This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Three elements to utilize to improve your writing
Since I started writing at 11, I’ve put out a lot of work over the years on different platforms, in books, and on paper or in notes. But I noticed my writing improved significantly when I started consistently publishing my work online.
When you publish your words to the world, you open yourself to feedback, criticism, and the opportunity to blast past your fear of what others think of you and your writing.
Be Prepared To Tell The World Your Story
Winston, Founder and chief editor of Coffee Times, said something that made me chuckle but is 100% true:
When you have decided to publish your articles on the internet (i.e., on Medium), you have already made the decision to accept the fact that your story might go viral on the internet. If you are not prepared to tell the world your story, don’t publish it on the internet.
Not only might your story go viral after publishing, but your story will be seen both by people you do know and people you don’t know. After someone you know reads your writing, they might look at you differently than before they read your writing.
Writers are complex beings. There are infinite thoughts they never say aloud that only become communicated through their writing.
This is a scary thought for some, which is why many writers never reach their full potential – they’re too scared to share their most genuine thoughts.
Write As If No One’s Watching
Always write as if no one is watching; this will ensure you tap into your ultimate writing potential – uninhibited.
Your audience isn’t your family, friends, colleagues, ex-friends or ex-partners, and acquaintances. Your audience is people you most likely don’t know.
Don’t allow your fear of what people think of you to impede your productivity. At some point, someone you know or used to know will find your work online. Get used to it. Writers dump words on the internet, which means they will be found; this means your writings are doing their job: Congrats.
3 Elements To Improve Your Writing
1. Direct Feedback: Comments
As you publish more, your work will improve, and more people will read your work, creating the opportunity to get live-time feedback often through comments.
Some of the feedback will be useful, and some will be worth ignoring. Either way, feedback provides another learning opportunity for you.
2. Indirect Feedback: Data
Here are some questions you can utilize to polish your writing:
Which article topics do people seem most interested in?
What writing style do people seem to prefer?
Do people seem to understand the points I’m trying to convey?
Are people reading through my entire article?
When I re-read my articles, do they make sense?
When I re-read my articles, do I find a lot of grammar mistakes?
Which articles are getting the most views?
Which articles are receiving high engagement?
All of these questions are worth asking yourself consistently so that you can refine your writing process based on your audience’s feedback.
3. Consistency
As you write more, you will naturally learn things you can implement to improve over time. The more you practice something, the better you become. As Malcolm Gladwell suggests, you become a master of your craft after completing 10,000 hours of execution and practice.
Last Thoughts
Stay engaged with your writing through feedback you receive from others directly (i.e., comments), indirectly (i.e., statistics), and by practicing consistency. When you are conscientious of all three of these elements, you will notice a massive improvement in your writing.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.