What’s a good way to practice writing and actually get better over time?

Question

What’s the best way to actually practice writing and see real improvement over time? Should I be writing every single day, or is it more about focusing on the quality of what I write? Are there specific exercises or activities that work better than just freewriting?

I’ve heard people talk about keeping a journal or copying passages from great writers, but do those methods really help? How do I measure if I’m actually getting better? Sometimes it feels like I’m putting in the effort but not seeing progress.

Is it more about experimenting with different styles, or sticking to one and refining it? What role does feedback play in all this? Should I be sharing my work more often or keeping it private until I feel confident?

I’d love to know how others practice writing and whether they’ve found any habits or routines that make a noticeable difference.

Answer 1

If you just want to improve your written language skills, it doesn't matter what you write. Just write a lot. But if you want to get better at writing a specific type of text – novels, reportages, scientific papers etc. – you should practice that specific type. If you freewrite you don't get better at character development or plot or structuring an essay as efficiently as when you train that specific type of text.

To increase your intuitive understanding of the type of text you want to write (as well as written language in general), read a lot – both a lot of the type of text you want to write and a lot in general. Read "with a writer's eye", that is, observe how the text you are reading is constructed, what language the author employs to what effect, and so on.

You may find it helpful to use a colored text marker and go through the text and highlight what you observe. Or you can write a summary of the plot to understand its structure or analyse how arguments are made within a paragraph of scholarly writing. That is, study what you read to whatever extent you find helpful. But don't feel you have to learn scholarly terms and be able to identify the structural elements of a given text. In the end, writing is intuitive (implicit or procedural knowledge), like riding a bike or dancing to the music, and you don't need any theoretical knowledge to be good at it. If you feel it helps you, employ it, if it doesn't, don't try to force yourself.

Seek out feedback on what you need to improve on your writing. Don't argue with your readers, trying to explain to them how they failed to understand your writing! Writing is a service, and the customer is always right. If they don't get what you wanted to express, that's your failure. Of course, not every text is made for every reader, but if you get feedback from habitual readers of your genre and two or more of them criticize the same aspect, it is highly likely that that is something you need to recitify. So be grateful for the feedback and try to revise that aspect or do it better next time.

Do revise or rewrite your texts at least once or twice. Correcting your "mistakes" provides a tremendous learning experience. But after one or two revisions, move on and write the next text. There is only so much that can be learned during revision, and there is much more to learn by writing more texts. Accept that your current level of skill is probably not sufficient to turn your first attempts into masterpieces. Rather put them in a drawer so that you can come back to them later when you have improved.

Do not buy every how-to-write book out there. Most successful writers have never read a single how-to-write book in their lives. You don't need them and most of them are a waste of money. Many do contain some helpful ideas, but it is much better to read a lot of the type of text you want to write than reading how-to-write books and it is especially better to write the next text than reading another how-to-write book. (Formal writing such as scholarly articles and legal texts is an exception in this regard and you will need to consult sources that document and teach their correct form.)

Try to write consistently. Ideally you would have a few hours every day that you can set aside to write, but if your current life situation doesn't allow that, work with the time that you have, even if it is only half an hour every sunday before the kids get up. The important thing is to reserve the time that you want to spend writing to writing and keep this period free from any other disctractions and demands. Write as if it were your job. When you write, you are unavailable to your spouse or your kids or your paid work. Do not allow anything that isn't a life or death matter to keep you from writing, especially not your own moods. Turn up to your writing just like you turn up to your job, no matter how you have slept or whether you feel like it. Build a habit of writing. Write, if possible, every day at the same time for the same amount of time. This will make your writing flow more effortlessly.

Answer 2

In addition to Ben's excellent answer, I'd like to highlight another option:

Do not underestimate the power of a writers circle (also called critique circle). These are either websites, communities, or private groups of writers who read and critique each other's work. While they are not always for everyone, I have found that joining and participating in a supportive writers circle can improve writing tremendously for several reasons:

Firstly, you get critiques on your work, often by some seasoned veterans, who will often be quite eloquent in pointing out your issues and points of improvement. This saves you reinventing the wheel by making every rookie mistake they have already made numerous times.

Secondly, by critiquing the work of others, you tend to look more closely to what can cause issues in writing, and you naturally try to prevent these issues in your own work. This often doesn't work when analysing your own work, as you are already too invested in it. This touches on what Ben stated:

Read "with a writer's eye", that is, observe how the text you are reading is constructed, what language the author employs to what effect, and so on.

and

That is, study what you read to whatever extent you find helpful.

While you are doing this, why not share what you learn with the original writer, and do the both of you a favour? Even if you find no flaws, that in itself can be useful feedback for writers.

Thirdly, it is often confidential. Most circles have an either written or unwritten rule not to publish any of the writing they critique elsewhere. This means that your writing will not be publicly available and prevent issues with publishing down the road.

Lastly, it's low entry and non-binding. Most circles have a quid-pro-quo approach, where you "pay" for the critiques you receive with your own. However, other than this, if you find a particular group doesn't work for you, you can often leave at any time and join another. There are also groups with writers of various skills. Some for low-level hobbyists, others for highly experienced veterans, to suit your needs and level of confidence. Although, I would recommend finding a mixed one myself.

Writers circles, in one form or another, have been used by writers throughout history. Often it was as little as two or three friends getting together to share their thoughts on each others works, but now there are large online communities doing the same thing in a more streamlined, professional, way. A quick search will find you a few free and/or paid options which might work. I've also met people who found their peers by enquiring on forums or even their local library.

Answer 3

Ben has given a great answer. I would add, put your work aside for a while and then read it with a fresh eye. Read it aloud and hear it (such a different experience from reading on a screen). I believe that writing with a pen (or pencil) and paper allows for a much closer connection between our minds and words. (There's been a lot written lately about the benefits of writing with pen and paper as opposed to writing on a computer.) I often write on a laptop and then print off the work and copy it into a notebook while reading it aloud. Yes, it's a laborious task, but the improvements I get in terms of flow, realism, and the need to use a different word or restructure a sentence are well worth it.

There are two books I recommend. First You Write a Sentence, by Joe Moran, and Becoming a Writer, by Dorothea Brande. The latter was written years ago but some of its guidance is excellent.