Writing Well Forum

1. 81

   GmaGoldieposted 13 years ago

   Is there a separate forum just for writing well?  Not writing a book but just how to say things better?  Not grammar, but word presentation.
   
   I struggle with this - I come from a technical background and find my words and technically correct but not with a flow and interconnection.
   
   Suggestions please, I wish to become a better writer.

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   1. 70

      N.E. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Suridreamer said it best.  Read.
      
      Too be honest you are already writing from who you are by asking a question.
      
      Writing style is basically writing from who you are.
      
      Just check out some Hubs that tell little life stories.
      
      Also, choose a story from your childhood, and try to inject humor where it belongs.
      
      Good luck.

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   2. 70

      N.E. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hi again,
      
      Well, I decided to read one of your -- many -- Hubs.  Not an easy task, because you are prolific.  LOL.  I chose Dusty Ice -- Dusty Icewater -- Bacteria in the Water -- YUK!  The "Yuk!" is what caught my attention.
      
      You are talented, and smart as a whip!  I really do not know what smart as a whip means -- LOL -- but I know you are smart, and well researched.
      
      Just write stories from your youth.  Look at some questions -- here on the Hubpages -- and see what ideas spring up.
      
      Two of my Hubs are from ideas I came up with from the questions asked here in the Hubpages.
      
      Again, good luck.

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   3. 66

      J Sunhawkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Read "Elements of Style" by Strunk. No better book, in my opinion, has been written to teach how to write well. You can read "Elements" in a few hours, and then go over it in detail to apply the lessons to your writing.
      
      Good luck.

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      1. 70

         N.E. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Wow, I forgot about that book, and it is right next to me somewhere buried inside my desk.  LOL.
         
         Good book, and great advice.

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   4. 76

      Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sufi said it best.  Read.  Read beautiful writers. If you come from a technical background then you may find that you are mired down by grammar and rules, which is the BANE of good writing.  You need to learn how to disregard them. And when. You have been taught that sentences need subjects and objects. Hogwash! The rules you NEED for what you do are killing you for what you want to do.
      
      You are going to hate this (maybe) but read Shakespeare.
      
      Don't read it for the story, per se.  Read for HOW he writes. In part, look at the lyricism and the meter.  Understand that the written word is really the spoken word.  Punctuation is breath.
      
      Then really look at what he does.  Look at how metaphor and simile function and at word choices he makes. By choosing the RIGHT words, the story is richer, deeper and more amazing.
      
      For example, in Hamlet he writes, "The meat from the funeral was cold cuts at the wedding."
      
      If you are familiar with the story of Hamlet you can see how the entire premise for the beginning of the story is in this one line.  That is an example of finding the RIGHT details. He didn't talk about everything in the room or the weather, not because doing that is "wrong"... it just wasn't right for this place in the story.  Good writing is about making the right decisions.
      
      Also, read poetry, again, not just for the narrative of the poem but for the use of language. Engaging writing is about the RIGHT choice of words, and this really comes down to, in the beginning, the right nouns and the right verbs.
      
      Example (boring):  The big dog barks loudly.
      
      That has words, it makes sense, I've even got a descriptive adjective and an adverb to make that better, right?
      
      Nope.
      
      Try this:  The Rottweiler snarls.
      
      Same sequence of events, better word choice. By eliminating adjectives and adverbs and forcing myself to choose the RIGHT noun and verb, I un-clutter my writing and make it more interesting.
      
      Try cutting all the adjectives and adverbs from your work, and putting the right noun and verb in place so that you don't need them.

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2. 0

   Website Examinerposted 13 years ago

   I am not aware of any such forum. It could be difficult to teach in a forum, one reason being concerns for your copyright. I do offer a free collaboration program via my profile page, certainly it could be used for this purpose.

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3. 80

   Sufidreamerposted 13 years ago

   Hi GmaGoldie - Coming from an academic writing background, I have the same issues.
   
   One trick that you can try is to read intensively - find the writers that you like and dissect their work, studying the way that they use sentences and play with words. Creative writers, travel writers and poets incorporate many layers into their writing - you can pick that skill up, over time. Don't be afraid to experiment and try new styles - some will work, some won't, but it is all part of the learning process

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4. 62

   darksideposted 13 years ago

   There are a lot of excellent books that will be teach and inspire you should you wish to proceed along such a path.

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5. 69

   simeonvisserposted 13 years ago

   My background also includes neutral writing and scientific writing. In both case emphasize is put on explaining things correctly and making sure you skip no steps. That's what I write best. But I would not venture into poems or creative writing anytime soon - it's not my field. I also have no desire to do so. From what I see, the ability to explain something to someone else is needed to write the most popular and money-earning hubs.

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   1. 59

      Pandoras Boxposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's also pretty rare when someone does it well. Even if people do know their subject matter quite well, most people still can not seem to communicate the ideas they're trying to communicate very well at all.

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