general writing tips to improve ur writing? struggling to make stuff im completely proud of:,( ur amazing!!
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oh, my baby!! come sit here by me for a second... first of all: struggling is not a sign you're bad. it's a sign you're leveling up! the moment you start wanting to be proud of your work is the moment your taste outgrows your current tools. annoying? yes. normal? extremely.
okay. so, some tips i feel might actually help:
⤷﹒stop aiming for good. aim for honest most writing sounds flat because it's trying to be impressive instead of specific. ask yourself: "what exactly does this character feel in their body right now?" not "sad". more like: tight chest, dry mouth, anger they don't want to admit. when you write what's true, it automatically reads better.
⤷﹒write ugly first drafts on purpose i mean it. give yourself permission to write the worst version. no rereading. no fixing sentences mid-paragraph. pretty writing is born in revision, not conception. first drafts are just you dumping clay on the table. write stupid. write messy. write cringy.
⤷﹒zoom in. then zoom in again if a scene is feeling too meh, it's usually too zoomed out. instead of: "they argued and it hurt" try writing the exact line that lands wrong. the silence that follows. the hurt in their expressions. the things they don't say. tiny moments = big feelings
⤷﹒steal structures, not words when you read something and go oh my god, don't just admire it---dissect it!! like: → how long are the paragraphs? → where does dialogue interrupt prose? → when does the writer pull back vs push closer? you're allowed to learn by imitation. every good writer does.
⤷﹒read your work out loud this one hurts but works. your ear will catch clunky rhythm, repetition, and fake-deep sentences immediately. if you stumble while reading it, the reader will too.
⤷﹒let your writing sound like a thought sometimes not every sentence needs to be polished. some of the best lines feel a little messy, too honest, slightly awkward. that's where voice lives. perfection is overrated. intimacy isn't.
⤷﹒finish things even when you don't love them! unfinished work teaches you nothing. finishing teaches you pacing, endings, restraint. you don’t have to post it. just finish it.
and here's the gentle truth: you will almost never be 100% proud of something the day you write it. pride usually comes later, when you look back and realize ...wow. i grew!
you're already doing the hardest part---caring! that means you're on the right path, even if it feels messy and frustrating right now. keep going. seriously. you've got it. even on the days it feels you don't. 🩷
