Being Concise vs. Being Descriptive

I actually don’t think that concise writing needs to be at odds with descriptive writing, but I often see writers who will add a lot of fluff to their writing.  Usually this is for one or two reasons.  They either want their writing to come off as poetic and full of flow, or they want to sound smart.

There is a careful line to walk when you write descriptive passages.  Metaphors and similes can be used to communicate meaning and put your reader deeper into your story.  Good descriptions help the reader imagine the scene, but when the prose becomes overly poetic, it can actually work against what the writer is trying to achieve.  I have a rule of thumb when I read writing from friends.  If I have to read a sentence more than twice to understand it, it needs to be edited.  Realistically the goal should be that a reader only has to read any given sentence in your writing once to understand it.

The goal of writing is to communicate.  If your prose is too flowery or over written, it can get in the way of that communication.  Poetry is a bit different than prose, as it is often more focused on interpretation and art.  The goal of writing fiction or non-fiction is to tell a story.  If the reader has to dig through fluff to get to the story, then the writer is not doing their job correctly.  This is where the need to be concise and clear becomes important.  You want to tell a story that captivates the reader, one that they effortless fall into without realizing it.  If your descriptions are understandable, it removes one more obstacle for the reader, and they then can get lost in your story.  

Another trend I’ve seen among some writing groups I’ve been involved in, is the need to sound intelligent by using big and seldom seen words.  I’m going to rely on the wisdom of the R&B group TLC to help explain my point.  “Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.”   This adage can also be applied to words.  In day and age where a good thesaurus is just a click away, it may be tempting to find a word that looks cool and replace the mundane word you had originally.

Do not do this!  Stick to words that you both know and understand.  Not all words that a thesaurus provides are completely interchangeable and really, if your goal is to make your writing sound edgy or smart, you will have defeated the purpose.  There will be readers out there who know what that word means and they will realize you’ve used it incorrectly.  So stick to words you know and try to expand your vocabulary. 

If you do have a big word and you know how to use it, make sure there are contextual cues for those that may not know the word.  This means that the sentence and prose surrounding the word give the reader enough information that they can infer what the word means.

Flowery and big words does not a good story make.  Many people argue that books like the Twilight series are full of bad writing.  Maybe, but it is writing you can understand and a story that is compelling enough that the books sold alarmingly well.  You want to assume your reader is intelligent, so do not talk down to them, but also do not make them pick up a dictionary every other minute while reading your work.  It’s the quickest way to get them to put down your story.

Quieting your Inner Editor

In preparation for National Novel Writing Month, I wanted to write about something that serves as a struggle for most writers.  The goal of NaNoWriMo is 50,000 words in a month and if you’re constantly rewriting words, it becomes quite difficult to make that count of 1,667 words a day.

The problem most writers I know face, is that they end up in a never-ending loop of editing.  They write two sentences or a paragraph and go back and fix it over and over again.  This is one of the fastest ways I know to halt your NaNoWriMo progress.  Many of the friends I mentioned have fallen into this trap and only managed to get a thousand or two thousand words out before they gave up altogether.

So here are some tips and tricks to help you get to the finish line this November.

Try ilys.com.  ilys.com is an online word processing program that only allows you to see the letter you type as you type it.  You can’t hit backspace or go back and rewrite any of what you’ve written, until you’ve hit the word count you are aiming for. It forces you to keep writing without editing until you have hit your word count goal.

The sign up process is easy and they give you 10,000 words to as a trial.  Once you’ve hit the trial word count, if you like ilys.com, you have the option of buying the an account for about $10 a month.  I have had friends who have had great success with this program.  The only drawback I find is that it often requires a lot of editing for minor mistakes and typos.

Turn off your monitor.  If you can’t stop yourself from editing and just want to get a bit of writing done, this is another alternative similar to ilys.com.  Set up your preferred word processor and turn off the monitor or cover it if you are on a laptop.  You may even want to step up a timer, so that you have a certain amount of time that you are committed to not looking at what you’ve written.

Practice.  Practice.  Practice.  This technique may sound overly simple, but one of the best ways to quiet your inner editor is to be aware of it and to ignore it when it comes up.  Remind yourself that you will edit the book when it is finished and make notes in a separate notebook or document if you need to.  If you’re writing in Google drive, you can even make comments to remind yourself what to fix later.  I can tell you that getting in the habit of not doing any major edits until after the writing is done, even if it’s just getting that 1,667 words done for the day, will get you closer to your goals as a writer.

