6 Excellent Writing Tips for Beginners (They’re so Simple, You’ll Think Writing is Easy)

Writing is hard.

That’s right, I said it: Writing is hard.

I’m sure all the other Google results told you otherwise, but guess what?

They lied.

If writing was easy, everyone would pen Shakespearean works of art. In fact, Shakespeare himself wouldn’t be Shakespeare; he’d just be William.

Calling a craft easy to sell an idea is disrespectful. It’s a slap in the face to those who have given hours to master the trade.

But even though writing is difficult, it is certainly not complex. And to prove this point, I’ll show you six simple tips beginners can use to become better writers.

Now none of these tips are groundbreaking strategies—heck, you may even dismiss them as common sense—but just remember, practice is what leads to mastery. This post will show you what to practice first.

Tip #1: Have a Conversation

First, you want to have a conversation.

This tip won’t apply to all forms of writing, but for anything informal like a blog, you want to write the way you speak—or better yet, how a normal person would speak:

So don’t utilize an object. Just use it.
Don’t do it expeditiously. Do it fast.
And don’t visit the facility. Go to the school, church, or hospital.

Leave the business jargon at your job. No one wants to read that on the web.

Write like you’re having a conversation with a friend. No, not a close friend you can talk gibberish with and still understand, but a friend you can be yourself around and talk to as an equal. Write like you’re talking to them.

Doing this will help your words express authority without sacrificing warmth. Plus you’ll avoid the dreaded condescending tone too.

Sure, you could address these issues later when you edit, but your tone has more to do with how you view the reader. An inflated ego will always manifest in its owner’s writing, so it’s best to define your relationship to the reader before you pick up a pen.

The internet has enough writers with chiseled bodies, six-figure salaries, and genius intellect. The last thing readers want is another person who talks down to them.

No one wants to be lectured by perfect people. Readers want to learn from a normal person who’s doing well.

So just be you—a confident, brave, and humble version of you.

Treat the reader like a person, and I promise, they’ll treat you the same.

Tip #2: Plan Even More Than You Write

Sloppy preparation leads to sloppy writing. So if you’re serious about the craft, you should make an outline for everything you write.

Yes, you can freestyle sometimes and just pour your heart out, but most writing requires research, interviews, or reasoning that’s not readily available.

A simple outline with a title, purpose, and structure will help you organize your thoughts beforehand. You can then use this outline to guide you when it’s time to expound your points.

Outlines also help if you’re like me and hate writing drafts. Planning your message early will let you be efficient and write with purpose later on. It’s also much easier to make an outline than it is to write, so you can stockpile ideas quickly for when your creative side runs dry.

Just make sure you schedule your planning periods well. It takes time to pass first-level creativity and develop good ideas.

For example, almost every article I’ve published—especially those with 2,000 plus words—was in my head for weeks. All you see is the finished product, but the foundation was set much earlier.

This is why you have to plan just as seriously as you write. If you put in the effort up front, there won’t be much guesswork later.

Tip #3: Draft Early, and Draft Recklessly

Like I said, I hate writing first drafts.

I’m a perfectionist at heart, so it’s tough for me to produce work that I know is destined to be garbage.

Therein lies the good news about first drafts though: they are always bad. And this fact should free you to write as soon as possible.

You want to get the draft out of the way so you can work your magic later. The editing stage is where you transform thoughts into art, but before you can mold your content, you need the raw material.

This is why I suggest writing while things are fresh on your mind. As soon as an idea pops in your head, stop what you’re doing and write.

Keep your outline close and write the draft while you’re most engaged with your ideas. Otherwise you’ll have a hard time reviving them.

Even if circumstances keep you from penning a whole draft, you can at least jot your notes on a pad or log the ideas in your phone for review. Just get all your ideas in writing so you can finish as soon as possible.

Remember that writing the first draft is the hardest part of the whole cycle. And if you procrastinate at this stage, it’ll leave you scrambling to finish later.

So draft early, and draft recklessly.

You can always go back to edit.

Tip #4: Write with a Clear Purpose

Unskilled writing with a message has value. Unskilled writing without a message is useless.

I don’t normally discourage people from trying a craft, but if you don’t have anything to say, please put the pen down now.

Leave the straightforward recaps of day-to-day life in your diary. Readers have monotonous lives just like you. They’d rather not read stuff in their free time that reminds them of their cubicle.

No, this doesn’t mean you should remove your life from your work completely. What it means is that you shouldn’t be the focus.

Every word, sentence, and paragraph should build towards something greater:

So show the reader how to gain a valuable skill.
Make a list of your favorite books that readers may want to buy.
Write about a challenge you overcame and the lessons others can learn from it.

Just don’t write for the sake of writing. Writing is only a medium. The best writers use the medium to work towards a greater purpose.

Sure, entertainment can be that purpose, but most beginners don’t have the skill to make their prose entertain on its own.

You have to remember that your work isn’t as valuable to others as it is to you. Yes, that sounds harsh, but this fact will keep you from publishing work that doesn’t matter.

There are enough forgettable writers on the planet. You don’t want to be another.

