Getting better

Read, read, read, read, read, read, read--then analyze. Look at the things the writer does with the story, with the grammar, with the punctuation--with everything. Does he/she keep sentences short and easy to follow? How does he/she write dialogue? How do the characters interact? Is the plot simple or complex? As a reader, what really stands out for you?

No question is stupid. No examination is wrong. Really--inspect even the littlest things like punctuation! The small things can add a lot to a story.

I hope you get out of your slump soon! Best of luck!

Have you tried writing in a genre or style you've never experimented with before? Kind of like cross training in athletics. If you normally write mystery, try sci-fi. If you normally do third person omniscient, try third person limited. Try writing several different stories with the same plot theme.
Read and dissect the classics. Analyze what made their stories great, or why they were perceived to be great, and see how that pertains to your own writing.

I agree that you should read tons. And then maybe stop worrying about who's better than you. Everyone's better than everyone else. It's like that hand game where you slap your palm down and make a stack. No one wins because everybody keeps withdrawing their hand and putting it on top. Certain writing is in style right now and there's not much you can do about it. Just write what makes you happy. Tin House just rejected one of my stories after 121 days out--I thought maybe life was finally going to spin in my favor. Despite trying, I can't figure out how to be the kind of writer who makes it to the top of the pile. The only thing I can do is write, and the rest is up to a hairy green lit god who likes to make folks like me cry. *I didn't cry*

Nonasuch, there are plateaus all along the way, imho. Some may feel frustratingly long. The good news is that you want to, that you care about your writing. That's the most important thing.

I think that the advice you've gotten, so far, is very good--reading tons and analyzing those things you admire helps enormously. Trying new things in your writing is very important, also. New genres, new styles, new techniques.

I looked at my weaknesses and focused on one at a time. My dialog, for example, was stiff. So I wrote a story that was mostly dialog--two people in a room, in conflict, but not moving out of that room. Couldn't let action take up the slack. My dialog improved that way, and then i moved on to another area i thought i lacked polish in.

Another way is to find a good book of exercises to challenge you. Kiteley's 3 am Epiphany did that for me. You can get a gander at his stuff at that link and he lets you see quite a few of his exercises, there, and try them out. Makes you do things you hadn't considered or tried and they really stretched my writing muscles. I sold a story i wrote using the exercise "The Reluctant I" to a pro market.

We all have to keep climbing the mountain, but the elephant in the room is that not everyone will, or can, reach the summit. Some people simply have longer arms than others. It's a plain fact. Not everyone can be great, not everyone can even be good. Technique doesn't make a great writer, talent does.

There should be no sadness in realizing others are much better than you'll ever be. Almost all of us can say that. Instead of worrying about how great someone else is, be happy for them, be glad they've given you the great stories.

It shouldn't matter that other are better. You decided to tackle the mountain. If you make it only ten feet up, you're still looking down on those who were afraid to try.

Like pretty much anything (and this is going to sound cliché, sorry) the most important thing is believing in yourself! If you believe in yourself, you'll push yourself. And if you push yourself hard enough, no matter whether or not you have any natural talent, you'll eventually reach that platform of calmness where you're happy with what you've done.

On the other hand, an artist never thinks he's created something perfect. Or the quote goes something like that anyway. Creating something great for a lot of us can be out of reach forever because our minds don't let us realise how great it is. I tend to forget about the story when I finish - what matters is not my happiness with it but whether or not I feel proud of myself. If I feel proud of myself, it's usually a good indicator that I should hang onto something.

Stringer Greenbrier said:

On the other hand, an artist never thinks he's created something perfect. .

Click to expand...

This is because no artist ever does.

I feel like I hit the plateaus all the time. I try to tell myself that the only way I'm going to get better is to keep writing. If I keep producing work, then I tell myself I can have faith in the fact that every time I produce something new or even revise something, I'll have learned to do something just a little bit better. Whether that's tightening my sentences or creating more vivid scenes or making my plot better . . . something's going to benefit from the practice.

Honestly, sometimes the only thing that really convinces me I haven't plateaued forever is looking back at work I wrote six months to a year ago. I find that it's not as amazing as I thought it was at the time, and whether I decide to revise or not, I can also usually have some distinct "here's what I'd do to fix this" kind of thought processes, which shows me that I've improved in the time being. As long as this keeps happening, I'll be able to know I'm getting better.

Read as much as you can and write as much as you can. The more you write, the better you'll get. Write every day. Force yourself to write even when you don't feel like it. Set a timer for 15, 20, or 30 minutes and write something - anything - until it goes off. You can use what you've written or just take it as a writing exercise, but get something out there. Practice makes perfect.

nonasuch - How do you know you've plateaued? How do you define it? I bet you learn something from every story you write, every story you sell, every rejected story. All that you learn is a part of you and will be reflected in your writing.

But you can help define areas you wish to improve. Ask yourself questions about your writing. What do YOU think is missing? Are your settings richly detailed but your character descriptions seem sparse? Could your foreshadowing use help? Perhaps you need to play 20 questions with your ideas before your spin on them will be unique. How much backstory do you use - not enough, or too much? Can your reader sense the emotions of of your characters?

If you don't know what you need to do to elevate your writing, you might just read a book on writing, or a magazine, to get some ideas. An article might flip a switch in your mind, or at least give you something new to try.

You could also point out a story you've written and ask people what they would wish for in the story - if there was anything that could improve it. Get enough comments and you might have a direction for improvement!

I definitely feel this way at times. What I've told myself is to keep doing the things I'm doing--read, write, eventually submit. I think it just takes time and patience. Sometimes I feel like I'm not progressing at all, but then I go back and read something I wrote six months ago and am shocked at how much better I've become. In all likelihood, you are getting better, you just don't realize it. Keep working. I'll do the same, and we'll both get there eventually.