How To Improve Your Writing

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do I become a good writer?”

Most people will say that a good writer is someone who uses clear wording and writes in a way that’s easy to understand. But that’s not really answering the question of how to become a good writer. It’s just describing the attributes of good writing.

So when people ask me how to become a good writer, I don’t just list off the characteristics of great writing. Instead, I talk to them about how to actually do it. And the truth is, it’s actually pretty simple.

You literally just need to read a lot and write a lot.

That is it.

You have these gurus on X that have all these rules for writing clearly.

“Don’t use the word very in your writing!”

Fuck your rules. Most are very much a load of bullshit.

“Source?”

$33M in client results.

How did I get there?

I read A LOT. I write A LOT.

In fact, most of my writing never gets published. The notes on my phone are filled with essays that will never be seen by the world. For some, it’s because the topic is too personal. For others, it’s because the timing is not right. When I’m 30 or 40 I’ll publish them.

The more you read and write, the better you’ll become as a writer. And when it comes to reading, there’s simply no way around it. If someone tells me they don’t want to read, my response is, “Okay, well, you’re not going to be a good writer then.”

There’s no coincidence that the best writers I know are all ferocious readers. Every single one of them. When I talk to my friends who are really skilled copywriters, we’re always discussing complex works that we’re reading. We reference a lot of books. We’re fans of reading, and almost all of us have quite extensive libraries.

The reason reading is so crucial is because it allows you to take the thoughts from another individual, pass them through your own mind, and create your own understanding of those ideas.

The better you get at... ​ 1. Processing someone else’s writing (especially complicated material) 2. Simplifying it in a way you can comprehend

The easier it will be for you to communicate those concepts to others.

And being able to effectively communicate ideas to other people is at the heart of great writing.

So when people ask me the best way to improve their writing skills, I always tell them they need to read more. If you want to understand how to write better, you have to see how other people write.

Seems VERY logical, yeah?

The more you read, the more you’ll add to your “creative bank.” And once you have a PACKED creative bank filled with ideas, you’ll start to see your ability to not only imitate the delivery of those ideas, but also weave them into your own writing, and also your ability to articulate yourself.

That reminds me...

If you are not VERY (I’m going to keep using this word because I’m laughing while writing this) verbally articulate you’re ngmi.

Anyways, back to the point.

Good writing pulls from multiple sources of information and allows the reader to see how it all fits together. It’s not just about having original ideas, but about synthesizing concepts in a way that’s clear and meaningful to the reader.

Now obviously, reading alone isn’t enough. You also need to be writing consistently.

I’ve gotten to a point in my career where I have seasons when I’m deep in psychopath writing mode. During those times, all I do is write. I wake up and I write. I go to a cafe and I write. Writing is the primary focus.

I’ve found that writing takes a lot out of you, and it’s not something I can easily do when I’m in more of a “go mode” - traveling, networking, going from place to place, doing shoots, etc. It’s very hard for me to write in the midst of all that activity.

I will find myself still pulled to writing here and there though. It’s just not the same as full blown writing season.

When I’m more grounded and focused, and I’ve set the intention to be writing, that’s when I’m able to really produce a lot of VERY GOOD (hahaha) content.

So my advice is to form a daily habit of reading and writing. If you do that consistently, you will get better as a writer. It really is that simple.

A lot of people want some complicated, step-by-step course on how to become a great writer.

They want all these intricate techniques and “hacks.” But the way I see it, the path to becoming a good writer is a lot like strength training.

In the gym, you have your compound lifts and then you have your auxiliary lifts. You can get in really good shape and build a lot of strength just by focusing on the compound movements - things like squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc.

The auxiliary lifts, like bicep curls or calf raises, can help refine your physique, but they’re not the foundation. They’re not what’s really driving your gains.

It’s the same with writing. Simply reading a lot and writing a lot is like focusing on your compound lifts. That’s really all you need to do to see dramatic improvements. It doesn’t need to be complicated.

Now, just like in the gym, there are plenty of auxiliary techniques you can learn to refine your writing - things like word choice, paragraph structure, transitions, dialogue, etc. Those are all great tools to have in your kit.

If you guys follow me on X you’ll see that sometimes My paragraphs Are like this The reason that I do this Is because I am indicating that "I do not give a fuck" And also it is what many would label "A Dramatic Effect"

But honestly you don’t need to worry about that, I would never produce marketing material like that.

The weird paragraphs are just for fun and for the boys.

You’ll develop your own style along the way, often just by reading about the craft of writing itself.

For instance, one of my favorite writers was actually someone who’s an absolute mystery.

His name was Michael Porfurio, an anon account on Twitter that wrote these very eclectic tweets.

An example... ---

Everyone Needs to

Put Down

their fucking soyPhones

And Stop

Filming

Stupid shit.

Guys that Do this are Always Swooping Chinese guys named

“Phil Ming”

And Eating soy

Now,

This is Not The Right Way to Go Thru Life.

Just Look at The Real

Heavenly Glory

The Original Fil-"

And that’s it.

As a writer I actually love his work because of how much he just does not give a shit.

Legit just cuts off at the end.

Intentional spelling errors.

Hilarious words like SoyPhones.

That to me is a very unique writing story, but ain’t nobody selling anything with that. That type of writing is more for you and the few admirers of aesthetics that follow you. People with good taste.

That’s just me though.

To summarize, the core of becoming a good writer is just putting in the reps with reading and writing. There’s no shortcut around that.

Sure, you can dive into the nuances and details of great writing. And if that’s something you’re interested in, I actually have a course inside the community called “Writing for Creators” which goes deep on that.

In the course, I cover seven common mistakes that people make in their writing and how to correct them. I go into a lot of depth explaining these concepts and showing you how to put them into practice.

In some units I literally pull up Google Docs and write in front of you, demonstrating the principles in real-time. Others it’s me reading to you and showing you WHY some writing is good or bad. So if you want to get into the weeds on the finer points of great writing, I highly recommend checking out that resource.

But even then, the goal of a course like that isn’t to complicate the process of becoming a good writer. It’s to help you refine your skills and avoid common pitfalls. The core of the strategy remains the same - you have to put in the work of reading and writing daily.

That’s what I did, and hey, you’re here reading this, right?

What I love about this approach to becoming a good writer is its simplicity. It’s not some mystical, convoluted process that only the “chosen few” can master.

It’s a skill that anyone can develop if they’re willing to put in the work. And the work itself is straightforward.

Now here’s the thing, there will be times when the reading is challenging and the writing feels like a slog. That’s normal. Growth often involves pushing through discomfort.

But if you can embrace the simplicity of the system and trust the process, you’ll be amazed at how far you can go as a writer.

To Your Super Success,

Nick Verge - Founder @ 4Creators

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