We’ve heard it countless times: writing an essay is challenging. Students often feel anxious about it, which is completely understandable. How do you choose a topic, and how do you gather evidence to back up your argument? There’s no straightforward solution to this. When you perceive a task as being insurmountable, you tend to delay it until the last moment, at which point you scramble to create something that barely makes sense. It’s a situation we’ve all experienced. However, expert writer Nicole Hardy can help—guiding you through the process so that each step feels achievable and less daunting.
Here are our techniques to enhance your writing skills.
Avoid writing for extended periods without taking breaks.
It may seem simple to commit to spending the next four to five hours solely focused on writing your paper. However, this approach can actually be counterproductive and may lead you to take longer than you initially intended. Continuously writing and brainstorming can strain your mental abilities. To think clearly and effectively, your brain requires breaks, just as it needs sleep. Additionally, if you’re facing a strict deadline, you might start to feel stressed, which can lead to writer’s block. A great way to avoid this is by taking regular breaks. For instance, after every 50 minutes of work, you should take a 10-minute break. It’s advisable to engage in something easy and enjoyable, such as playing a game of solitaire or taking a quick walk. You aim to continuously rejuvenate your mind to regain your writing flow.
Read, Read, Read!
A writing approach that many individuals often ignore is reading. How can you anticipate writing well if you haven’t been influenced by exceptional writing? As you begin to read more regularly, you’ll notice various patterns and styles used by different writers, including their choice of words, sentence construction, and innovative concepts. Once you have been exposed to various writing styles and guidelines, these habits and patterns will become instinctive for you as a writer. You’ll effortlessly apply grammar and spelling rules and naturally cultivate your own writing style without feeling anxious about it. It’s beneficial to review your own writing again. If you’re feeling too fatigued or overwhelmed, consider using a grammar checker to ensure everything appears flawless.
Identify Your Target Audience
Having a clear understanding of your audience will allow you to concentrate on your writing more efficiently and swiftly. Identifying a target audience for each piece of writing is crucial. While your overall writing may appeal to a broad audience (such as children, parents, or students), each individual piece is likely to have a more defined audience (like children under 10, single parents, or STEM students). This specific audience can vary with each piece, depending on the subject matter you are addressing. Once you identify your audience, choosing the right tone and communication style will become straightforward. For instance, when writing in the third person, such as in the example of writing in third person—saying “students often find essay writing challenging” instead of “you may find essay writing challenging”—you maintain a more objective tone, which is especially useful for a broad audience. When documents like papers, essays, or blog posts are created without considering a specific audience, they often meander and discuss topics that may not be particularly relevant to the reader. To write successfully, it’s essential that you grasp who you’re writing for.
Try Rapid Outlining
Numerous individuals neglect to create an outline for their papers, believing that their ideas will simply emerge as they write. However, this approach often leads to scattered thoughts and arguments, ultimately resulting in a disappointing grade on the paper. Creating an outline is effective! It compels you to consider your subject and the evidence you’ll provide. Additionally, it contributes to the development of a well-organized paper that presents clear and logical arguments in support of your thesis. To overcome the challenge of outlining, we recommend trying rapid outlining. Grab a piece of paper— a napkin will do! — and aim to outline your paper in just 15 minutes. While it may seem unusual, this approach pushes you to consider how to organize your paper effectively. This will give you a solid starting point to create a more refined outline and ultimately write a stronger paper. This approach enables you to create a preliminary plan without self-censorship or excessive contemplation, which might result in errors or delays. By quickly drafting an outline, you establish a reliable foundation that you can adjust as you continue to develop it.
Inquire “Why” five times to generate a topic.
Choosing a topic can often be the most challenging aspect of writing your paper. What subject should you focus on? We propose posing five “why” questions to investigate possible concepts. For instance, if your subject is Michael Jordan, you might inquire why he is regarded as the greatest basketball player in history. If it’s due to his abilities, what made him so talented? If his talent is a result of his training routine, what made that routine so successful? Inquiring about things paves the way for new strategies. Continue exploring, and you’ll discover a variety of ideas to explore in your writing. Consider it a domino effect: when you uncover one aspect of the story, another question emerges, encouraging you to delve further.
Keep It Simple and Direct
Effective writing doesn’t necessarily involve lengthy or elaborate language. Often, the most efficient approach is to get directly to the main idea. To ensure your writing is impactful (which we assume you aim for, given that you’re reading this blog), it’s important to be straightforward. Making an immediate impression is essential to capture your readers’ interest, and being concise will help maintain that focus. Experiment with your sentence structure. Start with a strong, impactful sentence. Consider breaking up lengthy sentences into shorter ones. Present your ideas straightforwardly—no need for fluff—then support them afterward.
Select Powerful Verbs
One of the simplest writing skills to develop is focusing on word selection. Effective writing employs powerful, vivid words that communicate a message rapidly. If you have difficulty choosing the right words, consider using an online paraphrasing tool. This tool will offer different ways to express your thoughts, proposing new vocabulary, tones, and sentence structures to keep your writing engaging. Regardless of whether your writing is classified as creative or academic, it’s clear that selecting the right words is crucial for effectively communicating your intended message.
Proofread, Revise, and Edit
To truly enhance your writing, it’s essential to engage in the editing process. This can be done independently, in writing workshops, or with a reliable peer in a one-on-one setting. Proofreading and editing are crucial stages of the writing journey that cannot be overlooked. Editing enhances your writing. By reviewing your initial drafts, you or someone else—like a friend or various online tools—can identify mistakes or areas that need strengthening. Instead of viewing this process as a tedious task, see it as a thrilling chance to elevate your writing! Throughout the editing phase, you can utilize the helpful feedback you receive to enhance your grammar, elaborate on your concepts, include additional supporting details, and overall improve the quality of your work. Being objective about your own writing can be challenging, but if you manage to view it impartially, the end result will be more robust.
Various Writing Methods and Approaches
We’ve covered all the major writing techniques that can help make your writing concise and effective. Yet, we still have a bit more to discuss. Here are a set of various writing techniques that will assist you as you navigate your initial tasks.
Use Fewer Words and Phrases
This aligns with Tip #6, which is to “maintain simplicity and clarity.” Reducing the number of words you use allows your audience to grasp your message more swiftly and with less confusion. In this case, less truly is more.
Minimize the Use of Negative Words in Sentences
Double negatives are considered grammatically incorrect (such as saying “not no one” or “not never”), but it’s also wise to avoid using standard negative expressions. Rather than expressing it as “I’m not unhappy,” consider rephrasing it to “I’m happy, but…” This will enable you to be clearer. Using negative language can lead to confusion if your intention is positive. Simply express what you want to say. It will make things easier for everyone.
Employ a Mix of Basic and Advanced Vocabulary
Individuals who possess strong writing abilities can recognize when a particular style of language will be most impactful. Although you should avoid making your writing sound stilted and mechanical by relying solely on simple sentences, it’s important to articulate your ideas in a way that is easily comprehensible to a wide audience (which means it shouldn’t be overly complex). Much of this relates to the selection of words and the arrangement of sentences. Experiment with different phrases to develop your unique style and maintain interest in your writing.
Final Thoughts on Writing Strategies
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned writer, at least one of these writing techniques can enhance the effectiveness of your writing (and we hope all of them contribute to your improvement!). Improving your writing abilities requires time and practice, but if you are genuinely committed to enhancing your work, you will achieve your goals.