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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47205
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

How do you learn anything? By practicing it.

And no, you don't learn to write by reading. That is a huge misconception. By reading you acquire knowledge about how stories work. And if you read "with a writer's eye," you may pick up a few things about how storytelling works. But you don't learn to write.

You don't learn to play the violin by listening to violin music. You learn rhythm and build an ear for music, but you don't acquire even the bare basic motor skills necessary to press the strings in the right places and move the bow in the right way.

The only way to learn how to write is by writing. The only way to learn to write a novel, for example, is by writing a novel and then...

# Write the next novel.

That's what it comes down to. Don't do writing "exercises". Don't spend years polishing that first failure. Simply write the next book. Again and again and again, until you get it right.

* * *

I always say this, but it cannot be repeated often enough: The ability to write, i.e. the ability to draw lettershapes to note down language, is not the same as the ability to write, i.e. the ability to narrate a story in an entertaining way. One doesn't have anything to do with the other. You can write something that is not a story; and you can narrate a story without writing text (e.g. verbally or in images such as in a movie or comic book). So it is vitally important to acknowledge that just because you can write text doesn't mean that you can write stories. You cannot. You can't swim just because you can move your arms.

It is interesting how everyone knows that every skill from drawing to speaking a language takes a huge effort and a long time to learn, but at the same time almost all novice writers believe that all they have to do to become bestelling authors is sit down and "write" (meaning 1).

If you want to know how to learn writing, the best perspective is to think of learning the violin. You will need years to learn the very basics, and you will need to write (meaning 2) many works before you get one right.

When you want to learn writing you need diligence, tenacity, and perseverance.

So write a book and then write the next. That's all. Very simple.

* * *

_One note._

I don't mean to say that you don't need to read to learn to write. Of course you do. You cannot learn to play the violin without listening to music. But you don't _learn to play_ from listening, and you don't learn to write from reading. Reading is a prerequisite to writing, but most readers cannot write. Just as most people who listen to music avidly cannot play an instrument.

Original score: 7