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The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

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Write & improve.

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Improve your English writing online

Want to improve your writing skills? Our free online tool helps you to practise your writing and get valuable feedback instantly. Write & Improve is simple to use: just choose a task, write or upload a written response and use the feedback to quickly improve.

It shows you how to improve your spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Join over 2 million learners of English who have used Write & Improve to improve their writing.

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  • There is no limit on how many times you can use the tool – keep practising as much as you need to and build your confidence.
  • Encourages you to think about what to improve.
  • Keep improving and see your progress.
When I was preparing for my B2 First exam I practised really hard and I succeeded, so I'm in love with this tool that I still use almost every day. Aaron from Ecuador

Aaron from Ecuador

With Write & Improve my grades get better and I am inspired to do more. It is really graphical and easy to use, highlighting your mistakes in a very visual way. Victoria from Uruguay

writing skills resources

Write & Improve helps when practising writing particular types of documents. I've been able to see my progress and how my learning has changed. Jorge from Switzerland

Jorge from Switzerland

writing skills resources

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A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

  • Mark Rennella

writing skills resources

It’s called the “one-idea rule” — and any level of writer can use it.

The “one idea” rule is a simple concept that can help you sharpen your writing, persuade others by presenting your argument in a clear, concise, and engaging way. What exactly does the rule say?

  • Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.
  • In persuasive writing, your “one idea” is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing.
  • For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you will be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences.
  • Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title).

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Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Most advice about writing looks like a long laundry list of “do’s and don’ts.” These lists can be helpful from time to time, but they’re hard to remember … and, therefore, hard to depend on when you’re having trouble putting your thoughts to paper. During my time in academia, teaching composition at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I saw many people struggle with this.

writing skills resources

  • MR Mark Rennella is Associate Editor at HBP and has published two books, Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Leaders and The Boston Cosmopolitans .  

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  • Vitaly Friedman
  • Jun 28, 2009

50 Free Resources That Will Improve Your Writing Skills

  • 11 min read
  • Copywriting , Blogging , Skills , Resources
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About The Author

Vitaly Friedman loves beautiful content and doesn’t like to give in easily. When he is not writing, he’s most probably running front-end & UX … More about Vitaly ↬

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Weekly tips on front-end & UX . Trusted by 200,000+ folks.

Effective writing skills are to a writer what petrol is to a car. Like the petrol and car relationship, without solid skills writers cannot move ahead. These skills don’t come overnight, and they require patience and determination. You have to work smart and hard to acquire them. Only with experience, you can enter the realm of effective, always-in-demand writers.

Of course, effective writing requires a good command of the language in which you write or want to write. Once you have that command, you need to learn some tips and tricks so that you can have an edge over others in this hard-to-succeed world of writers. There are some gifted writers, granted. But gifted writers also need to polish their skills frequently in order to stay ahead of competition and earn their livelihood.

CustomWritings.com is an academic writing service which provides custom written papers to help students with their grades. Moreover, do not miss an opportunity to turn to writing guides, topic ideas, and samples on their blog to polish your writing skills. Except for these, you can also benefit from free tools that will ease the entire writing process - free plagiarism checker, citation generator, words to pages as well as words to minutes converter when you are working on a speech.

1. Grammar, Punctuation & Co.

Use English Punctuation Correctly A quick and useful crash course in English punctuation.

HyperGrammar An extensive electronic grammar course at the University of Ottawa’s Writing Centre.

Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty’s quick and dirty tips for better writing. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules.

Better Writing Skills This site contains 26 short articles with writing tips about ampersands, punctuation, character spacing, apostrophes, semicolons and commas, difference between i.e. and e.g. etc.

The Guide to Grammar and Writing An older, yet very useful site that will help you to improve your writing on word & sentence level, paragraph level and also essay & research paper level.

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant This site contains some useful articles that explain common grammar mistakes, basic punctuation, basic sentence concepts etc. Worth visiting and reading. The Learning Centre contains similar articles, but with more examples.

Jack Lynch’s Guide to Grammar and Style These notes are a miscellany of grammatical rules and explanations, comments on style, and suggestions on usage put by Jack Lynch, an Associate Professor in the English department of the Newark campus of Rutgers University, for his classes.

English Style Guide - Economist This guide is based on the style book which is given to all journalists at The Economist. The site contains various hints on how to use metaphors, punctuation, figures, hyphens etc. Brief and precise.

Technical Writing An extensive guidance on grammar and style for technical writing.

40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation “Purdue University maintains an online writing lab and I spent some time digging through it. Originally the goal was to grab some good tips that would help me out at work and on this site, but there is simply too much not to share.”

2. Common Mistakes And Problems

Common Errors in English A collection of common errors in English, with detailed explanations and descriptions of each error.

AskOxford: Better Writing A very useful reference for classic errors and helpful hints with a terrible site navigation.

Dr. Grammar’s Frequently Asked Questions Answers to common grammar questions related to English grammar, with examples and additional explanations.

English Grammar FAQ A list of common English language problems and how to solve them. This list was compiled through an extensive archive of postings to alt.usage.english by John Lawler, Linguistics, U. Michigan, Ann Arbor.

3. General Writing Skills

Writer’s Digest Writer’s Digest offers information on writing better and getting published. The site also includes community forums, blogs and huge lists of resources for writers.

Infoplease: General Writing Skills Various articles that aim to teach students how to write better.

The Elements of Style A freely available online version of the book “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk, Jr., the classic reference book.

Poynter Writing Tools A blog dedicated to writers and journalists. Poynter also provides Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List, a collection of podcasts related to writing.

learning lab / writing skills This site offers over 20 .pdf-documents with main rules and common mistakes related to summarising, paraphrasing, referencing, sentences, paragraphs, linking words and business writing. Handy.

Using English UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics. Browse our grammar glossary and references of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms, ESL forums, articles, teacher handouts and printables, and find useful links and information on English. Topics cover the spectrum of ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas.

Online Writing Courses Free courses are a great way to improve your writing skills. The courses shown here focus on several types of creative writing, including poetry, essay writing and fiction writing.

4. Practical Guides To Better Writing Skills

Copywriting 101: An Introduction to Copywriting This tutorial is designed to get you up and running with the basics of writing great copy in ten easy lessons. Afterwards, you’ll get recommendations for professional copywriting training, plus links to tutorials on SEO copywriting and writing killer headlines.

A Guide to Writing Well “This guide was mainly distilled from On Writing Well by William Zinsser and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Other sources are listed in the bibliography. My memory being stubborn and lazy, I compiled this so I could easily refresh myself on writing well. I hope it will also be helpful to others.”

Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet The ultimate cheat sheet with various Web copy resources that copywriters can use to lean the best writing tips and ideas.

Headlines And Trigger Words

  • 50 Trigger Words and Phrases for Powerful Multimedia Content
  • 21 Traffic Triggers for Social Media Marketing
  • How To Write Magnetic Headlines (and more headlines )
  • Passive Voice Is Redeemed For Web Headings
  • 5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang
  • Landing Page Tutorials and Case Studies
  • Copywriting for e-Commerce

Common Mistakes And Errors

  • 10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
  • The Seven Deadly Sins of Website Copy
  • Six Common Punctuation Errors that Bedevil Bloggers

Writing Tips From Experts

  • 10 Writing Tips from the Masters
  • George Orwell’s tips on better writing
  • Stephen King’s Top 7 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer
  • Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips for Writing Well
  • Writing hacks (hacks for writing) by Scott Berkun

Practical tips

  • 10 Steps Toward Better Writing
  • A Guide To Becoming A Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips
  • 10 simple things you can do to improve your writing
  • 7 Can’t-Miss Ways To Kick-Start The Writing Habit
  • 10 Writing Tips for Web Designers
  • How to Write Faster, Better, and Easier
  • Writing Tips for Non-Writers Who Don’t Want to Work at Writing
  • How to Write Persuasive Links
  • A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer: 15 Practical Tips
  • 21 Must-Read Tips To Write Better Web Content

5. Copywriting Blogs

CopyBlogger Now that blogging has become the smartest strategy for growing an authoritative web site, it’s your copywriting skills that will set you apart and help you succeed. And this is where Copyblogger comes into play. Brian Clark’s popular blog covers useful copywriting tips, guidelines and ideas.

Write to Done Leo Babuta’s blog about the craft and the art of writing. The blog covers many topics: journalism, blog writing, freelance writing, fiction, non-fiction, getting a book deal, the business of writing, the habit of writing. Updated twice weekly.

Problogger Darren Rowse’s blog helps bloggers to add income streams to their blogs – among other things, Darren also has hundreds of useful articles related to copy writing.

Men with Pens A regularly updated blog with useful tips for writers, freelancers and entrepreneurs.

Time to Write Jurgen Wolff’s tips, ideas, inspirations for writers and would-be writers and other creative people.

Daily Writing Posts “Whether you are an attorney, manager, student or blogger, writing skills are essential for your success. Considering the rise of the information age, they are even more important, as people are surrounded by e-mails, wikis, social networks and so on.

“It can be difficult to hone one’s writing skills within this fast paced environment. Daily Writing Tips is a blog where you will find simple yet effective tips to improve your writing.”

CopyWriting “Copywriting website is jam-packed with useful information, articles, resources and services geared to show you how to write mouth-watering, profit-generating copy. Copy that changes minds and dramatically boosts your results. So come right in… you’re going to like what you see! It has copywriting courses, tools, articles and much more.”

The Copywriter Underground A copywriting blog by the freelance writer Tom Chandler.

Lifehack: Writing This collection of resources includes links to 30 posts on Lifehack that may help you to improve your writing skills.

OneLook Dictionary Search More than 13,5 million words in more than 1024 online dictionaries are indexed by the OneLook search engine. You can find, define, and translate words all at one site.

Definr A fast, suggest-as-you-type dictionary which you can add to your Firefox search box or use in bookmarklet form (via Lifehacker ).

Visuwords Look up words to find their meanings and associations with other words and concepts. Produce diagrams reminiscent of a neural net. Learn how words associate.

Merriam Webster: Visual Dictionary The Visual Dictionary Online is an interactive dictionary with an innovative approach. From the image to the word and its definition, the Visual Dictionary Online is an all-in-one reference. Search the themes to quickly locate words, or find the meaning of a word by viewing the image it represents. What’s more, the Visual Dictionary Online helps you learn English in a visual and accessible way.

OneLook Reverse Dictionary OneLook’s reverse dictionary lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept. Your description can be a few words, a sentence, a question, or even just a single word.

Online Spell Checker Free online spell checker that provides you with quick and accurate results for texts in 28 languages (German, English, Spanish, French, Russian, Italian, Portuguese etc.).

GNU Aspell GNU Aspell is a Free and Open Source spell checker designed to eventually replace Ispell. It can either be used as a library or as an independent spell checker. Its main feature is that it does a superior job of suggesting possible replacements for a misspelled word than just about any other spell checker out there for the English language.

WordWeb A one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia. Features of the free version include definitions and synonyms, proper nouns, 150 000 root words and 120 000 synonym sets.

write rhymes As you write, hold the alt key and click on a word to find a rhyme for it.

Verbix This English conjugator will help you to determine how to use verbs in the proper tense.

Wordcounter Wordcounter ranks the most frequently used words in any given body of text. Use this to see what words you overuse or maybe just to find some keywords from a document. Text Statistics Generator is an alternative tool: it gives you a quick analysis of number of word occurrences.

Advanced Text Analyzer (requires registration) This free tool analyzes texts, calculating the number of words, lexical density, words per sentence, character per word and the readability of the text as well as word analysis, phrase analysis and graded analysis. Useful!

Graviax Grammar Checker Grammar rules (XML files containing regular expressions) and grammar checker. Currently only for the English language, although it could be extended. Unit tests are built into the rules. Might form the basis of a grammar checker for OpenOffice.

txt2tags Txt2tags is a document generator. It reads a text file with minimal markup as bold and //italic// and converts it to the formats HTML, LaTeX, MediaWiki, Google Code Wiki, DokuWiki, Plain text and more.

Markdown Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML). Requires Perl 5.6.0 or later.

7. Other Resources

CustomWritings.com — Writing Service You’re running out of time and need some writing help? The writing service CustomWritings.com provides you with custom texts tailored to your needs.

50 Useful Open Source Resources For Writers and Writing Majors If you’re a writing major, why not take advantage of all the opportunities to get great free and open source resources that can help you to write, edit and organize your work? Here’s a list of fifty open source tools that you can use to make your writing even better.

English Forums If you have a question related to English Grammar, join these forums to get advice from others who know the language better or can provide you with some related information.

The Ultimate Writing Productivity Resource A round-up of applications, services, resources, tools, posts and communities for writers and bloggers who want to improve their writing skills.

100 Useful Web Tools for Writers 100 useful Web tools that will help you with your career, your sanity and your creativity whenever your write.

Something is missing? Please let us know in the comments to this post!

Further Reading

  • Quick Course On Effective Website Copywriting
  • Behind The Scenes of Smashing Magazine
  • The Overlooked Importance of Professional Journalism
  • Getting Practical With Microcopy
  • Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website

Smashing Newsletter

Tips on front-end & UX, delivered weekly in your inbox. Just the things you can actually use.

Front-End & UX Workshops, Online

With practical takeaways, live sessions, video recordings and a friendly Q&A.

TypeScript in 50 Lessons

Everything TypeScript, with code walkthroughs and examples. And other printed books.

