writing help: I want to become a better writer. - Help.com

Wow! From what I have read from you here at help.com I have always felt you are pretty skilled and thoughtful in your writing. What I have always been told by my mom is, “if you wanna write better …read more.” I went to hear the author, Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones, Wild Mind) speak a couple of months ago and this was also her suggestion.

http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/

http://books.google.com/books?as_auth…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_…

My good friend, who is a college Literature instructor encourages her students to read well known authors and write about what they read in a journal for practice.

No reason to feel inferior! From reading your posts and responses I think you are on to something already! :)

My tips are to find books that you feel are by your definition “well written” and don’t let someone get you down because they felt you didn’t deserve the award. Thats just one or two people, whether it be a teacher or a complete stranger, its still just there opinion. To make the point that I’m trying to get at, not everyone likes the same music if you get what I mean.

As for getting better, just keep up on your own reading and move forward, just keep writing. Send in your writings to some authors online or other people who you feel may be qualified to judge your work.

I went to a site for a long time writing short stories and the occasional script it was fanstory dot com there is a membership fee but it’s really cheap and well worth all of the help that you get from it. Really get in depth a really cool site even if you just wanna check out what others wrote and what reviews and comments they got for refrences.

A few months ago I downloaded a trial version of some sort of writing software that I never tried. Then they emailed me some “writing tips” which look somewhat sensible. If you want I’ll forward the 15 emails of writing tips to you.

Well I am not the greatest writer but I have noticed reading helps with building your writing “vocabulary.” By reading it gives you a variety of styles, sentance structures, plot building techniques etc that you can integrate into your own writing style. Another thing is take time for yourself to write about things you are passionate towards. You may already do that here at help, I don’t know.

Nevertheless just the fact that you are 17… 17, and on here looking for help in your writing says that you have initiative, you have drive, you have a will to better yourself and do great things.

When I first started playing guitar I was discouraged everytime I watched or listened to Hendrix and Buckethead and Slash and all of the greats. I am a perfectionist by design so naturally I wanted to be up there with the best. After I kept playing for a while I started improving pretty quickly and the notion of competiting with the guitar legends no longer mattered. I merely wanted to pursue my own style. I could not become the master of hendrix, or the king of van halen, instead I sought to create a style that was unique, that was me, and that style would eveolve as I did.

Take my opinion for what its worth, I am no master of anything, but I think with any sort of artistic expression, if you really want to be great, you have to be yourself.

Hendrix didn’t create rock by copying someone else. And I am certain in the beginning people couldn’t stand the noise that he played…but eventually he became a guitar God.

Hope that helps raikaru.

Yay! I hope you find some suggestions that will be encouraging… although I really think you are already well on you way! :)

Offer to write articles for a local paper maybe? Happy articles:)

You write very well now…just keep away from the dark stuff…I enjoy the sunshine that radiates from your words..we see it, although sometimes you my not:) Adding joyful words to the world is a big plus and a rare gift..:)

The pen is the most power tool in the world…it’s like a sword..use it wisely…lol

I have a place you can summit article to, if you need one. They’re cool and enjoy printing issues from different country’s. It’s called CBC. They are good people:)

Michael Leibman wrote:
A few months ago I downloaded a trial version of some sort of writing software that I never tried.

I noticed you finally clicked the email box, but by now I found that website — you might like to try this program, I remember being impressed (beyond what I might be by seeing such an awful website) :

http://www.ideaweaversoftware.com/?so…

Be creative and very descriptive. Dont use stupid words like pretty, use magnicifant or magestic and beautiful. Write stuff people dont think of and put your heart and voice into it.

raikaru wrote:
Oh sorry, I’m a huge flake and I tend to be forgetful, I hope you didn’t take that personally. Thank you so much though for the link though. :)

Sure, no problem.

I agree, I believe you already write well.

You are an excellent writer. Get a copy of The Elements of Style if you don’t have one (although it’s a bit dated). Also, I loved On Writing by Stephen King.

I write on Urbis.com and it sure helps reviewing others work and getting yours reviewed. But it does take a lot of time and involvement.

And just live it “Be a writer”, say it, breathe it live it.

I also like to post things on www.poetbay.com

http://www.forwriters.com/groups.html

I was going to say writing down the bones by natalie goldberg but it looks like the first one mentioned. So…. get the book, read it, write.