Ask HN: How to write well?
I aspire to be a writer, and I am really not good with writing stuff. How can I improve that, I know it will take me next 10 years to be on same league with other prominent write. I dont know where and how to start.
When you start to write, know that what you are writing is shit. It is supposed to be. It's a first draft, and it's OK. Anything can be fixed, but right now, get that ink on paper.
1. Read, and write notes in the margins. It's your book. Break it. Mark every time there is conflict. 2. Understand that writing is re-writing 3. You will learn more from cutting than writing. 4. Actively critique other writers work (like at scribophile.com) 5. Join a writers group...either online or IRL. 6. Bare your soul.
Websites to consider: 750words.com (write everyday) stackedit.io (simple mark up that can push to gist/github for revisioning) Google+ Saturday Scenes. (Read daily works in progress) www.narrativebreakdown.com podcast (writing craft podcast) deadrobotssociety.com (writing podcast) www.typehammer.com podcast (3 geeks writing podcast)
There is so much more, but what I really hope you take away from this is that you write Every Fucking Day :)
A favorite book on this subject is 'on writing' by stephen king. One thing he describes that is important to all improvement is a feedback cycle, in other words, write, get criticisms, then re-write. I've found anecdotally that many good writers had a period in their life where they would re-write the same things many times. "Writing is re-writing" the quote goes.
Personally Ive found that I have to work on silencing the inner critic. If not, I find it difficult to write much of anything. My matra is usually 'get the basic idea down, then worry about it later' in rewriting of course.
PG's writings on this are also relevant: http://www.paulgraham.com/love.html
Though, if I were doing that, I might want to type in shorter pieces..
Second is hone your blogging skills or find a creative writing group... back when I ran a BBS we did a continuing story in the forums, where users would periodically add a few paragraphs to a story. Can't say it made me any of us great writers or anything, Again, good practice on writing, and that group (was RPG oriented tale by gamers) was low stress on making typos and grammar errors.
Honestly, just read other works and continue practicing. After a while you will create your own style.
If you're not sure, think about things that interest you. Start learning about those things, superficially at first. Don't commit to any something, and if something turns out boring and uninteresting, be willing to shift to something else. As you find something that really interests you, learn more. And more.
Find other people who are interested in that thing. Not just people who are interested in writing about it, but also or mainly people who are mainly interested in the thing itself. Hang out with those people, in digital space or meat space or both. Talk about the thing, laugh about it. Hang out with those people in other contexts.
Hang out with other people. Experience as much about the world as you can enjoyably or comfortably stand. Have things happen to you. Write about you experiences, in email or letters or a blog. Maybe keep a journal if it doesn't become a burden. The nice thing about email and letters is that you're mainly just communicating with people in your life, and maybe sometimes you're writing about your thing, but mostly you're just writing for enjoyment.
Learn about writing. Basic grammar and spelling, vocabulary. You don't have to be a technician, but knowing the basics of putting words together properly will keep your readers from being distracted by your language, and they can then become immersed in what you're communicating.
Take some literature classes. Short story writing. Poetry writing. Technical communication. Whatever else interests you. Beyond the mechanics of writing, it doesn't matter too much what specific classes you take, they'll all develop your writing and reading abilities.
Read a lot of good, enjoyable writing.
Learn to observe, maybe learn to draw.
Be interested, and be interesting. Don't bore yourself or others, and don't be annoying, in your life or in your writing.
Listen to people, and especially listen to yourself. Unless you're writing something academic or technical within strict constraints, try to write the way you speak. I personally try to write words that are easy to say together; if the words don't feel good in my mouth when I say them, I change them. I almost never say what I write out loud, but I almost always listen to what it sounds like in my head, to the point of moving my tongue with the words.
Listening to whatever popular music you like, and singing it, can help you develop a sense of what writing "sounds" good and what doesn't. Our species never evolved pencils on our fingers, but we've spoken and listened to each other for hundreds of thousands of years.
Become old. Write about the things you do along the way, and how you got that way. :)
Lots of books and other resources will be recommended to you, and most of them are good. Find one or two that you like, and study them. Ignore the ones you don't like.
The following comes up occasionally on HN. It's about story telling, mostly on the radio, but it's more generally about getting good at your craft. He makes the point over and over that you have to get through the early part when you're not very good, and do it anyway. Most people can't get good without first being not so good in the early days and years.
Ira Glass on Storytelling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxJ3FtCJJA