Writing

Here you can find activities to practise your writing skills. You can improve your writing by understanding model texts and how they're structured.

The self-study lessons in this section are written and organised by English level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). There are different types of model texts, with writing tips and interactive exercises that practise the writing skills you need to do well in your studies, to get ahead at work and to communicate in English in your free time.

Take our free online English test to find out which level to choose. Select your level, from A1 English level (elementary) to C1 English level (advanced), and improve your writing skills at your own speed, whenever it's convenient for you.

Choose your level to practise your writing

A1 writing

Learn to write in English with confidence

Our online English classes feature lots of useful writing materials and activities to help you develop your writing skills with confidence in a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Practise writing with your classmates in live group classes, get writing support from a personal tutor in one-to-one lessons or practise writing by yourself at your own pace with a self-study course.

Explore courses

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Group and one-to-one classes with expert teachers.

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Learn English in your own time, at your own pace.

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One-to-one sessions focused on a personal plan.

Footer:IELTS preparation

Get the score you need with private and group classes.  

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

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Blog • Understanding Publishing

Last updated on Jan 18, 2023

Reedsy’s Recommended Writer’s Resources for 2024

Here at Reedsy, we’re fortunate to work with some of the finest talents in the publishing industry — and these experts have shared their experience and knowledge with us in the form of tips, interviews and how-to guides. From developing fascinating characters to motivating yourself and submitting to writing contests, we’ve published articles on so many topics that it’s hard to keep track of them all.

On this page, we’re rounding up some of the best Reedsy articles so far, alongside some of our favorite, most trusted resources from elsewhere on the web. If there’s something specific you need help with, head to the relevant category in the table of contents for easier browsing. 

Finding ideas and inspiration

writing skills resources

When you’re just looking for a nudge toward a creative idea, an element of randomness can help you get going. To get you started, the links below comprise our best and most entertaining options, from generators and prompts to our list of ideas for books.

50+ Book Ideas (and 11 Ways to Find Even More!) : A look at some of the ways authors come up with book ideas: from writing prompts to tarot cards and Craigslist ads, the point is to be fearlessly creative.

Title Generator : Give our title generator a whirl, then see if you can come up with a story to accompany the title. Here are just a few examples of the cryptic titles you can get: The Waxed Painting , Clue of the Forgotten Cottage , Ceasefire of the Senses .

Plot Generator : Need a premise for a story in a hurry? Try out this fun, free tool for creating a story out of thin air. You can lock certain variables while continuing to tweak others for maximum fun.

Creative Writing Prompts : Dip into our archive of over 1,100 prompts and, if you like, take part in our weekly short story contest. If you’re after specific genre ideas, you can browse 37 different genre categories.

FREE RESOURCE

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

Tips for writing different genres

writing skills resources

If you aren’t fully familiar with the distinctions between each category, head to our blog post outlining the most common book genres . Otherwise, you’ll find our writing tips for each genre below, complete with insights from pros.

🐉 Writing fantasy : Seven of the top fantasy editors in the industry share their expert tips on writing fantastical worlds and characters pursuing noble quests.

🏎 Writing thrillers : In this post, we break down the science of thriller writing into seven heart-stopping steps.

🚌 Writing Young Adult fiction : A guide on writing YA fiction straight from editor Kate Angelella .

🧪 Writing science fiction : Six tips from experienced science fiction editors who have worked at Penguin Random House, Dundurn Press, and Jolly Fish Press.

🔎 Writing mysteries : From hiding clues and establishing the perfect motive to constructing an intriguing sleuth, our tips for mystery writers will help you craft the perfect crime.

💕 Writing romance : Our best tips for breathing life into beloved tropes and helping your characters reach their heartwarming happy ever after.

🎭 Writing literary fiction : For writers keen to experiment, our steps to writing literary fiction help you find the writerly playground you need — as long as you’ve got something to say.

🧒🏾 Writing children's books : A step-by-step guide to writing for children, from figuring out your target age group to taking your readers seriously and polishing up your messy first draft.

👶🏻 Writing picture books : Looking to become the next Julia Donaldson or Doctor Seuss? You could do a lot worse than starting right here.   

🧑🏼‍🎓 Writing nonfiction : Our guide to planning, outlining, writing, and publishing nonfiction.

🧘‍♀️ Writing self-help : Our post covers Identifying the problem you’ll help your readers manage, persuading them to listen to you, and taking the stage to show them how to best help themselves.

🍲 Writing cookbooks : For those with culinary talents worth sharing, this blog post walks you through turning your recipes into a book people will want on their kitchen shelf.

📝 Writing memoirs : Our guide to memoirs examines the many forms a memoir can take, then helps you outline yours and step into your own narrative.

🦸🏿 Writing comic books : A two-part guide to producing and publishing your own series of comic books — superheroes optional.

Which genre (or subgenre) am I writing?

Find out which genre your book belongs to. It only takes a minute!

Starting to write a book

writing skills resources

How to Build a Solid Writing Routine : A free Reedsy Learning course that will show you how to regularly find time for your writing.

How to Outline Your Novel : Grab three free outlining templates in this comprehensive guide to laying the groundwork for your first draft.

How to Start a Story : 11 professional editors share their best tips on how to start a story and seize your reader’s attention straight away.

How to Overcome Writer's Block : Vanquish the writer's dreaded foe, writer's block, once and for all! This post has 20+ strategies that you can use to get unstuck.

NaNoWriMo Pep Talks : A nonprofit known best for its annual November writing challenge, this website is also packed full of pep talks from beloved authors like Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, Meg Cabot, and Maggie Stiefvater. For more on the November challenge, head to our own NaNoWriMo post .

Self-Care for Authors : A blog post from our friends at Self-Publishing Formula, this is a great reminder that while productivity is important in the short term, mental health is even more important in the long term.

The 25+ Best Writing Tools : If you believe that a workman is only as good as his tools, make sure to check out this list of the most efficient writing aids to bolster your work.

The Best Novel Writing Software : The 21st century has given us the gift of technology. These are the best, most affordable pieces of novel writing software that writers shouldn’t miss.

The 16 Best Writing Apps : An impressive range of writing, editing, and productivity-enhancing apps for every kind of writer, from authors to content writers.

ProWritingAid : An editing and proofreading software that’s better suited to fiction writers than its giant competitor Grammarly , ProWritingAid is worth checking out. We’ve also reviewed it here on the Reedsy blog!

FREE OUTLINING APP

FREE OUTLINING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Use the Boards feature to plan, organize, or research anything.

Learning about craft elements

writing skills resources

There’s a number of craft topics we keep getting questions about because they’re integral to writing a good book, and often complicated to get right. With guidance on topics like writing complex characters and organizing your work’s structure, this is our blog’s educational corner. Time to put your learning hat on! 👩‍🎓

Character Development : A character with a convincing arc is key to a satisfying book. This article will help you develop characters your readers won’t forget.

Dynamic vs Static Characters : A comparison of two important types of characters you’ll have to get to grips with.

The Ultimate Character Profile Template (Free download): Grab a free character profile template to supplement your character development. 

Point of View : A 4-part series on choosing the best point of view for your novel — first, second, third person, or multiple points of view? We also take a look at the differences between third person omniscient and limited POVs.

Mastering Story Structure : An in-depth guide to story structure, plus resources for using some of the most popular structural frameworks in storytelling.

Writing Dialogue : Learn how to write dialogue that doesn’t sound like two planks of wood talking to each other. Check out 150+ Other Words for "Said" To Supercharge Your Writing to download a free supplemental resource.

Diversity Style Guide : If you’re worried about how you’ve represented a particular group in your work and want to ensure you use respectful and sensitive language, this free resource allows you to search up specific terms for use advice compiled by various journalistic bodies.

FREE RESOURCE

The Ultimate Worldbuilding Template

130 questions to help create a world readers want to visit again and again.

Revising your work and leveling up your skills

writing skills resources

Got a first draft together, and wondering where to go next? Typically, writers run their projects through a few rounds of self-editing first, then enlist the help of professional editors and volunteer beta readers.

How to Edit a Book : Download our free editing checklist that can guide you through the tricky minefield of editing a book.

How to Self-Edit Your Own Writing : Our top tips for refining your own prose, trimming off the excess and keeping only what’s of value.

Guide to Professional Editing : A look at how professional editors can help writers improve their books and grow their skills.

Reedsy’s Editors for Hire : If you didn’t already know, you can hire the industry’s most experienced editors right here on Reedsy. 

writing skills resources

Give your book the help it deserves

The best editors, designers, and book marketers are on Reedsy. Sign up for free and meet them.

Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.

An Intro to Beta Readers : For a second opinion on your novel, turn to a writer's best friend: the beta reader.

51 Online Critique Circles to Improve Your Writing : If you’re looking for a source of regular feedback and don’t mind helping others in return, join a writing group. They’re a brilliant source of both insights and camaraderie.

The Ultimate List of Writing Contests : A great way to get your name out there, build up your writing credentials, and pocket some cash, writing contests have helped countless writers rise up from obscurity. Don’t forget Reedsy’s weekly prompts contest, of course!

Best Writing Communities and Best Writing Websites : Take a look at these lists to find tons of support and even more tips on how to succeed as a writer.  

Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a writing playlist

It'll only take a minute!

Publishing your work 

writing skills resources

Once you’ve got a polished manuscript in your hands, it’s time to assess your publishing options. Without complicating matters, you will have two avenues to explore: you can look for a publishing deal, or you can self-publish. If you aren’t sure which option is right for you, check out our 1-minute quiz below, or head to our post comparing the two types of publishing .

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

Takes one minute!

Traditional publishing

 If you’re serious about going down the traditional publishing route, you will need to think about submitting a query to a literary agent — or perhaps directly to publishers.

How to Publish a Book : A full publishing guide of best practices, whether you want to self-publish or publish traditionally.

The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions : Our Reedsy-vetted directory of 600+ literary agents across all genres and categories, with information on how and where to query them.

The Best Book Publishing Companies : A comprehensive directory of the best publishers, vetted by the team at Reedsy. 

How to Write a Query Letter in 7 Steps : A step-by-step guide (including a handy printable checklist) on crafting a killer query letter that will get agents to request your manuscript.

How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book : Some more guidance on how to find the right literary agent for you.

How to Write a Book Proposal : A step-by-step guide (including a comprehensive template) on crafting a killer book proposal that will get agents to notice your nonfiction book.

Self-publishing

If you choose to take charge and self-publish a book, you’ll soon find yourself with a lot of questions. After all, you’re basically going to do the work of the publisher by yourself. But that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone — with Reedsy, you can now work with the best editors, designers, and marketers in the publishing business.

How to Self-Publish a Book : In which we show you how to self-publish an awesome book in seven simple steps.

The Best Self-Publishing Companies All Authors Should Know : Our picks for the best self-publishing companies in the industry today.

Author Scams and Publishing Companies to Avoid : Unfortunately, there are plenty of self-publishing companies out there that just want your money. Learn which ones to avoid and how to spot them with this guide.

The Complete Guide to Amazon Self-Publishing : The King of eBook retailers is a complicated platform, but a great option for self-publishers. We boil it down to the essentials.

How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book? : Using data from the Reedsy network, we unveil the current costs of hiring pros like developmental editors, proofreaders, designers, and formatters.

How Does Reedsy Choose Its Professionals? : We’re a professional marketplace with a difference, in that we accept only 3% of all the applications we receive from professionals. Find out more about our selection process.

Marketing yourself and your book

writing skills resources

Many writers assume that a traditional book deal will mean they have zero marketing duties. The truth is that both indie and traditionally published authors have to invest significant time in promoting their own work, as big publishers spend much of their marketing budget on household names or celebrity authors. Regardless of how you’re publishing, the resources below can help you figure out how to reach people with your book.

How to Build an Author Website : We walk you through seven simple steps for setting up and populating a key marketing tool, your author website.

6 Steps for Building Your Author Mailing List : As Reedsy’s Ricardo Fayet always says, any sale you make when you don’t have a mailing list is a lost opportunity. Find out how to start yours and start building a relationship with your readers.

How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market by Ricardo Fayet (book): For a friendly and comprehensive guide answering all your marketing questions, download Reedsy's free ebook. 

Social Media for Writers — The Complete Guide : Everything you need to know about the major platforms and how to use them.

Facebook Advertising for Authors : A must-read two-part series from best-selling author Mark Dawson, covering a platform that allows you to target very specific segments based on things like location, gender, age, and interests.

BookBub Ads Expert by David Gaughran (book): A book walking you through the intricacies of BookBub’s ad platform, from our friend and marketing expert David Gaughran.

70+ Book Marketing Ideas To Rocket-Boost Your Sales : Whether you’re just getting started or are feeling stuck, there’s definitely something to inspire you in this list of 70 ways to market your book.

Keeping current with the publishing industry

The publishing industry never sits still. From reading trends to new technologies to policy changes by Amazon, it’s beneficial for every author to keep up with what publishers and big players in the self-publishing industry are up to. The resources below can help you do just that. 

The Hot Sheet (paid newsletter): Jane Friedman’s newsletter offers in-depth, journalistic coverage of publishing developments in both traditional and indie publishing communities.

Writer Beware : Blog alerting the indie community to reports of scammy behaviors. It’s sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and has helped countless writers avoid industry pitfalls.

Alliance of Independent Authors : A membership association for self-publishing authors, ALLi champions the rights and interests of indie writers — for example, 2022 saw ALLi successfully campaign against Amazon’s ebook return policy, which was then revised. 

