Not everyone is born with a talent for writing. But if virtually anyone can develop habits to improve the quality and understanding of their writing.

As an entrepreneur, a good strategy to become an authority in your industry and to promote you (to you and your business) is to write entries for your blog or for another medium in which you participate as a guest. So, I share some simple tips that will help you quickly improve the way you express yourself with letters:

1. Think about what you will write about before you write

Not to do it is a mistake that many make. Before you sit down and write, make sure you have something to say and clearly define how you want to express it. Don’t focus your writing on words, but on the ideas you want to convey. Think: What is the purpose of this post? From that he starts to build it.

2. Points, points, points

It was the first advice my Journalism teacher gave me. To provide fluent writing, you must correctly use punctuation marks. Avoid eternal paragraphs in a single sentence. And whenever you’re tempted to write a comma, think about whether it can be replaced by a period.

3. Say goodbye to adjectives and adverbs

Descriptions are important for getting a good narrative, but many people abuse adjectives and adverbs. Review your text and look at all the words you can delete (for example: very, really, maybe, amazing, amazing, truly, fair). As the storyteller, Horacio Quiroga put it “Useless will be how many colored tails you adhere to a weak noun”.

4. Don’t repeat words

The breadth of vocabulary as well as a person’s cultural level are noted in the overuse of words. Look for synonyms or concepts that could replace what you wrote. The first thing you need to do is find your mules (the words you constantly repeat), search for them in your text with the functionality in Word of Ctrl + B, and change them to others. The Spanish language is extremely broad; take advantage of it.

5. Use subtitles

When you make a text, especially if it’s long, think about dividing it into subtopics and using intermediate heads. This helps to rest the view and make reading more fluid.

6. Don’t abuse punctuation or bold

signs Most of the time you can omit punctuation marks such as parentheses and hyphens by adding periods or commas. This way the writing looks cleaner. It also prevents excess bold and italic letters; discuss well what you need to highlight and do it only when it’s worth it.

7. Use spell checkers

It might sound obvious but not everyone does. Although the Word tool is quite functional, keep in mind that it doesn’t fix all the errors, especially if they are diacritical accents. If you don’t know how to use a word, just don’t use it. The same is true when it comes to grammar.

8. Be authentic

To get your posts to gain traction it is essential that you define what your voice, tone, and writing style will be. Don’t try to sound too different from the way you talk, as the reader will notice, and don’t try to imitate someone else’s style or ideas. Watch: never write about a topic you don’t know about.

9. Establishes a structure

In Journalism, there are several ways to structure a text. The simplest (and that can serve you when writing your entries) is that of an inverted pyramid, which consists of going from the most to the least important. It is also recommended that in the first paragraph you answer the main five questions: what, who, when, how? And where?

10. Have a blunt beginning and end

As in a good play or film, the principle is basic to captivate the audience; while the outcome is what the viewer will remember most in the long run. Try to start and finish your texts forcefully. A good idea is to start with a question and finish the answer.

11. Read a lot

To be a good writer you need to be a good reader. Books, articles, magazines, and posts can give you many ideas on how to tell a story, as well as spelling and vocabulary clues. Read about different topics and authors; you can also use them as references in your texts.

12. Meet your audience

Before writing think about who your message is addressed to. Imagine what your reader is like, what are his interests? What kind of language do you use? Where would I read your text? Having this in mind will help you choose your tone and themes.

13. Write daily

Make writing a habit. You don’t need to write 10 quarters, but have a diary or pad where you write some ideas or thoughts every day. Likewise, define and meet the due dates or publication of your entries.

14. Read it aloud

This exercise will help you notice if your fluidity and pauses are correct. If you’re out of breath when reading a sentence, it’s time to add a point. If you notice that your words produce cacophony (repeating sounds) replace them with others.

15. Ask someone else to read

Before publishing a text asks someone who is trusted – but not a scholar of the subject – to give you their feedback and become your ‘editor’ if you don’t have one properly. This way you will know where to delve, what to cut, and if there are any confusing phrases.

16. Eliminate straw

As in everything, more is no better. Get rid of those repetitive phrases that don’t bring anything. Good text is not measured by its length.

17. Do not take anything for granted

What is completely understandable to us, for the reader may not be. Don’t skimp on the definition of concepts or think they’re obvious to “everyone.” When you talk about a character add a description; do the same with institutions and companies.

18. Use numbers or bullets

This is another strategy to make a text easier and more understandable. When possible, don’t hesitate to list your points or add a script to certain reflections or conclusions.

19. Don’t be distracted

Just like in many other activities of your business (such as budgeting) writing also requires focus and concentration. So before you write make sure you find yourself in a relaxing atmosphere that invites inspiration. If possible turn off your phone, Skype alerts, and any other items that might distract you.

20. Review two or more times

Most errors can be avoided, or at least diminished, with a review. Carefully read your text, check your spelling, and the words you used. On the other hand, don’t fall for perfectionism: you’ll always feel that your text can improve, so you should know when to let it go or else you’ll never publish it.