How To Write Better (explained REALLY quickly)

In my opinion, there’s three steps to good writing (in no particular order):

1.       Learning theory- the knowledge of how to write.

2.       Practicing- the actual writing.

3.       Analysis- the shouting at oneself about how one is a bad writer and (this is the important part) then learning from one’s mistakes.

1.       Theory:

Two people decide to be writers-

The first decides to start writing right away. They come up with a character, a setting and they are off. They reach chapter two, chapter three, and keep going, but they falter. What to do now? They don’t know where the story is going? Ah, okay, we’ll come up with a random new direction, let’s go. Keep going, and the end result is a meandering mess.

The other person goes to Google and types ‘How to Write Better’, and gets an awesome article that explains the Three Act Structure, and the basics of building scenes, Character motivation etc (sorry, that awesome article is not this one, keep looking, you’ll find articles that explain such important ideas way better than this one could).

This other person then puts their story in a framework, and structures and breaks down the whole story, and then begins writing. Sure, it takes them a little while longer to get going, but in the end, they have a tighter plot than the first person.

Therefore, learn theory.

(Please note: there have been cases where no structuring has resulted in some great writing, and cases, too, where structured writing has still remained bad).

2.       Practice:

Two people decide to be writers-

One gets off to a good start, writes a chapter a day for a week, skips a day, has a downer the next day, goes to a party the next day, meets an old friend the next day. Days turn into months into years, and the manuscript is forgotten.

The other says I’m going to do this shit right: I’m going to write five pages a day every day until I’m done. And through discipline, gets it done.

Remember the golden rule of writing: SFDs. Shitty First Drafts!

Your first draft will be shitty, you need to wrap your head around the fact that you won’t shit out perfect sentences every time you sit to write. You don’t expect to play Mozart the very first time you’re playing piano. Don’t expect an unpractised, unlearnt skill to get better the more time you spend simply ”thinking” about it, instead of doing it. Theory must be complemented with practice.

An old story: a pottery teacher divides his class into two halves, and tells the first half that they will be graded based on the number of pots they make. The more the pots they make, the better their grade. The teacher tells the second half that they will be graded only based on one pot, and that pot must be the most perfect pot made. The teacher then leaves the class.

When the teacher returns, the class finds that the students pursuing quantity had more perfectly-shaped pots than the ones who had to make only one pot. This was because the second half spent too much time trying to theoretically craft the best pot, and less time practising it. The first half spent their time making as many pots as possible. The first few looking so pathetic they brought tears to the teacher’s eyes, but the next were better, and better, and better.

Again, I’m not saying only practice and don’t study theory. I’m just saying that the worst thing you’ve ever written is still better than the best think you’ve never written.

Therefore, practice.

3.       Analysis:

Three people decide to be writers-

The first writes, hates what they’ve written, and gives up.

The second writes, loves what they’ve written, proclaims themselves genius, parades their writing around, defending it harshly against any and all critics, and answering with vicious vitriol anyone who suggests even the most minor of changes.

Neither of these writers realize a fundamental idea: that there is always room for improvement.

The third one says no, I’m going to try to see what I’ve done wrong. They spend time taking constructive criticism from others, and comparing the theory they learnt with what they managed to put into practice, using notes, and keeping checklists. They get better with every piece.

Basically, don’t get discouraged, and also, don’t think you’re the best (Unless you ARE the best, and even then you can be better).

Analysis will help you see what your strengths and weaknesses are, and work on them.

Therefore, analyse.

The good writer keeps learning something new, keeps writing, and keeps analyzing. There is always room for improvement. There is always room to write better.