Writing well is one of the most valuable skills a person can develop — in fact, 70% of employers look for written communication skills in college students’ resumes. However, this critical skill is notorious for being one of the most difficult to master. Why? Because it’s easy to mistake our ability to string words together into grammatically correct, complete sentences for strong, effective writing.
This article breaks down exactly how you can begin strengthening those skills to make the leap from being a sentence generator to being a writer. We’ll share practical tips, dive into core components of different types of writing, and review common mistakes that to avoid. When you put it all into practice, you will not only become a better writer, but a more effective communicator, and a stronger applicant to employers.
In this Article:
Types of Writing
Writing Tips & Common Mistakes
How to “Practice” Writing
Frequently Asked Questions
Types of Writing
Before you can become the writer of your dreams, first you should establish your preferred form. Are you more interested in learning how to write a book, a poem, or breaking news, for example? There are many writing paths to explore, and best practices, tips, tricks, and rules of the trade all vary greatly from one to another. Begin by narrowing down what kind of writing you want to improve.
Here are some of the most common forms of writing to start your brainstorming:
Fiction
From swooning romance novels to epic sci-fi fantasy adventures, fiction covers any genre of writing that is based on imagination. In fiction writing, depending on the story that you’re writing, you may need to utilize plot structures such as The Hero’s Journey, which follows a character’s transformative experience, or the more in-depth Save the Cat approach, which guides you through 15 points across a story’s plot. Then there are your characters. To help bring characters to life that are relatable, interesting, and authentic, you can practice character writing to better understand your character’s personality, motivations, and interests.
Poetry
Limerics, haikus, and sonnets may be among the most well-known poetry forms, but they are far from the only forms. There are an unlimited number of ways to write poetry, including ways that follow structures and rules, or break them completely. Free verse poetry is one of the most popular forms today. Poetry-writing tips include practicing figurative language devices (metaphors, similes, oxymorons, and allusions, for example) and abiding by the “show, don’t tell” rule, which lets readers draw their own conclusions about something rather than telling them what to think. When it comes to poetry, reading your work aloud before sharing it should also become a best practice.
Journalism/Blogging
Journalism and blogging can cover almost any non-fiction topic — from global affairs or local news to cooking adventures and film reviews. Both forms of writing are grounded in the real world or in truth. Whereas journalism is the more established profession of gathering and reporting objective facts, blogging is an act of personal expression and opinion. There’s also a world in which the two overlap. If you’re interested in becoming a journalist, start by creating your own blog, interviewing people, and telling true stories.
Regardless of which form you choose, a solid tip for writing fact-based stories is to follow the inverted pyramid: lead with the most important information first, then follow it with supporting details, proof, and less critical information. In today’s digital world, with 24-hour news cycles and short attention spans, this is a good rule of thumb that’s also considerate of your readers.
Writing Tips & Common Mistakes
For most, good writing skills take time to develop. They don’t just happen overnight, and they don’t happen without practice. With time, practice, and patience, you’ll start to notice the little things that distinguish good writing from that string of grammatically correct, complete sentences we mentioned earlier.
If you’ve written something that was made better by just one tiny tweak, it’s possible it was one of the following common pitfalls casual writers experience. Once you can identify and iron out these grammar and punctuation issues, your writing will surely improve across every form, from poetry and prose to emails and executive summaries.
Passive voice vs. active voice
While it may be difficult to tell the difference right away, active voice helps reduce wordiness that can come with passive voice, while preserving your intent and meaning. It’s a simple shift, but an important one.
PASSIVE VOICE: The object of an action is the subject of the sentence.
The pencil was picked up by the girl.
In this example, “pencil” is in the subject of the sentence, not “the girl.”
ACTIVE VOICE: The subject of the sentence performs the action.
The girl picked up the pencil.
Here, “the girl” is the subject, and by removing unnecessary words associated with passive voice, the sentence is clearer and more concise.
Know your (punctuation) tools!
Punctuation can signal good writing in multiple ways, the most obvious being its role in grammar and clarity. Punctuation assigns meaning to select words and sentences, helps readers with pacing, and can even change the way we interpret something. For example:
- Fran’s will states, “My fortune is to be distributed equally among John and Sarah and Alex.”
- Fran’s will states, “My fortune is to be distributed equally among John and Sarah, and Alex.”
- Fran’s will states, “My fortune is to be distributed equally among John, Sarah and Alex.”
- Fran’s will states, “My fortune is to be distributed equally among John, Sarah, and Alex.”
Each sentence is technically correct, but Fran’s punctuation — particularly their use of commas and “and” — could determine whether their fortune is split into thirds or halves.
Let’s take a closer look at the different punctuation tools such as commas, semicolons, colons, and dashes, and their use case.