I’ve even know friends who just free write constantly and never hit the backspace button.  This isn’t exactly my style, but if you find yourself over editing, it’s a technique that might help.

How about you?  What do you do to keep your inner editor quiet?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Show vs Tell: The oldest and most confusing advice in the book.

The first time I heard the words “Show don’t tell” I was in my first college creative writing class.  The professor, a well meaning man with a masters degree in English, did not really elaborate beyond that.  He did provide us with excellent reading and advice throughout the semester that I knew improved my writing by the end of it.  Sadly, it was not until years later that I started to understand the different between showing a scene and just telling the reader about it.

I find it’s easier to learn through examples, so I’ll start with one that “Tells.”

It was night time.  John walked through the woods toward his grandfather’s cabin.  It was cold outside and dark, but he kept walking.  He could see the cabin up ahead of him.  The trees sort of hid it, but he would be there soon.

Now let’s try that again, and this time I’ll “Show.”

Stars twinkled in the sky above him, much more bright above him in here in the woods then they would have been back home in the city.  The moon was absent though, so he did not have the benefit of its light above him, but he knew the path in front of him well enough.  Fallen leaves crunched beneath his boots with every step he took, he would not have been able to get to the cabin quietly, even if he wished too.  In the distance, he could see light dance against the windows of the small cabin, someone had started a fire.  He looked forward to feeling the warmth of its glow once he arrived.  John brought his hands up to rub his arms and gain some heat from the friction of the action.  His breath came out in billowy clouds against the cool night air.

This is still something I am working on, but hopefully you get the idea of what Show Vs. Tell means from my example.  Telling someone the story is just giving them basic facts, without giving them the parts of the story that really set the scene and make it feel real to the reader.

Showing gives them an idea of the scene, a feel for what is going on and what it looks like.  It’s much more engaging for the reader because they can picture the scene and it will more clearly communicate to your reader what you want them to see.

You also want to create a more emotional connection for the reader to make with your writing.  Maybe they remember what it was like to walk in dark woods.  If they connect with the scene or the character, it’s more likely they’ll connect with your story as whole.  Showing your story to them is a way to invite the reader in and make them part of the story. If you only tell them, you’re not giving them enough to make that connection and be a part of your story.

I’m still not perfect at showing rather than telling, but it is something I know actively think about when I’m writing, and that has helped me change the way I write a lot.  What about you?  Any tips for teaching yourself to show rather than tell?

Getting ready for National Novel Writing Month

If you are a budding writer and finally want to get that book that’s been inside you on paper, now is the time!  November will be here soon enough and it is known to many writers as NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month.  

This will be my third year participating.  Okay, that’s not completely true.  I had said for many years I was going to do NaNo, but didn’t truly commit or make a plan to accomplish it.  Whether you are a planner or a pantser (I’ll explain those terms in just a minute) having a map for the month of November is the best way to give yourself a good start to completing that book.

Failure to plan is a plan to fail.

You definitely don’t have to outline the book you want to write, so don’t think that is what I mean by planning.  In NaNo there are often two kinds of writers.  Planners, who do a lot of work before they write their novel, outlining and perhaps researching their story so they are ready to dive in.  There are also Pansters, who “Fly by the seat of their pants” and write whatever comes to mind.  No matter what camp you fall under, it’s still a good idea to ready yourself for NaNo and plan ahead for a few things.

Are you going to start at midnight October 31st?  A lot of people use that time to gain both momentum and word count.  You won’t be alone, at least online, because other Nano participants will likely be writing as well and tweeting about it.

Set aside time each day to write.  Before you get started, plan a time each day to get those 1,667 words in each day.  You’ll be glad you did, because you will be less likely to fall behind and then feel like it’s going to take forever to catch up.  Plan ahead.  If you know you’re going out of town for Thanksgiving or to see family in November, maybe plan to double your word count for a few days before you go.  You’ll be glad you’re ahead, rather than behind, when you get back to your story.

Find some writing buddies.

Once you’ve signed up on the Nanowrimo.org site, find some buddies.  You can do this by lookin through the forums or adding friends from your real life.  Each year you get to watch as your buddies work toward their word count, and let me tell you, watching them blast their way past you is a great motivator to catch up to them.  It’s not really a competition, but that edge can help me at times to work just a little harder.  If you’d like to add me as a writing buddy on Nanowrimo.org, my screenname is Freudianslipped.

