Work-At-Home Expert Tips: Write Better! These experts share tips on how to improve your writing and communication
Although the world is much more visual (Pinterest, YouTube, etc), writing is still an important skill to have, especially when working at home. Words have power to attract attention so employers or clients will hire you.
You don’t need a degree in English to be a good writer, but it does take practice. Here are some of the best expert tips to help you get started as a writer or just improve your writng so you can improve not only at the craft of writing, but also at the art of communicating.
Emily Sidley, Three Girls Media
My Tips:
1.) Showcase your self-reliance by drawing attention to positions where you’ve worked independently.
2.) Use your resume as an opportunity to showcase your clear communication and writing skills.
3.) Proofread your writing, and proofread often. For best results, have someone else take a look at your work to catch mistakes you may have overlooked.
4.) Practice your writing skills nearly every day, even if you’re just journaling or writing a silly story. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it!
5.) Read often! Your writing will improve the more you submerge yourself in a variety of writing styles and authors.
Max Robinson, Zen Lifestyle
There are 2 aspects of writing that I often struggle with; finding my initial inspiration and checking my work over. But over the years, I’ve managed to implement certain tricks to help me be as productive as possible, and most of them involve lying to myself! During my first draft, I’ll write as if I’m the best writer in the world and everything that I type if golden. I won’t delete anything (apart from grammatical mistakes) and I’ll keep typing until I run out of ideas. As I’m checking my writing, I’ll read it as if it makes no sense. I’ll imagine that a foreigner had written it and I’ll take as much time as I can to ensure that it’s perfect. It’s a bit mad but it certainly helps me to get my work completed!
Beth Everett Author
1.) Try to write at the same time every day so that it is habit
2.) Exercise. A walk in the woods can bring loads of creativity and oxygen to the brain
3.) Engage regularly with other writers, a weekly group of some kind, to get you out of the house and listening to other good writing
4.) Read your work out loud. Better yet, have someone else read your work out loud
5.) Write honestly to find your true voice. Be fearless
6.) Be grateful for thoughtfully bad reviews and critique. They make you a better writer
7.) Let it go. At some point, its as good as it can get. I know writers who have sat on completed books for a decade
Marin Perez, MileIQ
1.) Find your niche and rock it. Don’t waste time pitching or applying for subject matters that aren’t relevant to you or the publication.
2.) Write for your audience, not you. Don’t get needlessly complex just to show off your writing skills. Delivering the best stories in the most direct ways.
3.) Don’t assume your resume will be close to enough. If you wind up making the initial cut, you can be sure they’ll search for your name on various sites. Make sure you’ve updated your social profiles to put your best foot forward, including links to your work and a respectable headshot.
4.) Finally, the best work comes when you don’t have to send a resume. Network, network network. Building up strong relationships (online or in person) will lead to
Nick Braun, PetInsuranceQuotes.com
Write. Save. Revise. Repeat. The key to being a good writer is iteration. I will write a rough draft then let it sit for a couple of days. Then I will come back to it and make edits and notes. And, depending on the importance of the piece I will continue this process until I feel I’ve done all I can do.
Notes from Leslie:
If someone told me I’d be making my living with words, I’d have cried. Today, though, I write daily and enjoy it. I blog, freelance write and author books. I write both non-fiction and fiction. I’m no Hemingway, but I’ve learned a few tricks and can share what has helped me improve:
1) Write a lot. The more you write, the better you get.
2) Find your voice. I didn’t have success in writing until my writing was authentically mine. This can be difficult as our educational system often teaches us to write in stale, boring prose. Start by writing how you talk.
3) Get feedback. Many of the “rules” I write by now were given to me as feedback from other skilled writers. This is especially true in fiction.
4) Revise. Don’t expect a first draft to be good enough. Revise several times to make sure you’re message is clear, as well as checking for errors.
5) Learn about the craft of writing. I’m not a big fan of writing courses, although they can be a great way to get feedback and learn the craft of writing (I don’t like them because I don’t like people telling me what to write, i.e. Write an essay on killer bees). Read books, attend conferences, check out writing blogs (such as DigitalWriterSuccess.com) and find people who know writing and will help you improve yours.
