are there writers here?

i'm a little hesitant to post this because i don't like claiming to be a "writer". i'm so bad at it, i'm like literally shit, i ignore that hobby, i'm ashamed of it ( i'm not ashamed of writing, i'm just not confident with how i do it ), and i hate looking at the stuff that i keep inside my notes. i've actually written fan fiction before like a normal teenager when i was around 11 to 13. but i don't think i'm improving, at all. is this normal?

if you do write, are there tips on how to get better? i've been considering reading novels more but i've been busy and it's so hard to find time, especially with how short my attention span is. i'm just trying to write more because it's somehow an outlet for my imagination and pent-up maladaptive daydreaming plots.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

slowmarch · M

Hi there, good to see you trying. Maybe trying too hard, I've been writing for 7 years now. Maybe a bit like you, I write, I research, I read. I've bought more books on how to write and downloaded more tips on grammar until verbs, nouns, adjectives adverbs, etc. scream out of my ears. I take notes by the hundreds, I sketch people outside of supermarkets for use later in plots, etc. Spent a fortune on instruction manuals. I WASTED MY MONEY. I invested in the book "Stephen King On Writing" The best money I ever spent. It is not an advert for Stephen King books but what a fantastic book it is for writers at any level. I also paid for Grammarly for editing purposes, which was another folley because it is USA orientated and I'm British. The last tip I give with actual writing is for you to check out REEDSY on the internet. Do not let yourself down, and do not try pretty words. Sit down on your arse and write what your mind tells you. If necessary try starting your story at the end and work up to it, just write and read, I do 3 books of various sizes per month. Mr King does more than 80 per annum. (I am not a KIng fan and find a lot of his books hard going. But good luck and buy a copy of the bible, for story ideas.