How to improve writing skills.

[Haziedoll]

As a youngster I loved writing. I would write loads and loads of little books and had a couple of articles published in magazines. Hit my teens went off the rails and barely scraped a pass in GCSE English!

I would love to take up writing again, only for a hobby I'm not good enough to get published. My basic grammar and spelling skills have gone downhill, my 11 year old self was more competent in this area than I am today.

Where do I start? Should I take a course in basic grammatical skills, worried that might be be really dull. Or do I attempt an A level in English to boost my skills?

Anyone else in a similar position?

I have a book called 'Improve your Writing Skills' which was published by Collins and I use this a lot. You don't need to do a course, you do need to practice though.

ooh grammar is never boring! get a few books. I found Medwell's Primary English a good refresher, it's on the reading list for my teacher training course, aimed at trainee primary teachers. But I'm sure if you browse you'll find something that suits. Library? there are lots of books on creative writing too.
Hi sybil

Hi ninah How's you? (sorry OP)

David Crystal is great! Rediscover Grammar!

good thanks busy but beginning to make progress! (that's work, not writing though. I haven't written since the summer. Which is frustrating cos I have a LOAD of ideas!) Did you chase up your publishers about the picture books?

Yes. She emailed back and appologised for taking so long and would I mind giving her an extra week. She also said it was OK to submit elsewhere as it would keep her on her toes so I replied saying I already have and they also love them. She's not replied to this yet. I'm not sure how well this went down. Novel is almost finished, I've managed to find a couple of readers and they think it's great.

ooh good! fingers crossed for you. Finding readers is great also. I am hoping to draft something by the summer and send it out, at least that way my long suffering critics have a break! I am at the stage where I don't really know how to ramp it up tbh. It's OK, it's competent, but it doesn't seem to be commercial or wow. I am hoping as my confidence grows through my course it will filter back into words on the page. I am so looking forward to the summer when I can write and write (and think about getting a job ...)
Pm me the minute you hear something positive!

I'll be happy to read it for you. I may hear something next week (or the week after). The first is small though, no books in Waterstones or WHSmiths so online sales and book fairs. The second publisher is huge so I'm hoping the second ones make an offer. I need an agent really, I don't know what I'm doing.

Sorry op

Thanks.

No worries

op I found nano a great experience for getting words down, national novel writing month in november with a website that you post word counts on
maybe see you there in the autumn!
sybil thanks for that offer I may take you up on it come September

oh and you can get an agent after the publisher, if you do really feel you need one. It shouldn't be as difficult once you have a contract - but ime (non fiction) contracts aren't all that tricky and Royal Soc of Authors can advise if needs be
if you've done the selling yourself why part with the percentage ...

Any time I can't get an agent for the picture books, I've given up trying. I can see what you mean, I've done most of the work for them anyway.

I think if I was trying to get back in the swing of writing again I would do two things - firstly, read stuff that was as good as possible (by which I mean stuff that I think is good, not stuff that is considered High Art), and secondly, mess around a lot practising writing in different styles.
If you're worried about your grammar you probably have to get someone else to read stuff you've written because then they can point you to the mistakes you are making (if indeed you are making mistakes) and then you can go away and read about how to do them right.
An English A level might be fun in its own right but it's not really aimed at improving your writing. A creative writing course might be good though - I get the impression there are people of all levels of experience and talent on them so you needn't worry about being out of practice.

Thanks Tunip