[–] CANCEL-CAT-FACTS 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Read books. You will pick up writing skills and enjoy learning more than if you took a writing class.
[–] [deleted] 1 point 1 point 2 points (+2|-1) ago
[–] Chalupacabra 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
The elements of style by white and strunk is a good place to start. You could always take a class on writing at a community college or something too.
When it comes to editing your writing, attention to detail is key. Get stuff done early then let it sit before editing it, or ask a colleague to proof for you. There are various strategies for editing, if it has to be perfect I usually edit as follows: start from the beginning and proofread until I find an error, fix it, and then start from the beginning again. Once you get through the whole thing with no errors, then start from the end and proofread it backwards one sentence at a time. This helps overcome the brain's tendency to overlook mistakes when you know what should come next.
If you still have time let it sit for a day or two and repeat the process.
I think I own that book. I was looking at the local college, unfortunately I think I have taken most of them. I went there for a few years before transferring to university, so it's not like I have never written before. I have certainly written a 27 page paper on the history and folklore on surfing and its effect on modern culture, I just think my boss who is telling me my writing style is crap is old fashioned. She is almost 70.
[–] bacon_tastes_good ago
Good advice. I would add to try reading out out loud when you proofread. If it doesn't sound right to you, change the wording.
[–] Chalupacabra 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
That's a good one too. I usually skip that one for some reason and I frequently end up regretting it.
[–] FreshieD 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
You learn by doing. Most people I know with atrocious grammar and spelling say that "it doesn't matter" for the majority of arenas that they write in. BUT, if you want to be better, you have to make writing correctly important everywhere. Every time you write you need to write things out completely and as correctly as you can, whether it's a voat post or you're texting, or you're drafting a quick response to your boss.
Another thing, don't use spellcheck/autocorrect to automatically fix your words. Use it to point out the misspellings, then manually type out the corrections. You have to make the proper spelling a habit, not right-click-pick-correct-from-list. If you don't know how to spell a word, start typing it into your favorite search engine and it will autosuggest the correct spelling. If you don't know if you're using a word correctly, type the word into your favorite search engine and hit enter, most will have the definition as one of the first items returned. In this day and age, it literally takes only seconds to find out if you have the right definition or not, so there's no excuse to not do so.
The more you write, the better you will get at taking your thoughts and putting them into cohesive sentences. Find any excuse to write. One easy place is Facebook (assuming you have an account); instead of simply hitting the 'like' button, instead take a moment to write out WHY you like whatever it is, beyond something stupid like "that's funny". Not only are you practicing your writing, but you're engaging deeper socially. I know I certainly prefer a response to a simple +1 on the like counter, and I'd be willing to bet you and your friends do, too.
[–] Arotaes_Forgehammer 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
I wouldn't consider myself a writer of any kind, but I would think that the reason I have good grammar skillz is that I read a lot. It's slow, but it's effective.
[–] SirPoppycock 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Reading is a great place to start. Read something I write on Voat, and you can tell I barely read anymore.
Aside from that, joining writing and critiquing groups would go a long way. You would be forced to write on a regular basis, and others would read over it and help you improve.
[–] Arotaes_Forgehammer 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Or even better, we can chain op to a chair and make him write sentences, and I'll chop off a finger for every mistake.
[–] Wumbology_Major 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I actually improved my writing skills by reading and writing on Reddit. I do most of my reading and writing on Voat now, so here is a good place to start. You also might want to try learning a new word or two every day to expand your vocabulary. It will make it easier to write when you have more material to work with, and it will make your writing sound more advanced.
I'm not sure of any writing classes in particular, but try looking for SAT writing prep stuff, since those usually goes over a lot of grammar rules.