

Ask HN: Any good stories you have about writing? - sscheper

For my online book (http://howtogetfocused.com), I'm writing a chapter on... writing.<p>I wanted to hear any stories you guys have come across as it relates to "writing." That is, interesting writing routines you've heard of, what  writing does for the mind. Why/why not you should write, etc. If you have any ideas, would appreciate any links or stories.
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raffi
I used to work as a scientist for the Air Force and part of my job was writing
reports and proposals. My community expected clear and concise technical
writing. At the time I had a lot of trouble with passive voice and complex
expressions. I was intimidated by our style guidelines and it really made it
hard for me to start writing. One day I took a look at Style and Dict (GNU
Tools for checking your writing) and wondered if I could do better.

I then set out to create After the Deadline
(<http://www.afterthedeadline.com>) and it has changed my writing in two major
ways.

1) Having a good tool in my corner gave me the confidence to focus on the
content of my writing and not the mechanics. I knew I could run my writing
through my tool later and get rid of the passive voice and complex
expressions.

2) Having software beat me over the head with my bad habits forced me to
notice them and what they were. I then stopped making some of these same
mistakes. My writing is not perfect (and I'm in the position where some people
find meaning in their life pointing this out), but it's passable. :)

So my recommendation for writers:

Know that not all spell and grammar checking software sucks. There are
solutions beyond Microsoft Word. Find something that matches the style of
writing you're going for and use it to help with the mechanical things.

I also recommend turning off the "as you type" spell and grammar check as it's
a distraction.

~~~
sscheper
Wow, raffi. That's really neat stuff. I'll have to check it out.

Have you seen a new product called <http://scribeseo.com>

You could perhaps get a bundle deal going with those guys? However, the trick
would be balancing seo and writing for the reader.

Anyways, great stuff. Thanks a lot.

------
RyanMcGreal
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1120356>

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=778108>

(P.S. thanks, searchyc!)

------
krevels
George Orwell - Why I Write

<http://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw>

------
pmichaud
I wrote this a while back. Writing is Thinking:

[http://www.petermichaud.com/essays/the-secret-about-
writing-...](http://www.petermichaud.com/essays/the-secret-about-writing-that-
no-one-has-the-balls-to-tell-you/)

------
tankman
Maybe you will be as surprised as I was to hear the name Stephen King
mentioned in the context of writing advice, but 896 Amazon reviewers can't be
wrong:

Stephen King - On Writing:

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743455967?tag=0596800673-20&c...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743455967?tag=0596800673-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0743455967&adid=1GHWX3BNJZNJW5ZCMWCB&);

This is what Roger Ebert said about the book:

 _"A lot of people were outraged that he [King] was honored at the National
Book Awards, as if a popular writer could not be taken seriously. But after
finding that his book On Writing had more useful and observant things to say
about the craft than any book since Strunk and White's The Elements of Style,
I have gotten over my own snobbery."_

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Writing>

