Be it a blog post, Facebook post, office letter, a report, school examination or writing answers for UPSC mains, all these have one thing in common, and that is writing. Yes, writing. You are writing and someone is reading. That’s the way it goes. Yes, you all write and read a lot. People spend most of their time in reading, to get knowledge and information. Improving your writing skills is necessary if you want to excel in communication and want your message to get through.

Workable Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills

Define the Agenda/ Purpose of Writing

You must be very clear in your head regarding the purpose of your writing. A leave application should not have a medium to high difficulty language vocabulary, while if you are writing a presentation and wants to flatter your bosses, then the use of high sounding words are the right recipe for you.

Write a Draft

Develop a habit and patience to write a draft. Like your school teacher used to say in primary classes to write something in the rough and then correct it before copying it into a home-work notebook. Similarly, write a draft and proof-read it. You’ll be surprised to see that you yourself will be improving it with many new additions and replacements. You’ll surely discover the editor in you.

Develop a Structure

Don’t just scribble around. You want to write, that means you want to convey something. It could be an idea, an opinion, order, some information or maybe just plain record keeping. We do not just write keywords or write the parts of the story as we remember. Give structure to your writing. Decide what elements and ideas should come first and what to follow later. If it is an exam essay then start with an introduction highlighting what you wish to convey and kind of synopsis, then in the body buildup the case as per your need and then close it effectively by summarizing it. Similarly in formal letters first, tell about your relationship with the organisation and your designation then what you wish and any reasons if any. After that end, it on a polite note and also list any enclosures or attachments. There is a spate article on rules of Email writing.

Use Simple English

Yes, in order to impress, don’t overdo and stress out. Keep it simple. Remember that you want to convey something. Use those words which are commonly in use. By simple I do not mean school kid level, remember the language tests you took before the job? Yes, that is the simple level for you. What? Don’t be overly simplistic, remember relativity, what is simple for you is not simple for a four-year-old.

Use Words Smartly

Good writing is a reward for a writer and a treat for a reader. Be your own editor. Replace overuse of words and any excessive usage with better and efficient use of vocabulary. The idea is to use fewer words in an efficient manner. For example, refer to the table given below:

Instead of “Common Usage” words, use the “Replacements”
Common Usage	Replacements
A very short period of time	Brief
Very colourful	Vibrant
Additionally	Moreover
Very scared	Petrified
But	Despite that
Also	Further
Too lazy	Indolent

Know Your Audience

Who are your intended readers and what is your objective? This helps you to decide the tone and the level of your vocabulary usage. If it is for kids you can use “dancing around to impress’, but for adults, “prancing” will be a good usage. If it is a legal document where each written word can be legally interpreted, usage of emotional words often comes down to zero.

Be Just, Don’t Go Beyond Victory

When you have explained or highlighted your case, don’t reframe in other words, it will not just bore your audience but will also waste your attempt. Don’t over-explain. It is counter-productive.