100 ways to improve your writing

Gary Provost

Nine ways to improve your writing when you’re not writing1.Get some reference books2.Expand your vocabulary3.Improve your spelling4.Read5.Take a class6.Eavesdrop7.Research8.Write in your head9.Choose a time and place

Nine ways to overcome writer’s block1.Copy something2.Keep a journal3.Talk about what you’re writing4.Touch your toes5.Do writing exercises6.Organize your material7.Make a list8.Picture a reader9.Ask yourself why you are writing

Five ways to write a strong beginning1.Find a slant

2.Write a strong lead

3.Don’t make promises you can’t keep

4.Set a tone and maintain it

5.Begin at the beginning

Nine ways to save time and energy

1.Use pyramid construction2.Use topic sentences3.Write short paragraphs4.Use transitional phrases5.Don’t explain when you don’t have to6.Use bridge words7.Avoid wordiness8.Steal9.Stop writing when you get to the end

Ten ways to develop style

1.Think about style2.Listen to what you write3.Mimic spoken language4.Vary sentence length5.Vary sentence construction6.Write complete sentences7.Show, Don’t tell8.Keep related words together9.Use parallel construction10.Don’t force a personal style

Twelve ways to give your words power1.Use short words

2.Use dense words

3.Use familiar words

4.Use active verbs

5.Use strong verbs

6.Use specific nouns

7.Use the active voice…Most of the time

8.Say things in a positive way…Most of the time

9.Be specific

10.Use statistics

11.Provide Facts

12.Put emphatic words at the end

Eleven ways to make people like what you write1.Make yourself likable

2.Write about people

3.Show your opinion

4.Obey your own rules

5.Use anecdotes

6.Use examples

7.Name your sources

8.Provide useful information

9.Use Quotations

10.Use Quotes

11.Create a strong title

Six ways to avoid punctuation errors1.Use orthodox punctuation

2.Know when to use a comma

3.Know when to use a semicolon

4.Know when to use a colon

5.Use exclamation points only when exclaiming and question marks only when asking questions

6.Know how to use quotation marks

Twelve ways to avoid making your reader hate you1.Avoid jargon

2.Avoid Cliches

3.Avoid parentheses

4.Avoid footnotes

5.Don’t use transitions to conceal information

6.Don’t acknowledge when you should explain

7.Don’t hide behind your words

8.Don’t intrude

9.Don’t play words games

10.Don’t play the Tom Wolfe Game

11.Don’t play mystery game

12.Don’t cheat

Seven ways to edit yourself

1.Read your work out loud

2.Cut unnecessary words

3.Think about what you have written

4.Ask yourself these questions

5.Follow these rules of form for titles

6.Prepare a perfect manuscript

7.Use common sense