Top 10 Tips for Better Writing

Writing is a great
way to express yourself, work through your own thoughts, and all-around exercise your brain. In honor
of NaNoWriMo and writing week here at Lifehacker, here are some of our favorite ways to improve your
writing.
Photo by Ramas Gecas.
10. Organize Your Thoughts Before Writing

While there's something to be said for

spontaneous writing, it really helps if you sit down and organize your thoughts beforehand. Apps
like Scrivener and yWriterare great tools specifically aimed at writers, but you could always use our
favorite all-around organizers like Evernoteand OneNote. No matter your favorite method of organizing
yourself, you'll find that putting together long-form pieces is much easier with a rough outline to work from.
9. Set a Regular Schedule
 Even if you're not the procrastination type,
setting a rigid schedule for your writing and sticking to it is one of the best ways toperfect your writing. Do
it in the morning for best results, and break it up into small increments to avoid anxiety. Don't write during
unscheduled times, either (though jotting down notes is okay—inspiration can strike at the strangest of
times). The more you keep to your schedule, the more you'll stay motivated by a long chain of successful
writing sessions, too.
8. Keep Up With Good Grammar

Proofreading is an important part of writing, and

despite some folks having a knack for good grammar, none of us are perfect. Keep yourself on your toes
with somelighthearted grammar resources, and be sure to take advantage of some of the great word
tools out there. Not only will they keep you writing correctly, but they're likely to keep you learning new
words and idioms to freshen up your writing.
7. Keep a Journal

While many of us have our pet writing projects,

one of the best ways to improve your writing (and support your personal development) is to keep a
separate journal. Use a tool like 750 Words or One Page Per Day to force yourself into a regular journal
where you just write whatever comes to mind. If you find it too difficult to just sit down and start writing,
you can plan out a goal for your journal beforehand—it keeps you focused without burdening with rules.
Be sure to check out our Hive Five on journaling tools, too, for more inspiration.
6. Use Distraction-Free Writing Tools

Computers have given us a lot of great tools in

the name of writing, but they also provide a myriad of distractions that can throw us off. Here at
Lifehacker, we've always been fans of distraction-free writing tools—programs that block out all the other
stuff on your screen and give you a large writing space where you can just go at it. Some of our favorites
includeOmmwriter, Writemonkey, and Creawriter—though you can always just turn Google
Docsand Microsoft Word into distraction-free settings, if you so choose.
5. Go Longhand for a Change

Even if you prefer to do your writing digitally

(thoughmany of you are still big pen and paper fans), doing some good old-fashioned handwriting is
always a good change of pace. Handwriting improves your cognitive abilities and stays out of the way of
your thought process, so it's a good way to look at things from a new angle and keep you on your toes.
So grab amoleskine notebook, make sure to keep your grip loose, and have fun with it.
4. Learn From Other Good Writers
 No man or woman is an island, and it's unlikely
that any writer would be anywhere without observing others. Never stop reading, and always keep an eye
on what famous writers like Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King,Conan O'Brien, Jerry Seinfeld,
and many othersare saying about the strategies they use to write well—you never know when you may
discover something new.
3. Know Your Most Common Mistakes and Avoid Them

When we fall into bad habits, it can be hard to

get out of them. We all have our own grammar mistakes, typos, cliches, and misheard expressionsthat
constantly haunt even our best writing. Know which mistakes are your most common, and focus on fixing
them one at a time. If more extreme measures are needed, you can also considerautocorrecting them as
you write.
2. Beat Writer's Block

Even with the best laid plans, we all get stuck at

one point or another. While most of these tips should keep you from experiencing it often, those few times
you're cursed with a bad case of writer's block, try curing it with some writing toys, or draft it as an emailto
get the juices flowing. Of course, just showing up to your scheduled time works pretty well, too. If you find
it becomes a recurring problem, stop your writing sessions in the middle of a sentence to give yourself
somewhere to pick up from the next time you sit down—there's nothing worse for writer's block than a
blank page.
1. Remember Why You're Writing

In the end, we're all writing for a reason,

whether it's because we want to make a living out of it orchallenge ourselves to do something new during
NaNoWriMo. Remind yourself why you write to keep yourself motivated.Write your goals on your mirror
with dry erase markers, or try one of our many othermotivation tips out there. After all, it's not about what
you do, but why.
Send an email to Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com.
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txtphile11:21 AM
Rules 2 and 9 are all you need. I think 9 is the Roosevelt Corollary of 2. Coming from a writer who didn't
write, for a long, long time, I'm afraid the best advice is to jump in the deep-end. Drown a few times,
scream for mommy, then work up to the dog paddle. After that, well, no more can be said.

thinkerer09:56 AM

IMHO (from a non-fiction writer):

Number 2 is critical - just write. You can toss it out later, but "AF2K"; apply fingers to keyboard.

Skip no. 5 & no. 7 - time wasters - and good luck with no. 9 though very first thing in the morning is good
if you can do it.

If you're doing research-based writing, go the other way on no. 6 - one monitor screen for the manuscript,
one for the reference you just looked up - incredibly helpful.

@blackholeinacan is exactly right. Even scrap paper and a pencil will do...ideas happen at unpredictable
times.

See 1 reply

ChaosCon09:55 AM

Avoid the use of being verbs. Writing becomes significantlymore clear without the use of the passive
voice.

"There is a strong correlation between x and y."

"We measured a strong correlation between x and y."

The first tends to imply that, regardless of method, an observer will always find a similar sort of strong
correlation.

The second gives a little more information about where the correlation comes from (a measurement), and
doesn't take the correlation as a universal fact.
Also, few would argue the logic of "A is B and B is C so A is C", but everyone knows that "I am tall and
you are tall so I am you" makes no sense.

See 3 replies

blackholeinacan09:21 AM

Another good tip (in addition to that journal that was mentioned) is to keep a notebook or small voice
recorder with you at all times. Sometimes, an idea will strike me when I'm out running an errand, and I
don't have time to sit down and write out what I want. Jotting down or recording a few quick notes on a
potential character or storyline helps you remember the important parts. Be sure to cover all of the basics,
so you can get back to it later with fewer thoughts like "Did I think this? Or maybe that? Or maybe the
purple dragons attacked my mother's cousin during a wedding, not at a Bar Mitzvah."
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