How to improve your writing
Many students ask me a question like: "How can I improve my writing?"
Well, you can read books, study publications you'd be proud to write for, do courses like this, and so on.
But the BEST way to improve your articles is to simply write articles.
An article contains research and fresh quotes from experts or relevant people. Or anecdotes and examples, or descriptions of people, places and events you saw or experienced.
If all you do is delude yourself:
- writing a personal journal
- writing letters to the editor
- composing poetry
- writing "self-expression" pieces . . .
These writing activities DO NOT make you into a freelance journalist.
Also, you don't become a better and improving freelancer by learning all the theory and rules and techniques and then "saving up" all your talent for one fabulous article some time in the future.
You have to KEEP writing.
Write more than you are assigned to do in your journalism journey.
Keep on WRITING . . . that's what will make you a good freelancer.
Simple uh?
But many of my students think there's some magic answer that I might give them, some formula that instantly makes them good freelance journalists. Instead, the solution is rather mundane:
"Write articles and write, write and write some more . . . "