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5 helpful ways to practice writing as a content writer

It is important to practice writing skills. I come from a strong academic background, but content writing for blogs is a whole new ballgame.

Because of that, I’m used to writing long academic research papers. However, that’s not the ideal style for a content writer to capture their audience.

Retraining your brain to be a content writer doesn’t happen overnight, but with practice and lots of motivation, you will eventually get better (I’ve been practicing for years and still have a long way to go).

These days, most writing jobs revolve around content. Whether we’re talking about blog writing, editorial writing or even social media posts. Content capturing a user’s attention is no easy task. Especially in noisy environments like Facebook and news sites where the average Internet user has already developed a practiced filter to ignore what they perceive as noise.

So, I’m retraining my brain to think like a content writer.

Here are five things I started doing and I encourage you to try them out:

Reading more blogs

Reading more blogs is one of the best ways to improve your writing skills.

There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that you get to see how other people write and communicate. You can learn from their mistakes, but also from their successes.

After a while, you’ll find that you’re not just reading blogs for the content; you’re also reading them for the writing style — and this is where things really get interesting. When you start noticing how someone else writes, it becomes much easier to spot good writing when you see it again in your own work.

It’s a bit like learning a new language: at first it’s hard work, but after a while things start to click into place and it all makes sense.

woman reading notes from notebook during radio broadcast. practice writing
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Practice writing in different styles, voices, and on different topics

Practice writing in different styles, voices, and on different topics.

Learning to write is a process of learning to write again and again. I can’t tell you how many times I had to rewrite drafts of my dissertation.

Writing is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and honed. When you write something, you’re not just creating something new — you’re also learning how to do it better next time.

That’s why it’s important to write as often as possible. The more you write, the more you’ll learn about your own style and preferences, which will help you become an even better writer.

You don’t need to be writing a novel or even an essay in order to get better at writing. Try writing down your thoughts on anything that comes to mind, whether it’s something personal or professional in nature. You can use any type of writing app (like Evernote) or grab some paper and a pen so that you can feel free to get creative with your style and voice.

The key is to practice as much as possible so that when it comes time for a big project, you’ll be ready!

Write to a prompt

A prompt is a question or topic that you write about. If you’re stuck for ideas, try looking up prompts on the internet. For example, you could search for “writing prompts” or “writing exercises.”

Here are some prompts for deeper reflection to practice writing:

  • Write about a time when you felt like you were misunderstood.
  • Write about a time when you misunderstood someone else.
  • Write about something that happened in your life that changed everything forever.
  • Write about the last time you cried for longer than five minutes.
  • Write about the last time you laughed until it hurt your cheeks, stomach and ribs.
  • Write about a moment when you felt powerful or powerless.
  • Write about a moment when you felt insecure or self-assured.

Learn to embrace bullet points in blogs

Bullet points can help you improve your blog post readability, but only if they’re implemented correctly.

If you want to learn how to use bullet points successfully, read on!

Bullet points are an easy way to break up text into smaller chunks that are easier for readers to digest. This is especially useful in long blog posts where readers may get tired of reading large blocks of text.

There’s a lot of debate about whether or not bullet points should be used in blogs. Some people argue that they make the text look unprofessional and encourage skimming instead of reading carefully. Others say that bullet points make it easier for readers to find what they’re looking for within a longer post — especially when there’s a lot of information being presented in one place.

Bullet points are a great way to highlight key points in an article or blog post. They can be used to emphasize important ideas or make your writing easier to read.

person holding blue ballpoint pen writing in notebook. practice writing.
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Ditch the perfection and get it out there!

If you want to improve your writing, then you need to stop trying to perfect everything and just get it out there. You need to practice writing as much as possible!

When I wrote research papers, I had to make sure everything was exactly right for my professors or for a conference presentation.

You see, perfectionism is a self-defeating attitude that doesn’t serve the purpose of producing good work. It’s not about producing good work — it’s about producing great work. And there’s no such thing as great work when you’re still in the editing process.

Perfectionism leads to procrastination, which means that you’re constantly trying to tweak that one perfect sentence or paragraph until it’s just right. But there will always be another perfect sentence or paragraph to tweak after that one! So every time you think about writing something new, suddenly your mind goes blank because all you can think about is how much better this other thing could be if only you had more time and energy to devote to it.

The solution is simple: Ditch the perfection and get something out there! Once your first draft is complete (which may not be perfect), then go back through and make changes as necessary.

Practice writing as much as you can!

Content writing is all about ideas, so it’s important to keep your mind as happy and free as possible. The best way to do this is by cultivating hobbies that make you happy. I recommend taking up new activities or seeking joy in the things you already enjoy doing. Inspiration comes in many forms!

Posted in Goal, Mindset

6 Ways To Find Writing Inspiration

Are you struggling to find writing inspiration?

Many of us feel like we’re severely lacking in the creativity department, especially when it comes to writing. The truth is that inspiration—and making it last—is a skill that can be learned, which will make your blog even more amazing. It just takes the right tools and approach.

1. Keep a specific book of notes

Keep a notebook on hand for when you’re feeling uninspired or bored. When something catches your eye or makes you think of a new project idea, write it down so that later on you can go back and look at it as inspiration. This could be something as simple as calling someone up or taking some photos at an event; it doesn’t have to be anything formal or grandiose.

The point is that by keeping track of these little things throughout your day, you’ll have something to refer back to when you’re stuck on what to do next. I often do this on my iPhone through the notes app and either voice record or type what inspires me in the moment.

2. Find out what inspires people you admire

The most obvious way to get inspired is to look at people who are already doing what you want to do. If you’re an aspiring writer, read books by authors whose work is similar to yours. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, study successful entrepreneurs and try to understand what makes them tick.

3. Read as much as you can, from different genres and subjects

The more you read, the more likely you are to come across something that inspires you. Plus reading teaches us about other cultures and periods in history—which can lead us to new ideas for our own work.

woman with writing in a calendar and beige colour samples on white table. writing inspiration
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4. Writing inspiration comes from writing about the things that inspire you

In my experience, writing is the best way to tap into your creative side and free yourself up to explore new ideas. The more you write, the better you get at it.

It’s like anything else—if you practice enough, eventually you’ll start getting better results. And there’s no right or wrong way to do it either! You can write about anything from your favorite band’s latest album all the way down to what happened at work yesterday afternoon. The point is: just write!

5. Don’t just wait for writing inspiration to hit you—go looking for inspiration in everyday life

Inspiration is all around us and we’re too busy to notice it most of the time. Look at art, listen to music, travel, read books, and blogs or go see movies or plays—and then let those experiences inspire creativity in your own life.

photo of stream during daytime. writing inspiration
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6. Make sure you give yourself the chance to be inspired by regularly taking time out and doing something that makes you happy

It doesn’t have to be a big thing; just a walk outside or spending 10 minutes reading a book will do wonders for your creativity. If you’re not doing something that makes you happy, it’s going to be hard for you to get inspired by anything else.

Takeaway

The best way to make writing inspiration stick is to be proactive about it. Learn how to make the most of your inspirations when they happen, so that you can get down and work on your creative work before it vanishes.

And, by all means, don’t let inspiration itself stop you. You’ll always have options on how to take a nugget and develop it into something more substantial—often many more than you realize at first.

Of course, if writing inspiration isn’t happening for you, that can be OK too; just know that there are plenty of other ways you can find your next big idea.