The best kept writing secret

A lot of writers ask what they can do to write better. They want to do so much at once. How can you attempt to take on the task of writing a book when you struggle to write a 500-word post? Definitely, there will be problems.

“So what do I do” you must be wondering. Start small. Yes we mean exactly what we wrote. You must start small. Baby steps will lead you to the bigger goal of being a professional writer and you will be a successful one too.

Start small by writing short pieces, 200 to 300 words. It could be a short review or a musing. Write them somewhere; in your journal or on your blog. Try and write at least one a day and keep collating them. You can even submit them to magazines if you are willing to take that bold step and we’ll advice you to do so.

The best way for you to practice as an upcoming writer is to write intentionally and consistently. So give it a try today. You can also send your short piece to us to review. We’ll be glad to be your accountability partner.

Sparkle Highlights: 5 tools every writer should be aware of

Hey there budding writer! We are happy to introduce the Sparkle Highlights column. This is where we will bring you tools and resources that will help you to become a better writer. Our job is to find you the best tools and resources, your job is to use them and improve your writing skills. Deal?

Today, we want to introduce you to some awesome writing tools that are great for writers, editors and content managers. Some of them are free while you’ll need to pay for the others but trust us, they’re worth every penny you spend!

Here are 5 tools every writer should be aware of;

Daily Page

We absolutely love Daily Page! It’s a good platform for writers who haven’t mastered the art of writing every day. When you sign up, Daily Page sends you writing prompts which you’ll answer in one or two paragraphs. It’s fun, easy to use and the best part is that it helps you to develop the habit of writing every day. You can share your answers with everyone or keep them private. Sign up with Daily Page; you’ll definitely love it.

Hemingway

This is another awesome tool for writers. It helps you write in a concise manner. If you struggle with keeping your posts and articles within a readable word limit then you’ll love Hemingway. We love the fact that there’s a readability meter which shows you how readable your writing is. Isn’t that great? Sentences which need to be edited are highlighted in different colours. So you’ll know where you need to tweak or delete. With only $10, you can download the app and use it anywhere; online and offline.

Writepls

Writepls has a similar aim to The Sparkle Writer’s Hub; they assist all upcoming writers to hone their skills. What they do is to send you daily articles to help you become a better writer. The articles could be long but they are very helpful. You’ll be able to get some useful tips from them. We recommend Writepls because you need as much help as you can get to become a professional writer and Writepls offers this help free of charge.

Grammarly for Chrome

If you don’t know Grammarly there’s one question we want to ask; “Where have you been hiding?” We’ll suggest that you follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook page too. We have so much love for the team behind Grammarly. They have a heart for all writers. Their tool Grammarly for Chrome helps with all types of online writing; whether it’s drafting an email or writing a Facebook post. You catch the errors before you click send with Grammarly for Chrome. You do have to pay to use this tool but it’s totally worth it!

OneLook Reverse Dictionary

Have you ever found yourself where you are trying to describe something but you just cannot find the right words? We’re sure you have. So what do you do when you know what you are trying to say but you don’t know the word to use? Consult the OneLook Reverse Dictionary. The great thing about this dictionary is that you can simply put in the description you have in mind and it will come up with a variety of words that will match what you are trying to describe. Go ahead and try it out.

Let’s get your feedback if you do use any of these tools. What do you think about them? Did you find them helpful?

5 simple ways to improve your writing skill

For every writer who is serious about writing, there is one thing they will discover; actually sitting down to write is tough. But the work must go on right? The more you develop your skill, the easier writing will become. So here are 5 simple ways to improve your writing skill:

1. Write every day

You cannot avoid it. You have to write every day to become a better writer. Writing a few times a week or once a week is too infrequent. You cannot form a good writing habit that way. Writing every day is what will help you.

2. Create time to write

In the writing consultations we’ve had with some writers, the usual reply we get when we ask why they don’t write often is, “There is no time to write.” If you never create time to write, you won’t write. So choose a particular time of the day when you will write and write consistently at the time.

3. Don’t do too much at once

If you haven’t made it a habit to write every day, don’t set a target of writing an article that is about a thousand words for example. Start small. Write small chunks of articles. As you stretch yourself, you can begin to take on bigger challenges.

4. Give yourself targets

Before you start each week, tell yourself the number of blog posts or articles you want to have written by the end of the week. It doesn’t matter whether what you write will be published or not. Just write. The goal here is to get better. Setting targets make you more disciplined.

5. Don’t be distracted

Distraction is every writer’s worst enemy. We just know how to distract ourselves with the little things don’t we? You must focus when you write. That means going off social media (don’t panic…it’ll only be for a few minutes), turning off your phone and removing anything that isn’t part of your writing tool