- Joined
- Apr 26, 2005
- Messages
- 23,708
- Reaction score
- 10,657
- Location
- In a world of my own making
- Website
- shadowferret.wordpress.com
What makes for good writing? Is there a concrete set of rules to follow? How does one "improve?" I've been at this game for years, off and on, and honestly, I dont' know that I'm any better today then I was years ago. Or if I am better, I can't recognize it.
People say the more you write, the more you read, the better you'll get, But why? What about reading and writing create within you a better writer? Is it just the passage of time? Practice?
How does one recognize bad writing from good, good writing from great?
For instance, I have a query in SYW and I'm getting feedback on it, but again, it seems arbitrary. I'm not saying these people don't know what they're saying, I'm saying that I don't know why. I don't understand why their suggestions are improvements so much as just changes. I don't understand what the difference between one or the other is. Why changing this one sentence makes it better.
It's frustrating. If I was a mechanic, I can improve. I learn what parts go where, that when this part breaks, it causes this symptom and you can learn to recognize it, and troubleshoot it.
But writing? It just all seems so arbitrary. There are no rules outside of grammar that we can learn to make bad writing good, or good writing great.
You either have the gift, the talent, to recognize what's wrong and put in a new part, or you don't.
I think I'm reaching the point where I realize I can write interesting stories, but I have no clue what the trouble spots are, where it has it's weak points, or what I need to do to improve it to the point of saleabilty.
I guess I don't have a question, I'm just frustrated that I don't think I know any more about writing now, after college, after subscribing to Writer's Digest for years, after reading all the "how to" books then I did when I was started out at 15.
People say the more you write, the more you read, the better you'll get, But why? What about reading and writing create within you a better writer? Is it just the passage of time? Practice?
How does one recognize bad writing from good, good writing from great?
For instance, I have a query in SYW and I'm getting feedback on it, but again, it seems arbitrary. I'm not saying these people don't know what they're saying, I'm saying that I don't know why. I don't understand why their suggestions are improvements so much as just changes. I don't understand what the difference between one or the other is. Why changing this one sentence makes it better.
It's frustrating. If I was a mechanic, I can improve. I learn what parts go where, that when this part breaks, it causes this symptom and you can learn to recognize it, and troubleshoot it.
But writing? It just all seems so arbitrary. There are no rules outside of grammar that we can learn to make bad writing good, or good writing great.
You either have the gift, the talent, to recognize what's wrong and put in a new part, or you don't.
I think I'm reaching the point where I realize I can write interesting stories, but I have no clue what the trouble spots are, where it has it's weak points, or what I need to do to improve it to the point of saleabilty.
I guess I don't have a question, I'm just frustrated that I don't think I know any more about writing now, after college, after subscribing to Writer's Digest for years, after reading all the "how to" books then I did when I was started out at 15.