How to Be a Better Writer: 9 Simple, Straightforward Tips and Tricks
I’d be willing to wager. An educated guess, so to speak. That you want to learn how to be a better writer because you want to make more money.
You’re looking to turn your writing ability into one thing and one thing only…
Cold. Hard. Cash.
Or as some would call it:
Dolla. Dolla. Bills. Y’all.
I wouldn’t be the one to blame you. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game. And all that jazz.
Trust me when I say, there ain’t no shame in my game.
What’s my game these days? That simple and straightforward, fam. Turning content into cash. Writing words that fund my freedom.
Like a fiend looking for the next high, I’m plucking away at my keyboard night and day. Turn these keyboard strokes into checks from folks near and far.
If that sounds alright, hell, maybe even tight – then you’ll want to keep on reading.
I’ll show you how to be a better writer in this here article. Whether you’re:
- Freelancing Writing
- Building Scalable Online Businesses
- Looking to Develop a Real Skill
- Bringing Out Your Inner Artist
- …And More!
No matter your goal, I will teach you how to be a better writer. Punto. Blanco. Periodo.
Plus, these are timeless tips and simple steps one can take to improve. There’s no magic bullet here. No secret sauce.
Just straight dope. Delivered right to the dome. Well, your screen. But, that’s simply semantics.
Pues, Vamos!
Becoming a Better Writer: My Journey
Who am I and why should you give a rat’s arse?
Well, I’m just a dude. A broski coming off my rookie contract and salivating at the chance to get my max deal.
But…
It took me a while. No one has toiled in the shadows without shifting gears for as long as I.
I’ve been broke for years on end. Committed to sin and typing my way to absolute freedom. Many a time, I thought about giving the game up.
Luckily, I’m way too arrogant, ignorant, and persistent to toss in the towel.
So, I kept writing and writing. Crafting more content than anybody else around.
I posted and published here, there, and everywhere. For years. And years. Before I knew it, the money started to trickle in.
And then I made a massive mistake. A disaster, so to speak.
Live and learn.
Luckily, the whole ordeal helped me grow as a writer, blogger, and businessman.
See…
I had no idea about SEO at first. I just wrote the stuff that popped into my head. Nothing complex.
I wrote about my experiences. Nothing more. Nothing less.
In some ways, it worked.
I built a brand. I built a following.
And then, like a 24-year-old hormone ridden dipshit that I was – I sold it for five figures and went on my merry way.
I started Nomadic Hustle shortly thereafter.
I didn’t know where I wanted to take it, but I knew a little bit about SEO and believed I could grow that bad boy with organic traffic.
And I did. To the tune of nearly 2,000+ views a day:
But, my audience wasn’t targeted or in tune with my message. I wasn’t writing for people.
I was writing for long-tail keywords and search engines.
And I still am. But I figured out a couple other things. Mainly, how to create content that pleases both people and search engines…
Through a process.
The exact process I’m going to share with you below.
The simple steps you must take to become a better writer and turn your content into cold hard cash.
How to Be a Better Writer: 9 Simple, Straightforward Tips and Tricks
But enough with my fluff, let’s get into these tips and tricks that making killer crafting content a simple process:
#1. Practice Makes Perfect
I’m not gonna reinvent the wheel for ya. If you don’t write, you won’t become a better writer.
No shit, Sherlock!
Ok, I know it’s nothing too crazy, but it couldn’t be truer.
If you’re not willing to sit in front of the screen and type until your fingers turn bloody, you probably won’t become a better writer.
P.S: The bloody fingers thing is clearly a metaphor. Go see a doctor if your fingers start to bleed, fam.
Now, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. You simply need to write more.
Set a daily word count goal and get your fingers moving and grooving across that keyboard.
For beginners, shoot for 500-1,000 words a day.
If that sounds like a lot, you’ve got a far way to go. Why? Because I can type 1,000 “publishable” words in 45 minutes.
My typical day is 4,000+ words – minimum.
You still wanna be a writer?
If so, I have a few recommendations. To start out, you either want to find clients or build a review site.
Both forms of practice offer incentive and tangible results.
If you’re becoming a better writer, your clients will pay you more.
If you’re becoming a better writer, your review site will start to get views and sales.
For those looking to start writing and publishing online, click here for the absolute easiest to do just that.
#2. Read More
Again, we’re not reinventing the wheel here. 30 minutes of reading a day keep the mental cobwebs away.
And improves your ability to write killer content.
Plus, reading literally rewires your brain. And that’s backed by science, fam. Just click here if you don’t believe me.
Self-help, non-fiction, novels, and the like. Honestly…
It doesn’t matter what you read. Just. Read. Anything.
Not sure where to start? Wondering what books give you the best bang for your mental buck?
Well, I’d start here if how to become a better writer was on my mind:
#3. Handwriting Classics
Another classic copywriting tip or trick.
Why is it a classic? Because it works, broski.
To improve your copywriting ability, it’s essential to handwrite old-school sales letters. I know…
It sounds lame and a bit odd, but it works.
Just give it shot for a month or so. Trust me.
Simply sit down. Grab a notebook and a pen. And then head over to Swiped.Co.
The site had 400+ old-school sales letter and copywriting examples.
