What Do You Do?

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

What do you do to improve your writing skill?

 

[vrosej10]

What do you do to improve your writing skill?

I write every single day and I read compulsively, pretty much anything put in front of me.

 

[TxRad]

I write and then try not to forget what my editor nitpicked about the last time.

 

[Teloz]

I write every single day and I read compulsively, pretty much anything put in front of me.

More or less the same really, but I do use reference books/websites if I'm not sure about something.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I write and then try not to forget what my editor nitpicked about the last time.

Do you find that, more and more, you know more than the editor?

 

[vrosej10]

More or less the same really, but I do use reference books/websites if I'm not sure about something.

I love research and I am a demon at it. I didn't know I had a gift for til I went to uni.

 

[TxRad]

Do you find that, more and more, you know more than the editor?

Not really. I have one that I can work with, who knows my little quirks and leads me in the right direction most of the time. Most of her suggestions are good and negotiable. The legal department on the other hand is a set in stone bitch.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I own most of the HOW TO WRITE instruction manuals, and 99% of them are useless. I was warned about them before I bought them, and the warning is good advice.

But I found 3 books that are excellent primers for writers: STYLE, Towards Clarity & Grace by Joseph M. Williams; TECHNIQUE OF CLEAR WRITING by Robert Gunning; and A WRITER'S COACH by Jack Hart.

I also read the Classics. Last night I read several Jack London tales. His protagonists generally struggle with 3 serious issues at once. The lesson is: Three juggled balls is more interesting than one.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Not really. I have one that I can work with, who knows my little quirks and leads me in the right direction most of the time. Most of her suggestions are good and negotiable. The legal department on the other hand is a set in stone bitch.

Good. My editor is equally competent, and right most of the time; most important, she doesnt stroke me. If I write shit she calls things what they are.

 

[TxRad]

Good. My editor is equally competent, and right most of the time; most important, she doesnt stroke me. If I write shit she calls things what they are.

Mine uses a why meter on a 1-10 scale. Why the fuck is this in here? Why the hell don't you learn this part of grammar. Why are you boring me with this part? It goes on an on but you get the picture.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Mine uses a why meter on a 1-10 scale. Why the fuck is this in here? Why the hell don't you learn this part of grammar. Why are you boring me with this part? It goes on an on but you get the picture.

Me and my editor argue about WHY. I generally accuse her of needing a guide dog or billboard to help her with allusions and implications.

 

[Bianca_Sommerland]

Me and my editor argue about WHY. I generally accuse her of needing a guide dog or billboard to help her with allusions and implications.

I have to ask. How does she respond to that?

 

[Boota]

I generally edit myself, but I worked with one editor and she made my story 100 times better with a mere hint of a suggestion. I got her point, made the change and there it was. Other than that, I have read one book on writing, took what I wanted from it and went back to my way. I'll continue to take the ideas that work and discard the ones that don't.

 

[butters]

Since mine's mostly poetry it might not be quite the same, but:

I write and rewrite, self-editing all the time

belong to a couple of writing sites where I post mine and crit others

read and read and read all manner of material, not just poetry

copy-edit for friends - have done single poems and articles to entire book-length manuscripts for them, free of charge since I've no paper credentials to do so. I was offered a job off the back of this to work as poetry submissions editor for a new hardcopy magazine, began it, but had to stop since this is when I split with the ex and had no internet connection for 2 years.

used to run a writing/art/music/photography website which got dismantled when I split with my ex and I'm now building a smaller new one purely for writing (short stuff) at the moment.


I find the most helpful thing for me has been the critiquing of other writers' works. It helps me see the building blocks and flaws, the traps and the possibilities in much sharper detail which I can then bear in mind as I write my own poetry.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I have to ask. How does she respond to that?

She gets testy when I accuse her of having Winston Churchill's exact voice.

 

[DG Hear]

I use good Editors. I try to follow what they say and hope I'm not to old to remember it the next time.

I had Techsan - Best editor award. Sorry, he died.

LadyCibelle - Best editor award. Sorry, she became sick and had to cut back on her editing.

Now I have MistressLynn - The latest Best Editor award winner.

Without their help I would be nothing. I do owe it to them.

 

[Bianca_Sommerland]

She gets testy when I accuse her of having Winston Churchill's exact voice.

Lol. Well, she shouldn't take to much offence. He was a clever fella

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Lol. Well, she shouldn't take to much offence. He was a clever fella

I do a perfect Bullwinkle impersonation, myself.

 

[Bianca_Sommerland]

I do a perfect Bullwinkle impersonation, myself.

Now that would be interesting to hear. More so if you looked anything like your avator.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Now that would be interesting to hear. More so if you looked anything like your avator.

I am the perfect blend of Noble Willingham (WALKER:Texas Ranger) and Wilford Brimley, THE NATURAL. I dont smile and I dont take prisoners.