I have an online friend that I exchange emails with back and forth, and his writing abilities far surpass mine. Are there any methods that I can use to study his writing, and be able to incorporate the way he writes into my own?
The goal should be to write like YOU. You should be reading... A LOT. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you should be reading A LOT. Did I mention you should be reading A LOT? I'm really sorry if this sounds rude or harsh, but you keep asking how to get better, just phrasing it differently, and we keep telling you how. You need to READ. Study books. Asking essentially the same question over and over and expecting a different result is not ... healthy. Please, read, read, read, read, write, write, read, read, read, write, write, read, read, read......
Lol sorry guys. I know how frustrating my questions may seem to be. What if I read all his emails and study them? Isn't that the same thing though? I'm essentially reading so technically I should be learning from that as well huh?
GAH! I always mess that up. I thought writers write AND read, and readers read. I guess maybe some readers write, right?
Do you really want to write like him? Would you not be better off finding your own voice and writing like MatrixGravity? Read a variety or things by a variety of authors and keep on writing and you will in time develop your own voice.
Is it really that simple? I'd say it's more complex: Re-read a lot of books and re-write a lot of words. err, sorry, I mean: Re-read a lot of books and re-write a lot of words.
AND USE REALLY BIG LETTERS TO GET ATTENTION!!! I kid. You could study his writing for some interesting ways to describe things in ways that different than yours. Don't seek to impersonate his style though. Because: 1. You will start second guessing yourself trying to think of ways he would describe things. 2. Any mistakes he may make in his style of writing, you will repeat and add to with your own mistakes. You can use their style as imspiration but you shouldn't try to be your friend or Stephe King or Harry Turtledove. Each writer has his/her own style. Their styles may not suit your own needs.
go back to the first page of this thread and follow trish's advice... print it out in large letters and tack it up over your computer!
Apologies for the big lett- Ahem... Okay a bit more in depth this time. I'd say you need to read a lot of different books, and keep reading, keep reading all types of prose, and all types of stories. And write, write until it's second nature to scribble words, write until you're sick of writing, then write some more! Never stop reading or writing, if you don't have the time to do that, don't expect to be a good writer, or a successful one. Read HOW TO WRITE books, study grammar, study words!
I'm sorry, but this is exactly what we've been telling him NOT to do. He's not ready for this. He just needs to read stories. That's all. Read. Read. Read. How-to Write books are just going to further muddy the waters at this point, imo.
I was talking from my point of view so I jumped the gun a little there. I'd agree with you for him to just read, a lot.
... Why are you evading the solution? Do you not like reading? It's simple. As they've all said, just read. Go to your library, pick out random novels, and read them until you can't possibly read anymore, then read a little more for your own sake. Simplest rule of all, though: read more than you write. If you write more than you read, you're not going to be exactly... skilled. Your writing will escalate into the highest echelons of skill if you simply read. If you write a few thousand words in a day, you should read several thousand that same day.
Excellent way to learn how to improve your e-mails. But if your goal isn't just to improve the quality of your e-mails...
I don't mean to do that. It's just that.. I enjoy reading but.. It's funny because I recently went to the library and picked up around five books, and yet I've managed to read only one of them. I like to read but other times I feel..lazy perhaps is the word.. But anyway, how is reading beneficial though? By the way guys, I just want to clarify this for everybody. I am not trying to become a book writer or anything lol.
Smartassery isn't really an attractive trait in a person. If you've only read one of them, it's probably because you haven't read the others. It's as simple as that. See, having five books doesn't mean you will automatically begin reading all of them and finish them all at the same time. You'll read one, then you'll pick up another and read it. Try reading before you go to bed. It's usually the best time for it since before you go to bed, there's not really much you can do. Just set aside half an hour. And even if you're not trying to become a "book writer or anything lol" (please, don't say "book writer" or "lol". "Lol" is usually bad enough on its own), you want to become a better writer. Reading will help you achieve that end by allowing your mind to experience writing that is different to your own, or better than your own. Again, rather than evading the solution, use the solution. It's a truth universally acknowledged that reading betters your writing ability.
I don't think it's really the same thing, because unless he sends you many-thousand-word emails every single day, his emails are a very small sample of writing. You learn words and language by _using_ them. The way to use them is to read them, or write them, preferably both. Imagine that you wanted to be a better driver. And you read books about driving, and you studied where the controls are in all sorts of cars, and you watched movies about driving, and you took the written driver's test over and over and over. Imagine that you did all this but you never actually got in a car and drove it. You wouldn't become a good driver. You wouldn't even become a competent driver. Skills are learned not by studying theory, but by actually using the skill. You use written language skills by reading and writing. _Read_. And write. I am puzzled as to why you apparently refuse to even consider taking this advice. ChickenFreak
It worries me that the OP is concerned about studying e-mails from a mate of his to better his writing. Like, Jesus Christ, how many masterful writers are there out there with x amount of books that you can learn from by reading? To even ask a question like this is kinda worrying. I can only guess you're really young, but trust me, listen to the advice you get from people on these forums. And when everybody says reading is good, READ lol
