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The Next Top Spiritual Author Contest Voting Is Live!<br />
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A few weeks ago I asked a question on Write to Done: What Helps YOU Become a Better Writer? The suggestions the readers offered were so rich and varied that I decided to gather them all together for Copyblogger readers.<br />
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I think there is one guaranteed winner among the seventy-two suggestions – blogging. Writing a blog is an amazing way to sharpen one's skills. As bloggers we have to produce words daily – even when we don't feel like it. And we get instant feed-back through comments. As Leo Babauta points out in his inspiring story How I got 100,000 Subscribers: Lessons from Zen Habits, it's the readers that help us improve.<br />
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Doing these things can help you become a better writer:<br />
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1. Become a blogger.<br />
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2. Use self-imposed word limits.<br />
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3. Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.<br />
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4. Read what you've written over and over, until you can't find any more problems.<br />
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5. Show what you write to a trusted friend for feedback.<br />
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6. Outline. And then write to that outline.<br />
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7. Edit, and edit again.<br />
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8. Live with passion.<br />
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9. Be open, curious, present, and engaged.<br />
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10. Take a break between writing and editing.<br />
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11. Learn a new word a day.<br />
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12. Get the pen and fingers moving.<br />
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13. Write in different genres: blog posts, poems, short stories, essays.<br />
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14. Read grammar books.<br />
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15. Write without distractions.<br />
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16. Challenge yourself: write in a crowded cafe, write on the toilet, write for 24 hours straight.<br />
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17. Take a trip. Road trips, beach trips, bus trips, plane trips.<br />
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18. Watch movies. Can you write the story better?<br />
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19. Write. And then write some more.<br />
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20. Read, think, read, write, ponder, write – and read some more.<br />
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21. Read your stuff aloud to anyone who can stand it – including the cat.<br />
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22. Go back and cut 10% from your word count.<br />
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23. Talk to people.<br />
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24. Listen to how people talk.<br />
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25. Read lots of books. Both good and bad.<br />
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26. Make notes of your (fleeting) brilliant ideas.<br />
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27. Start your writing ahead of time – not hours before a deadline.<br />
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28. Listen to podcasts on writing tips.<br />
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29. Use simple, declarative sentences.<br />
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30. Avoid passive voice.<br />
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31. Limit your use of adjectives and adverbs.<br />
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32. When in doubt, cut it out.<br />
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33. Kill clunky sentences.<br />
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34. Be inspired by other art forms – music, dance, sculpture, painting.<br />
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35. Read your old stuff and acknowledge how far you've come – and how far you have to go.<br />
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36. Write for publication, even if it's only for the local newsletter or a small blog.<br />
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37. Make writing your priority in the morning.<br />
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38. Keep squeezing words out even if you feel uninspired.<br />
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39. Tell everyone: "I'm a writer."<br />
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40. Recognize your fear and overcome it.<br />
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41. Let your articles rest and then return to them with fresh eyes.<br />
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42. Comment on your favorite blogs.<br />
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43. Keep a journal to keep the writing juices flowing.<br />
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44. Use a journal to sort out your thoughts and feelings.<br />
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45. Keep it simple.<br />
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46. Practice monotasking. Set a timer for uninterrupted writing.<br />
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47. Watch people.<br />
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48. Get to know someone different from you and reflect on the experience.<br />
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49. Try new ideas or hobbies – the more variety you have in your life, the more likely you are to keep on generating good ideas on the page.<br />
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50. Read works from different cultures. It helps keep your writing from tasting stale in the mouths of your readers.<br />
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51. Rethink what is 'normal'.<br />
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52. Work on brilliant headlines.<br />
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53. Check if your assumptions are right.<br />
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54. Join a writing group. If you can't find one, form one.<br />
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55. Write during your most productive hours of the day.<br />
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56. Designate time to research.<br />
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57. Take time to muse and mindmap.<br />
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58. Map out a writing schedule for your project and stick to it.<br />
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59. Ask someone else to proofread.<br />
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60. Read Zinsser's "On Writing Well" at least once a year.<br />
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61. Break out of your comfort zone.<br />
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62. Write at the scene. If you want to write about a beach, get a picnic rug and go write by the sea.<br />
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63. Go to the supermarket, the ball game, the class room, the building site. Make notes of the sensuous details, the atmosphere, the people.<br />
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64. Start with metaphors and stories.<br />
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65. Approach writing with gratitude, not just with a 'must do this' attitude.<br />
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66. Deconstruct and analyze books and articles you enjoy.<br />
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67. Know about story architecture. Many writers don't. Which is like doing heart surgery or flying an airliner by intuition. Survival rates are low.<br />
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68. Socialize with other writers.<br />
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69. Stretch or exercise in between writing.<br />
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70. Make a note of ideas for further development before you leave a piece for tomorrow.</p>
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