Five Ways to Be a Better Writer

I don't pretend to know what your path to greatness will look like. What I can tell you is what you can do to add tools to your writerly toolbox.

With anything, you have to put in the work. However, the work isn't always putting words on the page. Here are five things that will help you grow as a writer.

Read

Reading shows you what you like and what you don't. When you pay attention to what other authors do, you're introduced to new techniques, and analyzing how others use those techniques will help you gather a wide range of tools you can put into your writer's toolbox.

Become a Critique Partner

When you are reviewing a piece of writing for someone else to help them get their writing to a better place, you get a peek behind the curtain at someone else's writing process. There's always something to learn from that. In addition, you'll get feedback from someone who understands the process of writing.

Write

Write as much as you can. Experiment! Did you see an author you like do something unexpected and cool? Why not try that technique in your book. Maybe it'll work; maybe it won't, but you'll have learned something.

Be Open to Rewriting

Part of writing is rewriting. As my friend Hannah says, writing is like sculpting. You're refining your block of clay with each rewrite. When you're open to rewriting as part of writing, you see new possibilities and can add depth to your book.

Hire an Editor

Hiring an editor doesn't just make your current draft better; it's an investment in your writing skills. Your editor will point out what you're doing well, where you could improve and show you different ways of doing so. Those are skills you can take into your next draft and your next book!

Check out this post for more reasons why you should invest in an editor.

There are, of course, other ways you can improve your writing, but these are the top five in my books! Let me know other ways you like to acquire new skills or develop the ones you have.