The Creative Penn Podcast : Run by author and entrepreneur Joanna Penn, one of the most trusted voices in publishing, this podcast can help you keep up with industry news as well as technological developments, the latter being a topic Joanna is consistently curious about. 

Catapult’s Don’t Write Alone series : This series of essays published by Catapult aims to bring a sense of solidarity to writers dealing with similar struggles — check it out for essays relating to rejection, motivation, productivity, and craft improvement.

Writer’s Digest : You probably don’t need our recommendation to check out this popular magazine — its many years of website archives are a treasure trove of advice on countless subjects relating to writing and publishing a book.

Nathan Bransford : Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford runs a blog that shares invaluable insights from the literary trenches. His resources on all things literary agent are great for any author new to the ways of traditional publishing.

Self-Publishing Insiders podcast : Draft2Digital’s podcast tackles a wide range of self-publishing topics, from crafting a better book to marketing it successfully. Our favorite episode? The one featuring Reedsy’s Ricardo Fayet , of course.

Smith Publicity’s podcast : This podcast sees guests share tips on book marketing and publicity — topics have ranged from understanding reader niches to becoming an in-demand public speaker, amplifying marginalized voices, and establishing yourself as a thought leader.

Self-Publishing Show Live : One of our favorite conferences relating to indie publishing, SPS Live takes place annually in London. The largest of its kind across the Atlantic, you’ll no doubt meet hundreds of enthusiastic, energetic indie authors at this conference — and us, of course! Come along to meet the Reedsy gang and get inspiration from your fellow authors.

The path to publication can have its tricky moments, but you’re never on it alone. With all of the resources available on the internet, there’s always someone you can turn to for advice. If you fancy hearing from us when we publish new guides and tips from the world of publishing, sign up to our newsletter here .

3 responses

Angela Ackerman says:

29/12/2016 – 19:47

Good to see this all put together--I get a lot of very broad publishing questions that can't be answered simply in an email or DM, so this article is a good go-to for me to pass on. ;) Angela

↪️ Reedsy replied:

30/12/2016 – 09:52

Glad you like it, Angela! That's also why we decided to compile this list of resources. And thanks for pointing authors to our blog! :)

Natasha says:

21/08/2019 – 03:14

Thank you for sharing!

Comments are currently closed.

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Free tools to make your students better writers and readers .

Quill.org, a non-profit, provides free literacy activities that build reading comprehension, writing, and language skills for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Writing Across the Curriculum: Quill's nonprofit mission is to now build both reading and writing skills through free, OER content across the curriculum. Over the coming years, we will be building a library of free ELA, social studies, and science activities that engage students in deeper thinking through writing prompts that provide immediate feedback.

9 million students have written 2 billion sentences on Quill.

Quill Reading for Evidence

Provide your students with nonfiction texts paired with AI-powered writing prompts, instead of multiple-choice questions, to enable deeper thinking.

Students read a nonfiction text and build their comprehension through writing prompts, supporting a series of claims with evidence sourced from the text. Quill challenges students to write responses that are precise, logical, and based on textual evidence, with Quill coaching the student through custom, targeted feedback on each revision so that students strengthen their reading comprehension and hone their writing skills.

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Quill Connect

Help your students advance from fragmented and run-on sentences to complex and well structured ones.

Using the evidence-based strategy of sentence combining, students combine multiple ideas into a single sentence. They then receive instant feedback designed to help them improve their clarity and precision.

Quill Lessons

The Quill Lessons tool enables teachers to lead whole-class and small-group writing instruction.

Teachers control interactive slides that contain writing prompts, and the entire class responds to each prompt. Each Quill Lessons activity provides a lesson plan, writing prompts, discussion topics, and a follow up independent practice activity.

Quill Diagnostic

Quickly determine which skills your students need to work on with our diagnostics.

The diagnostics cover vital sentence construction skills and generate personalized learning plans based on the student’s performance.

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Quill Proofreader

Proofreader teaches your students editing skills by having them proofread passages.

Students edit passages and receive personalized exercises based on their results. With over 100 expository passages, Proofreader gives students the practice they need to spot common grammatical errors.

Quill Grammar

Students practice basic grammar skills, from comma placement to parallel structure.

Quill Grammar has over 150 sentence writing activities to help your students. Our activities are designed to be completed in 10 minutes so you have the freedom to use them in the way that works best for your classroom.

How Quill Works

Set up your classroom, without it.

You can quickly and easily set up your classroom in Quill by inputting student names or providing students with a unique code. If you use Google Classroom or Clever, you can automatically set up your classroom with one click.

Choose activities

Decide if you want your students to proofread passages, combine sentences, or complete a diagnostic. Use our ten minute activities as building blocks during your classroom instruction.

Use easy-to-consume reporting

Use our reporting to spot trends and identify growth opportunities. Monitor comprehension on specific writing standards.

Get immediate feedback for your students

Save time grading and watch your students correct their mistakes instantly.

Intervene where students struggle

See exactly where your students need intervention with our comprehensive reports.

Differentiate learning to meet the needs of all students

Assign specific activities for ELLs and students with learning differences.

Engage students with adaptive activities

Challenge students with questions that automatically adapt based on their previous responses.

Align with the Common Core Standards

Easily meet Common Core language standards with our aligned activities.

Easily sign up with Google Classroom

With one click all of your students and classes will be imported.

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30 Free Resources To Improve Your Writing Abilities

30 Free Resources To Improve Your Writing Abilities

Table of Contents:

  • Basic Writing: Grammar and Punctuation
  • Technical Writing
  • Business Writing
  • Copywriting
  • Content Writing Tools

Key Takeaways

Are you looking to fast-track your freelance content writing career? We’ve put together a catalog of free content writing resources to help you upskill.

With content marketing becoming one of the most important skills for marketers, having a good command of writing could really benefit your career. In addition to the boost to your website traffic, it also amplifies your professional growth. However, writing is intimidating for many people, and they keep wondering how to find resources to improve writing skills . If you are indeed wondering how to improve your content writing skills , you are in the right place.

The good news is that writing is not tortuous, and with a little bit of guidance and free resources available on the internet, you can easily learn how to improve creative writing skills. In today’s world learning different tricks to improve your SEO or creative writing skills isn’t as difficult as you think. To improve content writing skills , you just need practice, the right guidance, and the latest resources.

Are you ready to become a better writer?

Basic Content Writing Resources: Grammar and Punctuation

1. purdue online writing lab.

Purdue OWL puts together free content writing resources and instructional material useful for building a solid foundation for freelance writing. The course also has an extensive guide on avoiding plagiarism, which may be extremely useful for freelance web writers. It has tons of tips to improve content writing skills. You can also practice basic grammar rules using the exercises section. With lots of practice and the right resources, you will excel at your craft in no time. 

writing skills resources

2. HyperGrammar

A free electronic grammar course from the University of Ottawa’s Writing Centre, is great to look up common grammar mistakes that your editor may have pointed out to you. This is an effective content writing resource to improve your content. For example, if you’re unsure what a dangling modifier or dependent clause is, simply look up modifiers or clauses in this eGuide and make sure you know how to avoid the mistakes the next time.

writing skills resources

3. Paradigm Online Writing Assistant

This hub of content writing resources contain articles that can help you write effective web content. It helps to improve sentence structures to create maximum impact and teaches you how to improve the content hierarchy. These resources to improve writing skills would polish your content game and help you structure your writing better. A writing framework is very crucial to improving your content. It is like a mindmap, or a basic crux of your article. If the very backbone of your writing is detailed, it will make for a very detailed article. 

writing skills resources

4. How to Use English Punctuation Correctly

This course on WikiHow breaks down the rules of punctuation in a listicle format with fun examples. Don’t forget to download the punctuation cheat sheet as a handy writing tool. This is one of the best resources to improve writing skills, as you get a detailed overview of the kind of punctuation you have to use with relatable examples. This article is also an excellent example of how an interesting and relatable article looks like. The serious content is interspersed with fun examples to hook the reader. The punctuation cheat sheet is very useful in improving content writing skills, so the reader is likely to come back for more. 

writing skills resources

5. Grammar Girl – Mignon Firty

For short, friendly tips on improving grammar, you can check out Grammar Girl’s podcast and blog. It’s ideal as an intermediary upskill workshop for busy professionals who can listen to the small tips on the go. If you can barely make time to take up an extensive course, but still wants to improve your content writing skills, choose Grammar Girl. Every aspect is chopped up into detailed, explanatory pieces. The content is available in two formats so, the user can choose as per their convenience. 

writing skills resources

Creative Writing Courses to Improve your Storytelling

6. alison – english writing skills.

Every content piece has in its center, story telling. Delivering valuable content to your audience through storytelling is an art that you have to master to improve your content writing skills. If you’re still finding your voice as a creative writer or want to explore new avenues and mediums to showcase your writing talent, this course is ideal for you. It covers the basics of comedy writing, mystery & fiction writing, writing for an audience, and more. 

writing skills resources

7. Hubspot Academy – Content Marketing Course: Get Certified in Content Marketing

Although this isn’t strictly a creative writing course, this resource tells you the importance of writing effective content powered by storytelling principles. It is specially designed for web content writers who wish to write compelling articles consistently. Hubspot has been synonymous with content marketing for quite some time now. This course is an excellent choice for those looking for resources to improve content writing skills. 

writing skills resources

8. Stand Up!; Comedy Writing and Performance Poetry

You could not have a better combination than storytelling interspersed with humor, that delivers valuable content. If done correctly, humor brings relatability and fosters a lot of engagement from the audience. This EdX course is a great headstart for those who wish to bring their creative skills to life on stage. It’s also a good tool for writers who want to incorporate a hint of humor into their stories/blogs and improve content writing skills. 

writing skills resources

9. Creative Writing Specialization – Wesleyan University

One of the best resources to improve writing skills, this beginner-friendly Coursera series provides an in-depth exploration of three main forms of creative writing – short stories, narratives, and memoirs. Since it deals with a variety of forms, it will diversify your writing and teach you to convey the same thoughts in different forms. It is an excellent practice to inculcate, as content is repurposed for different platforms in the content world as well, and the writer needs to have an understanding of the kind of users frequenting that platform. 

writing skills resources

10. Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences

Most websites nowadays, offer a variety of content, ranging from videos to static carousel posts on Instagram. The University of New South Wales put together a comprehensive guide for cohesive story experience across multiple delivery platforms. Whether you’re looking into multimedia content for entertainment, advertising, and marketing, or social change, this course covers it all. 

writing skills resources

Technical Writing Courses to Improve Writing Skills

11. technical writing course – google.

Specifically designed for developers, this Google course helps you learn how to plan and author technical documentation. The pre-class material covers everything from grammar and tense to structural guidelines and editing. 

writing skills resources

12. ClickHelp technical writing blog

If you are looking to improve your writing skills in the domain of technical writing, look no further than Click Help’s technical writing blog. It has tips and tricks to master tech, chemistry, consumer electronics, and a variety of other topics. Follow this blog for comprehensive information on web-writing for tech-heavy topics. Some interesting topics covered include how to write SOPs as well as managing backlogs.

writing skills resources

13. Writing READMEs – Udacity

READMEs are unmissable documents that you need to upload with every Git post. Learning how to be clever with READMEs can help you bring clarity to the reader and upsell other works by you. This is also a good resource for designers who give away free design tools and scripts.

writing skills resources

14. Technical Writing Strategies – Lumen Learning

From a comprehensive introduction to technical writing to the resources and exercises on white paper content and case studies, this technical writing resource hub is sure to become the bible for your journey to improve technical writing skills. It covers every aspect of technical writing in a detailed manner. 

writing skills resources

15. How to Become a Technical Writer – A beginner’s guide

If you are new to the freelance opportunities available with technical writing, this course will help you realize its potential as a secondary income. If you are a product manager, developer, or software writer, take this course and expand your career opportunities outside of the 9-5 schedule.

Business Writing Courses to Improve Content

16. business writing course – hubspot.

writing skills resources

Business writing is an essential skill set for any professional , especially for those in the sales and marketing eco-sphere. From long-form content to copies, business writing is different in the sense that it has to appeal to a mass of your target audience, while personalizing it for everyone. Understand the process of business writing with this HubSpot course. 

17. Business Writing Techniques

This EdX course discusses the best practices of business writing with real-world examples and applications. It helps you understand the 6C technique to create better copy for business. The real-world examples would improve your writing skills significantly, as dry topics like finance could be made interesting with stories. People would be more inclined to listen to you. 

writing skills resources

18. High-Impact Business Writing – Coursera

From emails and presentations to comprehensive business reports and press releases, this course is the go-to guide for content marketers who work very closely with the C-Suites. It’s also an excellent guide for freelancers, solopreneurs, and influencers who wish to improve the outlook of their product/service offerings.

writing skills resources

19. Business Writing – Coursera

For non-native English speakers, business writing becomes all the more crucial in this global marketplace. Whether you are a web designer who wants to pursue a freelance career or simply understand how to write email templates for a global audience, this course has the answers.

writing skills resources

20. Email writing – how to write effective email

As email marketing becomes more prevalent in every industry, many companies seek to outsource email campaigns to freelancers. This course is right for you if you specifically want to understand the dos and don’ts of email copy. An email copy is quite challenging as the author has only a few words to draw the reader in. This course would improve your writing skills, for it delves deep into the art of writing compelling emails. 

writing skills resources

Copywriting Resources 

21. copywriting 101 – copyblogger.

