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How to get into writing

G

GeNome

Senior member
I'm a generally good (read: decent) writer, but now that I'm in highschool it's become a lot more of an issue. Also, I have a pretty cool idea for a blog, but you can't really have a blog without being able to write, now can you? Well, ok, a blog anybody reads. So I come here, to the ever so helpful niche that is ATOT, to ask for your advice: What's a good way to start writing? Should I take a class? Keep a journal? Get a life? I am under your wing. *Bows* *Retreats*

-GeNome
 
Believe it or not "Getting a life" is probably the best way to build up source material.
 
Read, read, read, read, read. I find that when I read a book, I generally pick up their style and am able to write like they do for a little while.
 
Just start writing some short stories. Or whatever comes to mind. You don't need to be good to have a blog. It's a good way to get feedback either way.

Taking a class might help, but I took one last semester and it pretty much made me hate writing. I haven't really done any since then.

EDIT: Go to your local library and get a book with writing prompts in it. They can actually be pretty good just to get you going. Check Amazon for which ones are good though, 'cause I know there are a lot of crappy ones too.
 
Definitely keep a journal.

Most importantly, read like a sonofabitch - read as much as you can. Read the classics. Read the pulp fiction. Read the news. Everything you can get your hands on.

Soak up as much literature as you can, and if it is your destiny, you will one day spew forth great works of your own.

And remember this:

"If you don't live it, it won't come out your horn." - Charlie Parker
 
It really depends on what kind of writing you want to get into. Being good at one kind of writing doesn't necessarily make you good at another kind. And I dont think your writing experience from middle school is going to help you here. The best way to get a good feel for different styles of writing is to READ, read whatever interests you and eventually you'll develop a good vocabulary, know how to put words down in proper syntax and appropriate diction. have fun
 
I guess I should have mentioned that reading is something I am most definitely not lacking in. During a good month I'll read anywhere from 2 (if they're really long) up to 5 or 6 books. So I'm pretty good in that area. Writing short stories might be a good idea, and I'll try to keep a journal. Mo0o, et al, at this point I'm not really sure what kind of writing I would like to get into. This is just the "exploring" phase, afterwhich some type or another will hopefully become a more solid style. Although political commentary always interested me....
 
Practice practice practice.

Reading a lot is a really good way to pick up ways to phrase your thoughts and set a mood, but I would venture that there isn't anyone out there that could tell you they're a perfect writer. There's always somewhere to improve and practice is the best way to accomplish that.

All the stuff in highschool English classes really turned me away from writing. They always focus on correct style, format, punctuation, etc. but really don't care about content. I was in college before I figured out that 80% of writing something worth reading is chosing what to present and in what order to present it. In college, I learned how to organize my thoughts to actually construct a somewhat effective plot and lay out and support an argument. Those were good lessons, and I try every day to use them. My advice, just read and write free-form as often as possible to practice. Don't worry so much about grammar, style, and punctuation. That'll come with time. (I hope 🙂 )
 
OK, you read a lot. That's very important, I agree.

Writing is like playing an instrument. Someone can tell you how, they can give you tips, but in the end you have to play it. And no matter how much of a natural talent you might be, the only way to get really good is to keep practicing.

That's how you get to be a good writer - you write. Then you edit what you wrote. And then you rewrite it.

Write something. You have to write. Accept that you cannot just have it flow from your fingertips without having to go back and fix it up, that's part of writing. Pick something and write. Write something descriptive. Write a short story. Write a travelogue, an instruction booklet, an analysis of interest rates, anything.

Taking a class is a good idea, but it's still a lot like listening to someone tell you how to play the piano. You still have to play it yourself to get better.
 
Ack, baseball games take up a lot of time. >.<

Here's a link to an essay a wrote a few months ago for a SAT prep class I took. Just in case anybody has critique or advice they'd like to share. 😉 Thanks for all the help so far, it's been great!
 
Originally posted by: GeNome
Ack, baseball games take up a lot of time. >.<

Here's a link to an essay a wrote a few months ago for a SAT prep class I took. Just in case anybody has critique or advice they'd like to share. 😉 Thanks for all the help so far, it's been great!
Click to expand...

First of all I'm saying this with the assumption that you're just out of middle school, or around 14-15 years old.

I walk a dog. He's a cute dog, relatively speaking. He's also one of the most annoying things on four legs. So as you can imagine, walking this dog does not give me a personal sense of satisfaction. Quite the contrary; it gives me a sense of humiliation that I can't outsmart the little ah heck. But I get paid a pretty penny for putting up with 'the dog', or as I like to refer to it, the Mop of Misery. Draw your own conclusions. Still, like I said, it pays well. So I do it, so I can do whatever it is I do with my money.
Click to expand...



I like this paragraph, it inspires a chuckle while making a point relevent to the rest of the essay.

As for the rest of it, you have some interesting stuff going on, but there are some grammatical and stylistic problems there (This is a complex question that has many people baffled, scratching their heads as they wonder which one is truer). If I have your age approximately correct then I feel safe in saying that you have a decent command of the english language, and you are very imaginative in the ways that you realize your ideas in writing relative to others in your age group.

I recommend that you keep reading, keep writing, and most of all keep thinking originally. What will make you a success is what YOU bring to the table, and to a lesser degree, what you learn from those who came before you.
 
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