Whether you simply love writing, or you have to improve your writing skills in order to get higher scores at your classes, being a master at writing is a skill that must constantly be worked on.
This idea is not a new one. Of course, you know the saying: practice makes perfect, and that’s often the advice that you receive. However, how do you know how to practice? Of course, you are going to sharpen your writing just sitting down and doing it. But, what should you consider while doing such an exercise? Keep reading to find out.
Tone
Most likely, you know who your audience is. Make your writing appropriate to them by using the right voice throughout the piece.
Language
Similar to tone, the actual language that you use should be clear and not too complex for the reader to comprehend. Actually, it is a good idea to provide the on topic notions in your piece, but do not go overboard with the words that you do not normally use. Thesaurus is a useful tool for such a thing, but again, use only replacement words that you are comfortable with and that support the tone of your paper.
No Repeats
Be careful while talking on the particular topic, because you are bound to have some redundancies, or some repeated words or phrases. Weed them out, or even delete, or ask your handy thesaurus for help.
Use the Active Voice
Except for special cases, the use of active voice should predominantly take over your thesis. It is much stronger and direct. Moreover, it will make your writing more readable.
Get Rid of Run-ons
Even if the sentence is not technically a run-on, but it looks too long, it is better to cut it into several parts. Long sentences are quite difficult to read and to understand at the first reading. Thus, in order not to flush the audience, you have to provide it with the most readable utterances as possible.
Find Your Own Style
Everyone has his/her own style of writing and you are not an exception. Even if you don’t have a distinct style yet, you will. Of course, it takes much time, and will come naturally just after spending a lot of time practicing. Trust yourself and write everything that you want to say. You can always proofread later. Be sure, after a while your writing assignments will become an easier task.
Read out-Loud
This tip is probably the most useful. To achieve that Ivy League college essays level, you need to hear your own work. You know how a good essay sounds like, so you will know if yours is up to that caliber or not. When you read it to yourself, you will easily hear where it needs to be edited.
If you feel too awkward while reading into thin air, grab a friend, family member, or a pet and read it to them. Don’t skip such an important step!
With these tips, you can be sure that your writing will elevate to the next level – the top level. The key is to think about each aspect in turn and how you are (or aren’t) going to achieve it.