There’s always room for improvement. This is a statement that is applicable to many aspects of life. It’s especially true regarding writing skills. Even the most prolific, best-selling authors can become better at their craft.
Writing skills are, for the most part, learned, although some authors seem to have inherent creativity and ability to write well. Even they, however, can improve their talent, especially if they practice certain writing exercises.
Improve your writing skills by telling a one-sentence story
Have you ever tried to write a whole story in a single sentence? This is an exercise that can boost your writing skills. It’s challenging to develop a plot, reach a climax and include a solution in a concise and cohesive manner in just one sentence.
Ask someone to give you a random word prompt
Another fun yet challenging writing exercise to help boost your skills is to ask people to give you single word writing prompts, preferably nouns. When someone gives you a word, immediately try to build a story from it.
What’s in a moment?
Think of a moment that might come before a significant event. A few examples might include the moment before a tornado touches down, the moment before a bride walks down the aisle, or the moment before the sun rises. Choose a moment, then write about it in as much detail as possible.
Choose a new writing exercise each day
Your writing skills will never improve if you do not write often. You should write every day, or, at least, several times per week. Choose a new exercise every day or rotate through a list of your favorites. Allot a specific amount of time to work through each exercise. You might want to compile a portfolio of all your daily writing exercises in chronological order. As time passes, you can occasionally go back through all the papers. Hopefully, you’ll be able to track your improvement.
Create titles from titles
Choose a title (or make one up). Then re-write it again and again, changing words, syntax, etc., so that you wind up with at least 10 versions of the original. Repeat this exercise with at least five titles each time.
It doesn’t have to take a lot of your time
Exercises to boost writing skills shouldn’t take much time. Perhaps 15 minutes at a time is sufficient. The point is that writing exercises that are separate from your work in progress can generate creativity and help you become a better writer.
