Wriging Thread: How to improve my writing

How to improve my writing

h3rald — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 18:23:33

Read a lot of *good* articles and books. Start by looking for blogs which cover some things you're interested in, and have a look at how they write their posts.

Additionally, I'd also recommend some books written by some "witty" authors, like Oscar Wilde and (one of my favourites) Mark Twain. His style was very inspiring for me.

How to improve my writing

SimplyJessica — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:25:46

I just talked to someone from Admissions at Naropa. They said that it's going cost me more if I take the course for credit towards a bachelor's degree in writing and literature from their "Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics".

How to improve my writing

Kamigoroshi — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:37:11

I can't really speak for more professional forms of blogging, but I can speak for personal blogging at least. I wrote about this before though in a guide on personal blogging entitled "Writing The Picture of a Personal Blog"

In short really the 5 ways I think would improve the way people write and blog are:

Emulate personal bloggers and writers you like.
Learn to express without telling.
Grow with your readers.
Don’t overdo it.
Don’t hold yourself back

At the end of it, improvement is all about exposure and practice. The more you read and write, the more you will improve. Don't forget to accept criticisms from other people as well. While compliments boost your confidence, it is the criticisms that help you correct what you do wrong.

Just remember that no one is good off the block. It takes time and plenty of effort, so be patient.

How to improve my writing

hthth — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:11:48

Great advice here. I'm going to add that (a) you caught my interest, (b) I enjoyed reading your note and subsequent comments. That's more than I can say for many blogs I've come across, so I'd say go ahead and start — improve as you go along.

Make sure not to miss these notes on the same issue:

How to improve my writing

cooper — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:06:14

Purdue online writing lab.

A copy of The Elements of Style probably wouldn't hurt.

The more you read the better you will write, generally speaking that is.

How to improve my writing

SimplyJessica — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:15:35

Yeah. I really like to learn new words and see if I can't use them in my daily speech. Word a day e-mail mailing lists really help for this purpose.

How to improve my writing

loism — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:29:59

Hmm, I will rewrite certain paragraphs in any story I've read to suit my life situations while retaining the use of some beautiful expressions. That helps me quite well.

How to improve my writing

SimplyJessica — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:55:53

Thanks. Because I want to start a quality blog for my web design business and for my personal life. However, the thing is that I was stuck in special education classes because my behaviour was abnormal as a child. I was stuck in classes with education geared towards people with learning disabilities or disorders.

But I was able to get out of special education in middle school by phoning the ACLU. Well, in all classes but English. And the ACLU didn't help me fight on that one.

How to improve my writing

davidhayes — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:55:10

I've never done Naropa's (or anyone else's) Writing Program. But I do think writing classes are generally useful because (1) they force you to write, and (2) they get you feedback from others. So if you can afford it, I think its a reasonable idea to do that (or any) writing program.

Now, to really improve your writing there are really only two things to do: read and write. That sounds straightforward, but a lot of people seem to forget it.

Reading--especially if you do enough from a wide enough variety of sources--shows you how to use words, construct sentences, and organize stories or arguments. It may be the single most useful thing for any writer.

Having said that, writing's obviously important. As you first start to write, you'll probably think that what you're producing is garbage. You may even be right. But with time and effort and attention, you're sure to improve. And in my experiences, a blog, especially if your goal is just to practice writing, is a great place to do it. It's both more public than your own word processor or typewriter (which encourages you to edit better) and more interactive (free feedback, even if only rarely).

How to improve my writing

estarla — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:51:54

I've never been to that writing program, but I'm thinking that can't hurt--only help. :)

What I can say as for improving your writing is that you improve by doing. You'll be able to find your own voice and style only by showcasing your stuff. When you make yourself vulnerable you also leave yourself open to constructive critique that will, in turn, help you. No blogs, even writing blogs, ever have that static, perfect style, quality or pitch all the way through. Everyone's writing style evolves the more they write. 9rules is a great place to get that sort of input, so my suggestion would be to paste a sample from time to time, here, and ask people what they think, what they think you could improve on, etc.

Good luck!!

How to improve my writing

SimplyJessica — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:43:08

I am considering starting a blog, because I have an opinion that differs from the norm. But here is the big issue - I can't write for shit. I can spell well, but my usage of grammar and punctuation at times is subpar. What can you recommend to help me improve my writing skills?

Also, I am considering going to Naropa's Summer Writing Program so I can improve my writing. Does anyone have experience with this program?