How can you improve at writing?

If you're not a writer, it can be hard to know where to begin.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to improve your writing skills. Here's how:

Read more books. The best way to learn how to write well is to read books that have been written well. Read widely, and read with a critical eye. Pay attention to the writing style and structure of the book, along with the content itself. If possible, try writing down the main points from each chapter in your own words before reading on. This will help you focus on what's important.

Read more widely than just books. Newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites all offer opportunities for improving your writing style by exposing you to different types of content that reflect different styles and genres. Pay attention to how each writer approaches their topics and consider whether they're using any techniques that could be applied in your own work — like using active verbs or avoiding jargon wherever possible.

Practice makes perfect (or at least better). The more often you write, the better you'll get at it — so if there's something specific

Learn the rules of writing and then forget them.

Your first draft is going to be terrible.

If you have a choice between writing something good and writing something perfect, go with good every time as you just want to get in as much practice as possible.

The best way to learn how to write is to read as much as possible.

Practice makes perfect: Write every day, even if it's only for 10 minutes.