How does one improve their writing?

Question

I am a journalism student and I am a great lover of all literature and so I would like, just for my own amusement, at least for now, to write maybe short stories or little novellas. I am just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for how to improve as a fictional writer. I spend alot of time writing reportive type essays for school and I also spend alot of time reading the classics. Both of these are probably great practice for writing, however, I am just wondering if there are any ways to really improve fictional writing. You know all, all of the great literary devices, character develepment, symbolism etc. Im just looking for some ways to improve besides the obvious continued reading of the classics.

Thanks to some of you for pointing out my grammatical errors. I am usually the one who is correcting others. I find myself making these mistakes, however, if I do not stop to read what I have just written. This is what I did when I was writing this question. Perhaps it has something to do with reading other people's grammar all day long. Either way I am not perfect and please understand that I would obviously proofread all of my work unlike when I quickly type up a question in Yahoo Answers.

Answer 1

Reading is definitely a must. It's like studying the art of writing itself. But make sure you're reading the same type of stuff that you want to write. If you're not going to write a classic type of story you shouldn't be studying the classics. Besides which you don't see any new classics around do you?

Short stories are written in a completely different way to novels and novellas etc so if those are the types of things you want to write, that's what you have to read and study. But don't forget the study part. It's so easy to get lost in the story and forget that you're supposed to actually be watching out for the techniques - how the author wrote a certain part or how he introduced something/someone or what this particular little thing has to do with the main story itself etc.

There are a lot of "Learn how to write" type books and websites which can help you out with the basic structure of the different types of written works and other basic things like that but they can only go so far. In the end, you're going to have to create your own style of writing just by practising heaps.

Also, perhaps the most important thing is to find someone you can bounce your work off who will give you useful and honest feedback and won't just say that everything's good because he's you're friend. This person can be hard to find because someone who has different reading tastes won't be helpful and likewise for someone who rarely reads at all, if ever.

Try signing up with a writing website where you can post your work to be reviewed but even then don't expect all useful reviews. The main purpose of having someone else read your work is so that you don't fall into the pit of despair when you feel everything you do is terrible (which may or may not be the case) and so that you won't give up because of it.

The worst critic of them all is the writer himself.

Answer 2

I have the opposite problem. I am a fiction writer who is finding it difficult acclimating into an analytical writer of essays for my English degree.

For your problem I would suggest that you not give up the classics, but do pick up a modern novel of some sort. Read a modern short story collection (there are many out there). This will give you an inkling of how modern writers operate.

While the classics are important, I've found that whatever I read I tend to imitate grammatically in my writing. I would suggest that you digest some modern prose so that your frame of mind is more contemporary and geared toward the modern reader. Writing like Henry James will get you nowhere, I'm afraid.

Really and truly, the best way to improve your writing is to read. I wouldn't suggest any other method, actually.

Answer 3

Read a lot. Read every genre, lots of classics, lots of modern stuff. Every single creative writing class I took in college emphasized reading.
Next, listen to the ideas running in your head. Don't push anything and absolutely throw out the idea that great writing is based on emotion and angst. Have fun with your writing. Words are a playful instrument.
If you do come up with a brilliant idea, go ahead and outline it. You don't need to slavishly stick to it, but it'll give you a road map.
A wonderful book of writing exercises that I bought a long time ago before I even thought about going to college is What If? It'll give you some inspiring exercises that may turn into stories. You should be able to find it for cheap on Amazon.
Mostly, just have fun and don't take yourself too seriously. Learn all the rules about grammar, etc. and then you will know how and when to break them. Learn your lit history as well.

Answer 4

The most beneficial thing I have found to improve my creative writing ablities was round-table discussion with other creative writers. If there's no class like this for you to enroll in that has an instructor who will organize and lead but not control, take a bold step and organize a group of creative writers. Meet at least once a week for an hour or so (however long it takes to go around the circle and have each writer read aloud from a creative piece he has written during the week -- and to receive critique ... "constructive criticism" and "applause" ... from each and every writer there.) This is good for the soul and good for the creative juices, but mainly it will hone the craft like nothing else. Wear a very thick skin to the sessions, and speak with a very honest yet very gentle tongue. A semester, or better yet, a year of this will do more to improve your abilities than any structured course in which a teacher simply scribbles all over your creations and hands them back. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

