First things first: learn the skill

I was reading a post on Tyner Blain entitled, "Requirements management software will not solve the problem." Scott's point is the use of requirements management software does not mean you will have decent requirements for your project. I agree whole-heartedly.

I have found writing requirements is very different from writing prose or telling a story. Just because you have MS Word or another word processor it does not mean you are a writer. A person could be a writer using a word processor, an old-fashioned typewriter, or even pen and paper. The skills and talent to be a writer do not come from the tools used.
Writing requirements is a skill. And as with any skill, it needs to be cultivated and practised. To help you learn this I have put together a lot of posts on items that will help you improve. After you have increased your proficiency, you will be ready to use requirements management tools to improve your productivity. Note that it will take time to learn how to use the tools properly to gain all of the benefits they provide.

Cultivating the skill
Below are some of my older posts that will help you hone your requirements writing skills.

Tips on how to gather requirements: Understanding the Situation, Requirement Gathering Techniques, Expectation Setting, Time Estimation, Preparation and Words to Look Out For.

Tips for writing requirements: Correctness, Completeness, Clarity, Consistency, Testability, Traceability, Feasibility and Design Independence.

Things to avoid when writing requirements: Ambiguity, Multiple Requirements, Escapes Clauses, Rambling & Mixing, Speculation & Jargon, and Wishful Thinking.