Page 51 of Book IX from the Florentine Codex. The text is in Nahuatl written with a Latin script. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The bad news is, there is no easy way to become a better writer. The good news is, perseverance will take you a long way.
Of course, you have to do the dirty work of acquiring the basic skills of written language: grammar, punctuation and spelling. You have to know things like when to use the words: to, too and two.
But learning the basics of written language is simply a matter of paying attention with a healthy dose of plain old memorization.
Learning how to create character, location and storyline is the difficult part. And only two things can help you here: constant reading and constant writing. That’s where perseverance comes in.
Just remember this. Writing is a journey, not a destination.
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The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is an online magazine of creative ideas, serious writing and brazen sexuality.
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Read. Study. Write. Submit. Follow.
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Writing: Planting The Seeds Of Your Own Success
The Old Soldier is having a flash back to 2004 when he was a teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. Such fond memories. I did eventually get a chance to teach fiction writing; but during my first year as a TA I taught undergraduates composition: how to put thoughts down in clean, clear prose.
This meant that when my students handed in their papers, I had to check their spelling, punctuation, grammar and to check for clarity and unnecessary words.
And do you know what? These are the same things I have to check for as editor of the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette. Well spank my bare bottom and call me a nudist!
That just goes to show that learning the basics of written language is always a good investment.
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Submit your flash fiction for publication. The Submissions tab is at the top of the page.
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