Writing in English

We did an amazingly extensive research and sum up what we had learned into four principles and five tips.
First Principle: Clarity.
Writing to serve people, not to impress them.
Second Principle: Simplicity.
Writing is not something you have to embroider with fancy stitches to make yourself look smart.
Third Principle: Brevity.
Short sentences are better than long sentences. Don’t say anything in writing that you wouldn’t comfortably say in conversation. Writing is talking to someone else on paper.
Fourth Principle: Humanity.
Be yourself. Never try in your writing to be someone you’re not. You will need influences, but your writing should be your voice.

The Tips are:
1. Read in English
The easiest way to get started with reading in English rather than your own language is to pick up a non-fiction book on a familiar topic. Non-fiction tends to be easier to follow than fiction (fiction authors use tricky words to touch their readers’ feelings) and reading about a familiar topic makes it easier to guess what the author is trying to say to you when you don’t quite understand the words he’s using.
2. Listen to native speakers
The Internet comes to rescue here through podcasts and videos from speaking events. Pick your favorite speakers and listen to them deliver their message.
3. Write
Write in different styles: lists, humorous, serious, interviews, just to get more practice.
4. When writing in English, think in English
This is one of the most important tips that separate a decent foreign language writer from a lousy one. The lousy writer thinks in his own language and then tries to translate his thoughts to English. It doesn’t work: the idioms, grammar rules, and cultural differences make text written in this manner sound clumsy and unnatural.
Pretend to be a native speaker of English until the work is done.
5. Study spelling and grammar
Learning to spell is integral to good writing, because correct spelling ultimately helps you communicate your message to others. Since language is shared, then your spelling must follow the accepted standard pattern. Correct spelling gives writing credibility.
Good grammar prevents ambiguity. Make sure you at least know the parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Know the difference between the active voice and passive voice.

Bonus Track (God’s advice):
You shall never steal other people's work around the internet.


“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
from Samuel Beckett’s Worstward Ho