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/lit/ - Literature

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2275047 No.2275047 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /lit/, I've been needing to ask.
What is the suggested method to improve my writing in essay style? I've always been a math guy, but only recently I found the necessity of proper writing.
Its significance isn't just the problem either, my essays are horrid and I have to take a course this Summer that I know I'll do horrible on.
I've always received a 3.5 to a 4 out of 6 on my essays back in high-school. And I'm still stuck in that loop, I don't know whether it's due to some nervousness or I'm just genuinely stupid when it comes to timed writing, or writing in general.

So any suggestions to go about improving my writing skills? Essay-wise, the generic high-school shit with header-body-conclusion BS.

>> No.2275050

also, I checked the sticky, only had suggestions for reading.

>> No.2275053

bump
nothing?

>> No.2275072

I wouldn't ask these bunch of psuedo-intellectual neckbeards who live in their mothers basement. I don't think half of them ever got far enough in school to write college essays

>> No.2275076

>>2275072
fair enough
silly me for trusting >4chan
are there suggested blogs/books that teach good essay structure that you'd suggest?
or should I stick with Google's suggestions, which look pretty bad from what I'm seeing

>> No.2275278

If you have the time, the best thing you can do is read good essays.

What kind of style to you need to write in?

>> No.2275281

The *only* way to improve your writing is to read more. I strongly recommend you start to read the New York Times on a daily basis, any article or interest will do. As well, get your hands on some well-written essays on a subject that interests you. Once you find something you have an opinion on---and this is what makes a writer great, that they have an opinion that they want to share---you can practice writing essays.

It comes very hard. Just read a lot, and then write a lot.

>> No.2275287

>>2275281
To add on to what I just said there, study how a good author constructs his argument. Study how he draws you in with a hook, makes it easy for you to follow his ideas by transitioning between topics and paragraphs, and how he concludes it in a way that makes the essay stick in your mind after you put it down.

Good essays are an art form! I prefer to read the novel and to write the essay.

>> No.2275295

Here's an idea for an exercise.

1) Read 5-6 essays, from anywhere you like.
2) Pick the two which you liked best a re-read them. This time pay attention the the structure and presentation. How are things communicated, and when? How do sections and paragraphs fit together? Could they be re-arranged?
3) Try to re-write each essay as a standard, training-wheels 5 paragraph essay like you were taught in school.

You can find essays wherever: magazines, longform.org (they have an essay section at http://longform.org/category/miscellaneous/essay/)), or collections from amazon or your local bookstore.

>> No.2275348

OP you must tell us what kind of essay writing you want to be doing.

>> No.2275352
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2275352

>>2275278
>>2275281
>>2275287
>>2275295
wow, this is really good advice
thanks

I'm from /mu/ mainly, so any pseudo-intellectual music BS achieve my attention pretty well
I suppose reading professional music blogs more would help, but they all tend to be terrible, especially due to music's nature of >subjectivity
I really like the idea of reading NYTimes everyday

I was planning to read Scaruffi's stuff, but he's Italian and it's all initially in Italian; and I kinda want to stick with native English speakers, or at least people prolific in English speaking

thanks again, really good advice

>> No.2275359
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2275359

>>2275278
oh, and not exactly sure, in general really
stuff that would persuade or inform, generally speaking

>>2275348
math, science, and music, mainly
but not just any science, I mean intricate, abstract stuff. I'm trying to get more into that as a career path, so reading science articles would be convenient
and /mu/sic, and no, not p4kcore

so yeah

>> No.2275362

>>2275352
Definitely make an effort when you read the NYT daily to read outside of your usual interests. The goal is to build up your writer's toolbox of new words, and new ideas, and new ways of arguing.

>> No.2275368

>>2275362
sounds good
and yeah, a shame that I can't use >implying in my essays
heh

and I assume have a dictionary handy with me at all times

>> No.2275371
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2275371

>>2275368
Yes, of course. Don't be lazy and try to approximate meaning through context. If you're serious about writing, as I'm sure you're serious about math, you already know the value of repetition and definitions to making something stick in your memory. If you became good at math because you did math problems over and over again until they became muscle memory, then you should understand how to become a good piano player, how to become a good lover, and how to become a good writer.

