Ever launched into a writing practice with a ton of energy, but then got discouraged when you came to your first plateau?
You’ve hit your stride with a regular writing routine…and then, WHAM!
You crash into a wall that brings your progress to a screeching halt.
It’s easy to throw your hands up at this point, but you can and you will keep improving if you don’t give up on writing.
The truth is: You won’t transform into a masterful writer overnight, but you can become a better writer in just 30 days—as long as you have the right approach.
Here’s what you need to consider going into this.
What to do in 30 days to become a better writer
If you want to improve your writing over the next month, you need to write, study, and read every single day. It sounds like a lot, I know…but if you commit to doing all three things for the next 30 days, you’ll be a much stronger, more confident writer.
Your practice also needs to be intentional if you want to see a marked difference in the next 30 days. (So...emailing your sister or chatting in the company Slack channel don’t count.)
The TL;DR version of what you need to do is:
Establish a daily writing practice
Study writing
Read every day
If you're like, "Oh, okay, I think I get it," then I suppose you can stop reading and go on with your day. BUT! I've got a whooooooole lot more advice on each of these steps below. I'd love it if you kept reading.
Step 1: Establish a writing practice
1. Create a daily writing routine
If you want a daily writing habit to stick, you need to bake it into your daily routine. It doesn’t matter when—early in the morning, late at night, or somewhere in between.
What does matter is making sure it’s on your schedule every single day over the next month. Pick a consistent time every day and hold yourself to it. It can be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour—whatever feels most realistic to you.
That time will likely be cut from some other activity you normally do (like watching TV or scrolling on your phone), but it’s time well spent.
And yes, we all have a spare 15 minutes each day. It’s just a matter of whether or not we care enough to devote it to a different activity.
That said: There will be days that you either don’t feel like writing or have no clue what to write.
That’s okay. Writer’s block strikes us all. But you need to stick to the routine if you want to become a better writer.
Another idea: Get an accountability partner, reward yourself for following through each day with a small prize or treat, or start a jar where you have to pay $X for every day you miss.
These small measures can help keep you on track.
2. Draft internally
While you’re out doing something passive (like walking, driving, washing dishes, folding laundry, etc.) use this time to work on a mental first draft. Even famous authors like Joyce Carol Oates are known for using runs and walks for this very purpose.
It’s sort of like letting your brain work on the topic in the background: I find myself hearing phrases and sentences emerge during this time that I often end up building into the piece.
If it’s helpful, record some voice notes or tap ideas into your phone that you can come back to later (so they don’t float out of your brain to be lost forever.)
3. Hold off on editing
When you sit down to write, resist the urge to make everything *perfect* the first time.
Perfectionism will cripple your writing and might even keep you from improving. You have to get ideas out of your head and onto paper, so write an ugly first draft.
While it may seem counterintuitive, this practice will help you think through your idea in its raw form. It’s a brain dump.
Over the next month, spend your daily writing time writing—no matter how it turns out at first. You can come back to fix it up later.
4. Dabble in other writing styles
Pushing yourself outside of your writing comfort zone can make you a better writer.
You should spend the bulk of your writing time working on your main medium, but you should also set aside some time each week over the next month to write something different.
For example: If you usually write long-form blog posts, try writing some headlines for your favorite companies or product descriptions for the items you use every day. If you spend all day writing landing pages and sales copy, take a stab at explaining one of your hobbies in a blog post.
This exercise will be tough, but it will force you to think about writing from a different perspective. That perspective will give you a well-rounded approach to your daily writing.
5. Use the right tools
The internet puts all sorts of handy tools at your fingertips—so take advantage of them.
Here are some of my favorites when it comes to writing tools:
Grammarly combs through your writing to find common grammatical and editing mistakes you might have overlooked
Copy.ai helps generate a variety of ideas when you’re stuck on different facets of writing
Hemingway app checks for structures that make your writing tough to read (like long sentences and passive verbs)
Wordtune is great for weeding out repetitive words and suggesting better ones to swap in
If you add these to your daily writing routine, you’ll see the quality of your work shoot up nearly overnight.
6. Read what you write out loud
Reading what you write out loud will help you find your unique writing voice.
Not some edited, ivory tower voice with no personality—your authentic voice. You know: The one you use to rip apart a bad movie with your friends or share good news with your family.
Writing in your own voice makes your work relatable. Readers feel like they’re hearing from a real person with real feelings, not some faceless being.
When you’re reading out loud, ask yourself: “Is this how I’d say that to my co-worker?”
If it’s not, explain to yourself (or call your co-worker and explain it to him or her if you want, and record the conversation.)
Then write it down. That’s your voice.
