# Any tips for someone who doesn't have a lot of writing skills?



## NickyMage (Jan 11, 2022)

I've been wanting to write some stories or novels about some of my characters and lore for a while, but I've been putting it off because I'm not that confident in my writing skills. It's been a while since I've done any writing, to be honest. Would anyone have any tips that might help get me back into it and improve? I'd appreciate anything.


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## Aryte (Jan 11, 2022)

I have always found reading to be the most inspirational way to sort of build on writing/role-play skills. Otherwise, practice and receive feedback with grace (but with measured skepticism; everyone has a style of their own). In the past, I would do prompt work. For example, let someone pick something for you: a theme, character, or whatever, and explore it.


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## JuniperW (Jan 11, 2022)

It's a good idea to read a lot of books, in order to get an idea of a well-structured plot, effective characterisation, etc. 
Also, practice practice practice practice practice  as much as you can. Whether that's by writing short stories, drabbles/vignettes, or longer chapters, it's best to experiment in order to find the style that suits you best.


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## HarpyFeather (Jan 11, 2022)

A piece of advice I have is to write a page, it doesnt even have to be about your lore, try a simple writing exercise like describing someone falling off of a cliff, the rush someone feels when they win a game they've been trying on. Make I'd say like three of these pages, then go back to the first one and rewrite it, and do that, if it gets hard or you feel stuck, taking a break and coming back to it will give you fresh eyes. It's the way I learned a long time ago. Good luck, and I hope all goes well for you!!


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## Troj (Jan 11, 2022)

I recommend the following writing manuals:

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Steering the Craft: A 21st-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin

On Writing by Stephen King

Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Becca Puglisi  

On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volumes I and II by Timothy Hickson

The Describer's Dictionary by David Grambs


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## ConorHyena (Jan 12, 2022)

Writing (much like drawing, open-heart surgeries, reparing cars or fixing computers) is a skill. Most skills can be learned by anyone. 

The key to improving your writing is to put in hours. Many hours. _many hours._

Write things, short stories, small scenes, even a novel if you feel like it. don't worry too much about how good it is, just put it down if you can. You can always go back and rework or rewrite things. All of the novels I have written have recieved one or two major rewrites during their making.

Just keep writing. Write. All the time. There are no magic tricks or shortcuts. 

At some point you'll know how to structure scenes, position characters and move the viewer through your plot, and once those basics are set you can focus on more elaborate storytelling devices. Storytelling and worldbuilding are imo distinct from writing itself - writing is purely a mechanical task to put what you see or feel on paper. It's like drawing a picture except it's done with words.


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## reptile logic (Jan 12, 2022)

Troj said:


> I recommend the following writing manuals:
> 
> Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
> 
> ...


Nice list! Looks like I have some more reading to do.


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## Lioedevon427 (Apr 16, 2022)

For when writing- write in comic sans. I don’t know wtf it is, but writing in that font is magical. Also don’t judge your work when writing it. You can always go back and edit later, if you sit around doing nothing because your worried your work won’t be good, you’ll never have the chance to make it good.


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## GottyFox (May 25, 2022)

NickyMage said:


> I've been wanting to write some stories or novels about some of my characters and lore for a while, but I've been putting it off because I'm not that confident in my writing skills. It's been a while since I've done any writing, to be honest. Would anyone have any tips that might help get me back into it and improve? I'd appreciate anything.


Find the story structure, how you handle every conflict, and build every conflict, then add a twist, then a brief few moments where that twist is used to solve the conflict.


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## Borophagus Metropolis (May 25, 2022)

Read


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