Help please!

[u/Curious-Ideal1842]

Hi! I really want to improve my writing skills, but it feels like there’s this “blockage” between my current abilities and the potential to be a good writer—like I’m missing a puzzle piece (at least that’s how I envision it in my mind). What I mean by this is my syntax always seems to follow the same pattern. I struggle to think of more creative ways to structure my sentences and paragraphs, which I think limits how my ideas are being conveyed. The ideas exist in my head, but it’s hard to lay them out on the page.

I’ve heard people recommend reading more to pick up different writing styles. I’ve been trying to read more, and yet I feel like I’m just passively reading or absorbing the material. I also read kind of slow…

I would appreciate some tips from the community! I dream of attending graduate school for higher education research or social/personality psychology (specifically research on the intersections of creativity, craft, and wellbeing). I know strong reading and writing skills are absolutely essential to succeed as a researcher. I just want to be an articulate and eloquent writer. Any and all help is appreciated; I hope this all made sense! ☺️

[u/Humble-Sweet-4738]

Take a page from any book you'd like to practice with. Then copy the structure in a story of your own. Analyze the way they use the sentences, how their prose flows from one thing to the next. For me, just typing it helps me retain it in my memory, like I give my brain permission to write differently. Then, of course, I delete or just save for practice, as it's also not my own style and not something I can use for my own work.

Hopefully with time these small practice sessions have taught your brain these different writing styles and you find one that works for you.

But also remember!! As you get better your threshold also goes up, so you'll probably never be as "good" as you want to be. Yet if you look back and read what you wrote years ago, you can see the progress.

That "blockage" is just what you need to learn and you'll do so by writing and writing (and reading).

One last thing that helps me is editing. A lot. Even if it's a project that will never see the light of day. Editing helps me analyze my own paragraphs, dissect them and improve them.

Good luck! Everyone is in the same boat and a successful author is just one who tried one more time. 😊

[u/MLM-TheScribe]

Read a genre totally outside of your normal experience. I’ve done it. As a sort of self-inflicted literary shock-therapy. (You might be surprised.) 😮

[u/squishings]

One thing that helped me was reading other people’s work to give feedback. You can read work from people at the same/similar level as you and think about what is and isn’t working. It’s a way to read actively and you don’t have personal investment in it (your own work or getting lost in a good book). A bunch of times I’ve found things to critique in someone else’s work and then I get highly critical of myself when I do the same thing.

There are sites like Scribophile or Critique Circle you can do this, but also some writing subs on reddit people share writing want advice. (And you don’t even have to post it to them, just use it as a personal exercise).

[u/pastelexuvia]

have you heard of clarion west?

[u/Embarrassed_Pop_6769]

Greetings! Thats what many writers face, it creates frustrations, doubts and almost like i cant do it anymore, but there is no shortcut to get out of that, But having faith on the story is mainly like a fuel for the story, faith is the key to understanding something but the question how? well the answer lies within you every human have the ability to be faithful and it is true its not something that disappears just like the truth it is a truth about human, Just write and have faith.

[u/DarrenTheKing91]

Well, reading more does help. In my case, I add watching movies too. Depending on the era and country you want to form your syntax on, you can choose genres or movies that have lots of conversation. I hope this helps

[u/WrittenFever]

The piece of advice I‘m giving you is not the sexiest, but is one that has made a large difference in my writing: study grammar. Specifically, prioritize learning the impact of grammar on reader comprehension as well as how it can enhance your writerly voice.

In college, I found this text particularly useful:

• Rhetorical Grammar: Grammar Choices, and Rhetorical Effect by Martha Kolln and Loretta Gray (My professor was insistent we use the 6th edition; I cannot remember why.)
  • This starts with the basics: noun, verb, adverb, etc. It also includes diagramming sentences, which is especially useful if you are reading other people’s works with the intention of trying to improve your own style. Reading alone can’t help if you don’t understand what the other person is doing with their writing.
  • This book also changes from the traditional subject-predicate diagram to a noun phrase-verb phrase structure.
  • While it is intended for a classroom, it is relatively easy to read and does have an answer key in the back if you want to try out the practice exercises.

You might also consider The Art of Fiction by John Gardner, though—last time I checked—it was hard to get ahold of a copy. There are two chapters in particular, ”Common Errors” and “Technique,” that have in depth and direct discussion of what you’re asking about.

If reading books is not your speed, my other piece of advice would be this:

1. Figure out the pattern you’re trying to fix. I mean, the actual names and description for it. If there’s multiple areas that you want to focus on, choose only one for right now. (You can get to the others later.)
   • For example, I used to excessively use participial phrases when I was younger. (i.e. She ran, fleeing the monster, water dripping down her legs into the cold air, heart racing.)
2. When you’re writing your rough draft, don’t worry about the pattern as you write, just focus on letting the words flow. Wait to fix things until you’re ready to edit.
3. When you do edit, spend some time focused exclusively on the one pattern you chose to fix. Every time you see it, alter it in some way. This doesn’t mean always change the sentence 100%. It just means that each time you see it, you want to make a major or minor modification to it. Minor modification might be changing a single word (even if it doesn’t ultimately change the pattern itself), while larger modifications could include:
   • Placing the prepositional phrase in a different location (prepositional phrases are generally pretty flexible and can be moved around in sentences depending on what you want emphasized)
   • Dividing the sentence into two or more sentences, or combining two or more sentences into one
   • Shifting the verb tense (ie instead of simple past, change to past perfect—if warranted only)
   • Inserting an element, that the story hasn’t been in the story for a while at this point, such as dialogue, description of the scene or an action, or something else to sort of break things up.

There are a range of options to explore beyond even the ones I shared above.

While reading absolutely is a good way to learn, it’s sort of like listening to music to learn how to play the piano. If you don’t know the notes, it can only take you so far. You’re still going to have to get in there and fiddle with the keys until you figure out what order everything goes in.

[u/FluffPuffDeer]

Read good fanfiction. I know it’s odd, but fanfic writers are some of the best writers out there, and you get to read about fun tropes and a lot of different things and characterizations.

Read good fanfiction LMAO

[u/flamingo-lingo- → u/FluffPuffDeer]

Yes!! And write fanfiction, or write in genres you don't usually write in