How did you learn to write well?
If you have spelling or grammar questions, please post them in the International Grammar section.
If you want feedback for poetry or short stories you have written, please post the poem or short story in either the Creative Original Works: Short Stories section or the Creative Original Works: Poetry section.
If you have a book that you want reviewed, click here to submit your book for review.
- jamespoet
- Posts: 129
- Joined: 25 Mar 2014, 18:12
- Favorite Book: FAHRENHEIT 451
- Currently Reading: THE FOREVER WAR and DANCING AZTECS
- Bookshelf Size: 1
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jamespoet.html
- Latest Review: "Laikanist Times" by Dylan Malik Orchard
Re: How did you learn to write well?
- H0LD0Nthere
- Posts: 445
- Joined: 18 Jan 2014, 23:04
- Favorite Book: Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
- Bookshelf Size: 52
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-h0ld0nthere.html
- Latest Review: "Adventures in space & fiction fantasy" by Robin G Howard
-
- Posts: 432
- Joined: 04 Feb 2014, 21:45
- Currently Reading: Cat's Cradle
- Bookshelf Size: 20
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kismoody.html
- Latest Review: A Script For Aspiring Women Leaders by Mark Villareal
- jamespoet
- Posts: 129
- Joined: 25 Mar 2014, 18:12
- Favorite Book: FAHRENHEIT 451
- Currently Reading: THE FOREVER WAR and DANCING AZTECS
- Bookshelf Size: 1
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jamespoet.html
- Latest Review: "Laikanist Times" by Dylan Malik Orchard
Even when you get better and better with practice, you can't help but mimick those you read and/or admire from time to time. For instance, I was getting on a Charles Bukowski kick for a couple months, and during those months everything I wrote came out with a lot of similar, Bukowkian phraseology. It usually takes to to be able to work through that, and even then it's still a challange. But a good and healthy challange.kismoody wrote:I learned by mimicking other people's writing styles (not plagiarizing, I didn't actually use their words). It's an on-going process still, though.
- hopeingod
- Posts: 82
- Joined: 03 Apr 2014, 11:01
- Bookshelf Size: 0
As a reporter, I learned to find the mountain in a molehill, to make non-issues sound important and controversial. It also kept me on the track of providing a catch phrase at the start, something to draw in the reader. Movies are produced like that as well, I've noticed.
As for changing sentence structure by shifting phrases from the beginning of the sentence the end, and visa versa, that developed early on, in school. English was always one of my strong subjects. How I hated the sciences and advanced math!
- H0LD0Nthere
- Posts: 445
- Joined: 18 Jan 2014, 23:04
- Favorite Book: Til We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
- Bookshelf Size: 52
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-h0ld0nthere.html
- Latest Review: "Adventures in space & fiction fantasy" by Robin G Howard
- moderntimes
- Posts: 2249
- Joined: 15 Mar 2014, 13:03
- Favorite Book: Ulysses by James Joyce
- Currently Reading: Grendel by John Gardner
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I did however learn to write if not well, then suitably, in college lit classes (yes you can learn something if your prof is a good one!) and also working on a small underground newsletter that I wrote and handed out free (this was the 60s after all). Later I worked as a stringer for the AP and for a couple of major newspapers, and briefly was a reporter (cub, read: cheap labor) till I moved away. I also worked for a small slick local magazine and for a couple of local weeklies.
Renting yourself out for local small papers for very low wages is an excellent way to increase your skill as a writer. Nothing stimulates the creativity gene like having to make deadline, and nothing is a better incentive than seeing your name in print.
I have always written fiction, too, and had a few short stories published here and there, plus sold a few articles to major magazines occasionally. Never enough to support myself, but even a few bucks, a check saying "Pay to the order of..." is an ego boost.
And now I mostly focus on my mystery novels, 2 published, the 3rd of the series now in progress. I can really see how much better the 2nd novel is than the 1st. And having learned by doing, hopefully the 3rd will be even better.
-
- Posts: 10
- Joined: 09 Apr 2014, 22:12
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. It began when I was a child and would write in my purple, fuzzy, Power Puff Girl diary. I remember writing about my time in school, the boys I had a crush on, or the daily girl drama. As I grew older, I kept a journal with all of my thoughts written down, that way I could release the the ideas that, I felt, other people would think were crazy. Of course, as many college students do, I had to write my fair share of formal research and analytical papers. I ended up writing and preparing for a few collegiate debates in my time, and never lost one match up. Now, as a graduate with a "job", I am in search of a writing outlet, a way in which I can let my true thoughts on various topics out. All in all, I learned how to write well through various experiences throughout my life. I never gave up on it and quite frankly, I am still learning and am perfecting my craft of writing.
Thank you,
DiDi
-
- Posts: 85
- Joined: 18 Mar 2014, 20:52
- Bookshelf Size: 0
I struggled at times with my first novel, and once I started my second I could already see a huge improvement in my writing.
Practice makes (insert any positive word other than perfect here)
-
- Posts: 87
- Joined: 12 Jul 2014, 20:54
- Bookshelf Size: 1
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thsavage2.html
- Latest Review: "The Edifice (Drifter Book 1)" by R. K. Holliday
- Vimtuous
- Posts: 78
- Joined: 11 Jul 2014, 19:36
- Bookshelf Size: 2
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-vimtuous.html
- Latest Review: "Puffy and the Formidable Foe" by Marie Lepkowski and Ann Marie Hannon
- SidnayC
- Posts: 376
- Joined: 04 Jul 2014, 11:14
- Favorite Book: I am yet to read a book worthy
- Currently Reading: Inescapable by Amy Bartol
- Bookshelf Size: 7
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sidnayc.html
- Latest Review: "Vampire prince" by Iris van Gorp
-
- Posts: 26
- Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 03:17
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reshmi
- Posts: 76
- Joined: 08 Jul 2014, 03:30
- Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice
- Currently Reading: Our Lady of Alice Bhatti
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-reshmi.html
- shurbooks_com
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 18 Jul 2014, 04:16
- Bookshelf Size: 0
2nd by listening - specially to another authors/publishers best and non-sellers
3rd by writting as a beast. Practice is the only technique!