Two Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing

September 25, 2020

I get it.


You've got limited time to improve your writing.


Or perhaps you hate writing, and the less time it takes, the better!


Whatever your situation, I've got two simple ways to improve your writing.


Of course, you'll have to put in some time, but the time you spend will give you the biggest return on your time investment.


Let's dive right in.


1. Pre-Writing


Improving your pre-writing is a critical skill that people often skip because it takes time and effort. Time spent pre-writing will make the rest of the writing process exponentially faster and easier because it helps clarify your purpose and message.


Have you ever purchased a piece of flat-packed furniture from IKEA? The instructions show the picture of the finished product. Step-by-step, they guide you through the building process. Each step shows you exactly what pieces you need and where to attach them. If you follow the instructions, you'll end up with your piece of furniture.


If the instructions are missing, you'll end up with left-over pieces and wobbly furniture.


Pre-writing is like crafting the instructions for building your IKEA furniture. You decide what you're making (writing), and then figure out the pieces you'll need to make it. You can't make a bed and a bookshelf from the same pile of materials.


With your writing, this means you've brainstormed ideas, chosen your topic, narrowed it, and drafted an outline.


Once you've finished your pre-writing, you'll know what to write in your first draft.


Ready to jumpstart your writing? 

Click here to download your free 7-Step Writing Jumpstart Kit™



2. Feedback Integration


After writing and revising your composition (we'll talk about those things in another blog post), getting friendly, specific, and actionable feedback is another tool you can use to improve your writing in less time.


We'll stick with the IKEA furniture analogy here.


Finally, you've assembled your bookshelf and invite a friend over to see it.


"What do you think?" you ask proudly.


They notice that it's leaning away from the wall, and some of the shelves are sloped.


If they told you they loved it but didn't mention the errors, they wouldn't be doing you a favor.


If they mention that their bookshelves used to lean as well, but they used brackets to secure them to the wall, that would be helpful.


If they showed you an easy way to make sure your shelves were straight - you'd be able to fix the problem in no time.


The next time you assembled a bookshelf - because of course, you'll need another one soon with your growing book collection - you'd use a bracket to attach it to the wall and be able to install level shelves the first time.


Taking action on feedback helps you improve faster.


Feedback that is specific and actionable is gold. And, like gold, it can be hard to find. You'll need to actively look for someone willing and able to give you the kind of feedback that will move your writing forward quickly. (If you don't have someone to provide you with friendly, specific, and actionable feedback, come to Summit Writing - we can help.)


Take Action


Paul J. Meyer says, "Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort."


Are you committed to improving your writing?


What goal will you be able to achieve when you improve writing skills?


I invite you to take action today - get your free copy of the 7-Step Writing Jumpstart Kit™.


It will take you through the writing process and give you an actionable strategy for improving your writing skills.


You'll learn how to use the pre-writing process to unlock your ideas, maximize the experiences you have, solicit useful feedback, and overall how to spend your writing time so that you get the most value for your time.


Are you ready to jumpstart your writing? It'll take less time than you think!


Click here to download your free copy of the 7-Step Writing Jumpstart Kit™.