SPRINT

No running shoes required!  A writing sprint is where you buckle down for an allotted set of time and just write.  At the end you check out your word count and give yourself a pat on the back.  If you’re sprinting with friends, you might share word counts and encourage each other.  It’s a great way to shut off the world and get some of your writing done!

So there you go, there are my tips for NaNoWriMo!  Hope you have a fantastic National Novel Writing Month!

Weekly Comic Review: Avengers #0

Avengers Cover by Kenneth Rocafort and Richard Isanove
Avengers Cover by Kenneth Rocafort and Richard Isanove

After Secret Wars, Avengers #0 is an anthology book that ties together the stories of the Avengers, the New Avengers, A-Force, the Uncanny Avengers, the Ultimates and the Squadron Supreme.  Each team has a small vignette that ties their story into that of the Squadron Supreme.  Stories like this can be tricky, since the reader is maneuvered between stories, but I found that though the story with the Squadron Supreme was meant to act like a segway into the other stories, it felt more like a distraction.

It provided a lot of exposition, but I felt like it was at the cost of the story itself. Also, the information needed to jump into the comic, without prior knowledge of the characters and Secret Wars, was not provided.  I feel like the purpose of a zero issue, is to lay the foundation for someone who wants to check out new titles.  It does the job of introduction the Squadron Supreme, but beyond that it does not provide an easy entrance for the reader to the comic or to the subsequent tie-ins that come after it.

I did enjoy the stand alone stories and each one felt like it could stand on its own.  The first was between Scarlet Witch and Vision.  Vision is being haunted by images of the past, what most of us would think of as ghosts.  He has come to Wanda to tell her that he has made a decision of how to deal with the ghosts.  I liked the story telling here, I’m a fan of both Wanda and Vision, and though the story was sad, it was also compelling.  The art style was very pleasing for me, but there were some panels where memories could easily be confused with what was the present.

Next up was A-Force, and G. Willow Wilson continues to show her strengths as a writer.  Her themes are clear, but well

Captain Marvel sans Helmet by Victor Ibanez and Laura Martin
Captain Marvel sans Helmet by Victor Ibanez and Laura Martin

woven into the story.  I knew it was the A-Force story from the moment I turned the page, because almost all the people in the panels were women.  That may sound strange, but when most media has more men than women in any given scene, it was sort of nice to see a captain of a starship and a scientist who were both female.  Carol Danvers is leading the Alpha Flight station, and we see her sans her Kree helmet.  I know we found out this week that she will no longer be donning the helmet, but it was still sad to see it go.

My other favorite story from this comic was about Ms. America Chavez.  The art is open and stunning, and it makes it easy to follow the story, even if the text boxes were a little confusing on the page.  America is fighting monsters between worlds and closing tears in the universe.  To close the holes, she must focus on a happy thought, and basically we see the softer side of America, as she uses her dancing skills rather than her punching skills to problem solve.

There are also stories about Deadpool and the New Avengers in this comic, both of which set the stage well for the coming stories.

All in all, if you are an Avengers fan like me, this is a great comic to pick up so you know where things are starting out after Secret War.

The Power of a Paragraph

Formatting my writing has always been something that did not come naturally to me.  Since I spent a good portion of my early writing days on roleplay forums and writing fanfiction, I quickly got into some bad habits when it came to how my paragraphs and dialogue looked on the page.  From roleplay writing, I learned to use big, blocky paragraphs with dialogue peppered in wherever I saw fit.  It made my writing look dense and long, but it did not necessarily help my narrative in anyway, and that is what good formatting should do.

In my high school English class, I remember learning that a paragraph is usually 5-8 sentences.  For a typical essay in English class, this rule is perfect.  As a writer, it is one of those rules that is meant to be broken.  Some paragraphs will be longer, some will be shorter.

I recently read the book “On Writing” by Stephen King and his approach to paragraphs got me thinking.  He discusses how the format of words, sentences and paragraphs can cause the prose to breathe and dictate pacing as the reader goes through the book.  To show you how this works, I’ll provide you with an example using the same set of prose:

Example 1

She knew it was a bad idea to go back.  The worst idea, in fact.  Eleanor could not help but think of herself as a sober person about to hang out with a bunch of addicts.  Nothing could go wrong with that, right?  Sure, they were all creative minds like her, brimming with ideas and colors to put to canvas.  Creative minds also had a tendency to be self-critical and depressive.  If she threw her lot back in with them, she might find her inspiration again, but it all that creative energy might just end up flowing back into the people around her, as she tried to help them and hold them up.   Eleanor sighed as she came to a stark realization. It just wasn’t going to work.

Example 2

She knew it was a bad idea to go back.

The worst idea, in fact.

Eleanor could not help but think of herself as a sober person about to hang out with a bunch of addicts.  Nothing could go wrong with that, right?  Sure, they were all creative minds like her, brimming with ideas and colors to put to canvas.  Creative minds also had a tendency to be self-critical and depressive.

If she threw her lot back in with them, she might find her inspiration again, but it all that creative energy might just end up flowing back into the people around her, as she tried to help them and hold them up.  Eleanor sighed as she came to a stark realization.

It just wasn’t going to work.

By breaking up some of the paragraphs and utilizing the one-sentence paragraph, I give the reader moments to breathe and focus on parts of the story I want them to concentrate on.  I want them to know that Eleanor knows this is a bad idea, but she’s perhaps still willing to go back to it.  Changing the format can really change the way an entire passage is read.

Another thing I do, now completely subconsciously, is I vary my sentence lengths.  If all of your sentences are 15+ words, your writing will start to feel drawn out and long.  If it’s all short sentences it may feel more like a song on the piano played in staccato, sharp and punctuated, but the reader will never feel like they have a moment to take a breath. Varying your sentence size and structure is a way to give your writing a more even flow.

Just being conscious of both these aspects of your writing is a wonderful way to improve your formatting.  Do you have any other tips or tricks to help with formatting?  Please comment and share them if you do!

Salt Lake Comic Con Part 3: Chris Evans and this Con was special to me.

In the time I’ve been attending comic conventions, I’ve only ever gotten one photo op with a celebrity.  It was last year with Eliza Dushku, someone I have been a fan of for years.  I usually go to conventions to show off my cosplay and network with other writers and artists, as well as check out panels on writing.

This year, I had amazing friends who let me jump in on their photo op with Chris Evans.  I also was lucky enough to attend his panel.  I am a huge fan of Captain America, both in the comics and in the movies, so it was an amazing experience to fill my Saturday with these events.

Salt Lake Comic Con held a lottery for tickets to the panel.  My husband and I won one entry between us, and he was happy to let me go and see one of my favorite actors.  I know a lot of people were frustrated with the lottery system, but it I think it was better than many people camping all night and from what I heard all of the people who joined the standby line were able to get in.  Also, gracious fans that were not going to use their tickets were all over the SLCC Facebook page ready to share and trade their tickets, for free (one person did attempt to sell their pass, but they were quickly set upon by a horde of people telling them how rude that was).

Chris discussed both the movies and his issues with anxiety.  My favorite thing he mentioned was focusing on gratitude and being thankful for the things you have.  He also spoke about quieting your mind and taking time each day to do so.  As someone with anxiety, it was amazing to hear him share some of his struggles and triumphs.  It also made meeting him for a few moments later in the day all that special.  When I said “Thank you so much” for the photo op, he replied with “Thank you” as well with a smile on his face.  His sincerity was very touching.

I got to spend a lot of my time at this convention with new friends and some old friends.  Honestly, that is what made it so much fun for me.  Connecting with people.  I recognized a Kate Bishop cosplay and she immediately ran up and hugged me.  Because the convention was better organized and overall better done than the previous two years, I think it made for an easy way to have fun.  Each day was a blast and I could not of had more fun.  

I’ve seen posts complaining about lines and crowds, but any time you have an event with literally a hundred thousand people, these issues are going to arise.  Try to keep a good attitude, bring some friends with you, and just have a blast.  

I would absolutely recommend this convention if you are looking to attend a larger convention with a focus on pop culture.  They don’t have quite the emphasis on actual comic books (Writers, artists, etc) that I have seen at other cons, so I may not attend for that, but they do have a wonderful Artist Alley section filled with people either in the industry or trying to break in.

What was your favorite thing about the convention if you attended?  Is there anything else you’d like to know about it?  Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to provide you with anymore info I have.

Salt Lake Comic Con Part 2: Cosplay Experience and Tips.

IMG_2706Each year, Salt Lake Comic Con is a little like Christmas for me when it comes to cosplay.  I’m both Santa and the little kid getting the presents.  I spend months working on costumes for my husband and I, and then we get to debut them.  This year was a little different because we also participated in the Cosplay Contest with a group of friends.  Here are some tips if you’re cosplaying a large convention for the first time, things that I have learned along the way.

People may try to take your picture.   If you see them trying to snap a shot, tell them you’re totally willing to pose for them.  This gives them a better picture and hopefully you’ll find it later and be able to see how awesome you looked.  I’ve noticed more so at Salt Lake Comic Con than other conventions I attend, people may not ask you to take your picture.  They may do it when you’re eating, or waiting in line.  If you see them, just ask if you can pose.  I do not think most of these people are attempting to be rude or snap a sneak shot, they just don’t realize the etiquette involved.

People may not try to take your picture.  When my husband I dress up as characters from the Marvel Movies, we often get stopped a lot.  When we dress up as our favorites from the comics, sometimes we don’t get stopped at all.  My husband has a Captain America costume that is very popular, and sometimes they will ask for a picture of just him and not me.  Everyone likes different things and it’s good to remember that cosplay is about your love for the character.  Even if not a single person knows who you are, try to have fun with it.

Try not to take pictures in crowded areas.  We often get stopped in the middle of the floor, as we are walking to and from our destinations.  I always try to say “Hey, can we go over there?” or “Can we swing to the side?” so that we aren’t blocking the flow of traffic.  9 times of 10 the person is happy to move a little as long as they get the picture.  It keeps things moving and doesn’t cause a traffic jam.

Plan ahead and plan that part of your costume will break or you something will go wrong.  I bring a little repair kit in case of emergency.  It has moleskin, bandaids, super glue, string, stain wipes and several other things I might need.  In the middle of the con, my husband’s boots started to break.  We were able to use super glue to save them and get them through the con.  Salt Lake Comic Con actually has a costume repair booth, which I utilized on the second day.  My red Fedora kept falling off.  They helped me hot glue in loops so I could bobby pin it to my wig.  It was a life saver.  I definitely would have lost my hat without their help.

I also brought flip flops so I could pull off my cosplay shoes whenever I needed to move or at the end of the day.  One thing to be careful with:  If your feet are swelling from all the walking, you may not want to take your cosplay shoes off.  Your feet can swell enough that your shoes will no longer fit.  Plan ahead and get comfortable shoes (I use gel inserts and other helpful things for comfort and to prevent rubbing) because if your feet are done at Comic Con, you might be done too.

Lastly, consider entering the cosplay contest.  But also be aware that it will take up a chunk of your time.  They had pre-judging a week before the contest, which would certainly save you some time on Saturday.  We attended judging the day of, so that took up some of our time.  From there, most of our evening was taken up by the contest, since we found out we were lucky enough to make it in.  Just try to have fun with the contest.  I had a lot more fun just enjoying being on stage and enjoying seeing the amazing costumes up close, than I would have if I stressed over winning.

What about you?  Any tips you would share with cosplayers about this and other conventions?  Please leave them in the comments below!  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Part 3 is going to be full of a lot of Chris Evans and what made Comic Con special for me this time around.  See you then!

Salt Lake Comic Con Part 1: Lines and Vendor Hall Tips

I’ve attended every Salt Lake Comic Con since they began three years ago, each one had its issues, but I can definitely say that this year was the best so far.  Not only due to the guests, but also due to the organization of lines and such.   My husband and I have tried to get down early on Wednesday night so we could register our passes, but this year that was not necessary as they had wrist bands we could pre-register.  Coming from out of state, this was a huge benefit.

The only snafu we faced was on the first day, when the volunteers had our line for VIP/Gold move forward and then opened doors behind us, causing many people pretty far behind us to rush the doors.  It truth, it probably only cost us a couple of minutes, but was still a little frustrating.

I think the thing that truly helps the most in times like this is a positive attitude.  Comic Conventions are a busy place  filled with lots and lots of people.  Unless the error is truly bad, I try to give the volunteers some slack, they are doing the best they can.

If you want to see areas like Artist Alley and the Vendors, I would recommend getting at least a Gold pass.  It’s not much more than the multi-pass and you get on the floor an hour earlier than General Admission.  We were able to walk through Artist Alley, say “Hi” to my artist friends and buy prints and souvenirs before the floor got too crowded.

I would also leave some things for the second day.  The first day everything is shiny and new and everyone rushes to get to it.  Unless you want something that might sell out, take your time.  Lines for the vendors and such were actually a bit smaller on Friday.  The Funko Pop booth had a huge line the first day for the limited edition stuff they were selling, but my husband and I waited until the second day to go through that line and waited only 5 minutes.  I got my Black Widow doll and got out of there pretty quickly.

If you are buying prints, keep an eye out for the protective case booths.  They aren’t too expensive and they give you piece of mind that the awesome piece you just bought isn’t going to be destroyed as you try to get it through the con and to the car.  I did not buy them for my art the first few conventions I attended, and I regret it.  Too many times something go bent or broken.

You can only attend one day?  Go on Friday.  Each year I think that Thursday will probably be the most calm of the days, and each year Friday seems to be.  I think that most people think that the first day of the con will be quiet, so they get passes for that day.  The other advantage to attending on Friday is that many of the celebrities, vendors and artists are there.  Salt Lake is a bit different than most other cons that run Friday-Sunday, so sometimes Celebs do not get until Friday.

Did you go?  Do you have any awesome advice you would like to share? Please do!  I’d love to hear your comments!

My next post will be about Cosplay at the Con and my tips and tricks.

Why Feedback is your friend

It might even be your BEST friend.  I know that may sound a little crazy, considering how painful feedback on your work can be.  People want you to delve deeper, to kill your darlings, change your setting, edit or delete that line of prose you were super attached to.

Also, honestly?  It feels great when someone just gushes over your work and tells you how wonderful it is, but in the long run that sort of thing doesn’t help your writing.

Getting feedback and giving feedback will help you improve your writing.  People with fresh eyes can find errors and holes you are not going to see because you are too close to the work.  When you in turn look at their work, you may see things like grammar or spelling errors that will make your mind more acutely aware of those sorts of mistakes in your own work.  When giving feedback, remember these simple tips to make sure it is construction criticism, rather than destructive:

Remember to include some positive with the negative

I got my degree in teaching, and in my undergraduate program there was one particular lesson I heard over and over again.  “For every 1 negative, you’ve got to give 5 positives.”  Now, I don’t think you have to be that drastic when you are helping someone revise a piece of writing, but it sure is easier to swallow the salt with spoonful of sugar.  If you give both positive and negative feedback, you may bolster the writer’s motivation to finish or revise their work.

Ask the person what kind of feedback they are looking for

I usually ask if they just want basic grammar and editing, plot help, or something else entirely.  This can help solve a lot of confusion for both the person giving feedback and the person getting it.  If they just wanted you to proofread and you come back with a brand new outline of plot points for them, it may be kind of disheartening.  On the opposite end, if you just proofread and they were hoping for some in depth analysis, they may not ask you again to help them with their work.  That means you’ve lost an opportunity to grow as a writer through feedback.

Another way this helps, is you then have an idea of how much time the feedback is going to require.  A dear friend recently asked if I would help edit his book.  He has a phenomenal story to tell, but as I looked at the manuscript I realized that I probably did not have the right skills for the job and that I did not have the time to do it.  This way, he was able to go on to find someone really right for the job and I was able to decline a job that might have taken time I didn’t have to spare.

Try not to rewrite the entire piece of writing

This probably seems like pretty straight forward advice, but you would be surprised how often writer’s I’ve known have fallen prey to the need to rewrite an entire piece.  Your voice is going to be different from the other writers you interact with, and that is a good thing!  It also means that you have to let their voice shine through in their pieces of writing.  The only time I can recommend trying to do a heavy rewrite, is if their grammar is heavily broken.  Even then, I suggest you show them how to fix the grammar in some of the opening paragraphs and then suggest they take some classes to help them improve their writing.  There are lots of places on the internet where they can take classes and learn some of the basics for free, even some Universities off classes.

By reading the writing of others, I’ve found that I have learned so much about myself as a writer.  Two of my best friends write pieces that sound like poetry, and though that is a skill I don’t have, it is one I would like to develop.  By providing them with feedback, I am able to learn more about their process.  When it boils down to it, one of the best ways to learn to be a better writer is to think critically about writing, and what better way to do that then to provide feedback for others and help them improve along the way.