How to improve your writing so you can get ahead at school and at work: secrets from a math "un-genius"

The day of reckoning arrived. With my lucky red underwear adorned, pencils sharpened and notes saturated in yellow highlighter, I sat down for the exam. I had only myself to blame. I’d somehow managed to disregard the cold truth: I was dumb-as-a-brick thick when it came to numbers.

Despite the fact I’d already chosen to pursue an arts degree after high school and didn’t need it as a prerequisite, I had decided to take Math 12. I struggled the entire semester. My physics teacher stayed after school to help me, completely confused as to why I didn’t possess my older brother’s skills. I even fumbled through late-night tutoring sessions with an impossibly nice, cute, yet unattainable older guy.

So there I was. I checked. I double-checked. After two long hours, I left with a little prayer to the gods of all things right that I would pass. “Please!”

For many years after, I was convinced that I’d been born genetically deficient at anything numerical. Now, writing—that’s what I came out of the womb to do.

But early on in my publishing and communications career I learned—to my dismay—that I would have to deal with those dreaded digits and decimal points. Circulation numbers had to be counted, printer’s quotes had to be evaluated, and budgets had to be created. Sure, I was a little unsteady on my feet at first (I can still clearly see the look of frustration my tutor tried to hide after explaining the same concept for the gazillionth time). But—slowly, miraculously—I got better.

I came to realize that my math deficiencies were more about my lack of self-confidence than a lack of ability. And I’ve also learned that almost anyone can boost the technical skills they feel are holding them back in their school or work lives. Writing is no different.

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor: writing is important in any career

I don’t care if you’re a landscaper, literary agent or full-time student. We all use writing in varying degrees to convey ideas, ask questions, promote our products, build relationships with clients and co-workers, and plan projects. Writing should serve the primary purpose of clear and concise communication.

Once you learn how to write for clarity, little miracles will begin to land at your feet. Remember that co-worker you were having so much difficulty working with? Yep, she’s your new best friend now that she read your e-mail about the project and finally understands what you need from her. What about that paper you had to write to pass your certification course? “Oh yeah? Take that, professor—we got an A!” And that client you were wooing but could never seem to seal the deal with? He’s so impressed with your explanation he signs on the spot. Guess that phone script worked.

All this writing glory could be yours—with a few simple tricks and a ton of practice.

I believe anyone can learn to write better. Whether it’s a 150-word e-mail or a 3,000-word college essay, here are eight things you can do to improve your writing.

Read

You don’t have to dust off that high school copy of 1984 or Grapes of Wrath to find good writing—it’s everywhere. That’s the beauty of the Internet—anybody can start a blog, write an article or publish an e-book. With the traditional content gatekeepers banished to a musty, old publishing attic, our access to quality writing has increased exponentially. (Of course, it also means a proliferation of bad writing, but you can learn from that too—as in, don’t try this at home.)

Reading—a book, magazine, or blog post—is the single best way to increase your vocabulary, learn about sentence structure, and get a real feel for what works and what doesn’t.

Reading is also a valuable technique for self-editing.

An old creative writing professor of mine taught me a trick I use with everything I write today: read your work out loud. This is the easiest and most effective way to catch mistakes like repeated words and phrases, sentences that don’t quite flow, and the general pacing of the piece.

Let it sit

Having an English teacher for a father sometimes meant I was his guinea pig. (Would his students relate to Of Mice and Men?) But it also meant I received helpful tips for writing essays.

I eventually succumbed to the “write an outline” edict and quickly embraced the “let it sit” exam tip. You know those exams that have multiple choice questions and then end with an essay question? Before you start the multiple choice, skip ahead to the essay question, read it, make a few notes, then leave it.

Your brain is an amazing piece of machinery. While you’re trying to remember the difference between a democracy and totalitarian state, your brain is mulling over that essay question and coming up with all kinds of fascinating things. When it comes time to write the essay, you’ll find (to your surprise) that the ideas will flow a little easier because your subconscious has already done some of the work for you. This trick works for longer pieces I write, like articles, as well as tough e-mails where every word counts.

As a copywriter, I’m really only as good as my last copy—which is to say, I need to turn in quality content every time. One of the ways I do this is to self-edit my work to death. And one of my favorite techniques is to leave a finished piece of writing for a few days and return with fresh eyes. I find the more distance I can get from the words, the better. I forget the hours I toiled over certain phrases or imagery and often cut out whole sections because they don’t work.