[Essay] Problems with writing.

[Mahmoud Amdouni]

Hello, everyone. My name is Mahmoud and I am currently doing a bachelor degree in English.
So here is my problem: despite the fact that my English is not that terrible, I still have not been able to attain the level where I am really comfortable with writing.

I always feel that my essays are packed with simple words and simplistic language in general. I want to get to the point where I can write like professionals. It's been now one year and a half that I am reading and writing (not very consistently, though!). Every time I attempt to write; whether it is something academic or even for fun, I fall in the trap of writing simplistically.

I really strive to become a better writer but hitherto, I have not evinced any sign of expertise or mastery when it comes to writing.

Could anyone please enlighten on this topic which is improving one's writing skills?

Thank you, everyone and have a wonderful day!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Hello, Mahmoud!

I've advised countless people to simplify their writing. I've never advised anyone to complicate it.

Clear, concise writing (like what you wrote above) is the sign of an organized mind. Convoluted or verbose writing says that the writer either is confused or has an inferiority complex. (I'm not talking about poets. Shakespeare's "To be or not to be, that is the question," works better than "I wonder if I should jump off a bridge.")

When you say "professionals," I don't know whether you mean people whose profession is writing or people in other professions who write as part of their work.

Many professionals write. Few of them are professional writers. And fewer than that are good writers. Being a professional writer takes full-time dedication to the craft. Being a professional who writes takes learning the specialized language of your profession's field — medicine, engineering, architecture, law, skydiving, needlepoint, whatever.

Your writing is good. But I understand your question. You're not alone. We all want to make our writing stronger. To continue to improve your English writing, do three things:

- Keep studying English.
- Read a lot.
- Write a lot.

If you do that, your writing will get better. And better and better.

 

[jutfrank]

Your writing seems pretty good to me.

Do you mean that you feel your writing lacks only in English or in your native language too? If you don't have the skills and aptitude to write at a 'professional' level in Arabic, you won't get in there in English, I'm afraid. Remember also that there is a multitude of different genres of written texts, all with their own unique grammatical, lexical, and stylistic features.

If the problem is that your English vocabulary is lacking, then it's obvious in which area you should focus on developing your skills. One useful way to do this is by reading authentic texts by highly competent users. One and a half years isn't long—you'll need many more. Be patient.

 

[GoesStation]

I always feel that my essays are packed with simple words and simplistic language in general.

That's generally a sign of good writing. The following is a sample of not-so-good writing:

I really strive to become a better writer but hitherto, I have not evinced any sign of expertise or mastery when it comes to writing.

Here's a simpler, clearer way to express much the same idea: I strive to be a better writer but I haven't made much progress so far.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

. . . One and a half years isn't long—you'll need many more. Be patient.

Good point. When I tutored university students, sometimes they would be frustrated at their progress with English.

The receptionist at the campus Learning Center was from Japan. All the students liked her. So sometimes when a student was too upset to continue our work, I'd say, "How long have you been studying English?"

The student would tell me — usually two or three years. Then I'd say, "Come with me." I'd take the student over to the receptionist's desk and say, "You know Kaoru, right?"

They'd say hi to each other. Then I'd say, "Kaoru, how long have you spoken English?"

Twelve years. So then I'd say, "Kaoru's English is perfect. And when you've been speaking it for twelve years, yours will be perfect, too."

By then, student would be calmed down, and we'd get back to work.

 

[TheParser]

Could anyone please enlighten on this topic which is improving one's writing skills?

NOT A TEACHER


Hello,

My teachers taught me that the "secret" to good writing is REWRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE.

Make your letter/article/report as concise (brief and clear) as possible.

Go through your first draft (writing) and cross out all unnecessary words.

For example, do not write "So here is my problem." Just tell us your problem. Do not write "which is improving one's writing skills." We already know what the topic is.

Here are some quotations to inspire you:

* ]T]here is no such thing as good writing; there is only good rewriting." (Professor Ronald C. White, Jr.)

* "If you find that writing is hard, it's because it is hard." (William Zinsser in his book On Writing Well.)

* "If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out." (George Orwell, author.)

* "I have made this letter longer because I lacked the time to make it short." (Attributed to both Blaise Pascal and Mark Twain.)

* A clear sentence is no accident." (I do not know the source.)

 

[GoesStation]

* "I have made this letter longer because I lacked the time to make it short." (Attributed to both Blaise Pascal and Mark Twain.)

Pascal wrote it in 1657.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I can often shorten my essays and articles by half.

Just taking out adjectives and adverbs helps. (First I typed makes a big difference. Then I changed it to helps.)

It helps to avoid words of more than two syllables. (I know. That was three. Sometimes you can't help it. But try.)

And I look for places where I've repeated myself. (Blah, blah, blah.)

There's an old saying: If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter: See these quotes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

And here's my favorite writing quote, by the author Gene Fowler: "Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a blank piece of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."

 

[Tarheel]

It's possible, I suppose, that some wrote what they wrote without being aware of what others had said.