Mumbai, Oct 28,2020: Writing skills have always been an excellent addition to have on your resume. At workplaces, writing is a handy skill to help you handle various types of communication. Be it the ability to pen an industry report, a blog on your website, or an email to your client; good writing can benefit your career.

Three years ago, Ritika was a marketing manager for a well-known software company. Her job involved overseeing all marketing collateral, addressing customers both within the country and overseas. While she enjoyed most aspects of her job, there was one thing that remained a huge pain-point. She found it difficult to articulate her thoughts in writing. Even a small email to an associate was a struggle for her. Added to this was an increasing pressure to write articles for industry and trade media. She knew that she needed to be visible amongst her peers if she had to grow in her career. After much procrastination, she began enrolling herself at weekend writing workshops and diligently pursued every step of the process. Within a few months, she contributed articles to popular tech magazines and started a blog of her own. Today, as Vice President of Communications for her company, her writings are extremely popular within the industry, and what's more, she also gets invited to speak at various forums.

Writing can be intimidating for a lot of people.  The good news is that anybody can acquire writing skills with discipline and an inclination to learn.

Let us take a look at ten practical ways you can practice and master the art of writing.

1.       Get rid of that mind-block Many of us get uneasy at the prospect of having to write a page, even on subjects we are well-versed with. The truth is that most of us don’t even try. More often than not, our perceived inability to write is just that: a struggle within our minds.

2.       Write regularly The first and foremost step to learning anything is a regular practice. Writing is no exception. Think up topics related to your work or anything that interests you and begin writing about them. It may be about your professional experience or a movie you watched. The important thing is to write about them in an original form.

3.       Read, Read, Read Reading naturally improves your writing skills. When you read blogs and articles by other writers and professionals, you imbibe the use of words, language, and styles apt for the kind of audience you want to target. You will also get a lot of ideas on the topics that you can address.

4.       Begin with an outline When faced with a writing assignment, the first thing to do is prepare an outline, or a draft of what you want to cover. Once a structure is in place, your job becomes easier.

5.       Practice Easy Writing Nobody wants to read lengthy, rambling prose. You need to be engaging in a style that captures the essence of your message in simple language. Even if it is a highly technical subject, avoid being overly academic. Online readers, especially, are highly distracted. They prefer quick and easy reading. Keep sentences and paragraphs short.

6.       Think about what you want to say Quite often, we end up focusing on a topic through the eyes of someone else. We struggle to articulate ourselves because we are not putting down what we feel about the issue through our point of view. The trick to good writing is to be crystal clear about what you want to convey. Get clarity in your mind, and your hand will follow.

7.       Explain the context You might be clear about what it is you want to convey. Saying that you liked a movie in itself may not suffice. You need to explain why, and give it a context. Once you give your point of view a context, you will express yourself through different perspectives.

8.       Find a good critic It could be your co-worker, a good friend, or even attending a writing course, like Ritika. Having a teacher is beneficial for learning new skills. Take on exercises and churn out as much writing as you can. Submit them to scrutiny and be open to criticism.

9.       Nobody is perfect It is always tempting to think that your favorite writers effortlessly turn out the incredibly good stuff. Get rid of that notion. Remember, writing is an iterative process. Most of the time, there will be a world of difference between your first draft and your final draft.

10.    Install an Editing App Today there are a lot of useful editing apps available. These editing tools help you with grammar and structure. Apps like Grammarly, AutoCrit, and SmartEdit help sharpen your blogs, reports, and articles. Regular use of such apps will enhance your natural writing skills.

IN CONCLUSION

Writing is an essential job skill. It is an important criterion to fulfil if we want to be considered good at our work, equipping us with appropriate articulation. It helps us express ourselves in ways far more potent than through any other mode of expression. Writing helps us understand our own beliefs and values and strengthens our commitment to our chosen paths. It also ensures that we leave a record of our journey for posterity.