to the internet allows you to read large quantities of text on a daily basis without actually reading books. We read social media posts, articles, news reports, text messages and so on. Of course, it’s best that you focus your attention on the kind of texts you would have to write at school (i.e. academic articles, book reports and so on). But you can still start developing your reading habit by reading what you personally find interesting.

The best way to practice writing consistently and regularly is by keeping a diary — so start one. It’s easy to do so because you only need a notepad or journal and a pen or pencil. Dedicate at least a few minutes every day to make an entry and write down what happened or what you are thinking about.

If you keep forgetting about the diary, set an alarm. You can also make it more interesting by decorating your diary or using the bullet journaling system to track or organize what you write down. You can also use your diary to make daily to-do lists of the tasks you should complete, the meetings or events you should attend, the things you need to learn, etc.

No writer is exactly like everyone else. Every writer develops their own technique or approach to writing that works for them. For example, Stephen King writes every day and has a routine he follows, even during holidays. Some writers prefer to write and plan as they progress.

Understanding what works for you can take time, but you will definitely develop your technique the more practice you get. Are you the kind of writer who plans ahead and then writes? Or are you someone who doesn’t like having a specific plan when you start writing? Do you do research while writing or before it? If you need to cite something, do you do it immediately or do you add the references later?

Speaking of citing and referencing, you need to be able to do research well to become a good writer. All universities require students to cite their sources, but if you’re still in middle or high school, you might not need to include them. Nevertheless, being able to do research efficiently is essential for creating well-written pieces.

If you have never done intentional research, you might want to ask a professional writer from the writing services reviews site Trust My Paper to explain to you how to do it correctly. They can teach the different research techniques and tell you about the resources you can use to find good sources.

In addition to improving your research skills, you should also learn how to cite and reference your sources correctly. There are different styles for this, including APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard, among others. Ask your instructor what kind of style is expected from you and learn how to cite and reference using the right style for it.

It is also a good idea to at least get acquainted with the other styles so that you can recognize them when reading academic texts. In most cases, it’s best to consult the official websites for information on how to use these styles correctly as they are updated regularly. For instance, you can find all the information about APA 7 on the official APA Style website.

Every time you sit down to write something, you need to remember who your audience is. Who are you writing this piece for? What format should your writing be presented in? How can you make your writing more appropriate for your specific audience?

Knowing your audience will also help you define the purpose of your writing. What are the goals that you are trying to achieve? What is the message you want to convey? What kind of discussion are you participating in when writing your text?

To present your thoughts and ideas in a coherent way, you need to structure your writing logically. In most cases, the basic structure of any piece of writing follows the introduction-body-conclusion formula where the body of your text can be divided into different subsections.

Both for structuring your text into parts and for structuring these sections into paragraphs, you can use several different logical approaches. One of the most popular of these is chronological where you structure ideas, thoughts and events as they progress in time. Alternatively, you can structure your points by theme going from the general to the specific. You can also use other approaches such as comparative or causal structuring.

In addition to developing their own techniques, writers also develop their own distinctive voices. Of course, because you are concerned with academic writing, you will need to keep an appropriate tone and style in your writing, but you can still have a distinctive voice that is unique to your writing.

If you’re lost when it comes to developing your own voice, you can ask for help from an experienced writer from the custom writing reviews site Best Essay Education. You can start by writing the way you normally talk or trying to copy the style of your favorite writers. You will eventually realize what works better for you and stick to that throughout your writing.

As mentioned earlier, you need to practice writing regularly, and one of the best ways to do this is by keeping a diary. However, you can also do it in other ways:

• Write your own fiction, non-fiction or poetry books
• Start a blog or social media profile focused on writing
• Send emails, letters and postcards frequently
• Participate in online discussions related to your interests

Last but not least, don’t hesitate to ask for feedback on your writing. You might see issues with your writing that you want to improve, but you still need an outside perspective to help you see what you don’t notice.

Ask for feedback from your instructors every time you have a written assignment. Show your writing to your friends and family members to get feedback from them. Publish your writing online and ask for feedback from your readers.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to practice. Even if you’re a terrible writer right now, you could become very good at writing in the future after getting enough practice, developing your own style and honing your skills. Use the tips in this article to help you get started and gradually improve your writing skills.

____

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account and check out our how-to post to learn more.