Becoming a Good Writer

Bromfield2
Thu, 11 Jun 2015 15:39:45 +0000

Is this for a high school student? A college student? There’s so much that one can do that it might be easier to offer advice if you could tell us a little more about the student’s goals/problems/issues. Reading books by good writers is always helpful. Subscribe to the New Yorker and read it! Writing a blog or a diary is good to help one become comfortable writing. One aspect of improving one’s writing that I think is important is to have someone who is willing to critique your writing and offer advice.

If the student wants to brush up on the mechanics–grammar, puncutation, passive vs. active voice–there are lots of books one can read and/or classes that one can take. Definitely check out Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.Fowler’s Modern English Usage, or Zinsser’s On Writing Well. Taking a class in expository writing in the summer is another way to get a student to sit down and start writing, especially if the student is a reluctant writer. Joining a writing group will do that too. Also, what’s good about the last two options is that you get feedback on people your writing.