This free ebook from Copyblogger covers everything you need to know about copywriting for the web. It is an excellent resource to improve writing skills. Whether you’re a novice or specialist, skim through this guide to solidify your fundamentals. Copywriting demands ingenuity and the willingness to experiment. You would not know that your copy is bad, unless you put it out. Do not be afraid to experiment and use criticism to modify your work. 

22. 155 Years of Copywriting Insights Taught In 1.5 Hour Course!

writing skills resources

If you’re looking for a point-blank and concise course that condenses all the copywriting basics into a quick summary, this course is a great start. It is a fantastic resource for beginners to improve writing skills. In order to connect with the audience through your copy, you must have an understanding of the kind of content that hooks them. In order to do this, you must identify your target audience. It will help you to create better copies. 

23. Copywriting Foundations: Sell Using Your Words In 2020

To write copies that resonate with your audience, you need to understand their favorite kind of content. This course covers the foundations and some intermediate to advanced topics to help you understand how user-generated content works today. If you have been experimenting for a while and would like to level up your writing skills, consider choosing this course. 

writing skills resources

24. Copywriting: Improve User Experience One Word at a Time (Repeat)

Your website is the face of your business. It must draw in readers as well as give them an idea of who you are and what you sell. Therefore, you have to master the skill of talking to your users. Consider learning UX writing. Especially useful for SaaS content creators, this course from OpenSAP is extremely useful, as it straddles the line between copywriting and UX writing. 

writing skills resources

25. Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content

Marketing goes in line with sociology and psychology. You have to churn out copies that appeal to a mass chunk of your target audience, while making them feel special and relevant to receive that copy. Most companies send email blasts that do not convert customers as it does not hook them. Emailers require excellent copy skills, as you have a few seconds to create an impact on your audience . Although not technically a copywriting course, Jonah Berger from Wharton School unravels the sociology of the internet – an insightful course for those looking to advance copywriting skills.

writing skills resources

Content Writing Tools to Improve Content Writing Skills

26. coschedule.

Headlines are a make or break element of your content. It has to be relevant enough for SEO and must also draw in your readers. If you are looking to improve your content writing skills, try to use CoSchedule. It has many in-built features that improve your writing. This headline analyzer can tell you how effective your title is for driving traffic, shares, and search results.

writing skills resources

27. HemingwayApp

Imagine that you have written an excellent article but your first sentence has a grammar error. Won’t it be a bummer? Use tools like HemingwayApp and Grammarly to improve your content writing skills. Simplicity and Relevance goes a long way. Check the correctness and readability of your blogs or articles with the HemingwayApp.

writing skills resources

28. Wordcounter.net

When we are writing, it is common to use repetitive phrases, or the enemy of every writer, that is the word ‘very.’ This is why you should read your articles and proofread them before posting. You can skip that hard work and improve your writing skills with Wordcounter.net. Use wordcounter.net to determine how often you repeat words or phrases. This vastly helps you improve the standard of writing as you can quickly replace frequently repeated words. It’s beneficial when you’re writing product and category descriptions.

writing skills resources

29. Grammarly

Grammarly is every writer’s best friend. The free version also helps the users to identify punctuation errors and suggests relevant words. The premium version offers better suggestions to improve writing skills. Grammarly automatically corrects misspelled words as well as common errors like the affect vs. effect.

writing skills resources

30. Portent Idea Generator

Ran out of ideas for your blog? Simply type a topic into Portent’s Idea generator and get started with your next article or blog. It is an excellent tool to refurbish your ideas and generate compelling content. 

writing skills resources

  • You need the right guidance, latest resources, and lots of practice to improve content writing skills. 
  • Purdue Online Writing Lab, HyperGrammar, Paradigm Online Writing Assistant, and Grammar Girl are some resources to improve writing skills. 
  • HubSpot, Wesleyan University, and the University of South Wales offer detailed courses on storytelling that are crucial to improve content writing skills. The University of South Wales also includes other multimedia and advertising modules. 
  • Google’s Technical Writing Course, Clickhelp’s technical writing resource, Lumen Learning, and Udacity’s Course are some of the best resources to improve writing skills and learn technical writing. 
  • HubSpot and Coursera have some of the best business content writing resources to improve writing skills. 
  • Coursera, CopyBlogger, Open Sap, Udemy, and many more have some of the best copywriting tips to improve your writing. 
  • Use HemingwayApp, Wordcounter.net, Grammarly, Portent Idea Generator, and CoSchedule to boost your writing. These are excellent content writing tools to improve content writing skills. 
  • Your understanding of the subject matter and desire to learn is more important than any content writing resources. 

Become a writer today!

There is no denying the fact that anyone can start as a freelance writer with no prior experience. However, to grow as a professional writer, you should focus on choosing the right approach instead of just thinking about how to improve your writing. You can start working on your writing skills by using free online content writing tools.

Don’t forget to share your best writing tip and the most useful resource to help other writers learn how to improve writing skills.

If you feel overwhelmed with a lot of writing work and cannot focus on the quality of the content, you can use free tools for content writing. These tools help you improve your grammar, punctuation, title, and readability. Some popular tools are Grammarly, CopyScape, and CoSchedule.

To improve your writing skills, you can join different courses. In addition to this, you can also try freewriting, read other writing, make a guide, edit other’s work and build on a random sentence. This will help you practice more and not just improve your writing but also increase your vocabulary and improve sentence structure.

There are so many tools, and each tool has its features making it better than the other. So the best technique is to use different content writing tools. Some of the major ones are: 1. Grammarly 2. Copyscape 3. Thesaurus 4. Surfer

Yes, you can definitely use apps to improve your writing skills. From guiding you to improve your sentence structure making your content free from any grammatical errors, the apps can help you in every sense. There is a whole arsenal of apps at your disposal to improve writing skills; many of them are free too. Just keep in mind, there is no “one-size-fits-all’ writing app. You just need to understand your requirements and choose the right app and see how to get better at writing by using them.

Yes, free tools for content writing and SEO are effective for beginners. You can easily improve your writing skills and boost website traffic using these tools. Just ensure that you choose the right tools based on your writing style and project. If you further want to sharpen your writing skills and use advanced features, you can also opt for the paid subscriptions of the tools for content writing and SEO . Some major free content writing tools for SEO are Google Keyword Planner, WooRank, Plagiarism Checker, and SEMrush. 

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The Write Practice

100 Writing Practice Lessons & Exercises

by Joe Bunting | 50 comments

Want to become a better writer? Perhaps you want to write novels, or maybe you just want to get better grades in your essay writing assignments , or maybe you'd like to start a popular blog .

If you want to write better, you need practice. But what does a writing practice actually look like? In this post, I'm going to give you everything you need to kick off your writing practice and become a better writer faster.

100 Top Writing Practice Lessons and Exercises

What Is Writing Practice?

Writing practice is a method of becoming a better writer that usually involves reading lessons about the writing process, using writing prompts, doing creative writing exercises , or finishing writing pieces, like essays, short stories , novels , or books . The best writing practice is deliberate, timed, and involves feedback.

How Do You Practice Writing?

This was the question I had when I first started The Write Practice in 2011. I knew how to practice a sport and how to practice playing an instrument. But for some reason, even after studying it in college, I wasn't sure how to practice writing.

I set out to create the best writing practice I could. The Write Practice is the result.

I found that the best writing practice has three aspects:

Deliberate . Writing whatever you feel like may be cathartic, but it's not an effective way to become a better writer or build your writing skills. You'll get better faster by practicing a specific technique or aspect of the writing process each time you sit down to write.

This is why we have a new lesson about the writing process each day on The Write Practice, followed by a practice prompt at the end so you can put what you learned to use immediately.

Timed . It's no secret writers struggle with focus. There are just too many interesting distractions—Facebook, email, Kim Kardashian's Instagram feed (just kidding about that last one, sort of)—and writing is just too hard sometimes.

Setting a timer, even for just fifteen minutes, is an easy and effective way to stay focused on what's important.

This is why in our writing practice prompt at the end of each post we have a time limit, usually with a link to an online tool egg timer , so you can focus on deliberate practice without getting distracted.

Feedback . Getting feedback is one of the requirements to deliberately practice writing or any other craft. Feedback can look like listening to the reactions of your readers or asking for constructive criticism from editors and other writers.

This is why we ask you to post your writing practice after each lesson, so that you can get feedback from other writers in The Write Practice community. It's also why we set up The Write Practice Pro community , to provide critique groups for writers to get feedback on each finished piece of writing.

How to practice writing

Our 100+ Best Creative Writing Practice Exercises and Lessons

Now that you know how we practice writing at The Write Practice, here are our best writing practice lessons to jumpstart your writing skills with some daily writing exercises, for beginner writers to even the most expert writers:

All-Time, Top 10 Writing Lessons and Exercises

These ten posts are our most viewed articles to boost your writing practice:

1. What is Plot? The 6 Elements of Plot and How to Use Them . Great stories use similar elements in wildly different ways to build page-turning stories. Click here to read what they are and learn how to start using them !

2. Top 100 Short Story Ideas . Here are over a hundred writing prompts in a variety of genres. If you need ideas for your next story, check this out!

3. How To Use Neither, Nor, Or, and Nor Correctly . Even good writers struggle figuring out when to use neither/nor and either/or. In this post, our copy-queen Liz Bureman settles the confusion once and for all. Click to continue to the writing exercise

4. Ten Secrets To Write Better Stories . How does Pixar manage to create such great stories, year after year? And how do you write a good story? In this post, I distill everything I've learned about how to write a good story into ten tips. Click to continue to the writing exercise

5. 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust . To get to know my characters better, I use a list of questions known as the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by French author, Marcel Proust. Click to continue to the writing exercise

6. How a Scene List Can Change Your Novel-Writing Life . Creating a scene list changed my novel-writing life, and doing the same will change yours too. Includes examples of the scene lists from famous authors. Click to continue to the writing exercise

7. Why You Need to be Using the Oxford Comma . Most people I've met have no idea what the Oxford comma is, but it's probably something that you have used frequently in your writing. Click to continue to the writing exercise

8. Six Surprising Ways to Write Better Interview Questions.  The interview is the most-used tool in a journalist's bag. But that doesn't mean novelists, bloggers, and even students can't and don't interview people. Here's how to conduct a great interview. Click to continue to the writing exercise

9. Why You Should Try Writing in Second Person . You've probably used first person and third person point-of-view already. But what about second person? This post explains three reasons why you should try writing from this point-of-view. Click to continue to the writing exercise

10. The Secret to Show, Don't Tell . You've heard the classic writing rule, “Show. Don't Tell.” Every writing blog ever has talked about it, and for good reason. Showing, for some reason, is really difficult. Click to continue to the writing exercise.

Book Idea Worksheet

12 Exercises and Lessons To Become a Better Writer

How do you become a better writer? These posts share our best advice:

  • Want to Be a Better Writer? Cut These 7 Words
  • What I Mean When I Say I Am A Writer
  • How to Become a Writer: 3 Simple Steps
  • 72% of Writers Struggle With THIS
  • 7 Lies About Becoming a Writer That You Probably Believe
  • 10 Questions to Find Your Unique Writing Voice
  • The Best Writing Book I’ve Ever Read
  • The Best Way to Become a Better Writer
  • The Creative Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Tools You Can’t Write Without
  • Should You Write More or Write Better: Quantity vs Quality
  • How to Become a Better Writer in One, Simple Step
  • 11 Writing Tips That Will Change Your Life

6 Lessons and Exercises from Great Writers

If you want to be a writer, learn from the great writers who have gone before you:

  • 23 Essential Quotes from Ernest Hemingway About Writing
  • 29 Quotes that Explain How to Become a Better Writer
  • 10 Lessons Dr. Seuss Can Teach Writers
  • 10 Writing Tips from Ursula Le Guin
  • Once Upon a Time: Pixar Prompt
  • All the Pretty Words: Writing In the Style of Cormac McCarthy

12 Genre and Format Specific Writing Lessons and Exercises

Here are our best writing lessons for specific types of writing, including essays, screenplays, memoir, short stories, children's books, and humor writing:

  • Writing an Essay? Here Are 10 Effective Tips
  • How To Write a Screenplay: The 5 Step Process
  • How to Write a Great Memoir: a Complete Guide
  • How to Write a Short Story from Start to Finish
  • How to Write a Thriller Novel
  • How to Write a Children's Book
  • How to Write a Love Story
  • How to Write a Coming of Age Story or Book
  • How to Write an Adventure Book
  • 5 Key Elements for Successful Short Stories
  • 4 Tips to Write a Novel That Will Be Adapted Into a Movie
  • Humor Writing for People Who Aren’t Funny

14 Characterization Lessons and Exercises

Good characters are the foundation of good fiction. Here are our best lessons to create better characters:

  • Character Development: How to Create Characters Audiences Will Love
  • Writing Villains: 9 Evil Examples of the Villain Archetype
  • How NOT to Introduce a New Character
  • The Strongest Form of Characterization
  • The Most Important Character Archetype
  • How Do You Build A Strong Character In Your Writing?
  • 75+ Antihero Examples and How to Use Them
  • How to Explore Your Characters’ Motivations
  • 8 Tips for Naming Characters
  • The Protagonist: How to Center Your Story
  • Heroes vs. Anti-Heroes: Which Is Right For Your Story?
  • The Weakest Form of Characterization
  • How to Write With an Accent
  • How To Create a Character Sketch Using Scrivener

