Been here 3 weeks not sure if I'm doing this right.

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   Tjphilz5posted 9 years ago

   Hello everyone,
   
   First I would like to say hello My tame Is Tyler and it's very nice to meet you all. I started here about 3 weeks ago and my hope is that I can use this place to become a writer. I truly don't consider myself a writer and who knows maybe I never will. My hope however is to continue to try until someone tells me that there is no use I'll never become one. That being said are there any specific ways that I can get people to give honest feedback on my hubs without seeming spammy? I really just want to become a better writer, my hope is to some day start a online business and I feel that in order to do that successfully I need to be a good writer. Any help will be very appreciated

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      misty103posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The best way is just to ask and take any advice offered. I read two of your hubs and commented on them they were both well written and interesting. My only suggestion is to read your work backwards when you are done it helps to catch typos.

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         Tjphilz5posted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you for the advice and commendation. Reading backwards, I never would have thought of that thank you I will try that on my next Hub

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      Fiction Tellerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Tyler,
      
      After looking at your hubs and reading your posts, I have a few recommendations for how you can improve.
      
      A) Your writing is wordy. Try some version of the following rewriting exercise to work on that:
      
      1) Pick out one of your hubs.
      2) Rewrite the hub using just one brief sentence that gets to the heart of what you are saying.  (Kind of like a thesis statement.)
      3) Now, rewrite the hub once more, this time using about five sentences, making sure these five sentences capture all your essential points.
      4) Next, take those five sentences and expand them into five paragraphs.
      5) Add two more paragraphs: an introduction and a conclusion. They should each be only one sentence long. This completes your "final" draft.
      6) Lastly, compare the five-paragraph-plus-intro-and-conclusion draft with the original hub for readability.  Which is better?  Figure out why.
      
      B) You mention you want to make money from your writing. Be wary of advice that conflates the "nobility" and psychological benefits of writing with the practical.  Treat yourself as an apprentice to a profession.  Pretty much as soon as you start doing this, you are a professional.
      
      C) You mention wanting feedback. Find yourself a critique partner or critique group that is BLUNT. That is not focused on making you feel warm and toasty about your writing, but rather on telling you what you need to know, in straightforward terms.
      
      D) Separate yourself from your writing and be extra harsh with it. The more flaws you can recognize in your own writing, the better a writer you will become. One way to re-read your work with a critical eye is to put it aside for a week or two, then come back to it, pretending you are a reluctant reader, such as a student who's been assigned to read your article. Mark the parts that stop you for any reason.  Listen to the voice in your head that "translates" what you wrote to what you really mean; that is your writer's voice, and when it is called on to translate, that's a heads-up to you that you've identified a problem passage.
      
      Hope this helps!

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   Chriswillman90posted 9 years ago

   Well welcome and good luck to you. The first question I would ask is if writing is what you really want to do or is it a side project because of the online business. If you really want to be a writer, then I'd suggest you read the learning guides for Hubpages.
   
   My personal advice is to write what you're passionate about, don't be spammy, and just keep it up on a consistent basis. My dream is to one day succeed as a writer too and help will always be given here to those who need it. I've learned a lot already got my first 6 months here and you will too.
   
   Good luck with everything and wishing you the best.

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      Tjphilz5posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you. Writing is to me what I want to do, I have always enjoyed writing and just don't have the experience to consider myself a good one yet. The online business is what I'm trying to do to make my living verses working the job I'm currently working and I want to write about that experience and share it but the writing part I don't think will be what I make an income from. Possibly a side income that I can take the wife out to eat with once a month but that's about it.

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         relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Most writers on this site take nine to eighteen months to make the first payout, but that's discounting the fact that HubPages has been in a severe traffic and revenue decline for three years now.
         
         If you need more income, you'll get more money faster with a second job.
         If you want to learn to write, you will build skills faster with an actual writing class at a local community center or junior college.

