How Language Skills Can Help to Become a Popular Writer

 

“I want to be a writer!”

 

You might have said this phrase as a child, especially if you were (and still are) in love with books and the imaginary world they create. 

 

You’d be surprised, but writers are among the top 10 jobs American kids dream to get when they grow up (according to Zety’s survey):

Credit: Zety

In reality, it’s not that easy to become a famous author. You need to find a publisher who will accept your works and promote your books. But, most importantly, you need to be a skilled writer to become known. 

 

Today, we’re going to explore the connection and the effects writing skills have on the author’s popularity. 

1. Your Writing Becomes More Diverse

There’s a common rule: if you want to become a good writer, you should read more books. Stephen King said it’s his life philosophy – an author needs to surround themselves with books if they want to become successful. 

 

How does reading benefit your language skills?

 

First and foremost, it enriches your language. Even though it happens passively, your brain catches and memorizes metaphors and idiomatic expressions, which you can later use while writing. 

 

At this point, vocabulary from any language can help. If you learn English and read Shakespeare’s plays to enrich your vocabulary, you will pick up some proverbial phrases, similar to the ones in the image below:

Credit: Preply

You can then find a translation of these phrases in your native language and use them while writing. It’s also an excellent exercise to try and create metaphors with these phrases or adapt them to the events in your book. 

 

The more you work on making your vocabulary rich, the more unique your language becomes. As a result, you create an image of yourself as an author, distinguishing your writing style from others. 

1. Your Message Gets More Persuasive

The structure is essential in writing. It helps organize your thoughts in one cohesive message, which sometimes can be pretty hard to do. 

 

If you consistently work on your language skills, it helps make your writing more organized. As a result, it will be easier to build a rapport with your readers and make sure they understand what you’re trying to share. 

 

Here are a few exercises to help you make your message more structured and persuasive:

 

• Write a few paragraphs about your character’s morning routine. Be as specific as possible. 
• Craft five endings for your book; try to deliver the same message in a different way. 
• Describe changing weather throughout the day (from warm and sunny to windy and gloomy).
• Put a character in a difficult situation and keep developing it until revealing character growth. 
• Start and end your story with the same phrase, e.g., “I knew this would happen. I shouldn’t have trusted her.”

 

You may find these tasks a bit difficult at first, especially if you’re just starting your journey as a writer. But they work quite well to help you make your writing persuasive. You can also use them to overcome writer’s block.  

1. Your Works Become More Personal 

Many authors have difficulty connecting with their audience, especially in the horror genre, where the focus mostly lies on the story. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make your writing more personal. 

 

When you have good language skills, you know how to find the right words to address your audience’s pain points and make them relate to the characters and the story. It will definitely be one of the major writing challenges at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. 

 

Here are a few exercises to help you out:

 

• Take inspiration from real people and their characters. 
• Observe the moods and behaviors that surround you daily. 
• Read press to learn about the topical events around your area and worldwide to create complex storylines. 

 

If you manage to find a personal approach to your audience, it will help create a stronger bond between you and your readers. And there’s nothing more precious than that. 

Over to You

Becoming a popular writer is easier said than done. The work never stops – you need to constantly improve your language skills to expand your vocabulary and enrich your writing. 

 

But there is no doubt that solid language skills can help you become a famous writer. All you need to have is consistency and commitment. Hard work paves the way to success, so start working on your language skills if you want to bring your childhood dream of becoming a renowned writer to life.