15 Grammar Lessons and Exercises

I talk to so many writers, some of whom are published authors, who struggle with grammar. Here are our best writing lessons on grammar:

  • Is It Okay To End A Sentence With A Preposition?
  • Contractions List: When To Use and When To Avoid
  • Good vs. Well
  • Connotation vs. Denotation
  • Per Se vs. Per Say
  • When You SHOULD Use Passive Voice
  • When Do You Use “Quotation Marks”
  • Polysyndeton and Asyndeton: Definition and Examples
  • The Case Against Twilight
  • Affect Versus Effect
  • Stop Saying “Literally”
  • What Is a Comma Splice? And Why Do Editors Hate Them?
  • Intra vs. Inter: Why No One Plays Intermural Sports
  • Alright and Alot: Words That Are Not Words
  • The Poor, Misunderstood Semicolon

4 Journalism Lessons and Exercises

Want to be a journalist? Or even use techniques from journalism to improve your novel, essay, or screenplay? Here are our best writing lessons on journalism:

  • Six Ways to Ask Better Questions In Interviews
  • How Should You Interview Someone? Over Email? In Person?
  • What If They Don’t Want to Talk to You?
  • Eleven Habits of a Highly Effective Interviewers

16 Plot and Structure Lessons and Exercises

Want to write a good story? Our top plot and structure lessons will help:

  • The Ten Types of Story and How to Master Them
  • Points of a Story: 6 Plot Points Every Story Needs
  • How to Shape a Story: The 6 Arcs
  • 7 Keys To Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel
  • The Secret to Creating Conflict
  • 4 Tips to Avoid Having Your Short Story Rejected by a Literary Magazine
  • 7 Steps to Creating Suspense
  • 5 Elements of Storytelling
  • 3 Important Rules for Writing Endings
  • A Writer’s Cheatsheet to Plot and Structure
  • Overcoming the Monster
  • How to Satisfy Your Reader With a Great Ending
  • Pow! Boom! Ka-Pow! 5 Tips to Write Fight Scenes
  • The Dramatic Question and Suspense in Fiction
  • How to Write a Memorable Beginning and Ending
  • How to Write the Perfect First Page

6 Lessons and Exercises to Beat Writer's Block

Writer's block is real, and it can completely derail your writing. Here are six lessons to get writing again:

  • How To Write Whether You Feel Like it Or Not
  • This Fun Creative Writing Exercise Will Change Your Life
  • When You Should Be Writing But Can't…
  • What to do When Your Word Count is Too Low
  • 7 Tricks to Write More with Less Willpower
  • When You Don’t Know What to Write, Write About Your Insecurities

7 Literary Technique Lessons and Exercises

These writing and storytelling techniques will teach you a few tricks of the trade you may not have discovered before:

  • 3 Tips to “Show, Don’t Tell” Emotions and Moods
  • 3 Reasons to Write Stream of Consciousness Narrative
  • 16 Observations About Real Dialogue
  • Intertextuality As A Literary Device
  • Why You Should Use Symbolism In Your Writing
  • 6 Ways to Evoke Emotion in Poetry and Prose
  • 3 Tips To Write Modern Allegorical Novels
  • Symbol vs. Motif: What’s the Difference

3 Inspirational Writing Lessons and Exercises

Need some inspiration? Here are three of our most inspiring posts:

  • Why We Write: Four Reasons
  • You Must Remember Every Scar
  • 17 Reasons to Write Something NOW

3 Publishing Blogging Lessons and Exercises

If you want to get published, these three lessons will help:

  • The Secret to Writing On Your Blog Every Day
  • How to Publish Your Book and Sell Your First 1,000 Copies
  • How to Get Published in Literary Magazines

11 Writing Prompts

Need inspiration or just a kick in the pants to write. Try one of our top writing prompts :

  • Grandfathers [writing prompt]
  • Out of Place [writing prompt]
  • Sleepless [writing prompt]
  • Longing [writing prompt]
  • Write About Yourself [writing prompt]
  • 3 Reasons You Should Write Ghost Stories
  • Road Trip [writing prompt]
  • Morning [writing prompt]
  • The Beach [writing prompt]
  • Fall [writing prompt]
  • How to Use Six-Word Stories As Writing Prompts

Is It Time To Begin Your Writing Practice?

It's clear that if you want to become a writer, you need to practice writing. We've created a proven process to practice your writing at The Write Practice, but even if you don't join our community, I hope you'll start practicing in some way today.

Personally, I waited  far  too long to start practicing and it set my writing back years.

How about you? Do you think practicing writing is important?  Let me know in the comments section .

Choose one of the writing practice posts above. Then, read the lesson and participate in the writing exercise, posting your work in the Pro Practice Workshop . And if you post, please give feedback to your fellow writers who also posted their practices.

Have fun and happy practicing!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

How to Write a Memoir: How to Start (and Actually Finish) Your First Draft

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11 English Writing Websites That’ll Have You Writing Like a Professional

Being able to write well in English is an incredible skill.

This is true for both English language learners and even for native speakers!

It goes without saying that writing in English is a key ability for the future .

That’s why we’re going to look at some of the top online resources to perfect the skill of writing in English .

Types of English Writing Websites

11 wonderful websites to power up your english writing skills, hemingway app, quick and dirty tips from grammar girl, write & improve with cambridge, project gutenberg, british council, how to use writing websites effectively, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Choosing the right resources is the most important step. But to do this, you need to consider what exactly you need help with! Is it some basic grammar and spelling? Or more of an in-depth course and introduction to English writing in general?

Let’s take a look at some of the key categories that you need to consider.

  • Spelling and Grammar Checkers:  Spelling and grammar checkers are a great way to make sure that your writing is clear, grammatically correct and accurate. These websites would be best suited to an advanced writer who writes large amounts or writes frequently. The reason they aren’t recommended for a beginning learner is that it’s important to develop the skill of checking and editing your own writing first.
  • Lessons and classes:  If you’re a new learner or are looking to focus on a particular area of writing, then taking an English writing class might be a good option. They’re a great way to get a general introduction to English writing. You can also go deeper on a particular topic.
  • Writing advice: Blogs and websites are fantastic sources of information regarding English writing. You can find helpful tips, advice from writers and general information regarding spelling and grammar. Websites like YouTube are also useful resources to find specific information.
  • Creative Writing and Prompts:  Sites that provide tips on creative writing and prompts can be a great source of inspiration. Creative writing is an excellent way to practice new vocabulary and different writing styles. It can also be more fun than academic writing!
  • Journaling and Habit-forming: There are many services that focus on helping you reach a writing goal of a particular number of words or a streak of days. Sometimes simply sitting down and doing the writing itself can be a difficult challenge! Journaling and freewriting websites can help maintain your motivation. They can also keep you on track and show you important information regarding your work rate.

In this post, we’ll be looking at the top websites from all these categories. This is to give you a nice selection and variety of websites to choose from. If you want to start writing English like a professional, then you should consider some of these options!

Grammarly-logo

Grammarly is a free website and app that fixes your writing. You have the option of typing directly into the platform or copying large blocks of text (such as an essay) for correction. There’s also an extension that works with a number of platforms such as Google Docs, MS Office, Gmail and many other online writing websites.

Grammarly is like having a personal editor read your English writing. The corrections are always offered as suggestions, instead of auto-corrections, so you’ll have a chance to review your mistakes before changing them.

However, because the app is aimed toward English natives I’d recommend Grammarly to an intermediate to advanced level writer. This is because the app looks to correct errors that native writers would make and isn’t designed specifically with English learners in mind.

For example, a native speaker will be using Grammarly to check for common errors such as a lack of apostrophes in contractions or using too much passive voice. It might offer suggestions if you’re using one word too often and it can even make a database check for plagiarism.

If you’re a beginner ESL writer, you may find this feedback helpful. However, feedback on word choice, formality, structure and staying on the topic question or essay question may be more beneficial. For this, you may need a writing instructor or English teacher to give in-person feedback in these earlier stages.

So how should you use Grammarly? To use Grammarly efficiently as an English learner you should consider it a final step in your writing process. Copy your text into the platform to do a final edit. But, always attempt to edit your own writing first as we discussed earlier in this post.

As an added bonus, the website has a very useful and frequently updated blog that covers various topics related to writing and grammar, as well as work and careers.

Hemingway-App-logo

Ernest Hemingway was an American author known for his simple and direct writing style. He wrote with limited adverbs and in short sentences.

This is a great style to practice especially for business English and professional English purposes because it’s important to be able to explain complex ideas in a basic manner.

That’s the central idea behind the Hemingway editor.

The Hemingway App website works in a similar way to the previously mentioned Grammarly app: It offers suggestions to help improve your writing.

That being said, there are some key differences.

The Hemingway App is best used for overall “stylistic” purposes. It helps your writing feel less complex and cluttered. It’s also important to note that it doesn’t correct spelling.

To use the website, copy your text and paste it into the editor. The editor will then provide you with a score and suggestions on how to improve the clarity of the writing, active/passive voice , how hard or easy your writing is to read and more. Everything is color-coded so you can easily see what needs to be updated.

You can make edits to your text right on the website and watch your readability score increase as you do! The more you use this website, the more aware you’ll become of the clarity and simplicity of your writing as you write.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the only way to write—you may prefer to write with more flowing, flowery language, and that’s absolutely something you can do! The Hemingway App is a good option for you, though, if your writing is difficult for others to understand, more lengthy than you’d like or if you just want to write in a simpler style.

The app is free however you can choose for a paid service that offers additional features.

Wordtune-logo

Even native speakers will re-read their own writing several times to not only check for grammar mistakes but also to gain an understanding of how it will be read by others.

If you’re interested in discovering additional ways to express what you wish to write, then Wordtune is a good place to start.

On Wordtune, there are multiple editing options to suit different needs. For example, you could have your piece of writing rewritten, check its grammar, change its formality as well as make it more concise or longer.

You can even use Wordtune to find synonyms, which will not only allow you to improve your writing but also help you expand your English vocabulary .

To analyze your writing on Wordtune, simply copy and paste your text into the editor. I’d recommend starting off with shorter texts or sentences so you can focus on the variety of suggestions that this website will provide you with. You’ll be able to compare different options and see a deeper analysis of your writing.

ginger-logo

Like Wordtune, Ginger also offers grammar checks and can rephrase your writing, providing you with various options to choose from.

Want to add variety to your writing or simply grow your vocabulary? As well as rephrasing and correcting sentences , on Ginger, you can simply click on a word to find more synonyms . This is a great way to learn new words and see how they can be used in your own writing.

One of my favorite features that I’d recommend to all English learners and even native speakers who want to improve their writing is Ginger’s “Writing Center,” where you’ll find a ton of informative guides about different types of writing, from resumes and cover letters to business vocabulary and letters .

Quick-and-Dirty-Tips-from-Grammar-Girl-logo

Mignon Fogarty, also known as the Grammar Girl, is the founder of the blog and website “Quick and Dirty Tips.” She’s an award-winning writer and podcast host, and has a number of other accolades.

And there’s a good reason for that: Her webpage is a goldmine (full of useful information) of grammar advice and writing tips for native and non-native speakers alike!

You can find articles that cover basic grammar rules all the way up to more specific issues such as when to use specific words, like in the case of historic vs historical .

There are two ways that you can make the most of this resource as an English learner. The first is to search for a specific answer to a question that you have in mind. Grammar Girl has the answers to many of the most common grammar questions. If you have a question about how to use a word or how to apply a grammar rule, there’s a good chance it’s been covered on the website.

The second (which is my favorite) is to simply scroll through the website, diving deep into all the interesting and funny articles. You’ll learn the interesting history of some words, incredible tips and of course plenty of writing-related advice.

It’s a great way to learn while having fun!

Udemy-logo

Udemy is an online education platform. It offers courses in pretty much anything! That means that there’s a full range of English writing courses for you to choose from, ranging in price, level of difficulty and area of specialty.

This is the perfect resource for a person who’s new to writing in English or for a learner who wants to focus on a particular type of writing, like creative or business writing. Basically, you’ll be able to find something valuable to your writing goals at any level!

Among the courses covered are specific courses such as one on formal email writing .

To make the most of this resource, it’s very important that you carefully select the right course for your goals. This means reading the reviews, watching the course preview and reading any feedback or notes left by people who have previously taken the course.

Make sure you keep up to date with the classes and prepare materials on a schedule! Since these are mostly courses that allow you to go at your own pace, you’ll have to keep yourself on track.

Coursera-logo

Coursera is another online education platform that’s similar to Udemy and offers courses on specific topics. This means you’ll be able to find many courses offered on different styles of writing in English.

Plus, there’s an extra benefit to using Coursera: The courses come from authorized universities and institutions. As a result, many of the courses are more academic and similar to something you’d find in an actual college course. By taking one of these courses, you’ll be getting expert advice for much cheaper than the cost of a university class, or even for free!

Coursera suits learners looking to achieve a professional level of writing . In fact, if you scroll through the offerings, you’ll notice that many (but not all) of the courses on English are business or professionally focused .

If you’re learning English for business, you might find it useful to take this course on “Better Business Writing in English” from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Or, if you’re just trying to improve your overall writing skills, this course on grammar and punctuation from the University of California, Irvine can help you out.

You also have the option of paying to receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. This makes Coursera an excellent option if you’d like to put your English studies on your resume!