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   Glenis Rixposted 9 years ago

   HI. Writing seems to me to be all about discipline - do some every day. You will improve with practice. Also, every writer reads avidly. The more you read the better your style will become. Gentle hint - your punctuation needs a little more care and attention.

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      Tjphilz5posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Glenis, and that doesn't have to be a "gentle hint" you can hit me over a sledge hammer. I know that is something that I really struggle with and have been trying to find a book or something to read, I'm actually considering going to barnes and noble and purchasing some writing school books to use to try to help me get better.

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         kiwinanaposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I have found Grammarly very helpful, you can download it, It's free

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   Glenis Rixposted 9 years ago

   I remember thank many years ago an English teacher told my class that the place to put a full stop or comma in a sentence is at the point where you would pause for breath if you spoke it aloud. I believe that it's often a good idea to read you own writing aloud. I don't think as much attention is given to punctuation in schools as was the case in the past. Of course, modernist writers often through punctuation out of the window -  for example when writing a 'stream of consciousness' .

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   Glenis Rixposted 9 years ago

   An we all make typo errors - see above!

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6. 61

   MichalWrotterposted 9 years ago

   Hello,
   
   First of all I would like to say this. Believe in yourself a little bit. There was noone born on earth as a writer. Just as any other skill it grows little by little. The huge step to join Hubpages you did already. Now, all you have to do is to keep writing my friend. Writing takes time and if you really want to be a writer, just do it! Writing is not just about the money income. The time will perfect your writing, extend your skill and all doubts will fade away.
   
   I am not english, I make mistakes. I do a grammar errors but there is nothing in a world to stop me focus on my goal to be writer.
   
   Just believe in yourself and the rest will come.

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7. 61

   Tjphilz5posted 9 years ago

   Thank you for that. My hope is that I can grow to be a wonderful writer. And you're right this is the first step and I'm so looking forward to the long journey ahead of me.

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   Missy Smithposted 9 years ago

   Hi Tyler. I looked at one of your cooking hubs, and as I claim to be no expert, I can tell you what I felt while reading it.
   
   So, the good thing about it was, I got the sense of your personality, and that ,to me, is one of the most important things; you want to feel you relate to the writer. Your personality seems friendly and open. Therefore, I automatically feel comfortable with you.
   
   Another thing I felt while reading it was rushed or crowded, much like the above advice said wordy, that may be a better word for it.
   
   Now, I would like to share a few little things I think makes all the difference in the world.
   
   First, take your time, don't rush. That way you focus more on just what you want to say and write.
   
   Second, use spell and grammar check, and I would suggest using sites like grammarly and white smoke. Honestly, I would be lost without them.
   
   Third, read and re-read out loud until it feels right to you. You will know. Chances are you will read it several times over and find something you want to tweak every time, and then you will come to the point where you are ready to publish.
   
   Fourth, get a vision on how you would like your hub to look and make it happen with patience.
   
   Again, I'm no expert, and I'm actually pretty new here on HP as well, so I hope I helped a little. And please don't judge my writing, I typed this on my phone, I'm sure it has all kind of errors without having the trusty tools handy I just mentioned above. Lol.
   
   Tyler, one more final thought; if you want to be a writer, be a writer. Never, let someone tell you that you are not. If you have the passion and the drive, it will take devotion and hard work, but you will be a writer. Anyway, that's what I feel. I've been trying this writing thing for a little while now, and I haven't given up yet.

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   Tjphilz5posted 9 years ago

   Thank you for that advice. I think you are probably right about being rushed when I write i often have what I think are great ideas but I never have the time to write it all at one time. I'm trying to spend more time on it now.

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    firstcookbookladyposted 9 years ago

    I feel like I should say "Hi Tyler".. so I guess I will. "Hi, Tyler!". Welcome to Hub pages. The best advice I can give you, is write like you speak to your customers... or, like my mother used to advise, write like you think... Even if it is scary... [smile] . Best of luck..

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