1. Consistency:

Writing like any other kind of art/field of discipline requires skill, and skill is only gotten through consistent practice. A professional guitarist only plays as well as he does because he has years and years of experience gotten from constant rehearsals. Talent might take you far but hard work will take you further. Truth is, if passion for writing isn’t enough to keep you writing over and over again, nothing will ever be. So, practice, practice, practice, and watch your self surpass your limits.

2. Connection:

If what you write holds no appeal to you, if it doesn’t connect with your mind, your readers will feel a gap, a chasm, an unexplainable lack of interest in what you write. While I fully do not understand the science behind connecting with what you write, I have seen that it works. Make sure you have an interest in what you write or you might as well stop writing it. Connecting with whatever you lay your hands on ultimately results in passion, which is the key to writing more efficiently.

3. Figures Of Speech:

Yes, use them, they are like salt to the write you are cooking up(noticed that?) Too much of it and you leave your readers at sea, too little, you leave them at bay, but just the right amount will make you captain of the ship (And you thought that was fun). You don’t have to learn all of them by heart,  just the commonly used ones.

4. Punctuations:

oh boy, God knows i find punctuations a bit troubling ( I blame it on me being a poet). They can be confusing and down right useless to a naive reader and/or writer( I still have problems with them). Learn your punctuations and use them appropriately. Nothing damages a good write more than inconsistent use of punctuations (note to self: work more on this).

5. Confidence:

You are probably wondering why confidence is included here. Afterall, you aren’t speaking to a crowd, why do you need confidence while writing? This is because people can percept your confidence through the way you write( or at least I can). If you are a naive/nervous writer, your write-up will be sloppy.

Think about this, you write what you think, right? And you also speak what you think. Which means your speech and texts come from the same place- your thoughts.

If you have no confidence in your thoughts, they will come out weak, frail and unable to drive the mind of your readers. Everytime you write try to exhude confidence, it helps a lot!

6. Imagination:

Sometimes you will write on topics that are awfully boring( for competitions, compulsory essays e.t.c). Maybe you have connected with the topic but you are afraid the readers will not. How do you foster connection through imagination?

– Find a way to link the write-up to yourself, albeit slightly.

– Give them a reason to connect with the writer, not just the topic.

–  Let them let themselves think they’re having fun.

– Have fun( yes, have fun)…that’s all.

7. Short Sentences:

As human beings we all love change. Even the most minute of them. Short sentences keep us interested in a piece longer than normal because it assures us of change in the train of thought. We love to have a feeling of progress and continuity, which long sentences cannot provide. Your sentences should not contain more than 15-20 words. Anything more bores the reader and makes your write up feel bulky and too long.

8. Rhythm And Rhymes:

I brought this over from the poetry side because i think it helps in writing right (winks). When I say rhymes I don’t mean you have to keep trying to make your sentences rhyme everytime (even though I just did). I recommend internal rhymes (rhymes in the middle of words). Since they are easier to cultivate and maintain. Make sure your sentences have a bit of homophones here and there (they are like curry and thyme).

Rhythm is a bit tricky but I just used it if only you would listen. It adds flavor to your words( I haven’t dropped the cooking metaphors). Go read up on rhymes and rhythm if you still find them confusing (did it again).

8. Read!:

Read every article/piece you can find. Also, read on things you think you will never use. The more you read, the more potential you have for writing. Every amazing writer I know are avid readers. If you want to write well, read better. The hall-mark of astounding writers is their ability the glean from the writes of others.

Conclusion – The Art of Writing Better

While this article focuses more on writing professionally ( for an audience, blog-posts e.t.c.). It is also applicable to people who just want to improve the way they write generally. I hope you have an adventurous journey in regards to mastering the art of writing.

Writer: Yakubu Fame
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria

Fame Yakubu is a professional at sparking emotions with words. A word-artist who paints pictures with the tip of his pen.Though young, he thinks and writes like one with enough experience to keep you forever glued to his write-ups. A  Law student from Ondo State, Nigeria with a mind as boundless as his words.