My #1 tip for becoming a better writer! 🖋️🎨

How viewing writing as an art form made me 10x more compelling! 🖌️

I used to look at writing as a solely technical practice. Most of us remember what it was like being taught “how to write” in school. We all memorized the standard frameworks: the 5-paragraph essays, the 3-pronged thesis statements, the rhetorical fallacies to avoid. In elementary school, I loved to read and write. In fact, I read nonstop, only taking a break long enough to scribble another “chapter” of whatever story my nine-year-old brain had conjured up.

Honestly, I think that part of me should’ve been way more encouraged in school.

Hear me out: I’m not saying it’s bad that we all learn academic and technical writing, or that we’re given writing formulas to learn from. What I am saying is that the constant book reports, historical essays, and persuasive pieces I wrote in middle and high school systematically beat the creativity out of me, despite my natural, intrinsic love of reading and writing.

Obviously, I eventually found my way back to writing… But before I discuss that, consider something with me for a moment. Consider what might have happened if I hadn’t been naturally inclined to read and write for fun, or if my parents hadn’t encouraged my creative writing at home.

Based on school alone, I probably would’ve decided I hated to read and write. And, whether or not they’re aware of it, that’s a horrible tragedy that countless American schoolchildren will experience.

By the end of high school, I was sick and tired of writing academic essays with the same pre-determined formulas over and over again.

I got nauseous even considering picking up another book.

But then I went to college.

Sounds counterintuitive, right? I mean, where are you supposed to read and write more than college?

I was so blessed in college, though. My college experience truly opened my eyes as a writer. For the first time in years, I started reading things I actually enjoyed. For the first time ever, I started writing for fun; I started writing in unique styles and formats. I began to really value creative writing, not only for the fun content but also for the variety of techniques and formats I discovered. I played with my writing. Writing became incredibly special to me, as my characters learned about human nature, travelled to other worlds, and revisited the Vietnam War - all through the beauty of my words.

The major shift in my understanding of writing - which doubles as my #1 tip for becoming a better writer - was that I started viewing writing as an art form.

Prior to this change, I believed that being good at writing was based solely on talent. In my mind, you either had the gift or you didn’t. Sure, you could get a little better, but only within the reasonable constraints of your natural ability. I believed this because, all through middle and high school, the kids who were “good” at writing got As, and the kids who were “bad” at writing got Ds. When you compared their writing, there was an obvious quality distinction (even though some of the kids who weren’t “good” at writing did way better in STEM classes than the ones who were!). I took that to signify there was a clear capability distinction between good and bad writers. It seemed to me that writing must be just a talent.

When I went to college, though, I discovered that writing is less like math and more like art. There are technical ways to approach the discipline; there are universally accepted rules. Those with a natural “talent” for using their words do have an advantage. However, there are also unique, unprecedented ways to approach writing, shocking forms through which to portray words, and - most notably - people can get “better” at it.

Personal admission: I suck at art. Painting, drawing, sculpting; you name it, I’m bad at it.

Even though I do not have a natural talent for art, I can improve. When I consistently practice, I do get better. Now, do I pick it up as quickly as someone with an artistic inclination? Heck no. Would it take me a lot more time and effort to learn how to produce the same quality of art as someone with that inclination? Absolutely.

What’s important is it’s not just talent that makes or breaks my success as an “artist.” If I really want to be successful, I can get better. I can get where I want to be.

Not only is the above mindset true, but believing it allows you to be more gracious with yourself and proud of your little accomplishments as you become a better writer.

Note: Of course, the definition of a “good” writer is varied, as is that of a “good” artist. There are universal rules, but being “good” is also largely dependent on your version of success, whether creatively, professionally, or financially.

When this mindset shift set in near the end of college, I realized how drastically my writing had improved through higher education. Before, I’d always attributed my improvement as a writer to my physical growth; I figured I got better because I grew older and learned new words and techniques. But as an adult, I couldn’t logically fall on this explanation anymore. I was done physically growing. Besides, I felt as though I already had a decent grasp on my vocabulary, sentence structuring, and overall flow.

Yet I improved as a writer! Despite the knowledge I already had, despite the adulthood I’d already reached, despite learning no new “frameworks,” I became a better writer during my college years. If I compare a paper from my freshman year with one from my senior year, it’s undeniable that I improved drastically.

What’s more, if I compare a paper from my senior year of college to my writing today, the same massive growth curve is evident. I keep getting better with practice, education, research, and - perhaps most influentially - reading.

If you see writing as an art form, it becomes much easier to be proud of your work. It becomes much easier to believe that your writing doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s to be incredible. It becomes much easier to keep writing, as you reflect on your past work and see the clear gains you’ve made.

It also becomes much easier to start, because you don’t have to worry about being perfect from the get-go… Or ever!

Thanks for reading my #1 tip for becoming a better writer, as well as a summary of the path that led me to discover it! Subscribe to my newsletter on Substack for more tips and practical growth advice for writers.