1. Just begin writing! The more you write, the better writer you’ll become. Don’t let the fear that other people won’t like your writing keep you from forging ahead. If you worry that your writing skills are not up to snuff, then write drafts to yourself that only you read. You may need to throw away many of these drafts, so don’t worry about it. Practice, practice and practice again by writing all of the time.  It’s the key to getting better. Write letters or notes. Write emails. Start a blog. Start a diary or a personal journal. Write thank-you notes. Write anything and everything! You only get better by doing.

2. Read! Read works from good writers – articles, columns, books and essays, to name a few. Get a feel for what good writing looks like. Focus on how good writers use words like great artists use paint – to create pictures in your mind. Your writing will improve the more you read and you will learn many new words. Even your spelling will improve as you read. And reading is fun!

3. Keep a dictionary handy and use it! Either buy a paper dictionary or, if you use your computer, make sure that you have an online dictionary’s website bookmarked. Carry a small notepad and when you don’t know a word that you’ve read, always jot it down. Writing it helps the learning process. Then when you have a few moments available, look it up in your dictionary. Learn what the word means and how to spell it properly! Your vocabulary will improve by leaps and bounds and your writing will become more interesting.

4. Use correct grammar! Are you grammatically challenged? The more you read and use your dictionary, the more you will begin to understand what good grammar is, and also get better at spotting bad grammar.

5. Spell correctly! If spelling is your nemesis, don’t be discouraged because almost everybody has some spelling difficulties. As above, use your dictionary – either hard copy or online version - to look up the correct spelling. I know you ask, “If I can’t spell it, how can I look it up?”  Relax, it’s not that difficult and the online dictionaries will help you.

6. And lastly, invest in a powerful but inexpensive English writing software program that instantly checks and corrects spelling, grammar, punctuation and contextual word usage. Some of these programs even analyze your text and suggest ways to enhance your composition for better writing structure and more effective use of words. These programs have many features beyond the simple spell checking of typical word processors. They are worth every penny, even for your most causal writing of emails and letters. And they are especially helpful if English is not your native language because you will learn spelling, grammar and good writing style as you write.  It’s like having you own personal English teacher sitting beside you.

With persistence and practice, anyone can become a good writer. The key is to keep trying and keep learning. The better you write, the better you also speak.  And the better you do both, the better the impressions you will project.  The tips above will help you overcome any lack of self-confidence and give you a great start for making great impressions!