How to Improve Writing Skills When You’re Dyslexic

Learn practical techniques to refine your writing.

Writing can feel like a constant uphill battle when you’re dyslexic. The pressure to get everything right, including spelling, grammar, and structure, while still making your point, can be exhausting. And because strong writing is often perceived as a talent rather than a skill, it’s easy to assume you’re just not cut out for it.

But here’s the truth: great writing is built, not born. And with the right approach, you can improve your writing skills, not by copying how others do it, but by finding techniques that actually work for you.

1. Don’t Edit While You Write, Just Get It Down

One of the biggest breakthroughs in my own writing came when I was working on my novel, The Founder Seeds Awakening. I used to get stuck trying to fix every red underline as I typed, constantly interrupting my own flow. It wasn’t until I gave myself permission to just write badly first, get the ideas down, and shape each section roughly, that I finally made real progress.

This approach works whether you're writing a novel, an email, a CV, or a presentation script. Get the skeleton down first. Then go back with tools like Grammarly to clean it up and improve the flow.

2. Use Tech That Works With Your Brain

I use assistive technology every day, and it’s helped me achieve things that felt out of reach when I was younger. From writing long-form content to short daily tasks, these tools allow me to focus on ideas and structure without being constantly derailed by spelling or grammar worries.

Some of the most effective tools recommended by dyslexia specialists include:

• Grammarly – for grammar, tone and structure suggestions

• Hemingway Editor – to simplify complex sentences

• Speechify / Natural Reader – to hear your writing read back

• ChatGPT – to help organise, reword, or expand your content

• Mind-mapping tools – like Miro or MindMeister, for planning

While I rarely use voice typing, if I do, it’s always in conjunction with tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT. Voice input alone can be tricky, especially when punctuation isn’t captured well, but combining it with smart editing tools brings much-needed clarity and structure.

3. Think Like a Storyteller — Even in Professional Writing

No matter what you're writing, it helps to approach it like you're telling a story. Ask yourself:

• Who’s going to read this?

• What’s the message or takeaway?

• What do they need to know and in what order, for it to make sense?

This kind of thinking helps you stay clear, focused, and logical, whether you're writing a cover letter, a proposal, or a LinkedIn post. Great writing isn’t about sounding clever. It’s about being understood.

4. Don’t Aim to Impress — Aim to Connect

When I coach people on communication, I always say: speak and write in a way that people can understand. That’s what the most effective communicators do: they simplify, clarify, and connect.

Take inspiration from speakers like David Attenborough or Brené Brown. Their power doesn’t come from complexity; it comes from clarity.

And that applies to writing, too. Use plain English. Keep your sentences short. Cut out the filler. You don’t need long words or perfect grammar, you need your point to land.

5. Build Confidence by Practising Little and Often

Writing confidence doesn’t come from big wins, it comes from small, regular practice.

Write short notes. Reflect in a journal. Draft posts or emails without pressure. Bit by bit, you’ll build fluency and find your own style, one that works for your brain.

At Pro Dyslexic, we don’t offer writing services, but we do offer career coaching and business support, where writing tips, communication strategies, and confidence-building techniques are all part of the journey because you don’t have to tackle this alone.

Let’s build a future where your ideas are heard, your words have impact, and your writing, in whatever form it takes, becomes something you feel proud of.