Friday, June 4, 2010

Practice Makes Perfect For Improving Your Writing


Some people are born with natural writing ability. Others struggle. Regardless of which side you were spawned into, there's one constant that holds true: practice makes perfect.


No matter how talented a writer is, they will still produce crap that editors will scoff at and readers will ignore if they don't hone that inborn ability into a polished skill. That's just the truth of it. While you can mask a lot of inadequacies with a competent writing software, those who put in the time will still put out better stuff on a consistent basis.


Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers set a base level for anyone who wants to be a "professional" at anything. His theory is that people will need to put in at least 10,000 hours of practice before being at a level where they have a shot at becoming great. If you complain about your lack of writing ability, it may be time to ask yourself, how much practice time have you really put in?


Want to improve your writing?


1. Set aside some time to write everyday. This can be informal entries on a practice sheet of paper or a novel you're looking to finish. The principle is the same: find time to write on a regular basis and the gains will pile up.


2. Pinpoint your learning style and find resources that can help you improve in that preferred manner.


3. If you're writing for practice, choose different subjects, forms and writing styles. The more accustomed you become to writing in a varied manner, the better your overall skills develop.

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