Connecting Sentences
- A comma (,) separates items in a list, or links an independent clause with a conjunction.
- EXAMPLE: She would’ve walked home, but it was raining.
- A semicolon (;) joins related independent clauses, without a conjunction.
- EXAMPLE: She wanted to walk home; the bus is never on time.
- A colon (:) introduces a list, quote, or explanation after a complete sentence.
- EXAMPLE: There are a couple of ways she could’ve gotten home: riding the bus, walking, or driving.
Dashes
- An en dash (–) is a shortened version of the dash, used to denote between times or numbers.
- EXAMPLE: The store is open Tuesday–Friday.
- An em dash (—) is a long version of the dash, used for sudden breaks or emphasis.
- EXAMPLE: Chauncey the Beaver — who usually likes cookies — didn’t really enjoy this recipe.
- A hyphen (-), much like the en dash, is a shortened version of the dash used to compound two words together.
- EXAMPLE: My sister-in-law likes cookies.
Once you’re a pro at punctuation, you may start to notice how other writers use it in their work, sometimes as a distinct stylistic tool. This is particularly true of poetry, which invites writers to play more freely with punctuation, line and stanza structure, and words in general
How to make your meaning clear
By introducing active voice and proper punctuation to your work, you’ll be on your way to becoming a better writer. Next, read your work aloud and revise it — and not just once. A quick pass through Spellcheck should be the starting point of your refinement process, not the last step. That’s because Spellcheck won’t look for unnecessary words to remove in your work (words like “really”, “very”, or “basically” are often filler and don’t provide much context), fix awkward sentences, and ensure dialogue sounds natural. Those are the kinds of details that will become easier to spot with practice.
How to “Practice” Writing
There’s no better way to practice your writing than by putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys). It’s as simple as that. Yes, writer’s block can feel real occasionally, and the blank page can be daunting at times. When that happens, remember this: “If you have something to say, you’re going to say it better than anybody else.”
Instead of worrying about whether your writing is “good” or “boring,” focus on a subject, a form, or a genre that genuinely interests you, says Tanya Lee Stone, Professor of Writing & Publishing at Champlain College. That genuine interest will carry you forward when writing stalls out.
Of course, every writer is different and may offer their own piece of advice for building your writing skills. Here are a few more practical and easy options to consider.
Set achievable word-count goals
You don’t want to burn yourself out, so set a realistic weekly word count or goal for yourself. Depending on what you’re writing, that may be one poem draft per week or 1,000 words per week if you’re working on a book — that’s a good starting point for a beginner. Once you continue this practice over time, you can expand your goals or word count, building up to one complete poem per week or around 3,000–5,000 words per week.
Participate in workshop and critique settings.
Having others look over your work is integral to strengthening your writing. Look into participating in a writing group or workshop near you. “The whole point of workshop and feedback is to make your work better,” explains Professor Lee Stone, who teaches writing workshops at Champlain College. It can be difficult to share your work with others at first, “But you learn so much from an editor,” she says.
Read within your preferred genre
There is no better way to gain inspiration than to read! See what other writers, novelists, poets, and journalists are creating, and find out what you like about them. Who knows, you may discover a new author or genre, or find your next muse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 C’s of writing?
The 5 C’s of writing are clarity, conciseness, coherence, correctness, and consistency. By adhering to these 5 C’s, you can ensure that your writing is structured and polished.
What is the difference between poetry and prose?
Poetry is broken up into lines and stanzas, while prose is broken into sentences and paragraphs. You’ll commonly see lots of blank or white space in poetry when comparing it to prose. Overall, poetry is free-form and doesn’t adhere to the typical grammatical standards that prose does.
What is the difference between an English degree and a Writing degree?
A writing degree centers around crafting your own copy and workshopping original work. When you pursue a writing degree, you’ll build a portfolio and enhance your personal voice. Alternatively, with an English degree, your coursework focuses on analyzing contemporary texts, studying literary movements, and historical context.
Where does human writing fit in a world of AI?
While AI can generate text, it can’t replicate or replace a distinct voice, original thinking, or the ability to communicate with emotion. Machines get can get things wrong sometimes, hallucinate, or strip the emotion out of something that needs it. Writers who invest and believe in their writing skills will stand out among the rest.
See Where Your Story Takes You at Champlain College
Good writing doesn’t develop in a vacuum — it takes practice, feedback, and the right environment to grow. At Champlain, our Writing & Publishing program builds those skills and your network of professional writers and agents in the field. You’ll create compelling content across industries, from publishing and media to marketing and beyond, building a professional grade portfolio along the way.
Your story isn’t going to write itself, but we can help! Learn more about Champlain’s Writing & Publishing program.
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