Good writers produce work that sticks with you for years. They may not be popular or the most technically sound, but they know how to make an impact.

That’s how you get readers searching for stuff you wrote two years ago:

You make an impact.

So again, don’t just write to write. Write to convey a message.

If you know how to do that, readers will forgive your technical flaws.

Tip #5: Become a Phenomenal Editor

Great writing isn’t really about writing.

Great writing is the result of great editing.

You might read a good writer’s work sometimes and think, “Wow, writing is so easy.” But guess what? That’s the whole point.

If an author’s work makes you think writing is difficult, that person is a horrible editor.

Like I said earlier, first drafts are always bad. Good writers just don’t let them stay that way.

If my first draft is decent for example, I’ll only need a couple revisions to mold it into postable shape. But generally, it takes about five revisions to get it where it needs to be.

Yeah, that sounds like a lot, but the editing process is the last barrier between your audience and your thoughts. And it won’t matter how good your ideas are if you don’t present them in readable fashion.

writing tips editing — Nothing looks like this at the start.

But since editing is so important, it has to be difficult, right?

Well no, not at all. In fact, it’s some of the most fun you’ll have.

Many writers, including myself, don’t even like writing; but we love having written, and editing is the reason why.

Plus if you want more good news, you only have to do two things when you edit:

You edit your content.
You edit your flow.

Editing Content

First, you need to edit your content.

This is where you scan your work and look for opportunities to add value for the reader. This additional writing will clarify your message, show practical examples, and let you relate more to the reader’s dilemma.

Your first draft will usually lack all the details you want to share, so it’s good to look through your writing and see how you can better explain each point. It also helps to think like a reader here and raise any objections or counter-arguments to your work.

If you argue that basketball is a better sport than (American) football for example—and it definitely is by the way—you could list five positive points about the former and expound upon them. Then you could go a step further and think about how a football fan would react to your claims.

You would then take those objections, describe how the sport of basketball addresses them, and use your knowledge of both sports to persuade the audience.

If I argue that basketball requires more teamwork for example, a football fan might object by saying that more people and positions work together in football. So to address this objection, I would agree that basketball requires fewer players and positions, but then explain how smaller numbers strengthen the bond among teammates and increase responsibility for each.

That’s how you edit for content.

It’s all about reading from a critical perspective. You think about how your words will be interpreted, review potential questions or objections, and then address those points before readers have a chance to raise them.

Editing Flow

Next, you need to edit your flow.

This part is all about grammar, rhythm, and voice.

Here you decide whether to use “your” or “you’re”, to insert a comma or a period, or to just break grammar rules altogether.

I won’t explain how to make those choices here though because frankly, I don’t want to. Others are more qualified to do so and I’d rather stick to high level strategy.

So instead of covering the technical stuff myself, I’ll show you a few resources that’ll help you out:

(Note: This section contains affiliate links. If you follow the links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

1) The Elements of Style by William Shrunk Jr. and E.B. White

The Elements of Style is a tiny book that serves as a huge help for beginners.

It’s a reference that contains rules of grammar, rhythm, and of course, style. Plus it has a list of words and phrases that are commonly misused by beginners and experienced writers alike.

This book is the most basic resource of the three I’ll show here, but it’s a great foundation for those who don’t write on the day-to-day.

2) On Writing Well by William Zinsser

On Writing Well by the late William Zinsser is one of my favorite books on the subject.

Zinsser not only explains the practical techniques of non-fiction writing, but he also discusses what it means to be a writer and how attitudes about the craft influence your work. He covers everything from when to use a semicolon to complex topics like the relationship between reader and writer.

I love this book because it does so much more than teach you how to write; it teaches you how to become a writer.

3) Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

Finally, we have Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark.

This is my favorite resource here because of its sheer usefulness.

The book covers 55 writing tools which include matters of grammar, style, organization, and flow. Mr. Clark also displays one of the most enjoyable writing voices I’ve read, and overall, the book was a joy to read.

This book has had the biggest influence on my writing style so far, and I reference plenty of its tools when I edit my own work.

Tip #6: Take No More Than Two

Perhaps the best advice for writing, or any craft for that matter, is to just…keep…doing it.

No, you don’t want to burn yourself out, but a good rule of thumb is to never take more than two consecutive days off. Anything more than that and your skills will decline. Plus you won’t feel like restarting once your mind adapts to inaction.

Writing is all about thinking and organizing your thoughts. But if you want to structure those thoughts effectively, they need to saturate your mind.

This is why consistency is so important.

Consistency leads to immersion. Immersion leads to focus. And focus leads to art.

If you want to be a good writer, you have to embrace the thoughts. You have to think about your life’s challenges, the things that make you happy, and the hidden dreams reality may have pushed to the back of your mind.

Good writers don’t just perform their craft; they live it. So if you commit to this, just know that you can’t shake free from the thoughts.

This two days off rule isn’t about reaching a word count or pumping out content. It’s about becoming a writer instead of someone who puts words on a page.

So please keep outlining, do your research, and draft with reckless abandon. If you truly commit to the writing process, you won’t be a novice for long.