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Post by lorekeeper on Feb 23, 2022 10:28:52 GMT -5
I know this place is really for stories I think but this is about writing so I figured I would post it here.
I have never been a good writer. Way back in 5th grade, I was always so excited to try the new writing assignments. I worked hard on them and was so sure this time they would be right but they never were. My classmates would tell me they didn't understand them.
As I got older I had a real problem with grammer and I still do but my uncle would check my college papers and fix them. He would tell me the problems but I could never see them myself. So long story short I have never been very good at writing.
A little while ago I got into writing short stories for a Halloween challenge and to my surprise people liked them. I am not sure what changed or why. I want to get better though. so I am looking for tips on improving. I know practice helps and rp can be good for that, but what do you suggest helps?
So I thought I would make a place for others like me to come for tips. I will try and read any and all ones I get. Also feel free to ask each other questions if there is a specific thing you want to know.
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Post by *•.¸♡𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦♡¸.•* on Feb 23, 2022 17:36:19 GMT -5
One thing that really helped me improve my writing was reading stories written by professionals and basing my writing on that. Not only did it help me write better, but it also helped me read more. For me personally, roleplays never helped me with my writing, in fact, I'm a much better writer when I'm not replying to a roleplay, but obviously, this is just me and it can definitely help others, just not me personally.
If you need help with grammar, having either an app to help you with that or a person who can proofread it for you is always a help
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Post by Brownie on Mar 4, 2022 23:11:24 GMT -5
Like any skill, you can only get better by writing. Practice is the easiest (and hardest) way to get better, and improvement will come with time. There's a few things you can focus on to really get good practice in though.
Challenge yourself. Try a new tense, or perspective, or set limitations (no dialogue is a very good one that helps focus your prose). Don't worry about getting it "right" just keep at it for a while. You can go back later and edit/see what went wrong later.
Write daily. Really, even if it's just 1k words, or even 500, whatever is manageable for you. But you gotta keep at it.
If you have problems with grammar even with a good word processor, maybe have a grammar book beside you while you edit. You don't start out having good grammar without teaching yourself; don't be too hard on getting it right first try either, most people don't have perfect grammar(or spelling, or anything really) on their first drafts. It's a hard lesson to learn, but first drafts don't need to be good they just need to get your ideas across enough that you can go back and take your time editing.
As for big picture things like good characters or plot or form, the best way to assimilate those things is to read more. Find things you like (or better, dislike) from other writers' works and figure out WHY exactly they were good/bad in as simple and small ways as possible.
[[ For example, I was reading something I liked a lot recently. It was shortform, but they already had relatable and sympathetic characters in the first 1k words. I let myself enjoy the story the first time, but going back I can look further into it and see that I liked the narration because of clever fourth wall breaks, dramatic irony (you know things the characters don't), and really hilarious similes. I liked the character herself because her motives were very clear from the beginning and she stuck hard to a few very distinct character traits throughout the entire introduction: she was introduced as a simple, 2D archetype and after using that to establish her goals, the author could make her more complex once he gave that amazingly solid base to work from. ]]
Things like that also come with time writing tho and experimenting with what works and doesn't work for you and exploring the different ways a story can be presented. That's why my first tip is important: going outside of your comfort zone and putting limitations (or breaking them) allows you to learn not only WHAT makes good prose, but WHY it makes good prose.
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Pansexual
thedeviousangel
I will not be active much because I have to deal with life.
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Post by thedeviousangel on Mar 9, 2022 14:45:39 GMT -5
I used to struggle with writing a lot, as well! I honestly have the Grammarly extension on my MacBook, and on my phone, I use the Grammarly keyboard. And if you write in places like Word, they will point out grammar and spelling errors. You also should be writing a LOT if you really want to write. Practice will definitely help. I love writing. In fact, I am working on a novel right now! I am still in the plotting process. Speaking of plotting, if you plan on writing any story, I would suggest plotting. I know it's the most fun thing to do, but once you have the general plot, you'll know what to write! And if you struggle with staying on topic and going in the right direction, as I do, I would also suggest plotting out each individual chapter! And do research on your genre, etc,. Also, research the number of words and pages and things like that. I do it, and it helps me plan everything so I get in the mood to write and I know what to do!
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