Step 2: Study writing
If you’re trying to become a better writer over the next 30 days, you need to become a student of writing.
Think of it like this: Do pro sports players only show up to practice and games, then check out for the rest of the week?
Of course not.
They and their coaches also watch game films.
They study their own work, the work of their competition, and the work of their idols.
They’re students of the game, and it makes them much better players.
If you want to become a much better writer, you need to step back from writing and study work you and other people have already done.
Set aside a little bit of time each day for it, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a better writer.
Not sure how to do it? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
7. Work with an honest editor
A great editor is your best friend when it comes to improving your writing.
I mean, it’s fairly hard to become a better writer if there’s no one willing to point out any mistakes (and then suggesting how to improve them.) Editors are your go-to for spotting issues that you may not be able to see on your own.
When looking for an editing partner, seek out someone who is kind, patient...and ruthless.
It’s important they be honest about problems they see without beating you over the head with them and making you feel stupid. This doesn’t have to be a professional editor, either. It can be someone with an external perspective who simply knows good vs. bad writing.
8. Get better at self-editing
On that same note, you also want to learn to self-edit and spot your own writing weaknesses so you can improve them.
Explain what’s wrong with your own writing—can you put your mistakes and possible improvements into words? From there, ask yourself what you can change to fix those errors before you make them.
Are there things you’re doing wrong over and over? Those are simple fixes. Make notes and remind yourself what to look out for as you write.
Remember: Writing is a learned skill, and as such, it requires self-discipline if you want to get better at it.
9. Embrace the reverse outline
Reverse outlining can be your secret weapon for dialing in your writing.
Here’s how it works:
Take a paragraph or section that you’ve already written
Turn each sentence into a bullet point
Follow the paragraph’s information hierarchy to make an outline
Reverse outlining strips away a paragraph’s style and leaves with only the substance and structure.
Ask yourself three questions once you see the outline:
Does the hierarchy make sense?
Does the paragraph tell the most important information first then support it?
Does the paragraph do too much? Should I break it up?
After you have your answers, you can rearrange (or rewrite) the paragraph so it makes more sense.
Step 3: Read every day
One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve heard comes from Stephen King:
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time—or the tools—to write. Simple as that.”
If you want to become a better writer this month, you should step away from the keyboard and pick up a book for a few minutes every day.
But don’t feel like you can only read non-fiction books about writing this month. Instead, mix in fiction, poetry, education, and the works of writers you look up to.
Each genre will give you a different view of what writing can be and how it affects readers. They’ll arm you with new ideas that you can use to make yourself a much stronger writer.
10. Become a better storyteller by reading fiction
Great fiction writers grab their readers and drag them into the world of their work. Using only words, readers can experience all five senses while reading a novel. It’s powerful.
Expanding your imagination through fiction will help bring your writing to life. You’ll learn to draw your readers in and keep them engaged with your work.
(Psst! Some of my fiction favorites here.)
11. Make your writing more emotion-driven by reading poetry
Poetry forces you to expand your mind while working to understand their imagery and symbolism. It's also a great way to stretch your vocabulary.
Plus: Poetry strengthens your grasp of language and teaches you how to write with emotion and empathy.
You’ll learn to connect with readers' feelings instead of merely transmitting information.
12. Deepen your knowledge by reading non-fiction
Reading non-fiction will improve your knowledge and show you new ways to make an argument and support it.
When flipping through non-fiction, you should ask yourself the following questions:
How’s it organized? Look carefully at how the author presents information to prove a point.
What’s important? The main idea of the book should be first and foremost, with plenty of evidence to back it up.
Does it make sense? Is the writing filled with jargon and technical language that makes you feel like an idiot? This is what *not* to do. Everything should be clear and make sense (without a glossary.)
13. Improve your structure by reading your heroes
Finally, you’ll want to study the style of someone whose writing you really admire.
Ask yourself: Who’s doing what you want to do?
Read for style and presentation. Ask yourself: What is unique about this writer that makes you love their work?
Is it their subject matter?
Their style and flair for writing?
Their expertise?
Their ability to answer exactly what the reader’s asking?
Once you figure out what makes the writing tick, you can meld their style with your own to become a stronger writer. Reverse-engineer it and make it your own.
You + these strategies + 30 days = Better writer
Ready to get off the plateau and back to improving?
The next 30 days can be the sprint where you make it happen.
Create a daily writing practice, try some new approaches to writing and editing, and increase your reading time.
Need more structure?
My digital book Write Better Right Now is full of even more actionable tips, how-to lessons, and exercises (with a workbook!) that will help you become a better writer.
No matter which approach you take, I'm telling you: 30 days can make a world of difference.