As a writer, improving your craft is a life-long task. It’s the way we view the whole issue of revision of our work, it’s simply never quite enough. You have, however, begun well by reading the classics and continuing to write. I suggest that you expand your reading to include the best sorts of representations of what you want to write yourself. Read such things with the editor-observer in your brain taking notes about how they manage their form, whatever that may be. Note how you react to what you read for pleasure and what you read for information and why, because, as a journalism student, you have been learning to present facts, and fiction, although a reflective interpretation of life’s truths, is a creative lie. Observe people. Listen to everyday conversations so that you can reproduce the natural rhythm of dialog, which is different from exposition. The “bottom line” is simply: write, write, write. Don’t even think of a project of any sort unless you need to do so, just begin and go on. If the idea loses its power, begin something else. Try to finish, of course, because that’s ultimately important, but it’s essential that you put in the time and words that are the apprenticeship of any writer endeavoring to master their craft. Finally, don’t give up. The greatest percentage of wannabes give up after the first year of attempting to publish. If you can make it past that, if you keep writing and believing, you will already be ahead of the game. Good luck.

Answer 6

Besides the obvious activity of practicing, a good writer needs the kind of feedback needed to make effective changes. Find a reasonably well educated, well spoken adult to read your material. This kind of person can offer a construcive form of critique.

Of course, teachers can do this kind of work, but I am sure you understant how busy an educator can be. Best if you can line up SEVERAL teachers and other adults. You might discover different, opposing insight to the same piece of work.

For an interesting and fun practice exercise, find a good piece of popular fiction, such as a short story. Retell the same story, but from the point of view of another character. Don't try to copy the writer's style. Remember, YOU are seeing the events as another charater. That character will not relate events in exactly the same way. I suggest a classical piece of work, such as one of Mark Twain's. That way, your critic should recognize the story, and be more prepared to read and comment on your efforts.

Another exercise is to take a news story and retell it in narrative form. Practice this in first AND second person, so that you don't get stuck into a rut.

But, what ever you write, you need the constructive criticism to know how well you are doing. To many people make the mistake of counting rejection letters from publishers as the guage of their writing skills.

Writing is the mostest funnerest thing I like to do!

Answer 7

The easiest way for someone who is a novice to become a better writer is to read as much as they can.

But I guess you're not a novice... Never force yourself to write. Only write when you're inspired. Listen to music. If your mind wanders to something else and you find yourself thinking more about something than your writing stop until you've got that off your mind, but do not let yourself stop every time some little thing pops in to your head, only stop if it's a distraction.

Take breaks. To get food or drink or get a smoke.

After you write something that you really like but find yourself writing stuff you like less stop writing. And never ever delete anything. Keep everything. I wish I had done that.

And most of all don't pressure yourself and don't set deadlines. I'm writing an album, when my friends ask when they can listen to it, I say 'about a year.'

Watching TV or listening to music isn't a distraction for me, but I think it probably isn't the best idea.

I should caution that these are my writing tactics for writing music and lyrics and not literature, but I have found myself writing from late in the night to late the next day.

Good luck. I hope you find yourself on the New York Times Best Seller list, and get yourself a good job at a fine paper.

Answer 8

Reading is the only way. Read everything you can, it doesn't matter if it's modern or classic. Get used to the way that good sentences flow. Develop an ear for it, like a musician listening to a great symphony.
Remember that writing does not happen in a burst of divine inspiration. It is incredibly difficult work. The first draft of anything you write will be worthless crap, and what will make you a good writer is being willing to rewrite it, over and over and over again.

Answer 9

The best way to improve your writing is to read other peoples writing. Just take note on their writing style, once you read books from a wide-spectrum of authors then you can easily develop your own style. The trick is to pick out the things you don't like about their style of writting and then make improvements.

Use your imagination to extreme depths if you want to make your stories interesting, one tip is to become the main character....imagine what your world would be like....become the story but do not do this for a long time because the story may become you forever. The Imagination is the key to all great stories, unlock it wisely and you'll see.

Answer 10

On a personal note, I myself found out my writing improved greatly by writing and writing a lot. You must find a theme or something which really interests you and part from that. That way, I think, is the bestway to practice. But well that's just me, hope it works for you.