Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 1 day ago
That’s a broad question, man. People dedicate years of their lives learning to write. I don’t know if anybody on lemmy is going to be able to answer ‘what should I do to write?’ Stephen King said in his book ‘On Writing’: “If you don’t have time to read, then you don’t have time to write.” I would start with reading books, some of which could be about writing, and maybe taking some classes at your local community college. Khan Academy also has some free courses for writing, I think.
benignintervention@piefed.social 1 day ago
Octavia Butler has an essay that makes the same key point as Stephen King: read and write. It’s the same as any other skill. If you’re a musician, you listen to music and play your instrument. If you want to draw, you watch people draw, observe their process, and you draw. If you’re a welder, you watch people weld, study the process, and you weld.
Storytelling, however, is very broad. You see it on tv, in movies, in books, and you practice in daily conversation. There are loads of books and videos discussing different aspects of storytelling structure, form, and best practices. The Great Courses even has a lecture series on storytelling. But the best thing you can do is read and write. And ask for feedback.
Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’ve read that one! Her advice on not relying on inspiration but, instead, relying on habit is good advice for any skill.