Cambridge English is considered the “gold star” of English learning and teaching. In fact, the Cambridge Exams are known around the world and are very sought after by English learners. Over five million Cambridge English exams are taken every year!

Because of this, the resources that they produce are highly professional and educational, like their great service called “Write and Improve.”

Once you set up your profile and current writing level, you’ll be taken to your dashboard. Here, you can start writing either in a “free writing style” or with a given topic. Once you’ve completed your writing, it’s assessed and leveled based on your spelling, grammar and vocabulary. It’s then checked against the Common European Framework Reference for Languages (CEFR) .

“Write & Improve” is a great resource to give you an idea of what level your current writing skills are, as well as to discover some areas for improvement. This is also a very useful resource for anyone planning to take an accredited English exam, especially if you’ll be taking a Cambridge exam.

As an added benefit, you can set goals with this resource and take comfort in knowing that the feedback is based on the Cambridge system, including having your spelling checked against the Cambridge Dictionary .

Project-Gutenburg-logo

Project Gutenberg is an open-source (legally allowed to be shared for free) library with over 70,000 titles! Generally, the titles you’ll find here are a bit old, as many of the books are no longer protected by copyright.

You may be wondering how exactly an online library can help perfect your writing skills. Well, by allowing you to read great books for free, of course!

But you can’t just read—to really learn from this resource, you need to read actively and closely. Take your time and read passages slowly. Write notes in a journal so you can get a better feel for the language. Take note of new phrases and words, unfamiliar grammar structures and anything else that stands out to you.

Start by scrolling through the top 100 . Most of these books are still very relevant today in English culture!  Project Gutenberg is an excellent introduction to the long history of English writing and culture.

It’s important to note that many of these books may use older or more traditional types of English, so be sure to check words and grammar rules for their modern usage.

British-Council-logo

The British Council is another organization that focuses on the English language and culture. Like Cambridge English, the British Council offers services related to English learning and exam preparation.

Their writing section is a great mix of English writing resources and activities. These would suit any type of learner since they’re clearly arranged by difficulty and are designed for self-study. This means you can set your own schedule and focus on areas of interest that are relevant to you.

To begin, choose your appropriate level. To really make the most of the resource, you should be completing all the activities as well as interacting in the comments section. You may find some tips and feedback you wouldn’t otherwise get!

If you like the free content, there’s an option to continue with a paid course. This is a good choice for anyone who wants to prepare for an exam or get a more structured learning experience.

750-Words-logo

“I don’t want to write today.”

“I don’t know what to write about!”

“It’s too late, I’ll write tomorrow.”

Do you ever find yourself making excuses like these? I know I do! It isn’t always easy to get yourself to sit down and write.

This is where the psychology of forming a habit is so important.

So far we’ve looked at resources that help our skills or give us pointers for our English writing capabilities.

But what about the act of writing, itself? Forget complex grammar and spelling issues. Sometimes, sitting down and practicing writing is the hardest part of all!

750 Words tracks your writing and encourages you to write every day. The goal of the website is to get you to write 750 words—about three pages worth of writing—per day.

In addition to being a minimal and beautifully designed writing program, 750 Words provides feedback on the time you’ve spent writing, the number of words you wrote and the language you used. It also gives you a report on your writing output (how much you achieve).

There’s a big focus on habit building on the platform, which is an often forgotten but very important step! It can take anywhere from 18-254 days to form a habit, and 750 Words provides the motivation to write every day.

This is a “free-writing” or journaling website, which means you should be writing without any goal or task in mind. If you find yourself struggling to think of something to write about, Journal Buddies has a great list of 49 writing prompts for English learners.

750 Words doesn’t check your spelling or grammar, so you can use it with some of the other resources in this list, like Grammarly.

To make the most of these writing resources, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you should be consistent with your writing—that is, do it regularly. This means that you should be writing every day . You can also plan out your schedule to include writing as part of your daily tasks.

You should also consider joining a community or writing club. This can either be online or an in-person writing club.

Writing clubs are an excellent way to motivate yourself as well as introduce yourself to new ideas. Best of all, they’re the perfect support for writing resources. They offer the opportunity to expand and grow your skills in a helpful environment. You can ask questions, request feedback or even seek advice about particular websites that other writers use.

You should also be using resources that actually help you to develop your English writing skills. This is a very important step. You need to think of online writing websites as a way to improve your writing quality and your skill. But it should always start with you! For example, if you’re at a beginner level, then a resource that automatically corrects your spelling isn’t going to help you learn much, since you need to learn how to fix errors on your own before using an app.

On that note, learn how to edit your own writing. Editing—or looking at your writing for mistakes and correcting errors—is a critical step in the writing process. After you complete your work, take a step back. This means you need to leave your work for a day or two before reading it over. Then, you can look for mistakes with a fresh look. Read your writing, keeping an eye out for errors like incorrect spelling, punctuation mistakes or poor grammar.

If you’re a more advanced writer, you can also consider changes to the voice such as active and passive sentences and the structure. Learning how to edit your writing is one of the best steps you can take toward improving your writing proficiency.

On top of writing websites, expanding your English vocabulary and immersing yourself in a lot of good writing will help a lot. If your English is more advanced, books are a great choice, along with popular publications like Forbes , Vanity Fair , and National Geographic . 

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Being able to write in English is a gateway to many incredible things, whether you’re working toward a personal goal to be more creative or a global skill for business! With these 11 incredible English writing websites, you’ll soon be able to develop this skill and write in English without fear!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

learn-english-with-videos

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Articulate ideas and knowledge effectively in writing for specific audiences and purposes. Develop strategies for dealing with "writer's block."

Jump to section:   Understanding Writing | Cultivating Writing Skills | Quick Guide to Being a Stronger Writer |  Taking Action | Resources | References

Understanding Writing 

Writing is a method of imparting knowledge (e.g., research, journalism), communicating thoughts and emotions (e.g., reflective writing), telling a story (e.g., creative writing), or working out your thoughts to reach a conclusion (e.g., critical writing). 

Why does it matter? While a written text (e.g., article, thesis) is used to communicate the results of critical thinking, writing is a learning tool that, in itself, fosters critical thinking. [ 1 ][ 2 ] When you write, you dissect and organize information, articulate ideas, and integrate prior knowledge with new concepts. [ 3 ] Like most communication skills, Writing is a fundamental skill required for your success as a graduate student and your long term professional development.  Employers identified Writing as one of the most frequently needed skills. [ 4 ] In a survey, major American business leaders employing nearly eight million people considered Writing a “threshold skill” for both the recruitment and the promotion of their employees, two-thirds of whom have writing responsibilities. [ 5 ] From an economic standpoint, large corporations are spending as much as three billion dollars annually on employees’ professional training programs to remedy the deficiencies in reading and writing skills (e.g., business and technical writing). [ 6 ]    Additionally, Writing improves verbal communication skills. For instance, writing the main points of your upcoming presentation allows you to organize information in a logical sequence and to articulate your ideas and arguments with clarity to ultimately respect the allocated presentation time.  Reflective writing allows you to deconstruct and visualize your ideas in order to synthesize information and reach informed conclusions and decisions. For instance, writing your goals and the steps needed for their completion creates a sense of commitment and a medium through which you can analyze and find solutions to potential barriers. [ 7 ] Additionally, writing your thoughts and feelings (expressive writing) has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety. [ 8 ]  

Cultivating Writing Skills 

Think of Writing as a craft; the more you practice, the better you get at it. Regardless of your writing proficiency, aim to write regularly to develop more confidence and improve the quality of your work. [ 9 ] You do not need to publish a book to practice writing. In order to improve as a writer, learn about the writing stages: 1) Brainstorming, 2) Outlining, 3) Drafting, 4) Revising and Editing, and 5) Polishing (i.e., going over your work one last time to correct missed mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc…). [ 10 ]

Develop the essential knowledge of vocabulary, syntax, grammatical functions and styles in a primary or secondary language. Explore the four main writing styles and use the appropriate one: 1) Expository (textbooks), 2) descriptive (poetry), 3) persuasive (research proposal), and 4) narrative (novel). As a complement to courses and workshops, you can further improve your writing skills by reading. In addition to deepening your knowledge in a given subject, reading expands your vocabulary and exposes you to various writing styles. Many studies support the relationship between reading and writing as two inextricable sets of skills that share similar cognitive elements such as knowledge (e.g., knowledge of syntax and punctuation) and mental processes (e.g., meaning construction). [ 11 ]  

Graduate school promotes critical writing and reading in course assignments, exams, and research. Critical writing is the presentation of evidence and arguments in support of your conclusions as a result of critical reading – the rigorous evaluation and interpretation of written facts. [ 12 ] In other terms, critical writing is critical thinking translated into words. Therefore, developing critical reading abilities is a prerequisite for mastering critical writing. [ 13 ] Check Analytical and Critical Reasoning handout for strategies to develop critical reading.  

In their book about academic argumentative writing, Graff and Birkenstein [ 14 ] offer strategies and templates for writing an argument in various disciplines (e.g., sciences, social sciences) and contexts (e.g., agreeing or disagreeing with others’ conclusions). [ 15 ] Practice applying some of these templates to your work to hone your critical writing.     

Quick Guide to Being a Stronger Writer 

  • Commit to the practice of writing: Attend writing retreats, workshops, or courses where participants are expected to submit written assignments. In addition to a formal commitment, you will experience a sense of community. You are not alone in your writing struggles. (see “Taking Action” for suggestions) 
  • Reflect on your work: self-edit and ask for feedback from experienced writers, tutors, or a writing service. It is a learning experience that will enhance your writing skills. 
  • Set your writing goals, create a reasonable plan based on your pace and potential external stressors (e.g., distractions, deadlines), and experiment with different writing schedules and environments to learn about what works best for you. It may take some trial and error before finding your writing flow!  
  • Consider the following questions: Will a writing buddy help you commit and stick to your schedule? Are you a Starbucks or a Redpath type of writer? Are you a morning person? 
  • Identify your writing strengths and work on your weaknesses: For example, if you have trouble with the Oxford Comma or when to add a semicolon, consider learning about proper punctuation.   
  • When unsure where to start, consider the big picture, start with the part that interests you most, outline your ideas, or ask probing questions [ 16 ]  
  • Try some writing exercises. [ 18 ]
  • Follow standard guidelines (e.g., for thesis writing: consult McGill Thesis Guidelines and the McGill Supervision thesis writing tips), and review similar work written by experienced writers to find inspiration (e.g., skim through a select peer thesis)
  • Manage stress and anxiety during the writing phase: [ 17 ]   
  • Develop self-awareness of what works for you and what doesn’t. “Find your happy place.” 
  • Use effective time management and productivity strategies, allowing yourself to take breaks.  
  • Stay healthy: Use physical and mental relaxation methods such as: breathing exercises, stretching, talking to a friend, or listening to music. 

Taking action

Professional development & training .

  • Courses – McGill Writing Centre – Writing Courses : The Writing Centre offers both credit and non-credit courses for both native and non-native English speakers.  
  • Workshop – McGill Writing Centre – Graphos  
  • Courses – School of Continuing Studies – Professional Writing in Business .  
  • Workshops – Mitacs Training Workshops : Training workshops including business writing, effective email writing and strategic business report writing workshops for advanced degree graduates. 
  • Check myInvolvement for upcoming workshops and programs under “Communicate: Writing”   

Gaining Experience 

  • Become a blogger for Campus Life & Future Careers Blog (Contact CaPS for this opportunity). 
  • Become a blogger for GradLife . 
  • Write for the McGill community: McGill Daily | McGill Tribune . 
  • Paradigm - Online Writing Assistant : provides Writing tips and guidelines 
  • Purdue Online Writing Lab: houses writing resources and reference materials for different types of writing – general, research and citation, subject-specific, job search, etc.  
  • Writing Tools – McGill Library: A comprehensive list of reference materials and tools, from general writing to thesis writing.
  • Writing Advice – University of Toronto: A comprehensive list of downloadable PDF handouts covering topics of prewriting stages, to grammar and types of writing. 
  • McGill Graphos : Graphos offers different ways for graduate students to become more efficient, precise and effective scholarly communicators.
  • Access Technology Resources – McGill Office of Students with Disabilities.

Video Clips & Podcasts

Reading and Writing Skills (McGill OSD ): The resources listed on this webpage are to help you improve academic reading and writing skills

Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty): Writing tips from multi-award winning website and podcast.

  • Williams, J. M., & Bizup, J. (2017). Style: Lessons in clarity and grace. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/919068263
  • Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2017). "They say / I say": The moves that matter in academic writing. https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/957747941
  • Zinsser, W. (2006). On writing well: The classic guide to writing nonfiction. New York: HarperCollins. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/62421288
  • Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with power: Techniques for mastering the writing process. New York: Oxford University Press. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/191952969
  • Pinker, S. (2014). The sense of style: The thinking person's guide to writing in the 21st century!. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/870919633
  • Clark, R. P. (2008). Writing tools: 50 essential strategies for every writer. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/154694504
  • Maggio, R. (2009). How to say it: Choice words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs for every situation. New York: Prentice Hall Press. http://mcgill.worldcat.org/oclc/233549465
  • Mack, K., & Skjei, E. W. (1979). Overcoming writing blocks. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher.  https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/5510812

Groups & Associations

  • Graduate Student Writers’ Group (Office for Students with Disabilities)
  • Peer Writing Groups (Graphos)
  • Quebec Writers’ Federation  

Articles of Interest

  • Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer’s Block (University of Illinois)
  • Writing Tips: Op-ed writing tips (McGill Newsroom)
  • Writing Tips: Inclusive writing (University of Leicester)  

[1] How To Create High-Impact Writing Assignments That Enhance Learning and Development and Reinvigorate WAC/WID Programs: What Almost 72,000 Undergraduates Taught Us. Anderson, P. (2009).  

