R/AskReddit 2 yr.

Ago
CoffeeConnoisseur99

How can I improve my writing structure?

As a student of literature, I want to become more skilled in writing when it comes to

properly structuring my writing for readers. While I love writing about my creative ideas and
content, I find that often my writing sounds disorganized or unclear to readers that aren't familiar
with the topics I write about. But I'd love to hear any other tips from other writers! What kind of
techniques that you have found most effective and useful for elevating your skills in structure?
What are some strategies that are effective in terms of improving the way I could add my
ideas with a good structure?
Fiction or fact, lay it on me! I'm eager to hear any additional insights from ya’ll. What do
you think aspiring writers should focus on when learning and practicing? Looking forward to
hearing your advice and perspectives!

FrankSmith209 2 yr. ago

Gotta have an eye for style and technique!
That's the key! The best way to improve as a writer in terms of structure is to learn from the
greats. DUH!
Hello fellow redditors, Smith here again with another hot tip to step up your writing game.
Like i've said before “read like a writer”. I strongly go by this as a psycholinguist.
When I say read like a writer, I mean instead of just absorbing the content or story, just pay
attention to how it's written too. Look at the author's sentence structure, punctuation, word
choice, and flow. Really study how they would transition between their paragraphs and ideas.
You can really learn so much about writing just by reading carefully and analyzing the
strategies of those who have mastered it.
So go now! Try applying what you’ve observed into your own writing. See the change in your
structure like sentence length or the adding descriptive details and see how it would influence
your voice or storytelling.

lunar919 2 yr. ago

Is “reading like a writer” a second form of imitating another writer's work?

FrankSmith209 2 yr. ago

Yes! Exactly, as the process of imitation is taking the structure of one's writing and
incorporating your own ideas in your new writing. The process of reading like a writer is the
same thing but instead you have an internalized image of how that author structures their writing
while you write your own.

CoffeeConnoisseur99 2 yr. ago

I couldn't agree more with this technique of “reading like a writer”. I agreed with it so
much, I was able to try it right away! Deriving my writing from one of my favorite authors I enjoy
reading. Payed attention to her sentence structure and more. I could definitely see a slight
improvement in my writing structure. With more practice I'll become a pro!

Donna-Gorell-literary42 2 yr. ago

I tend to work on the assumptions that imitation is an effective teaching technique to help
unskilled writers improve their structure. I've heard the common struggle from unskilled writers
that they find it hard to bring creativity into their writing because they are too focused on “good
phrases” and perfect structure. Too focused enough to lose their train of thought. And worse!
The creative ideas they encounter while writing!
As a teacher in writing, I would advise getting the chance to observe and replicate the
writing of others because it helps build the purpose of internalizing a sense of written language
in your head. Eventually you’ll master the basics of structure and you would write more freely,
disregarding perfect form.
 Jean-Piaget-9168 2 yr. ago
Great response Donna!
But I'd like to piggyback on the fact of the internalized image you say these writers
retrieve when imitating other authors. In my experience in psychotherapy and behavioral
sciences, imitation is reliable in the sense of improving your structure in writing through other
experienced authors writing.
Why? The cognitive development in a child is hugely influenced by the innate ability of
imitation. When a child would observe mental images and apply it exactly as seen. This practice
would also be seen in referring to our internalized representation of what writing looks like!

CoffeeConnoisseur99 2 yr. ago

Wow! This is a great approach to back up the reliability imitation has on the skillset of a
writer. It's a great example as to why imitation could actually work.

Edwardcorbett414 2 yr. ago

Did any one know that imitation is an ancient practice!
Most classical rhetoric books were filled with testimonies about the values of imitation to refine
many skills of effective speaking and writing.
Yeah! Even Roman schoolboys were using the imitation process to improve their written
structure. Can you believe it!
I don't remember who said this but I do remember reading it somewhere- “It is the
internalization of structures that unlocks our powers and sets us free to be creative, original, and
ultimately effective.” I strongly believe that imitation does seem useful to understand a skilled
way of presentation and organization when you write.

Lobocop714 2 yr. ago

BREAKING NEWS: I hate to say it but imitation actually causes creativity to suffer in
students writing!
Guys, It completely ignores the actual learning process of writing!? Concentrating on
imitating could result in being pointless and ending in itself.
 Edwardcorbett414 2 yr. ago
Wait, so you're saying that after all these decades of utilizing the process of imitation,
people still believe that it would ruin the traditional ways of learning writing?!

That seems unrealistic because it has been happening for a long time now and I don't
see much change in the school systems changing traditional long lectures.

Lobocop714 2 yr. ago

I mean think about it. When a student focuses too much on imitating a certain style of a
particular author. They would literally lose their ability to innovate. Without the actual learning
process of writing, students won’t get the whole grasp of techniques and their writing would
seem like hollow clones of the original author.

FrankD’angelo2 2 yr. ago

Absolutely not!? The “actual learning process” you are referring to is the unnecessary
long books and lectures that only give you a grasp of writing a sentence.

Without lectures and big books, using the distinction between invention and imitation,
you would actually consider the importance it has in teaching students to write well. Any student
is able to become more original when the student engages in creative imitation. As invention is
the process of discovering alternate modes of expression and imitation being the duplication of
these modes. In my experience in writing, I can't help but stress this enough- “imitation exists for
the sake of variation.”

Lobocop714 2 yr. ago

Now that you think of it! You are extremely right! I Never thought of seeing it this way. If
imitation does exist for the sake of variation students would find creativity while duplicating new
modes of expression. Just don't overdo it, the goal is to learn structure and solid writing
techniques from great authors, but then make those skills your own and develop your unique
voice?
 FrankD’angelo2 2 yr. ago
Yes exactly! Finding that balance between learning from greats while forging your own path is
key for a writer's growth. Requiring students to carefully examine and mimic other authors’
writing voices and techniques would expose students to alternate modes of expression including
the structural formats of essays, short stories, novels, and memoirs.
With this, students are inspired to innovate by blending, adapting, or reinterpreting those
modes into new unique styles when they move to the invention phase of their own writing to
further better their structure.

CoffeeConnoisseur99 2 yr. ago

I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Lol… And I couldn’t agree more with Frank when he
says that whole part of imitation and variation. Yeah I wouldn't have ever seen it this way when
lobocop was on about ruining the actual learning process. But luckily Frank cleared things up for
me too!

Work Cited
 - Corbett, Edward P. J. et al. “A New Classical Rhetoric.” College Composition and
Communication 32.1 (1981): 86–87.

- D’Angelo, Frank J. “Imitation and Style.” College composition and communication 24.3
(1973): 283–290.

-Gorrell, Donna. “FREEDOM TO WRITE-THROUGH IMITATION.” Journal of Basic

Writing, vol. 6, no. 2, 1987, pp. 53–59.

- Piaget, Jean. Play, Dreams And Imitation In Childhood (1st ed.). Routledge. (1951)

- Smith, Frank. “Reading Like a Writer.” Language arts 60.5 (1983): 558–567.