10 Writing Exercises to Sharpen Skills
Wondering how to get better at writing and really connect with your readers? Whether you're working on your website, sales pages, or email newsletters, good writing matters.
But here's the good news: you don't have to spend hours practicing every day.
Just try a few quick (10-minute!) writing exercises, and you'll see a big improvement. That means more confidence and better marketing content that really works.
We're sharing our favorite ten exercises to help you write better, connect with your readers, and grow your business.
So, grab a seat and a pencil! You'll be a writing pro in no time!
What are writing skills?
Writing skills are the abilities that help you write in a clear, interesting, and convincing way.
While writing is a skill by itself, there are different parts you need to be good at to be a strong writer. Important writing skills to learn include grammar, spelling, punctuation, making sense, and making your ideas clear.
For instance, imagine you're writing an email to your boss. You want to ask for a day off. It's important to use proper grammar and spelling so your request is clear and professional.
Additionally, using the correct punctuation and capitalization ensures that your message is polite and well-structured. For example, "I would like to take a day off to attend a family event" is much clearer than "i would like to take a day off to attend a family event".
Using the right punctuation makes sure your message is clear. For example, "Let’s eat, Grandpa!" and "Let’s eat Grandpa!" mean two different things!
Your writing will also be better if it follows a clear structure and your ideas are easy to understand without being too long or confusing.
Why Should Creators Work on Their Writing Skills Through Exercises?
Improving your writing helps convince your audience. For example:
- A catchy subject line in an email makes people want to open it.
- Engaging words on a website encourage visitors to buy things.
- Interesting emails help boost sales.
As a creator, you want to see good results from your writing. And creators do a lot of writing.
Here are some common ways writing comes up in your work:
- Making landing pages: You need good writing for landing pages, from catchy titles to descriptions and buttons.
- Creating sign-up forms: The words on your forms can attract or turn away readers. You need good writing for titles, descriptions, and calls to action.
- Crafting newsletters: A good newsletter grabs readers' attention with interesting subject lines and keeps them reading with personal content.
- Making paid newsletters: Writing has to be even better for paid newsletters.
- Creating lead magnets: Checklists, guides, and cheat sheets all need good writing for titles and content.
- Making email sequences: You need to write emails for evergreen sequences or automated campaigns.
- Creating digital products: Writing is important for ebooks, product descriptions, and explaining the benefits of your products.
- Writing blog posts: Good writing is important for blog posts.
- Crafting social media posts: Social media needs good writing to share content successfully.
10 Exercises for Beginners to Master Writing
Improving as a writer takes time and effort. Doing writing exercises keeps your creativity flowing and prevents writer’s block. Even if you can’t stick to a routine perfectly, don’t worry. Life gets busy. Just forgive yourself and try again tomorrow.
1.Free Write
Free-write, also known as brain dumping. If you find it hard to put your thoughts on paper, give freewriting a shot.
During freewriting, jot down everything that comes to mind about a topic without stopping or erasing, even if it seems messy!
You don't have to write about deep subjects; everyday topics work too, like something you're passionate about, like an industry or a hobby.
This kind of writing, especially in newsletters, has become popular. Business coach Niels Janszen uses freewriting to consistently write blog posts for his business.
What types of writing benefit from freewriting?
Freewriting makes it easier to create longer content, like:
- Email sequences
- Newsletter essays
- Topic-specific ebooks
- Lengthy sales pages
- Freewriting tools
You can start with simple tools like:
- Pen and paper
- Word processors like Evernote
- Apps like 750 Words (free) and Daily Page (paid)
After dumping your thoughts onto paper, you'll feel lighter and have lots of ideas for your content.
Tip: Save your freewriting. You might find useful phrases for future content.
2. Beat writer’s block with prompts
If you’re stuck, try writing prompts to kickstart your creativity.
Like stretching before a run, prompts warm up your writing muscles. They trigger memories, emotions, or opinions to get you writing.
For instance, a prompt like “What did a teacher teach you?” might bring back a vivid school memory.
What types of writing benefit from prompts?
Prompts help you start and finish writing, whether it’s for:
- Social media posts
- Blog articles
- Email newsletters
- Sales pages
Where to find prompts
You can find prompts for free on:
- Tumblr
- Prompt generators
- Daily prompts
Each prompt gives you ideas and guides your writing.
Tip: Even if prompts lead to unrelated writing at first, they'll warm up your brain for work.
3. Storytelling for Business
Storytelling is a powerful business tool that captivates your audience and drives them towards making purchases. Stories create deeper connections and make your product memorable.
What types of writing benefit from story rolling?
This method helps you craft engaging stories for your audience, making your offerings more appealing. You can use these stories in:
- Sales pages: Coaches can share their own or client stories to persuade leads.
- Email newsletters: Sharing stories builds intimacy and engagement.
Resources for story rolling
If you're rusty on storytelling, you can use dice prompts from a website. Search "roll a story" for more ideas.
Tip: Writing more stories enhances empathy, a crucial skill for understanding your audience better.
4. Write a Basic Guide About Your Passion
As a creator, your goal is to interest your audience in your products, not overwhelm them. To keep them engaged, make sure your writing is clear and easy to grasp.
To practice writing simple content, spend ten minutes daily creating a beginner’s guide on a topic you know well. Write it as if explaining to someone new to the subject.
If a full guide seems daunting, start with smaller tasks like mock social media posts.
