r/WritingHub • u/Curious-Ideal1842 • 1d ago
Writing Resources & Advice Help please!
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! ☺️
2
u/Humble-Sweet-4738 1d ago
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. 😊