Pick one that looks good, maybe something in a similar niche or style you’re looking to emulate. Then copy it down by hand in your journal.
If the 400+ pieces of content are overwhelming, I’ll make it easy for you. This dude is one of the greats. Just start here.
Copy it down by hand. 20-30 minutes a day for a month or two.
That’s it. Seriously. It’s that simple. There’s nothing complex here.
Hell, you can even take things one step further…
My buddy James also recommends handwriting the content from greats within your niche.
For example, as an email marketer, he likes to use the content from Ben Settle as an example and copy his stuff down by hand.
#4. A Love of Learning
Just like anything in life, a little studying goes a long way.
Read about copywriting. Learn about content creation.
Look at what other writers, bloggers, and content creators are doing. Dive deep into the classics. Think about it…
They’re classics for a reason. They’re damn good.
Then figure out how to emulate it.
I won’t dive too deep into this one, as it’s somewhat niche dependent. For example, email marketers will study different stuff than someone looking to start a travel blog – although there should be some overlap.
But, for general books about copywriting, content creation and how to be a better writer – here’s a few I love:
P.S: Always go with hard copies with these books. You’ll want to mark pages, take notes, etc.
#5. Formatting Lives Matter
People don’t actually read online. And I’m not the only one to figure this out. Just check this out.
Now, I’ll spare you the details and dish the dirt as quickly as possible.
If you want to seem like a better writer than you are, make sure people can skim your content.
If your content is highly skimmable, you’ll find fans far faster than those blokes writing block text like it’s 2003.
Seriously…
Do. Not. Write. In. Block. Text.
Keep things short. Your paragraphs should be short. Your sentences should be precise.
You’ll get more eyes, and actually, have a shot at keeping them around if you heed this advice.
Now, there’s a little bit more to it than eliminating block text throughout your content. For example, we need to properly format out content, too.
This means using things like:
- Headlines / Headers
- Sub-headings
- Bold, italics, etc.
- Bullet points, numbering, etc.
- Oh, and photos. Don’t forget the photos when publishing online!
This is essential for all content creators. Whether you’re a freelance writer or a blogger, this tip will help you become a better writer and make more.
Oh, and make sure to write catchy and creative headlines, too.
#6. Features Vs. Benefits
I won’t get too much into this one here. This could be a full post by itself. Hell, it could be a book. Probably is.
But the gist of it is this…
Focus on benefits more than features.
What does this mean?
Well, it can be niche specific and related to the type of content, but basically, it means most humans need to understand why something would benefit them or why they should buy it.
Not exactly why it works.
For example:
You have a minor injury. You’ve heard about peptides like TB-500 for wound healing.
You don’t need to understand the mechanisms behind how they work. How they heal.
You only care about if they’ll benefit you. If TB-500 will help you get rid of your injury quicker.
And if the product causes cancer or not ;(
The point? You’re more concerned with the benefits of a product than how it works.
So are your readers, customers, etc.
It’s human nature.
If you want to become a better writer on the interwebs, understanding this aspect of human nature is essential.
#7. SEO Matters
For individuals looking to become a better writer online, which I suspect is most of ya, you should have a working knowledge of search engine optimization – aka SEO.
If you’re blogging, writing reviews, or working with clients – utilizing SEO principles is a massive value-add.
You’ll get more organic traffic, find more eyes on your content, and make more money. It’s a win-win.
But, most people ignore SEO…
Especially when starting out online. Most don’t even touch SEO when talking about how to be a better writer.
Which is a damn shame in the Internet age.
SEO and writing are intertwined at this stage in the game.
Now, this is a whole different topic, but the absolute basics are this:
- Sign up for a free trial of the absolute best SEO tool online by clicking here.
- Add longtail keywords to the title of all your blog posts.
- Keep your keyword density below 1%.
…Profit?
There’s more to it. But my point is, part of becoming a better writer is having a working knowledge of SEO.
P.S: Again, don’t sleep on SEMrush…
#8. Editing Made Easy
This one is easy. It’s damn easy to seem like a better writer than you actually are these days.
You just have to do two quick things when editing…
First, read your shit out loud. If it sounds bad aloud, it’ll sound weird when your readers are digging in.
Speaking your writing into existence is the single most important editing tip I can give you.
But, there’s one other editing step that’s essential.
What’s that?
Running your content through the best damn editing app, period.
This editing app is like working with a professional editor – for one low price each and every month.
It’s amazing.
If you want to become a better writer, then Grammarly is a MUST these days.
Dogs have nothing to do with becoming a better writer…
#9. Consistency, Creation, and Your Process
Last, but not least…
You’ve just got to show up.
Lace up your shoes and step up to the plate every damn day.
Like anything in life – if you want to get better, you’ve got to be consistent.
Find the creative process that works for you and stick to it. Create and create and create some more.
I’ve been able to create more content and become a better writer because I show up. I sit down in front of my computer each and every day.
And I type my day away.
How to Be a Better Writer…For Real
While some may disagree and offer you other advice, this is my piece. My truth. How I’ve become a better writer over the years.
And I do mean years. You can become a better writer in a few months. Sure.
But…
How to be a better writer for real?
Show up each day. Study your craft. Perfect your process. And keep on creating!
