"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond)
03/25/2014 at 01:19 • Filed to: writing
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"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond)
03/25/2014 at 01:19 • Filed to: writing | 1
| 13 |
My dad writes history and does radio news. Learning how to write properly in school was pretty much a lost cause as, well, as a kid then I believed i was being held to higher expectation than normal people, plus inventive use of wordsmithery (<—-see?) gained bad marks. They could suck it. The problem is that now, officially considered "middle-aged", I had resisted that avenue of learning for so long that it takes extra effort to keep things from being so fragmented and jumbled they make sense. Ideas have been boiling that I really should write down, especially one that is truly out-there-wow-cool. How can an 'adult' improve their writing skills to a level that a possible future editor won't feel like they're wading through a train wreck while reading about a train wreck and therefore experiencing two train wrecks at once.... Tips for all of us adults out here who write horribly because of self-imposed youth stupidity getting in the way?
I guess the punctuation can suck it too. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but that's because the dog is too busy sleeping on your couch and is too comfortable to be bothered.
ddavidn
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 01:30 |
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There are a lot of internet resources to help you, now. Purdue's OWL, Grammar Girl and other sites like that can help you if you have specific questions about how to phrase things in a grammatically correct manner. Of course, knowledgeable people could also point you in the right direction by becoming a sort of volunteer editor. I try to help people with this as often as I can. Because, although I'm rubbish at writing, I'm pretty good at correcting grammar. Also, don't get dragged down if your first few pieces aren't perfect. They won't be. Shake it off, make note of some important changes and try again.
-Someone with no professional writing experience, but he aced his college English classes and has edited many articles.
Frosted
> ddavidn
03/25/2014 at 01:36 |
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OWL is a FANTASTIC thing that exists.
- Freelance writer for a website
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Grindintosecond
> ddavidn
03/25/2014 at 01:37 |
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Thank you for the help. I appreciate it. I'm positive whatever I work on, be it short anythings, would require long stretches of refinement in the end. unlike anything written here.
If publishing companies hired idea men for their authors to use...I would be a shoe in. I'm partly insane with a bit of occasional adult onset mental retardation. Perfect for ideas that appeal to wide audiences.
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Grindintosecond
> Frosted
03/25/2014 at 01:42 |
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Thank you for the validation of OWL. I will inspect it.
Big Bubba Ray
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 01:43 |
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My suggestion would be to write a lot and write often. The best way to improve a skill is to practice.
On the interwebs, I'm a pretty terrible writer because of a laid back attitude, but when I need to I can write well because it is something that I enjoy.
Talk to Automatch Tom if you can. I know that when he first joined Oppo he wasn't a fantastic writer, but his witting has improved vastly in the recent months. I know I haven't really said anything of importance, but hopefully I've helped a little! Haha
CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 01:46 |
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DeMuro's pretty good I guess.. his book was very sassy.
samssun
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 07:05 |
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Read more. Novels, non-fiction, but actual books (e- or physical) so they're well edited instead of twitter-text-kanyebonic trash. It'll improve your vocab, spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.
area man
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 09:32 |
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I have a degree in journalism, used to work as a newspaper reporter, and I'm currently at major media company where I sometimes get to write (just so you know where I'm coming from).
The only way to improve your writing is to read good writing, period. Get a copy of "The Elements of Style" (sounds lame, is actually really interesting and the most useful book in the world for understanding what exactly you need to fix in your own writing), then go to town on the classic books you "read" in high school and college along with sites like longform.org. It may take some time, but you will start to pick up on the little intangibles that make a good writer.
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Grindintosecond
> samssun
03/25/2014 at 10:07 |
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True dat *gangsyne* i kno wat u mean.
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Grindintosecond
> area man
03/25/2014 at 10:23 |
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Yes reading alot. that is something i need to do. I do it but it comes and goes in waves. Believe it or not, Frankenstein is a love story. When we think of what times were like in the day it was written it must have been a complete mind blowing piece. I've been picking up some of the more popular authors in the past to intentionally see what makes their writing so remarkable that people cant put it down. (patterson, child) but i do know it's mostly marketing or commercially directed to get people to buy it. If I did go to town on the books form highs-chool I would be writing from the 1800's or so. I god bad grades fr run on sentences and what not and when pointing out how run on sentences were OK for guys like Whittman they just said that was a different time. I'm not sure how I can write well in today's world when I favor the oxford comma and the old authors being the key, would get bad grades if someone submitted their manuscripts in today's school system. I will try. I just need to settle down the mind and raed more and not think i could be doing something more productive. Besides my past history of reading in my professional life is ALOT of technical manuals.
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area man
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 10:42 |
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Those are valid concerns. If tightening things up is a challenge for you, then I really can't recommend The Elements of Style enough ( Wiki ). It's essentially an instruction manual on how to write well, with all the different aspects of that skill laid out in a straightforward but comprehensive way. Check it out.
And if you want to get into automotive/non-fiction writing, longform.org is a great place to start getting exposed to a lot of high-quality stuff. Every few hours they post links to awesome long articles at places like New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, etc. Huge variety of subjects too.
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Grindintosecond
> area man
03/25/2014 at 10:50 |
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Ill pick up 'elements of' here soon. Yes, I like longer high quality pieces as well. For example I can't stand the common magazines right now. Car and Driver at least takes a while to digest but my favorite publication at the moment is Motorsport. It's English and takes a week to get through because of the long articles and well written pieces. Unlike people magazine where Jeff Goldblum's character said in The Big Chill that he wrote pieces that last as long as taking a dump.
Now, 45 year Journalist dad endlessly reads and has a book everywhere in the house to pick up and continue on. I there there's 5 in progress at any given time yet when trying to write prose or adventure, he can't do it. Telling the reader the details of how the cowboy kicked over the dead body is something completely impossible for him to do. Journalism will do that to you watch out.
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area man
> Grindintosecond
03/25/2014 at 12:21 |
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Oh, it's already happened - I have very little sense for what makes good fiction prose. It's a weakness I need to address.