/lit/ - Literature

>>22453831
When I was high school -aged I was terrified of writing. Afraid to even try. In college I had to just get on with it, so bit by bit I got more comfortable. By the end of college I regarded writing as actually one of the least bad things about college, because I'd gotten so much positive feedback. And it wasn't that hard anymore. I'd developed a knack for it. Since graduating, I tend to have to write self-assessments every year during review season at whatever company owns me at that time. I've been complimented for my writing style. Eventually I realized that there was something in this, and I've been experimenting with writing stories for a few years now. I do have a bad procrastination habit, but I have written a lot of stuff that I've enjoyed. Cringe? Well, some of it is, but I don't care, because it's authentic. I think there is hope for you. You should own whatever you're embarrassed about, and in fact lean into it. Lean into the feelings, produce something that is uniquely you. Whether it turns out good or not doesn't matter. You'll be glad.

But anyway to actually answer the question about improving systematically, what works for me is literally just force yourself to start writing a story based off any random idea you have. That's all you have to do. Complicated systems never worked for me, instead the solution is to just lean into whatever you're feeling, and see where it takes you. Trust me, it's a lot more fun that way

I'll add that I often feel inspired when I listen to music I like, or re-watch a movie I've seen hundreds of times, or see an IRL improv show that impresses me. Seeing someone else's completed work makes me feel like "I know I can produce my own thing just like they did, it will just take time."