The 5 Steps to Better Writing

Communication is a way of conversing or sharing of thoughts from one person to the other. There are different ways being used to communicate. It could be in the form of talking, or writing. In writing, we speak the words that we want others to understand. In writing, we write words and form them in sentences to create the idea that we want to express.

Writing has a huge scope. It can be a simple essay composed of just one paragraph, or it could be a case study on a business proposal. There are many ways on how to write, and there are different steps and rules to follow in each criterion. The rules and steps in writing an editorial are different from that of writing a news article. In addition, the rules and steps in writing a thesis paper are different from the rules and steps in writing a fictional novel.

In general, there are different writing schemes, and thus there are different kinds of writers. Considering the general kinds of writer, there are five (5) steps to better writing that should be followed:

1. Read more. Identify your interest.

2. Identify what your readers want.

3. Outline and organize your thoughts.

4. Gather information through research.

5. Present your ideas very well, and review what you wrote 5 times before giving it to your readers.

The first among the 5 steps to better writing is to read more. Through reading, the writer gathers information and gets an idea on the kind of topics he/she would want to write about. Expose yourself to different kinds of literature to get a "good look" on the kinds of topics that are most appealing and effective to readers. In addition, the different ways of presentation a topic or a story can also be learned through reading from different sources or from different authors.

When the writer identifies the topic that he/she wants to write, the writer should also discover what the readers would want to read. In the second step, the writer should determine what the readers are typically looking for in an article. The usefulness of the information given in the article is one, and the relevance of the article to the reader's life is another factor to consider.

The third step under the 5 steps to better writing is to outline and organize your thoughts. Once the writer already knows what he wants to tell the readers, and at the same time, the usefulness of the article to the readers is/are identified, the writer should organize his/her thoughts by making an outline on the flow of information that he/she would want the readers to know. The outline should project an understandable topic, very comprehensive and easy to understand while being useful to the readers.

After outlining the contents of the topic, the writer should now gather additional information through research that will support his/her discussions. An important step in better writing is for the writer to make sure that the contents of his/her article are reliable. The more research and information gathered, the better probability that the writer can create an informative article. Readers want information, at the same time, they want entertainment. The writer should also research on the different ways on how to make his/her article effective and well-appreciated by the readers.

After all the contents are outlined, researched and carefully laid out, the last step under the 5 steps to better writing is for the writer to review and proofread what he/she wrote for not less than 5 times. Word spelling and grammatically errors should be corrected, prior to release of the article to the reader's viewing.

Writing is a form of communication. It is simply a transfer of thoughts and ideas from one person to the other through words. The 5 steps to better writing, merely states the general steps a writer must follow in order to create an informative and interesting article, while keeping the integrity of the article itself.

Websites For Learning All About Writing

  1. Basic Guide to Writing Essays
  2. Elements of Style
  3. Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
  4. Purdue On-line Writing Lab
  5. The Eclectic Writer
  6. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
  7. The Writers Home
  8. WriteDirections.
  9. Write Guid
  10. Write Site
  11. Writing Den