[2], [3] Engaging ideas: the professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom. Bean, J.C. (2011).  

[4] Professional Development: Shaping Effective Programs for STEM Graduate Students. Denecke, D. (2017).  

[5] Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out. National Writing Project. (2004).  

[6] Work in Progress: How CEOs are Helping Close America's Skills Gap. Business Roundtable (2017).  

[7] Setting, Elaborating, and Reflecting on Personal Goals Improves Academic Performance. Morisano, D. (2010).  

[8] Expressive Writing: Connections to Physical and Mental Health. Pennebaker & Chung (2003).   

[9], [12] Develop Your Writing - Writing Skills and Technique. University of Leicester.  

[10] Kwon 2017  

[11] Reading and Writing Relationships and their Development. Fitzgerald, J. & Shanahan, T. (2000).  

[13] Critical Reading Toward Critical Writing. Deborah Knott.  

[14], [15] The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. Graff, G. & Birkenstein, C. (2010).  

[16] Brizee (2011).  

[17] Conrey & Brizee. (2011).  

[18] Conrey & Brizee. (2018).  

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Writing Skills Support

Different styles of writing require different skills. If you need help with your writing skills, you are in the right place. On this page, you will find information to help you improve your academic writing and grammar.

If you want help on an individual basis, you can book a consultation  with our Academic Skills One-on-One. Alternatively, you can access a wide range of information online to help you complete your uni assignments:

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Essay and Assignment Writing

Resources to help you with essay and assignment writing

writing skills resources

Grammar and Style

Guides on punctuation, as well as quoting, summarising and signposting in writing

writing skills resources

Science and Engineering Writing

Resources tailored to Engineering and Science students

writing skills resources

Postgraduate research writing

Writing thesis proposals and literature reviews

Other academic writing resources

Writing handbooks and online tutorials.

The University of Wisconsin- Madison Writer's Handbook  - Useful resources compiled into a writing guide.

Essay Writing Guide  - From the Royal Literary Fund, UK. This site is a toolbox of essay writing skills and resources that looks at the whole essay writing process—from preparing and planning to completion.

Information and research skills

ELISE | Informing your studies  - ELISE helps to develop an understanding of how to find, use and evaluate information for academic purposes. Completing ELISE and achieving a pass in the ELISE quiz is a mandatory requirement for all commencing undergraduate students at UNSW.

Critical Reading and analysis  - University of Queensland

Discipline specific study guides

Writing Lessons for Engineering and Science  - Guidelines to help engineering or science students with writing assignments in laboratory classes, design classes, and technical communication classes. Includes suggestions for formats, checklists, and model documents.

Writing in the Sciences  - Toronto University

UNSW Business School Learning Support

Maths, statistics, physics & chemistry  - Online tutorial from The Learning Lab, RMIT University

Maths and Statistics  - Massey University Online Writing and Learning Link offers some great online tutorials.

Essential skills for academic success  - From Monash University Language and Learning Online, guides to writing in disciplines such as Arts, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, IT, Law and Medicine.

Academic Skills

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

How to Help Students With Their Writing. 4 Educators Share Their Secrets

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Teaching students to write is no easy feat, and it’s a topic that has often been discussed on this blog.

It’s also a challenge that can’t have too much discussion!

Today, four educators share their most effective writing lessons.

‘Three Practices That Create Confident Writers’

Penny Kittle teaches first-year writers at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. She was a teacher and literacy coach in public schools for 34 years and is the author of nine books, including Micro Mentor Texts (Scholastic). She is the founder and president of the Book Love Foundation, which annually grants classroom libraries to teachers throughout North America:

I write almost every day. Like anything I want to do well, I practice. Today, I wrote about the wild dancing, joyful energy, and precious time I spent with my daughter at a Taylor Swift concert. Then I circled back to notes on Larry’s question about teaching writers. I wrote badly, trying to find a through line. I followed detours and crossed out bad ideas. I stopped to think. I tried again. I lost faith in my words. I will get there , I told myself. I trust my process.

I haven’t always written this easily or this much. I wouldn’t say I’m a “natural” writer because I don’t believe they exist. Writing is work. When I entered college, I received a C-minus on my first paper. I was stunned. I had never worked at writing: I was a “first drafter,” an “only drafter.” And truthfully, I didn’t know how or what to practice. I was assigned writing in high school and I completed it. I rarely received feedback. I didn’t get better. I didn’t learn to think like a writer; I thought like a student.

I’ve now spent 40 years studying writing and teaching writers in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school, as well as teachers earning graduate degrees. Despite their age, writers in school share one remarkably similar trait: a lack of confidence. Confidence is a brilliant and fiery light; it draws your eyes, your heart, and your mind. But in fact, it is as rare as the Northern Lights. I feel its absence every fall in my composition courses.

We can change that.

Confidence blooms in classrooms focused on the growth of writers.

This happens in classrooms where the teacher relies less on lessons and more on a handful of practices. Unfortunately, though, in most classrooms, a heap of time is spent directing students to practice “writing-like” activities: restrictive templates for assignments, with detailed criteria focused on rules. Those activities handcuff writers. If you tell me what to do and how to do it, I will focus on either completing the task or avoiding it. That kind of writing work doesn’t require much thinking; it is merely labor.

Practice creating, on the other hand, is harder, but it is how we develop the important ability to let our ideas come and then shaping them into cohesive arguments, stories, poems, and observations. We have misunderstood the power of writing to create thinking. Likewise, we have misunderstood the limitations of narrow tasks. So, here are my best instructional practices that lead to confidence and growth in writers.

1. Writing Notebooks and Daily Revision. Writers need time to write. Think of it as a habit we begin to engage in with little effort, like serving a tennis ball from the baseline or dribbling a basketball or sewing buttonholes. Writers need daily time to whirl words, to spin ideas, to follow images that blink inside them as they move their pen across the page. In my classroom, writing time most often follows engagement with a poem.

Likewise, writers need guidance in rereading their first drafts of messy thinking. I’ve seen teachers open their notebooks and invite students to watch them shape sentences. They demonstrate how small revisions increase clarity and rhythm. Their students watch them find a focus and maintain it. Teachers show the effort and the joy of writing well.

Here’s an example: We listen to a beautiful poem such as “Montauk” by Sarah Kay, her tribute to growing up. Students write freely from lines or images that spring to them as they listen. I write in my notebook as students write in theirs for 4-5 minutes. Then I read my entry aloud, circling subjects and detours ( I don’t know why I wrote so much about my dog, but maybe I have more to say about this … ). I model how to find a focus. I invite students to do the same.

2. Writers Study Writing . Writers imitate structures, approaches, and ways of reaching readers. They read like writers to find possibilities: Look what the writer did here and here . A template essay can be an effective tool to write for a test, but thankfully, that is a very small and insignificant part of the whole of writing for any of us. Real writing grows from studying the work of other writers. We study sentences, passages, essays, and articles to understand how they work, as we create our own.

3. Writers Have Conversations as They Work . When writers practice the skills and embrace the challenges of writing in community, it expands possibilities. Every line read from a notebook carries the mark of a particular writer: the passion, the voice, the experiences, and the vulnerability of each individual. That kind of sharing drives process talk ( How did you think to write about that? Who do you imagine you are speaking to? ), which showcases the endless variation in writers and leads to “writerly thinking.” It shifts conversations from “right and wrong” to “how and why.”

Long ago, at a local elementary school, in a workshop for teachers, I watched Don Graves list on the chalkboard subjects he was considering writing about. He read over his list and chose one. From there, he wrote several sentences, talking aloud about the decisions he was making as a writer. Then he turned to accept and answer questions.

“Why do this?” someone asked.

“Because you are the most important writer in the room,” Don said. “You are showing students why anyone would write when they don’t have to.” He paused, then added, “If not you, who?”

confidenceblooms

Developing ‘Student Voice’

A former independent school English teacher and administrator, Stephanie Farley is a writer and educational consultant working with teachers and schools on issues of curriculum, assessment, instruction, SEL, and building relationships. Her book, Joyful Learning: Tools to Infuse Your 6-12 Classroom with Meaning, Relevance, and Fun is available from Routledge Eye on Education:

Teaching writing is my favorite part of being a teacher. It’s incredibly fun to talk about books with kids, but for me, it’s even more fun to witness students’ skills and confidence grow as they figure out how to use written language to communicate what they mean.

A lesson I used to like doing was in “voice.” My 8th graders had a hard time understanding what I meant when I asked them to consider “voice” in their writing. The best illustration I came up with was playing Taylor Swift’s song “Blank Space” for students. Some students groaned while others clapped. (Doesn’t this always happen when we play music for students? There’s no song that makes everyone happy!) But when they settled down, I encouraged them to listen to the style: the arrangement, her voice as she sang, the dominant instruments.

Then, I played a cover of “Blank Space” by Ryan Adams. Eyes rolled as the song unfurled through the speakers, but again I reminded students to listen to the arrangement, voice, and instruments. After about 60 seconds of the Adams version, heads nodded in understanding. When the music ended and I asked students to explain voice to me, they said it’s “making something your own … like your own style.” Yes!

The next step was applying this new understanding to their own writing. Students selected a favorite sentence from the books they were reading, then tried to write it in their own voice. We did this a few times, until everyone had competently translated Kwame Alexander into “Rosa-style” or Kelly Link into “Michael-style.” Finally, when it was time for students to write their own longer works—stories, personal essays, or narratives—they intentionally used the words and sentence patterns they had identified as their own voice.

I’m happy to report this method worked! In fact, it was highly effective. Students’ papers were more idiosyncratic, nuanced, and creative. The only change to this lesson I’d make now is trying to find a more zeitgeist-y song with the hope that the groans at the beginning die down a little faster.

itsfun

Teaching ELLs

Irina McGrath, Ph.D., is an assistant principal at Newcomer Academy in the Jefferson County school district in Kentucky and the president of KYTESOL. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, Indiana University Southeast, and Bellarmine University. She is a co-creator of the ELL2.0 site that offers free resources for teachers of English learners:

Reflecting on my experience of teaching writing to English learners, I have come to realize that writing can be daunting, especially when students are asked to write in English, a language they are learning to master. The most successful writing lessons I have taught were those that transformed the process into an enjoyable experience, fostering a sense of accomplishment and pride in my students.

To achieve this, I prioritized the establishment of a supportive learning environment. At the beginning of each school year, I set norms that emphasized the importance of writing for everyone, including myself as their teacher. I encouraged students to write in English and their native language and I wrote alongside my English learners to demonstrate that writing is a journey that requires hard work and dedication, regardless of age or previous writing experiences. By witnessing my own struggles, my students felt encouraged to persevere.

My English learners understood that errors were expected and that they were valuable opportunities for growth and improvement. This created a comfortable atmosphere where students felt more confident taking risks and experimenting with their writing. Rather than being discouraged by mistakes, they viewed them as steppingstones toward progress.

In my most effective writing lessons, I provided scaffolds such as sentence stems, sentence frames, and word banks. I also encouraged my students to use translation tools to help generate ideas on paper. These scaffolds empowered English learners to independently tackle more challenging writing assignments and nurtured their confidence in completing writing tasks. During writers’ circles, we discussed the hard work invested in each writing piece, shared our work, and celebrated each other’s success.

Furthermore, my most successful writing lessons integrated reading and writing. I taught my students to read like writers and utilized mentor texts to emulate the craft of established authors, which they could later apply to their own writing. Mentor texts, such as picture books, short stories, or articles, helped my students observe how professional writers use dialogue, sentence structure, and descriptive language to enhance their pieces.

Instead of overwhelming students with information, I broke down writing into meaningful segments and taught through mini lessons. For example, we analyzed the beginnings of various stories to examine story leads. Then, collaboratively, my students and I created several leads together. When they were ready, I encouraged them to craft their own leads and select the most appropriate one for their writing piece.

Ultimately, my most effective lessons were those in which I witnessed the joyful smiles on my English learners’ faces as they engaged with pages filled with written or typed words. It is during those moments that I knew my writers were creating and genuinely enjoying their work.

To access a self-checklist that students and EL teachers can use when teaching or creating a writing piece in English, you can visit the infographic at bit.ly/ABC_of_Writing .

iprovided

‘Model Texts’

Anastasia M. Martinez is an English-language-development and AVID Excel teacher in Pittsburg, Calif.:

As a second-language learner, writing in English had not always been my suit. It was not until graduate school that I immersed myself in a vast array of journals, articles, and other academic works, which ultimately helped me find my academic voice and develop my writing style. Now, working as an ESL teacher with a diverse group of middle school multilingual learners, I always provide a model text relevant to a topic or prompt we are exploring.

When students have a model text, it gives them a starting point for their own writing and presents writing as less scary, where they get stuck on the first sentence and do not know how to start.

