Writing A Thread to Authors

[Macha]

I used to think the fastest way to become a better writer was simply to write a lot and stay productive.

But it turns out, there’s something that can make you improve even faster than just writing endlessly. It's called training your skills of observation, analysis, and studying other writing.

Why? Because you can’t write something good if you don’t even understand what makes writing good in the first place. You need to know how writing actually works.

 

[AmbreaTaddy]

I used to think the fastest way to become a better writer was simply to write a lot and stay productive.

But it turns out, there’s something that can make you improve even faster than just writing endlessly. It's called training your skills of observation, analysis, and studying other writing.

Why? Because you can’t write something good if you don’t even understand what makes writing good in the first place. You need to know how writing actually works.

Indeed. It's just like with drawing. The saying 'you get better the more you draw' is bullshit, you need to learn observation, perspective, anatomy, lighting, color theory, etc... to improve. Same with writing.

If the only thing you do is keep writing without learning, the only thing you will do is carve your bad habits into your brain until it can't be corrected anymore, and then you will stay a bad writer for life.

A good artist consumes art, a good author reads a lot.

To know what is good, to observe, to improve, and to enjoy.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The most common advice I've seen veteran writers give hopefuls is best summarized as this:

1. Write
2. When not writing, read - read ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, even stuff you don't like, just read.
3. When not reading, go out and observe, watch people interact, observe nature, watch a traffic jam resolve, sit at a cafe and just watch people eat. 4. Read some more.
5. Write.
6. Sleep.
7. Repeat for 3-6 days, then take a day off to relax and do other things before repeating again.

 

[Eldoria]

I prefer to call it narrating rather than writing. Why? Writing is merely a technical matter. We simply scribble and type on a keyboard. But narrating is about building a vivid story in the imagination (both in the mind of the writer and the reader).

We need to enter the 'creative world', designing vivid characters, building a world, constructing conflicts and plots, and inserting moral/humanitarian values. It's not easy at all; narrating is like building an (imaginary) world from scratch. The difficulty will continue to increase as the number of chapters increases because we must maintain the story's coherence, and to achieve that, we must remember every aspect of the story in detail.

Therefore, it's not surprising that fiction is often rewritten, perhaps because the author finds a plot hole or wants to improve the narrative. Narrating is, at its core, a creative activity.

 

[Deleted member 167438]

It is sad that most people are not taught how to write in a way that is nice to read. We used to long ago. My suggestion for everyone is to read the Elegance of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

We need to enter the 'creative world',

There is a guy just down the street that can sell you some stuff that lets you enter the creative world, or any other world for that matter, for a few bucks. He only takes cash though, no cards.

 

[Corty]

I also believe that you need a basic talent/affinity for it, even to be able to improve. Some have it, some don't.

 

[Bald-san]

I used to think the fastest way to become a better writer was simply to write a lot and stay productive.

But it turns out, there’s something that can make you improve even faster than just writing endlessly. It's called training your skills of observation, analysis, and studying other writing.

Why? Because you can’t write something good if you don’t even understand what makes writing good in the first place. You need to know how writing actually works.

There's someone in this forum that says something like 'If you can't get turned on by your characters, are they really good characters?' or something

 

[LightHikari]

I also believe that you need a basic talent/affinity for it, even to be able to improve. Some have it, some don't.

True, I need to write a self insert called "Among the Talented"

 

[Akkizakura]

I hate it when people praise me for being talented like my hard work don't matter.

 

[OrionFall]

I used to think the fastest way to become a better writer was simply to write a lot and stay productive.

But it turns out, there’s something that can make you improve even faster than just writing endlessly. It's called training your skills of observation, analysis, and studying other writing.

Why? Because you can’t write something good if you don’t even understand what makes writing good in the first place. You need to know how writing actually works.

I was reading Mary Olivers A poetry handbook and she mentions something very similar. Paraphrasing a little she essentially says that no matter how many workshops you attend and poems you write, it will never be more valuable than reading a good poem and understanding why its good.

 

[JayMark]

I hate it when people praise me for working hard as if I have no talent.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

I hate when people praise me... I just want positive affirmations.

 

[Eldoria]

I hate when you say things I don't understand. lol

 

[Hoshino]

I hate when people praise me. I want hate-nya.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

There is a guy just down the street that can sell you some stuff that lets you enter the creative world, or any other world for that matter, for a few bucks. He only takes cash though, no cards.

Is it less than $50 per book? That seems to be the going rate around here for access to other worlds... That and whoring yourself out to find players (or going to conventions, which isn't much different)

 

[Macha]

I hate when people praise me. I want hate-nya.

If you want it, then you'll have to take it.

 

[Deleted member 167438]

I hate when people praise me. I want hate-nya.

All you need to do then is to start writing NTR.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

All you need to do then is to start writing NTR.

INTENTIONALLY write NTR. When I accidentally did it, I got compliments on it (though there were also a few requests to kill off the guy who was being NTR'd)

 

[Anonjohn20]

All you need to do then is to start writing NTR.

If someone praises a story without acknowledging the author, does the author feel like his story is getting pleasured by someone else?