Writing

Originally posted by Poison Godmachine
Well, if you put all those parameters on it, sure. But I'll tell you something, almost no one does this. They simply look up the synonym and plug it haphazardly into whatever it is that they are writing.

I guess my prejudice against using a thesaurus stems from my irritation that people don't read enough, or don't read the right things. And ...[text shortened]... mar is appalling for the most part. Hell, I'd even advise against using the word "googling!"

OK, using Google isn't the best plan; still, if you stick to 'reputable' websites, eg the BBC website, you should get a fairly good idea as to how the word is used. Just remember that there are no exact synonyms, and you'll be all right.

Where NOT to go to learn about good writing technique: http://www.garthmarenghi.com/

"I'm one of the few authors to have written more books than I've read" - Garth Marenghi

Originally posted by Poison Godmachine
I am a professional writer, though not of fiction. It is certainly a goal of mine to be creatively pulished and I have innumerable short and long stories cluttering my computer's desktop, all in various stages of completion (or disrepair in some cases).

Someone above advises using a thesaurus when you write, but I would strongly advise against ...[text shortened]... iciently expressing a thought or idea.

All the stuff they teach in writing courses is bunk.

I'm currently in one of those "bunk" creative writing courses. That's because I'm one of those "bunk" creative writing majors. I've been thinking a lot about why my creative writing instructors (every one of them a published author by the way) do what they do, and this is what I've come up with: They make a steady 55-80k per year while having the freedom to write. Oh, and they get to be involved with others who share the same interests as them on a daily basis (both other instructors as well as students).

If you have the desire to write but just don't know where to start, the very best thing you can do is enroll in a creative writing course. For one, they don't "teach" you anything. They make suggestions that you can choose to take as you will. Also, you have an immediate audience at your disposal. Other students will read and give feedback on your work. Once again, take their suggestions with a grain of salt; some will be helpful, others will hold absolutely no merit. (You'll never write anything that everyone likes, believe me!) Finally, you're forcing deadlines on yourself, forcing yourself to complete a draft by a certain time. Sometimes this is all it takes to give you the confidence that, "Hey! I can do this!"

If you're wanting to write "literary" fiction or "realism" (I don't know why, but I'm assuming you are referring to the desire to write in the genre of fiction), take courses at your local university if possible. If you want to write within a genre (sci-fi, fantasy, mystery), there are plenty of good workshops that can be found at local community colleges, comm. centers, etc.

If you don't want to take a course, then take the lead of your favorite author. Read a short story by him/her, and then use the main character or the plot structure (whatever element stood out for you) and write your own story with that as a starting point.

I would recommend reading "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott (sp-?) as well. That will give you a good start.

Good luck, and don't get discouraged! Anyone who puts their nose to the grindstone can be a decent writer. You just have to stick with it and work at it!