Whether you are an experienced writer or a beginner who dreams of becoming one for a living, you need writing skills. Courses at community colleges are expensive. You don’t always have the time to devote to a classroom or textbook.
Online colleges aren’t cheap either. Deadlines approach rapidly, teachers can grade harshly and distractions seem to grow by the minute.
In any economy, free is a price tag we can all afford. Here are five free sites that feature writer’s training. You can subscribe to the sites and receive information every week. Practice writing every day using the tips; you’ll see a difference in your work.
Just as world-class musicians and singers practice to keep up and sharpen their skills, writers should as well. New words are added to the English language, the AP and other writing styles change from time to time and writers can develop bad habits.
It is not necessary to dream about becoming a writer to sharpen your skills. Managers, supervisors, bloggers and more can sharpen his or her skills. Students can practice on their own time and get better grades as a result.
1. Writer’s Digest
Sign up for the free newsletter and receive tips every week that will help your skills soar. For example, “which vs. that” are words often misused in writing. A person might say, “That’s a place where you can get a good meal.” In writing, the sentence would read, “That’s a place in which you can get a good meal.”
The site keeps up with the latest AP style. The AP stands for Associated Press. Most writing clients want the AP style followed and so do most colleges.
2. Grammar Girl
You will receive “Quick and Dirty” tips every week along with a host of other information. Some examples of the tips are:
- · Which vs. That
- · Further vs. Farther
- · Affect vs. Effect
- · Affluent vs. Effluent
- · Compliment vs. Complement
There are so many more words that writers can mix up.
3. Daily Writing Tips
Receive free email blogs loaded with writing tips every day. You can also go to the site to research more information. Many people can devote an hour or two a day for study on any subject. Sometimes with writing, studying one point at a time will help skills improve immeasurably.
4. A Research Guide For Students
While this site does not have an email, you can find information on practically any writing style. Guides for writing term papers, research papers, technical writing, grammar, punctuation and much more are offered for free.
Writers and students should bookmark this site. Supervisors, managers and those who write for a business should do so also.
5. Time To Write
This site offers a free monthly email loaded with tips for writing. You do not need to be a novelist or a screenplay writer to learn from this site. The site itself offers loads of tips in different areas. It is the only site I know that also deals with getting through writer’s block.
You can also email the site director with questions about writing.
Practice writing something with your daily or weekly tip every day. You’ll find that it does become easier. When that article, paper, review or copy is due, you’ll have it on time and your clients (even if they’re letter recipients), will rave about your skills.
Source: The author of this article has over 40 years of experience in diverse forms of DIY, home improvement and repair, crafting, designing, and building furniture, outdoor projects, RV’ing and more.
