We here at The Word Counter pride ourselves on providing ample content to help improve your writing. For every writer there are certain things you should be looking to implement and strengthen yourself in but there are also things you should simply stop doing. Here are our top ten things to stop including in your writing that will help to promote your growth as a creer writer.
Table of Contents
1. Cut Down on Words
This is not just one of the most important tips to work on in your writing, but arguably one of the hardest. Getting to the point when it comes to writing can be a tricky feat to accomplish. You don’t want to waste your audience’s time, that being said, you also don’t want to sacrifice your tone, authenticity or the unique experience that you bring to the table as a writer.
2. Unclear Conclusion
When you’re finishing up a piece, make sure your audience not only knows that it is ending, but that it’s ending at a place that makes sense. Being able to bring your work to an end with a certain sense of closure will help your audience connect more with your writing and grow their trust.
3. Stop Using Semicolons Unless You Know How
Punctuation is one the most important aspects of writing. It either adds to a piece in a powerful way or detracts from it. The semicolon is probably one of the trickiest decisions an author can make when wanting to bring two separate thoughts together. Used correctly, it can bolster your point; however, with incorrect use it can lead to confusion over your intention.
4. Stop Using Repetitive Words
This is an area of writing that can be dealt with in the editing process. When you are initially writing your piece, you may just need to get the words on paper, damn the consequences – and that’s fine! However, be aware of favorite words that tend to pop up repeatedly. Strong writing shouldn’t feel old and stale and re-used; it should always feel fresh and invigorating!
5. Stop Starting Pieces the Same Way
It’s so easy to begin multiple pieces with the same, strong opening lines. It can even feel impossible to switch it up when you are writing multiple pieces over similar content, however it is noticeable for the reader. If a website’s blog section has five blogs that all begin eerily similar, rest assured the reader will lose a certain sense of trust.
6. Stop Being Skimpy on the Edits
Become comfortable and even eager for edits on your work. Find out what works best for you when it comes to editing your writing and simply get it edited!
7. Stop Only Writing When You Feel Like It
This might be a surprising addition to this list, but you’ll only grow in your writing through trained discipline. Writing via inspiration is a great way to feel good about your writing while you’re doing it; however, writing because it’s a discipline will only serve to improve your skills dramatically.
8. Stop Putting a Time Limit On Your Writing
It’s so easy for us to fill up our calendar and live in our perfectly scheduled worlds. The only problem with that is that writing seems to happen on it’s own time so don’t be afraid of a writing session taking half as long as you suspected – or twice as long. Go with the flow and accept the process.
9. Stop Talking More Then Walking
You’ve got to walk the talk when it comes to your goals as a writer. The problem with that is how easy it is to really get bogged down in complaining or feeling defeated. Reach out for help when you’ve got writer’s block, ask questions, make a plan to start moving forward!
10. Stop Being Independant
Lastly we want to encourage you to embrace help where you need it. Disciplines and skills are grown through repetition and constructive criticism. Finding the people in your life that can help you achieve your goals as a writer is paramount to your success – stop trying to grow all on your own.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, be sure that you aren’t fluffing your work egregiously, miss using grammar and most importantly – not asking for help when you need it. These tips can help you achieve your goals and make you the writer that you want to be!
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