Unwarranted Advice - How to quickly become a Better Writer

I have yet to meet a single person who doesn't think they're a good communicator. Even the most awkward among us will tell you, "I'm great at one on one conversations!" Talking is necessary in order to exist in society, so it's no surprise that everyone is, at the very least, competent.

But writing, well, that's a different story. Some of the best orators I know, have gone out of their way to tell me they can't write to save their lives. At least... I think that's what they were getting at in their typo ridden emails.

Writing isn't something that comes naturally. The written word frequently creates situations of ambiguity (sometimes intentionally) that in turn leads to miscommunications that often feel life threatening, even if they rarely are.

If you're here, you might be worried about that. So, what's someone with (as of 2018) 7 years of professional writing and editing experience going to tell you to do? Read.

Not just books. Read your own work out loud. Any email, essay, long text, or random blog post. Read it out loud. You will catch 90% more mistakes, it will keep you from skimming, and it will help you put your own voice into the work.

Mind you, there are only three ways to permanently improve your writing. That's to actually read other people's work, to write, and to share your writing for constructive feedback. However, reading your own work, will allow you to present your best literary self.

I have a theory, that's based on no science whatsoever, writing (and most forms of entertainment) is a big practice in empathy. Your goal is to see what someone would want to read, how they'd want to read specific news or information, and then deliver on that. You can't do it if you're focused on your own views and ideas.

That being said, still write for yourself, write what you'd want to read. But keep the audience in mind, and trust me, you'll see dividends.