Internet Writer’s Skill-Boosting Plan

In another article (Internet Writing Business Quick-Start Tips) I handed out a few tips to help get an Internet writing business off the ground. Here’s a beginner’s skill plan that’s designed to increase your writing ability, which will make you more money and put you in greater demand.

Read the pros. Better writing starts with better reading. If you’re not reading, chances are your writing is suffering.

Start by reading articles by professional writers. I’d recommend heading over to NYTimes.com. Don’t limit yourself to one section—try sports, current events, travel, style, etc.

As you’re reading, pay attention to the presentation and writer’s style. Many beginning writers suffer from run-on sentences, fragments, etc. You’re unlikely to find that in top-level publications (errors, while rare, still happen).

Branch out and read other publications. For instance, if your goal is to be a financial writer, start reading Forbes, Money, etc.

Buy a grammar book or two. A good book on grammar will help you recognize poor writing. While it might take you time to instinctively know what gerunds, sentence fragments and comma splices are, improvement can happen quickly, because you’ll begin to visualize what good writing should look like. And this is why reading professional writing was your first step.

Here are two grammar-based books that I’d recommend:

SF Writer – The newest edition of Scott Foresman Writer is $60 new, but used versions are available on Amazon for far less. At the time of this writing, there was a used copy of the 3rd edition for $11. Used in college classes, this book covers more than just grammar. Some sections include: working as a writer, presentation, writing arguments, research, style, MLA citing, etc.

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook – Another great book that’s used in many college classes. The 5th edition (6th is latest) is $50, but used “very good” copies are as low as $2 on Amazon. This is another multi-dimensional book that goes beyond grammar discussion. Topics for the handbook include: the writing process, clarity and style, sentence parts and patterns, spelling and mechanics, special writing situations, research, etc.

Get The Elements of Style. As far as I’m concerned, The Elements of Style is a must-have book. And it’s probably on just about every professional writer’s bookshelf.

This little book (about 80 pages) will help tighten up your writing. It’s about $11 new—on Amazon.

In the beginning of this plan I suggested you read items from professional writers. Here’s a quote from the book explaining why:

“The use of language begins with imitation.”

The more you read and the more you expand your horizons, the better you’ll become.

Ask for help. When you write a new article (or whatever you’ve created), ask someone to look it over. See what they have to say.

Ideally, you’d like to have a professional writer or editor look it over, but that’s not always possible.

Another key is to have a subject matter pro or target audience member review the item. This step can help expose bulky, inconsistent, confusing, or incomplete items.

Take baby steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. Perhaps you routinely use “you’re” instead of “your.” Work on that issue consciously for a bit.

If you get any of the books I’ve mentioned, don’t sit down and read them all in one sitting. Start with one section and concentrate on it. Make yourself a small checklist of what to look for each time you write.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Actually, was any other capital city built in a day? I don’t think so.

Two final tools and you’re off. Every writer needs to have a good dictionary and thesaurus at his or her disposal.

If money is tight, bookmark M-W.com, which is the Web site for Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary and thesaurus. It’s great.

The thesaurus I use, Bartlett’s Roget’s Thesaurus, is much better and highly recommended.

Time to grow. Keep at it and you’ll see your writing improve. With quality evolution comes more money and happier clients.

Take your writing even further by building a professional library. In a future article, I’ll list 20 books that every Internet writer should consider purchasing.