15 Creative Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

If you’re interested in blogging, becoming a writer, or working at a magazine or newspaper, your writing needs to be creative and engrossing.

It’s essential to rise above the crowd, especially when many writers might dazzle with fancy words but miss the core mechanics of solid writing. So, ready to elevate your writing from good to outstanding? Let’s dive into the top ways you can sharpen those writing skills.

Here are some of the most creative ways to improve your writing skills:

1. Embrace Brevity and Clarity

Many writers spend their time trying to fulfill word counts which usually leads to them filling the content with unnecessary details. If you want to be a better writer, you need to be direct and get to the point. Most readers don’t care about some barely relevant backstory (looking at you, recipe blogs), so avoiding fluff is crucial for keeping the readers’ attention and ensuring the content is valuable. This is true whether you’re writing a novel or a blog post, especially when you consider how short the modern attention span is.

Action steps:

• Challenge yourself to reduce a 1000-word piece to 600 words without losing its essence.
• Avoid adverbs and adjectives unless necessary.
• Practice writing concise summaries of longer articles or chapters.

2. Leverage Digital Writing Assistants

Poor grammar and spelling are immediate indicators of a bad writer. The same goes for work where the syntax is all mixed up or where ideas come out of nowhere and then disappear just as easily. But, pouring through every word you’ve written can take a long time, and it’s time you may not have. Thankfully, online grammar checkers such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or Hemingway can check for spelling and grammar, and Hemingway even helps you trim the fat to encourage your writing to be more direct. These apps can also teach you to improve your writing as you’ll notice some issues that continue to crop up, allowing you to adjust your writing style to avoid them.

Action steps:

• Install Grammarly or ProWritingAid as browser extensions.
• Actively learn from the recurring mistakes these tools highlight.

3. Seek Mentorship from Writing Maestros

Even if you’ve been writing for as long as you can remember, you still might lack some expertise. This isn’t because you’re a bad writer, it just might have passed you by, and you’ll never improve if you don’t speak to an expert. Researching the best online tutoring can help you improve your writing by having it checked and edited by professionals who know what to look for.

Action steps:

• Research online platforms like MasterClass or Coursera for writing courses.
• Join writing forums and ask for mentorship or feedback.
• Attend local writing workshops or seminars.

4. Draw from Personal Experiences

Writing what you know is a fundamental piece of writing advice, especially for beginners. It enables you to be an authority on everything you write because you’ve lived it or you have experience in a field or industry. This is a much better approach than writing about things you’re unsure of as your surface-level knowledge will show, especially if experts read it.

Action steps:

• Maintain a daily journal to document personal experiences.
• Write short stories based on personal events.
• Interview friends or family for unique experiences and perspectives.

5. Forge Your Unique Writing Identity

Everyone has their writing idols, so it’s no surprise that many writers start their careers trying to imitate them. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this while you’re getting more comfortable writing, you don’t want to come across as an imitation. So, don’t be afraid to explore your style and find your voice. You will become a much better writer by embracing your tone rather than trying to copy someone else’s.

Action steps:

• Analyze your favorite pieces and identify what you like about them.
• Write an essay mimicking a style you admire, then rewrite it in your voice.
• Seek feedback on what makes your writing unique.

6. Experiment with Different Genres

Venturing into unfamiliar genres, whether it’s poetry, scriptwriting, or fantasy, can be a refreshing challenge. It pushes you to adapt, learn new conventions, and think differently. This versatility not only broadens your skill set but also introduces you to novel storytelling techniques.

Action steps:

• Choose a genre you’ve never tried and write a short story or poem.
• Read top books in unfamiliar genres to understand their conventions.
• Join genre-specific writing groups for feedback and insights.

7. Join a Writers’ Workshop or Group

Being part of a writers’ community offers a wealth of benefits. You can share your work, receive diverse feedback, and gain insights into how others approach writing. Collaborative environments foster growth, challenge your ideas, and provide a support system for those inevitable writer’s block moments.

