

Ask HN: How to write well? - arjitkp

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.
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echolima
Before I give you my list, here is the most important thing: Write every day.
Every day touch your work. If you are blocked, write through the block. Do not
make deals with yourself, like "I will write after my enjoy my coffee."
Bullocks. Write, then enjoy the coffee.

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 :)

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b_emery
There is no other way than to read and write a lot. And it will take years but
don't let that stop you. Focus on the process.

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](http://www.paulgraham.com/love.html)

~~~
herah
^ Could not agree more!

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LarryMade2
I read an anecdote about Hunter S. Thompson wanted to learn to write as well
as F Scott Fitzgerald, what he did was take the Great Gatsby and retyped it
manually on his typewriter - twice. Something like this could be good practice
not only in typing but while doing it word for word you think about how it was
written and would give you insight in how to write better.

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.

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kindlez
First start with proofreading ;)

Honestly, just read other works and continue practicing. After a while you
will create your own style.

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a3n
What do you want to write about? You don't have to have an answer at the
moment, and it will change over the years, but you should think about it.

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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loxJ3FtCJJA)

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thoman23
I believe you mean "How to write _good_ ".

