Everyone wants to be a better writer. A LinkedIn Contact wants to write a book but thinks his writing is dry so he’s looking for a ghostwriter. A colleague feels his blog is more of an obligation than an opportunity. A Yovia.com friend says she wants to be a writer but hates grammar. [Good luck with that!]

The best advice ever given to me was: Writing makes you a better writer, so write. The act of writing teaches you that good writing is just clear thinking. Clear thoughts produce clear words that produce clear sentences that produce clear paragraphs…you get the picture. The best way to learn to think and write clearly, to hone your talent, to find you rvoice and gain confidence is to write. That’s the strategic part of writing, the 20,000-foot view. There are tactical ways to improve your writing as well.

I have over 30 writing books in my office. If you who don’t want to read 30 books (and a gazillion articles) here are my top 25 tips for becoming a better writer:

1. Start a blog or journal. It’s the learn-by-doing thing again.
2. Create an outline before you start writing and then stick to the outline. It saves time and keeps you focused.
3. Understand that writing and editing are two different tasks that need to be separated.
4. Short, simple, declarative sentences are best.
5. Avoid passive voice.
6. Minimize the use of adjectives and adverbs. Amateurs claim they enrich and professionals claim they dilute. Who you gonna believe?
7. Edit it until your work bursts off the page with clarity and force.
8. Edit in steps: (1) logical flow, (2) paragraph transition, (3) grammar and (4) spelling. It’s tedious but it really helps when you’re learning.
9. Do the Johnny Cochran: When in doubt, cut it out.
10. Show what you write to friends and family. They will be supportive and eventually provide the honest criticism you need to improve.
11. Accept criticism as neutral feedback and not a personal attack. Learn and grow from the feedback.
12. Read, read and then read some more, especially great authors like Dickens, Doyle, and Steinbeck.
13. Learn grammar even if you can only swallow small doses.
14. Watch movies and notice how the plot twists, how characters are introduced, how they make you care about them, how they get into trouble and then more trouble before, finally, the crisis is resolved.
15. Live with excitement, honesty and curiosity about others and your surroundings.
16. Listen to the way people talk, how they tell their stories and then think about them as children.
17. Read your previous work and celebrate your improvements.
18. Make writing a priority.
19. Cowboy up! Recognize your insecurities, know you have limits and keep on writing.
20. Comment on blogs.
21. Write wild and unique metaphors. See my blog about Octomom’s Lips.
22. Designate time to research new topics and follow your muse.
23. Ask someone else to proofread. My wife is a great proofreader…who knew?
24. Approach your writing with a sense of joy and responsibility, never as an obligation.
25. Make notes listing subjects and ideas you want to explore. Maintaining a sense of urgency and exploration in your writing is fun.