Action steps:

• Search for local writing groups on platforms like Meetup.
• Participate in online writing forums like Absolute Write or Writer’s Digest.
• Attend writing conferences or workshops in your area.

8. Play with Writing Prompts

Random prompts can be the spark that ignites your creativity. They force you to think on your feet, craft stories you might not have considered, and break free from routine topics. Whether it’s a mysterious sentence or an abstract scenario, prompts can lead to some of your most unexpected and brilliant pieces.

Action steps:

• Dedicate 15 minutes daily to write based on a new prompt.
• Join a 30-day writing challenge using daily prompts.
• Share your prompt-based pieces with friends for feedback.

9. Mind Map Your Ideas

Before diving into writing, visually map out your thoughts. Create diagrams, doodles, or flowcharts to explore connections, themes, and character arcs. This creative process can provide clarity, uncover hidden links in your narrative, and serve as a dynamic blueprint for your writing journey.

Action steps:

• Use tools like MindMeister or Biggerplate to digitally mind map.
• Before starting a new piece, spend 10 minutes brainstorming with a mind map.

10. Read Widely and Eclectically

Diversifying your reading list exposes you to a myriad of styles, tones, and structures. From classic literature to contemporary blogs, every piece offers lessons. By understanding different genres and cultures, you can adopt unique elements, enriching your writing style and vocabulary.

Action steps:

• Set a monthly goal to read books from different genres.
• Join a diverse book club.
• Write reviews or reflections on eclectic reads to deepen understanding.

11. Try Flash Fiction Challenges

Flash fiction, with its word constraints, demands precision and creativity. Crafting a compelling story in just a few hundred words teaches you the art of brevity, making every word count. It’s a fantastic exercise in distilling narratives to their essence without losing impact.

Action steps:

• Participate in challenges like the “100-Word Story” or “Six-Word Stories”.
• Share your flash fiction on platforms like Wattpad or Tumblr.
• Set a timer for 15 minutes and write a complete story within that time.

12. Maintain a Dream Journal

Dreams are a treasure trove of surreal plots, characters, and emotions. By documenting them, you capture raw, unfiltered creativity that can be refined into intriguing stories. This practice not only aids memory but also offers a reservoir of unique ideas to tap into.

Action steps:

• Keep a notebook by your bedside to jot down dreams upon waking.
• Analyze recurring themes or symbols in your dreams.
• Write a short story based on a particularly vivid dream.

13. Embrace Freewriting Sessions

Set aside time to write non-stop, without overthinking or editing. This unbridled flow can bypass your inner critic, leading to raw, authentic content. It’s a therapeutic exercise that can unearth ideas buried beneath self-doubt and analytical thinking.

Action steps:

• Dedicate a specific time daily for freewriting, even if it’s just 10 minutes.
• Use freewriting as a warm-up before diving into structured writing.

14. Experiment with Perspective

Reimagining a familiar story from an unconventional viewpoint, like an object or the antagonist, can be enlightening. It challenges you to empathize, understand different motivations, and craft a narrative that’s both familiar and refreshingly new.

Action steps:

• Rewrite a scene from a book or movie from another character’s viewpoint.
• Write a story where an inanimate object is the narrator.
• Challenge yourself to write a piece in the second-person perspective.

15. Incorporate Real-life Observations

The world around you is filled with stories. Observing people, noting down snippets of conversations, or even watching nature can offer nuances and details that breathe life into your characters and settings. It’s these real-life touches that make fiction resonate with readers.

Action steps:

• Spend 30 minutes a week people-watching in a park or cafe.
• Document interesting snippets of overheard conversations.
• Use these observations as starting points for character development or dialogue in your stories.

Summing Up

Improving your writing skills can help you stand out, but it also gives you a better chance of finding your voice. The best writers have a distinct style that makes their work immediately recognizable. With practice, you can find your voice and improve your chances of becoming a renowned wordsmith. Next up, you may want to explore a guide on the top publishing companies from around the world.