Paul Roberts, a writing instructor at the University of Washington, offers nine pieces of advice for writers in a recent article. Here are his tips:
1. Get organized. When you sit down to write, have a plan and structure in mind. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting bogged down in the details.
2. Don't try to be perfect. First drafts are never perfect, so don't strive for perfectionism. Just get your thoughts down on paper (or screen) and worry about editing later.
3. Be concise. Keep your writing clear and to the point. Avoid unnecessarily long sentences and paragraphs.
4. Use active voice. Active voice is more dynamic and engaging than passive voice; it also makes your writing easier to understand. So whenever possible, use active voice constructions such as I did X or Y happened.
5 . Vary your sentence length . A mix of short, medium, and long sentences helps keep readers engaged; it also makes your writing more interesting to read aloud . Mixing up sentence lengths is also helpful for people who may have difficulty reading longer passages . In general , though , keep your sentences shorter rather than longer . 6 Pay attention to transitions . Good transitions help connect one idea to another smoothly , without interruption or confusion . Make sure each paragraph flows logically into the next , using words or phrases like furthermore , moreover , however , or