Learning to Write: Into the Land of Writing

During my schooling, I sometimes felt disappointed by the grades I received for what were essentially drafts, early exercises of compositions. Some were marked high because, despite some errors, I managed to argue for the same stance my teacher would take. Some were low because of those errors and because my thinking was not in line with my teacher's preferred thoughts. So hampered by the institutional measures of intellect, I did not learn to write to improve my thinking; I learned, admittedly not well enough, to write to appeal to one audience: the giver of grades. Believing that this failing can still be rescued, I am learning to write again. Not for a teacher, but for my thinking; not to have a good grade, but to have a good skill.

So where do I start?
Finding the way to anywhere involves four questions:

1. Where are you right now?
2. Where do you want to be?
3. How many routes are there to get to your desired destination?
4. Which route do you want to take?

The fourth is the easiest to answer. People often look for the "best", "easy", and "quick" ways to do things. I'm the same. So I searched online, read through a lot of hacks and tips and how-to articles. They're not all bad, and most make sense since they simply repeat other people's best advices. But I got too full too fast, and still without an inkling of how to write my thoughts my way. Should I hire a coach? Another possible answer to question three. Other than the obvious "write a lot", being taught to write again will probably be the most helpful. But it's not something I can afford, so it's a quick no to that. Join a writing community? Possibly maybe. Workshops and all that. Still, the cost. The Pressure. All the musts.

In the end, I can only turn to books. They contain more knowledge, are a lot cheaper than paid-by-the-hour coaching, and less demanding than a writing community. But which books to read? English is my second language and I learned its rules of grammar. I may lack practice, may forget some rules, but these are remedied by more practice and quick search. What I want is to think sentence after sentence, to work through ideas one paragraph to the next and, the most crucial for me, be understood.

Many writing books advise you on how to start, format, finish, and get published. Are there any books that will guide you to write so readers understand you? Yes, fortunately. Editing books tell you to cut the unnecessary so the main points are easy to see, clear up the clutter so readers see the ideas you have. Writing guides by editors also emphasize writing that is read well.

Knowing this, I can start.