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Tips On Improvement?

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I just started writing and posting my own stories, but I have been writing for myself for a while. I want to improve, but I am not sure where to start. I don't get many comments or feedback on what I do write, so I can't look there. Anyone have any good tips?
There are some great tips for better writing in the Writer's Resources sub forum. Read through the stickies in that forum. They should help a lot.
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From your profile: "I don't follow authors, mostly because I don't read, so I can't really anser this one."

If you want to improve your writing, start reading!

Here's an excellent article that may help you (and others): http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/scene.php
MorganHawke just posted a whole series of writing advice articles in the writing resources section...you may want to read them, they offer some good advice...

Who knows, you may end up becoming a professional erotic writer...then you can start deducting porn on your tax returns as part of "research expenses"...cool...

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Start with the basics. Rather than looking for ways to improve your erotic writing, just look for resources on writing in general. General concepts such as show vs tell, dialogue mechanics and character voice are just as valid for erotic fiction as they are for any other genre.

One book I have found vastly improved my writing was Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown and King.

My strongest piece of advice is never to treat your first draft as the finished product, and don't assume that improving as a writer will enable you to do so. Writing and editing are two different processes and you need to get good at both of them to be your best.

Hope that helps
MOW
xx
Quote by Mistress_of_words


My strongest piece of advice is never to treat your first draft as the finished product, and don't assume that improving as a writer will enable you to do so.
xx


Just curious MOW, since you feel so strongly, do you actually change words and phrases in your first draft...or just correct spelling errors and the like?

Just seems like double work to me if you actually change your first draft...then again, maybe I'm just lazy...

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Having a beta reader willing to tell me what I need to hear instead of what I want to hear looms large
Quote by DirtyMartini

Just curious MOW, since you feel so strongly, do you actually change words and phrases in your first draft...or just correct spelling errors and the like?

Just seems like double work to me if you actually change your first draft...then again, maybe I'm just lazy...


On which pass?
I edit, edit and edit again. Of course it depends on the length of the piece and how happy I am with the draft. Usually my first edit is more of a re-write to catch plot errors, missing or conflicting description and add in any better ideas I've had since the 1st draft. On the second edit I look for language issues; poor sentence structure, weak verbs, showing vs telling etc. Grammatical errors come last.

Like I said above writing and editing are two different processes. A writer friend of mine explained to me once that they use different sides of your brain. When you write the first draft you take the easy route using weak verbs, you repeat yourself, you contradict yourself etc. The trick is accepting that it's okay to do that, because you will catch all that in the edit. Then you will write more passionately to begin with, and produce a better more polished result in the long run.

It is double the work, but I think it is worth it.
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Writing is the way to improve. Its like on a putting green...it eventually falls in.