Do it. Review it. Correct it. Do it again. x 10000000000000000000

>> No.2275374
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2275374

>>2275371
will keep that in mind
repetition truly is a universal method for perfection

>> No.2275382

>>2275374
It's the only one. :) No such thing as being born with talent.

>> No.2275388

Also, before I forget
My roommate is subscribed to the Wallstreet Journal
I like WSJ's content mainly because it's main concern isn't any radical political views, it's just anything involving money. Which I assume leaves it unbiased to political standards, which is what I would prefer.

Would /lit/ consider this? Or does WSJ suck ass?

>> No.2275393

>>2275281

Reading more is important, but the only way to become a better writer - and it doesn't matter whether you're writing fiction, essays, or the grocery list - is to write.

Write, write and write again. Write in your comfort zone, and out of it. Write in a genre you've never enjoyed. Write a page of dialogue only. Write a review for a movie, a book, or a take-out meal. Just write.

Seriously - with every paragraph you write, you'll become a better writer. It drives me mad to read the whinging comments on /lit/ about how anons can't find the inspiration to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. If you asked anyone how to become a better driver, they'd tell you get in a car. If you want to be a better chef, you cook more meals. When was the last time a plumber said he couldn't fix a leaky pipe because the muse just wasn't with him?

Write. It's the only way.

>> No.2275399

>>2275388
No opinion on the WSJ, but if you need help getting past the NYT online paywall (they let you read 20 articles a month) just Google and you'll quickly figure out how to bypass.

Nothing is politically unbiased btw. You are within politics and cannot escape. Even this desire to escape political bias is political.

>> No.2275403

>>2275388

lol

>> No.2275456

>>2275393
fair enough, and sounds like a fun side-project for me to do

>>2275399
>>2275399
>Nothing is politically unbiased btw. You are within politics and cannot escape. Even this desire to escape political bias is political.
well, I mean the most objective in terms of political points. but yeah, I see your point ;_;
and shit, I didn't know there was a pay wall for NYT, but it seems easy to bypass like you said

>> No.2275482

>>2275388
WSJ is owned by NewsCorp.

Just sayin'...

>> No.2275586
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2275586

>>2275482

>> No.2275591

>>2275586
Anyway, you should already have been suspicious at what you perceived to be completely unbiased reporting. Those who hide their politics so well are the ones most invested in you absorbing their politics to begin with. Those who make it clear and up front where they are coming from, and what stance they're going to take against an issue are the ones you should read openly. Don't be afraid of politics, son. Be afraid of those who use language to hide their politics.

>> No.2275643

Relevant to the original questions AND to the political turn the thread has taken:

Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language
http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/Orwell/politics_and_english.html

>> No.2275914
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2275914

>>2275643
>dat feel when George Orwell agrees with me on the need for clear language and the cowards who hide their stupidity behind pretentious language.

>> No.2275945

>>2275591
that sounds a little too conspiracy-ish for me
but your post is starting to haunt me

>> No.2275953

>>2275945
It truly is not conspiracy-ish in the slightest.

Those who come up to you and say "I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm not going to hurt you." are the ones who are going to hurt you, and who are not cool.

Anyone who goes out of their way to conceal their ideas or their motives for writing something are the ones you should pick away at, until you discover what they want.

Consider a real life analogy. A pretty boy/girl comes up to you and starts to compliment you outrageously. In every way, he is being as polite and complimentary as possible. What is the first thought that comes to mind? "What does he want from me?"

>> No.2275955

>>2275914
Orwell's concern was with empty or oversimplified language. "Doubleplus" is simplified and devoid of meaning; "not ungreen" is empty and devoid of meaning.

Neither of which is what most people think of when they think of "pretentious" (multiplicity of meaning) writing.