At the start of the lesson, prior to using a model text, I create a “do now” activity that guides my students’ attention to the topic and creates a relevant context for the text. After students share their ideas with a partner and then the class, we transition to our lesson objectives, and I introduce the model text. We first use prereading strategies to analyze the text, and students share what they notice based on the title, images, and a number of paragraphs. Then, depending on the students’ proficiency level, I read the text to the class, or students read the text as partners, thinking about what the text was mostly about.

After students read and share their ideas with partners and then the whole class, we transition to deconstructing the text. These multiple reengagements with the text help students become more familiar with it, as well as help students build reading fluency.

When deconstructing the model text, I guide my students through each paragraph and sentence. During that time, students orally share their ideas determining the meaning of specific paragraphs or sentences, which we later annotate in the model text using different colored highlighters or pens. Color coding helps visually guide students through similar parts of the model text. For instance, if we highlight evidence in paragraph 2 in one color, we also highlight evidence in the same color in the following paragraph. It helps students see the similarities between the paragraphs and discover the skeleton of the writing. Additionally, color coding helps students during their writing process and revision. Students can check if they used all parts of the writing based on the colors.

Furthermore, one of the essential pieces during deconstructing model texts that I draw my students’ attention to is transition words and “big words,” or academic vocabulary. We usually box them in the text, and I question students about why the author used a particular word in the text. Later, when students do their own writing, they can integrate new vocabulary and transition words, which enhances their vocabulary and language skills.

As the next step, I invite students to co-create a similar piece of writing with a partner or independently using our model text as their guide. Later, our model text serves as a checklist for individual and partner revisions, which students could use to give each other feedback.

Model texts are an essential part of the writing process in any content-area class. As educators, we should embrace the importance of model texts, as they provide a solid foundation upon which students can develop their unique writing skills, tone, and voice.

modeltexts

Thanks to Penny, Stephanie, Irina, and Anastasia for contributing their thoughts!

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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1. Phonics Instruction

2. graphic organizers, 3. think-pair-share, 4. vocabulary instruction, 5. story mapping, 6. kwl charts (know, want to know, learned), 7. interactive read-alouds, 8. guided reading, 9. writing workshops, 10. literature circles.

Today, literacy is not just about learning to read and write ; it’s a crucial tool that opens doors to a world of knowledge and opportunities. It’s the foundation upon which we build our ability to communicate, understand, and interact with the world around us. It is the cornerstone that supports all other learning.

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But how do we ensure every student learns to read and write, loves the process, and excels in it? This is where literacy strategies for teachers come into play. 

In the modern classroom, literacy strategies are essential for several reasons. They help cater to diverse learning styles , engage students more effectively, and promote a deeper understanding of the material.

These strategies are vital in an era of abundant information and attention spans are challenged. They equip teachers with innovative methods to make reading and writing more interactive and meaningful. 

In this blog, we will talk about some of the best literacy strategies that can make a significant difference in your classroom!

Literacy Strategy Definition

Literacy strategies are various methods and approaches used in teaching reading and writing. These are not just standard teaching practices but innovative, interactive, and tailored techniques designed to improve literacy skills. They include activities like group discussions, interactive games , and creative writing exercises, all part of a broader set of literacy instruction strategies.

The Role of Literacy Strategies in Enhancing Reading and Writing Skills

Teaching literacy strategies enhance students’ reading and writing skills. These strategies help break down complex texts, making them more understandable and relatable for students. They encourage students to think critically about what they read and express their thoughts clearly in writing. Teachers can use literacy strategies to address different learning styles, helping students find their path to literacy success.

15 Best Literacy Strategies for Teachers

Phonics instruction is fundamental in building foundational reading skills , especially for young learners. This method teaches students the relationships between letters and sounds , helping them decode words. Through phonics, students learn to sound out words, which is crucial for reading fluency and comprehension. Phonics instruction can be made fun and interactive with games, songs, and puzzles .

You can begin here:

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Graphic organizers are powerful visual tools that aid in better comprehension and organization of information. As part of literacy practice examples, they help students visually map out ideas and relationships between concepts. This can include charts, diagrams, or concept maps. Using graphic organizers, teachers can help students structure their thoughts, making complex ideas more accessible and understandable. It’s an effective way to break down reading materials or organize writing drafts visually.

Think Pair Share worksheet

Think-pair-share is an essential literacy strategy that fosters collaborative learning. In this activity, students first think about a question or topic individually, then pair up with a classmate to discuss their thoughts, and finally share their ideas with the larger group. This strategy encourages active participation and communication, allowing students to learn from each other. It’s a simple yet powerful way to engage students in critical thinking and discussion.

Vocabulary instruction is crucial in expanding language comprehension. This strategy involves teaching students new words and phrases in terms of their definitions, context, and usage. Effective vocabulary instruction can include word mapping , sentence creation , and word games. By enriching students’ vocabulary , teachers equip them with the tools to understand and articulate ideas more effectively, enhancing their overall literacy.

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Story mapping is a technique where students break down the narrative elements of a story, such as characters, setting, plot, and conflict. This strategy helps in enhancing comprehension and analytical skills. By visually organizing the elements of a story, students can better understand the structure and themes of the text. It’s an engaging way to dissect stories and can be done individually or as a group activity .

A KWL chart

KWL charts are an effective tool for structuring learning objectives. This strategy involves creating a chart with three columns: What students already Know, What they Want to know, and What they have Learned. This approach helps activate prior knowledge, set learning goals , and reflect on new information. It’s a great way to engage students in the learning process from start to finish, making them active participants in their education. KWL Charts can be used across various subjects, making them versatile and essential in the classroom.

Kids in a classroom

Interactive read-alouds are a cornerstone among literacy instructional strategies. In this activity, the teacher reads a story aloud, using expressive tones and gestures to bring the story to life. This method engages students in dynamic storytelling , sparking their imagination and interest. It’s an essential literacy strategy that enhances listening skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. Teachers can pause to ask questions, encouraging students to think and predict, making it an interactive and inclusive learning experience.

kids in guided reading session

Guided reading is a tailored approach that addresses the diverse reading levels within a classroom. In this strategy, teachers work with small groups of students, providing focused reading instruction at their specific level of development. This allows for more personalized attention and support, helping students progress at their own pace.

Kids in a writing workshop

Writing workshops are a dynamic way to foster creative expression among students. These workshops provide a platform for students to write , share, and receive feedback on their work. It’s an interactive process where students learn to develop their writing style, voice, and technique. Writing Workshops encourage creativity, critical thinking, and peer collaboration, making them a vital part of literacy development.

Depiction of collaborative learning

Literature circles are a collaborative and student-centered approach to reading and discussing books. In these circles, small groups of students choose and read a book together, then meet to discuss it, often taking on different roles like discussion leader or summarizer. This strategy promotes discussion, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of literature. It’s an engaging way for students to explore texts and share their perspectives, enhancing their analytical and communication skills.

11. Scaffolding

Scaffolding technique

Scaffolding is a teaching method that provides students with step-by-step guidance to help them better understand new concepts. This approach breaks down learning into manageable chunks, gradually moving students towards stronger comprehension and greater independence. Scaffolding can include techniques like asking leading questions, providing examples, or offering partial solutions. It’s especially effective in building confidence and skill in students, as they feel supported throughout their learning journey.

12. Word Walls

A word board

Word walls are a visual and interactive way to display vocabulary in the classroom . As one of the essential literacy strategy examples, they help students learn new words and reinforce their spelling and meaning. Teachers can add words related to current lessons or themes, encouraging students to use and explore these words in their writing and speaking. Word walls are educational and serve as a reference tool that students can continually interact with.

13. Reader’s Theater

Kids in a readers theatre

Reader’s theater is an engaging literacy activity that combines reading and performance. In this strategy, students read scripts aloud, focusing on expression rather than memorization or props. This method helps improve reading fluency, comprehension, and confidence as students practice reading with emotion and emphasis. Reader’s Theater is also a fun way to bring literature to life and encourage a love for reading and storytelling.

14. Dramatization of Text

Kids dramatizing text

Dramatization of text involves bringing stories and texts to life through acting and role-play. This strategy allows students to interpret and enact narratives, deepening their understanding of the characters, plot, and themes. It’s an interactive way to engage students with literature, encouraging them to explore texts creatively and collaboratively. Dramatization can enhance comprehension, empathy, and public speaking skills.

15. Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry based learning wallpaper

Inquiry-Based Learning is a student-centered approach that promotes curiosity-driven research and exploration. In this method, learning starts with questions, problems, or scenarios rather than simply presenting facts. Students are encouraged to investigate topics, ask questions , and discover answers through research and discussion. This strategy fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a love for learning .

These literacy strategies for teachers offer a diverse and dynamic toolkit for teachers to enhance reading, writing, and comprehension skills in their classrooms. By incorporating these methods, educators can create a more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environment , paving the way for students to become confident and proficient learners.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the key benefits of using literacy strategies in the classroom.

Literacy strategies enhance classroom engagement, improve comprehension, and foster critical thinking skills. They make learning more interactive and meaningful, helping students to connect with the material more deeply.

How can teachers effectively integrate literacy strategies into existing curricula?

Teachers can integrate literacy strategies by aligning them with current lesson objectives, using them as complementary tools for existing content. Start small, incorporate strategies gradually, and tailor them to fit the lesson’s context.

Are these literacy strategies suitable for all age groups?

Yes, these strategies can be adapted for different age groups and learning levels. The key is to modify the complexity and delivery of the strategy to suit the developmental stage and abilities of the students.

How do digital literacy strategies for teachers differ from traditional ones?

Digital literacy strategies incorporate technology, focusing on skills like navigating online information, digital communication, and critical evaluation of online content, which are essential in the digital age.

Can literacy strategies be used in subjects other than language arts?

Absolutely, literacy strategies can be applied cross-curricularly. For example, graphic organizers can be used in science for hypothesis mapping, or story mapping can be used in history to outline events.

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International Students: Library Resources

Writing skills, citing sources and academic integrity, communicating in english, study skills and organization, international perspectives, free resources and services at the library.

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What Is This?

Links to electronic resources from Rowan University Libraries to support international graduate students in their academic work. All of these resources can be accessed freely by Rowan students from on-campus or off-campus. You only need to log in with your RowanID username and password.

Also, at the bottom of the page, you will find information on visiting the library in person, and the many free resources available there.

What If I Need Help?

Please contact Ash Lierman , the Instruction & Education librarian at Rowan University's Campbell Library, at [email protected] if you have any questions about this guide or its resources.

Practical information about academic and career writing in a U.S. context.

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International students and faculty also bring valuable perspectives and knowledge to Rowan. These books highlight multiple perspectives on what international students experience and what we do and could offer each other.

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Malala Speech Lesson and Persuasive Writing

Malala Speech Lesson and Persuasive Writing

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

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Last updated

19 February 2024

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    Lifehack: Writing has a collection of resources that includes links to posts on Lifehack that may help you to improve writing skills. Copywriting & Writing Tools EduBirdie Writing Tools - here is everything you will need - 14 best and free tools to help you write your essays and assignments.

  21. 8 Awesome Resources to Help You Improve Your Writing Skills

    8 Awesome Resources to Help You Improve Your Writing Skills There are so many resources out there to help you improve writing skills and vocabulary! Check out our favorites here.

  22. 5 Basic Writing Skills and How to Improve and Highlight Them

    1. Research Research allows writers to find accurate information and best practices related to writing in a particular style or about a particular piece of content. Writers often have to write about subjects that they are not familiar with, so finding quality sources quickly is an important skill. 2. Outlining

  23. Writing Skills: Definition, Types and How to Improve Them

    Writing skills allow you to communicate with internal and external parties in the workplace through many channels. When you excel at writing in the workplace, you can share information better, collaborate with coworkers, give feedback and represent the organisation to customers or clients. Learning about valuable writing abilities and how to ...

  24. How to Help Students With Their Writing. 4 Educators Share Their

    When writers practice the skills and embrace the challenges of writing in community, it expands possibilities. ... She is a co-creator of the ELL2.0 site that offers free resources for teachers of ...

  25. 15 Best Literacy Strategies for Teachers to Use in Classroom

    These literacy strategies for teachers offer a diverse and dynamic toolkit for teachers to enhance reading, writing, and comprehension skills in their classrooms. By incorporating these methods, educators can create a more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environment , paving the way for students to become confident and proficient ...

  26. ETS Praxis

    Core Academic Skills For Educators: Writing (5723) Core Combined (5752; subtests 5713, 5723, 5733) Early Childhood Assessment (5026; subtests 5027, 5028) ... These exam resources, which include step-by-step explanations, personalized study plans, and practice tests, help diagnose your strengths and weaknesses so you can succeed on your Praxis. ...

  27. TOEFL TestReady

    No other English language test provider has a prep offering like this — designed for you, with you. TOEFL ® TestReady ™ combines the best TOEFL iBT prep offerings with exclusive features and deeper insights to enhance your English communication skills. All feedback, recommendations, personalized insights and tips are developed by the same teams that write and produce the TOEFL iBT test.

  28. Welcome

    Electronic resources from Rowan University Libraries, accessible from on-campus or off-campus, to support academic work for international students. ... Writing Skills. Practical information about academic and career writing in a U.S. context. Academic Writing Skills for International Students by Siew Hean Read. ISBN: 1352003759.

  29. Malala Speech Lesson and Persuasive Writing

    A lesson analysing Malala's speech and practising transactional writing skills. Tes paid licenceHow can I reuse this? Reviews Something went wrong, please try again later. ... Something went wrong, please try again later. This resource hasn't been reviewed yet. To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource ...