Anonymous User asked: Hello! I enjoy your writing, especially in Meatpunks. Recently I've been trying to write a VN, but I don't have much experience. Are there any specific resources or tips you'd recommend on learning how to get better? Thanks.
WRITING TIPS:
- Read read read read read. Read books, read poems, read essays, read anything that compels you deeply. Read outside your comfort zone. When a turn of phrase punches you in the chest, write it down; understand what it's doing and how it's doing it.
- Write write write write write. Do style exercises to mimic your favorite authors. Sketch out worlds with as few words as possible. Get as dense with your writing as you can, making every single word useful. (My personal version of this was writing in /r/shortscarystories every day for a few months -- the 500-word limit forced me to focus my writing hard.) Have others read your writing and give honest criticism: pay attention to what they say is wrong, but ignore any solutions they give.
- Think think think think think. What do you want to write about? Why do you want to write it? How can you best accomplish that with the tools you've been given? A piece of writing advice i heard a long time ago that every writer has a "free tool" that they can bring out whenever they're stuck: some people are great at worldbuilding, some people are great at character interactions, some people are great at poetic prose, etc. Figuring out your free tools (via the previous exercises) will help you play to your strengths and shore up your weaknesses.
- Repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat. Read write think read write think. What interests you now? How do you need to grow to be satisfied by your own work? All the while, keep that big project in your line of sight, constantly working on it. Sometimes the only way to learn is by doing. You'll notice the writing in meatpunks s2 is way better than in s1 by virtue of me gaining experience along the way (and practicing a ton between seasons).
That's pretty much it! Writing isn't magic, but it is a craft, and to practice it well you need to know how it works. Learn grammar rules so you can break them effectively. Learn genre rules so you can subvert them without looking like a newcomer. Learn each rule of storytelling, each piece of advice, and break it in half as soon as you don't need it anymore.