You become a better writer by practicing, and these 8 writing exercises give your practice a shape: describe a picture, learn a new word every day, play word association, write a how-to guide, edit other people's work, start from a random sentence, use writing apps, and play word games.
When it comes to writing, some people are better than others. There is no exact science to it, and many people consider writing an art. Still, that does not mean you cannot become a better writer with practice. After all, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. There are several things you can do to improve the way you write, and the following 8 exercises are some of them.
1. Picture it and write
One of the hardest jobs a writer has is to make readers see what the writer wants them to see. That means giving real details about the situation or subject. A great writing exercise is to take a picture from a magazine or anywhere else and describe it in as much detail as you can. Go further than writing what you see in the photo: imagine yourself in the image. Describe what you might feel, smell, or taste there. You will learn to write precisely about perceptions and feelings, and to choose the right adjectives. (There is more on this in how to write a descriptive paragraph.)
2. Use the dictionary
The road to better writing starts with a bigger vocabulary. The more words you know, the more ways you have to get your message across. Open your dictionary and learn a new word every day. When you find a word you do not know, write a few sentences with it and write your own definition of it. Over time, you will learn new ways to say things and grow your writing skills. Here is why it is important to expand your vocabulary.
3. Do word association
Another great writing exercise is word association. Write down a random word, then write another word that relates to it, and keep going. As you add words, the chain slowly changes direction, which trains you to move from one context to the next. Since this exercise is just for you, you do not have to worry about anyone seeing your list, so let your imagination go in any direction. Here is an example:
writing, pen, paper, book, print, machine, copy, ink, cartridge, color
4. Create a how-to guide
Pick something you know well and write a how-to guide for it: a step-by-step guide that shows others what to do and how to do it. The topic can be almost anything, from using an app on your phone to eating cereal. Whatever you choose, you will find out how hard it is to write a good guide. In turn, you will learn a lot about structure and instructions, and you will teach yourself to organize your thoughts better.
5. Become an editor
A great way to improve your own writing is to correct other people's work. As an editor, you concentrate on someone else's mistakes. This helps you pay attention to details that you might otherwise ignore in your own writing. You will also discover other people's writing styles and learn from them.
6. Start from a random sentence
Take a book and open it at a random page. Read the first sentence you see. Now use that sentence as the start of your own version of events. You can take it anywhere you want as fiction, or use it to start a piece of non-fiction. This helps you think through and explore new ideas, and it puts your imagination and thoughts into writing.
7. Use writing apps
One of the best things about smartphones and computers is the many useful apps. There are all kinds of apps that help you become a better writer. Many of them show you mistakes that you may not be aware of: some check grammar and style, some point out long, complicated sentences, and reverse dictionaries find a word from a description of its meaning. The Spell Checker, for example, marks spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, and in Picky mode it also suggests where wordy phrases or repetition could be simpler.
You may also want to read how to choose between formal or informal writing styles.
8. Play word games
Like apps, word games are an excellent way to strengthen your writing, and they help in several ways. They expand your vocabulary. They teach you to spell words correctly, because you see them spelled as you play. And they give your brain a workout and keep your mind sharp. For some to try, see word games can improve your writing.