What types of writing benefit from creating a guide?
This exercise is useful for any content that needs breaking down complex ideas into simple, easy-to-understand pieces, such as:
- Creating lead magnets
- Developing email sequences or courses
- Writing ebooks to explain concepts or processes
Tip: Get a friend or family member to review your guide to see if they understand the concept by the end.
5. Write with Random Words
In this writing exercise, use a random word generator to get 10-15 words. Start freewriting and use all the generated words. The more you practice this, the more new words you'll pick up.
Gregg Hinthorn, who shares writing tips with almost half a million TikTok followers, emphasizes the importance of words in communication:
Words have specific meanings. Understanding these meanings helps writers express thoughts more accurately.
What types of writing benefit from this?
This practice enhances your vocabulary for vivid and accurate writing, which is useful for making:
- Landing pages
- Email newsletters
- Email sequences
Resources for writing with random words
You can use:
- A free random word generator
- A dictionary: Pick random words from three pages.
Tip: While learning new words improves your writing, Gregg advises caution in using words that might confuse your audience.
6. Write Letters to Different People
Inboxes are flooded with emails, so make your newsletter stand out by making it personal. Imagine you’re writing to someone close to you, like your past self, a friend, or a relative. This helps you get comfortable with friendly writing, which shines through in your newsletters. When your audience enjoys your content, promoting your offerings through your email list becomes easier.
What types of writing benefit from this?
This exercise particularly helps you craft engaging and enjoyable email newsletters.
Tip: Save the letters you write. You can reuse phrases for newsletter content later on.
7. Write about Your Day
Your readers are busy, so getting to the point is crucial. Learning to trim your writing to include only the essentials is valuable.
In website copywriting, you have limited words, so making each one count matters.
Short and clear writing is key. It makes your content more enjoyable to read and increases the likelihood of your readers reaching your call to action.
To practice trimming your writing, write about your day. Not everything that happens is worth sharing.
What types of writing benefit from this exercise?
This helps you be concise and focus on key ideas, which is handy for:
- Email sequences
- Opt-in forms with limited space
Tip: Only include what's important in this exercise. After writing about your day, see if you can eliminate any unnecessary points.
8. Revise Email Subject Lines (or Headlines)
In this exercise, dive into your inbox for inspiration. Rewrite and enhance subject lines from your favorite brands.
What types of writing benefit from this practice?
This exercise helps you create attention-grabbing subject lines for:
- Email subjects
- Headlines for opt-in forms
- Landing page headlines
Resources for rewriting subject lines
For more practice, try:
- Subject Line Tester
- ChatGPT for ideas
Tip: With ConvertKit, you can A/B test subject lines to find the most clickable one for each newsletter.
9. Turn Product Features into Benefits
Product features are dull, but benefits stir emotions and persuade.
To spice up your writing and create compelling copy, focus on turning features into customer benefits.
For this exercise, choose a product, list its features, and then transform each into a benefit.
When highlighting benefits, ask, “Why does this matter to someone?”
What types of writing benefit from this?
This exercise helps you write persuasive copy for:
- Sales pages
- Landing pages
10. Revise and Edit Previous Work
Professional writers know that the first draft isn't always great; the real magic comes from editing.
Unsure how to improve beyond fixing spelling and grammar? Try these tips:
- Use implicit comparisons in moderation
- Switch negative phrases to positive ones
- Read your work aloud to catch awkward sentences
- Cut out phrases like “for example” and “in other words”
- Swap adverbs for vivid verbs
What types of writing benefit from this exercise?
This helps you refine your writing and identify areas for improvement. It's useful for all types of writing, especially longer pieces like:
- Email newsletters
- Email sequences
- Sales pages
Tip: As you edit more, you'll see your strengths and weaknesses. Take note and focus on exercises that help you improve weak spots.
Final Thoughts
So, if you're eager to enhance your writing and truly engage your audience, there's good news: you don't need to dedicate hours each day to practice. By trying out a few quick (10-minute!) writing exercises, you can make significant progress, boosting your confidence and creating more effective marketing content. From free writing to crafting compelling stories and revising previous work, these exercises cover a range of skills needed for clearer, more engaging writing. So grab your pen and paper, and get ready to become a writing pro in no time!
FAQs
Why should I invest time in writing exercises?
Writing exercises are invaluable for enhancing your writing skills without committing extensive time. By dedicating just 10 minutes to these exercises, you can witness significant improvements in your writing clarity, engagement, and effectiveness, ultimately leading to better marketing content and stronger connections with your audience.
What types of writing benefit from these exercises?
These exercises cater to a diverse range of writing needs, including crafting engaging email sequences, compelling newsletter essays, persuasive sales pages, and captivating social media posts. Whether you're a blogger, marketer, or entrepreneur, these exercises can elevate your writing across various platforms and mediums.
How do these exercises contribute to business growth?
Improving your writing through exercises directly impacts your business by boosting audience engagement, increasing sales, and enhancing brand perception. Clear and compelling writing in landing pages, email newsletters, and social media posts can attract more customers, drive conversions, and ultimately contribute to the growth of your business.
What if I struggle to stick to a routine with these exercises?
Consistency is key, but it's understandable that life can get busy. Even if you can't adhere to a perfect routine, don't be discouraged. Simply forgiving yourself and trying again the next day is crucial. Remember, progress is incremental, and each session, no matter how short, contributes to your growth as a writer.
