Note from Katherine: When I saw this article, I knew I needed to share it with all of you. I talk a lot about how to start a business and how to make money but never on how to actually write. I thought you’d find some of these tips useful!

Writing down words intimidates the most communicative individuals. It doesn’t have to be that way. Words can be your friend and writing skills are easily learned. Getting your message across often means you must write it down. Come along and learn 5 ways to express yourself skillfully with words.

Pay attention to grammar details. This may be the most important part of writing. Use essential grammar rules well and don’t overuse clichés, slang, or jargon, in most cases they simply aren’t necessary. Concentrate on saying what you mean, using simple language arts.

Punctuation counts. Use it strategically and with purpose. Often misused punctuation can change the meaning of the sentence to mean something revoltingly different than you intend. Be aware of where you place commas, periods and exclamation points.

When in doubt, leave it out. Generally if the word doesn’t have a purpose, you should leave it out. You don’t need to tell your reader the book is VERY good. Simply tell them it’s GOOD and allow them to determine how good it is by reading the book. Overused words often become redundant.

Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t waste your readers time by putting it in print. They want to read what you would say. Use words in print the way you use them in your speech and your reader will understand better, what you write. Give your writing meaning and value by using common every day language.

Edit your work. Once you’ve written it, take a moment to go back over, reread and rewrite until it’s perfect. Sometimes, you’ll want to set it aside for a day or two and come back to edit again. Your work will be better presented if it is perfect. But don’t wait too long or your topic will be out dated.

Are you ready to put your words in print?

Writer, Jan Verhoeff at http://janverhoeff.com helps writers of every genre get their words in print and published. Visit her site at http://writerthoughts.com to get a FREE ebook about writing, and an online Ezine straight to your email with writer information.