Hi everyone,

I'm currently working on my writing skills and I'd like to have someone to read my articles and essays and correct me. Help me with my writing. I don't have grammar problems, but it's all about writing the right way with the right words and expressions.

So if there is anyone out there who has time and is interested in helping me improve my writing, please contact me here or send me a private message.

I don't have a lot of time usually so we'll meet up once in two weeks, normally on weekends if possible, somewhere outside or at my place and discuss the article together.

It's all about having a good time while doing something creative together so let me tell you that I won't be able to pay for this activity. But we might have some good time together if you're interested.

Thank you.

At the risk of weeing on your strawberries, you appear to be asking for very specific, skilled, dedicated advice for which people pay quite a lot in the UK - let alone in CH. Someone providing the "right words and expressions" will essentially be ghost writing your piece.

I sincerely wish you well in your endeavours but you may need to rephrase your request.

I second that.

I know people who have MAs in creative writing and do this professionally (books on Kindle, social media, video games etc).

What is quid pro quo for such professionals?

Thank you for your reply. It doesn't have to be a professional. Just a little help with correction will be fine. Let's see if someone has time for that. And if it doesn't work here I'll try to find some professional elsewhere, but later. Because right now I can't really afford it.

Must be expensive I know. I also wanted to take a creative writing short course in the UK but this year that won't be possible as I have other projects to work on. But as I'm really passionate about writing, I wanted to find someone to help me with it because I try to write quite often.

By the way let me know if there are any courses or any sort of help online for such purpose. I mean if you know any, because I've searched but didn't find something suitable yet.

Good luck but I doubt you will find much for free.

https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/0...ce-to-writers/

If you want some help go to KDP or kindle direct publishing and have a look at the forum there, you will learn more in ten minutes trawling through the posts then you will by any other method.

Why not join the Geneva Writers' Group? www.genevawritersgroup.org

On the other hand, all these people who say they are bored to tears and many of them say they write ...... (last page of that thread)

Even if you do meet up with some folks, it never hurts to take a look at free courses. Found this page with google for some ideas:

https://www.class-central.com/report...nline-courses/

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. This means a lot to me. I'm glad to say that I've also found someone who is ready to offer help and that's what I was looking for. But at the same time I'll also have a look at the courses and forums that you guys have suggested.

Have an awesome weekend everyone.

Sadie.

I can't find a source for the quote, but I remember an author telling me once that Calvino said:

"The way to become a writer is to sit down and write for 4 hours a day and write. If your writing isn't any better after 4 years, you're not a writer."

I don't want to be a partypooper either - but writing help usually gets to the basics..of thinking help. The actual writing tips (composition, grammar, vocab, etc.) are usually easy to pick up by a lot of reading. The biggest writing work is done by thinking before one sits down to writing. The creative writing courses we organized (WMich, UNO, SUNY..) were mostly consumed by people learning to think, first.

And when you're not writing, read.

Thinking about what? Your content? The topic? I didn't really get it...

Here's another free resource - a writing lab. My daughter uses it sometimes to help with her uni work...

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/4/20/

Theme, content, style etc. If fiction then plot, characters, pacing , dialogue choices etc. Linear or non- linear.

Lots of thinking and planning and editing and revising.

Oh ok.. Well I know writing is a lot of work, but I hope by practicing I'll be able to produce some interesting content.

Thank you for that link. I'll check it.

Depending on what you're planning to write... everything - style, content, market, research.

Lot's of people think they have something to say, still less want to be a writer, even fewer actually sit down and write, very few do that for long enough to get past the point of writing something which is punctuated, scans, and shows some element of style, appeal, or entertainment.

Then you start sending stuff off to publishers (or nowadays, create a blog).

I've written two novels. Both were a resounding unpublishedness. About 3 years after I'd finished the 2nd one, I had a BBQ with some other friends who also wanted to be writers (many of whom had been subjected to reading both "works" and provided feedback), and burnt both manuscripts. We had a laugh, and recouped some of the thermal energy latent in the paper. In my case I realized that I could do a half decent imitation of a few different styles, but I wasn't a writer. It only took me 4 years to reach this insight. Of the people who were at the BBQ, about 1-2% actually are published writers 35 years later.

I consider myself fortunate. Read about John Kennedy O'Toole, and his manuscript "A Confederacy of Dunces". Then read it. It's a really good read. Shame he didn't get the chance to know how good it was.

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If everyone you know agrees with you consistently, they are either not listening, or not capable of critical thought.

Oh... Well published or not, it shouldn't matter to you because many big authors' work was also first rejected by many publishers. I won't be able to give you names but I'm sure you'll be able to find by yourself.

I can understand that it's tough to get published but we can't really compare it to how it was 35 years back. Today we have more possibilities may it be blogs like you mentioned or the possibility of self-publishing.

My aim right now is to work hard on my writing skills, then maybe start a blog and hopefully, one day get published. I'll keep trying, and my joy comes from the fact that I don't give up. I don't care if others approve of my writing or not when I totally approve of it!