5 Writing Tips I Learned In College

By: Carson Lee (Guest Writer)

There are things that we learn throughout the course of our writing education and intellectual journey that will conceivably stick out in our minds. Most of this knowledge could possibly be from other entities than institutionalized learning. There is much more to writing than basic grammar, structure, and fancy wording. Below are pieces that are essential for any writer to learn in order to become an exceptional author:

1.   Thinking

We think constantly on a daily basis. Our ideas shape our lives, our perspective, and how we go about seeing the world around us. It is important to not be distracted and not only think, but believe, in the ideas and/or opinions we construct.

2.   The importance of documentation

The rate in which the human brain forgets is remarkable. It is hard to remember every significant thought that comes into our minds. It is important to write down and record thoughts to come back to later because some of the thoughts lost could possibly be your greatest work.

3.   Reading

Every writer must enjoy reading because they will be doing a lot of it. It instills grammatical rules in our minds subconsciously and greatly influences the type of styles we like. It’s similar to listening to music; you expand your approaches to certain types of writing.

4.   Proofreading and Constructive Criticism

It is important to get feedback at any point of the writing process. You can learn a lot by asking questions and disputing your case in argument. Get your work proofread and take all forms of criticism into consideration because it could open up different aspects of your writing.

5.   Learning from those better than you

 Ultimately the people who you hang around with have an influence on the type of work you do (unless you do it all on your own and are not open to anyone’s viewpoints but your own). It is important to surround yourself with people who have ambition, encouragement, and differing viewpoints.