Even some of the best writers needed to be reminded with tips on how to write better. On the other hand, those who are starting to embrace their passion in writing will surely find it useful if they will be reminded of some dos and don’ts in their craft.
So we decided to come up with the top 10 tips that that every writer should practice in order to writer better and more compelling pieces. Therefore, the next time you start scribbling some notes on your paper; do not forget to look over this list.
Write short paragraph; the shorter, the better.
This is not an essay you are going to give your literary professor, so make sure that you limit the length of your paragraph. Writing something that is too long will surely bore your readers. Unless you are giving a very important information that is crucial to their survival, your audience will not find it pleasing to be reading a big chunk of text on your eBook or blog. So to make it easier for you and your reader, write shorter paragraphs.
Here’s an advice from The Writer Life:
I’m not talking about run-on sentences. Many long sentences are grammatically correct. But long sentences often contain several ideas, so they can easily lose the reader’s focus because they don’t provide a break, leading readers to get stuck or lose interest, and perhaps the reader might get bored and go watch TV instead.
See what I mean? If you spot a comma-heavy sentence, try to give each idea its own sentence.
Check your spelling, even if it means going back on your 150-page eBook a hundred times
Now to avoid going over the pages several times then you may want to be careful with your spelling even during the writing phase. Be sensitive to common spelling mistakes like your and you’re, there and their, form and from, etc. These mistakes may not be a big issue to your reader but doing it for several times can be disastrous to your writing career.
Here is another advice from The Creative Penn :
The three most common issues I see as an editor are:
(1) Structural issues like plot holes, wandering timelines, and lagging pacing,
(2) Excessive exposition or lengthy chunks of narrative (telling versus showing)
(3) Awkward, clunky writing.
Remember that txt talk is a mortal sin in this industry
You do not go writing like “how r u?”. Txt talk is a language that is only used on mobile phones to save character space and to make writing faster and easier. So while you do it to send a message to someone, txt talk is something that you cannot use on your eBook or your blog. Not only will this make your text hard to read but it can lead to annoyance.
Proofread your work or hire an editor to do it for you
It is best to do your proofreading after a day or two. Once you are able to finish writing, it will be hard for you to look at the text with a discerning eye. You will have trouble reading the text well if they are still fresh in your mind. So wait for a few days before going back to your script. By doing this, you will be able to successfully more error than the usual. When you are proofreading; do it line by line. Although this may sound to be stressful specially if you are writing a book but it is the best way to do if you want to ensure that your write-up is error-free.
Make some time to look for contradictions in your post
Always make it a point to check the content and thought of your eBook. There will be times that you will find that you are contradicting yourself with what you are writing. And most of the times, you will be unaware that you are doing this. This is basically the reason why you need to hire an editor that won’t just clear out grammar and spelling mistakes for you, but also those thoughts that are contradicting the message that you are trying to say.
Now, here is one great advice from Writing Forward:
Some people love the proofreading and editing process. Others despise it. If you’re into grammar, the mechanics of writing, and polishing your work, then proofreading and editing will be easier and more enjoyable for you. If not, just look at it as part of your job — something that goes along with being a writer.
And once you’re done proofreading and editing, make sure you get back to your writing.