I realized how bland my writing skills are, and I wanted to know: how can I write better? Just practice?

And reading a lot of well-written stuff might help.

Acquire more vocab, it helps to make your conversing more flowery.

increase your swearword vocabulary as well. that way, ur writing will be sophisticated with a touch of exotic mystic

How many swearwords are there to learn? 4?

No, I have a very ostentatious vocabulary. That wouldn't be the problem....

 

What should I read? I have read a lot of books all ready! I have read (or am reading) most of the great books of the western world....

Thomas Aquinas isn't the best guide to good english.

 

Just use more and different words; variety being the spice and all that.

Start by spelling skills right

 

Reading good writing always helps.

I'd recommend writing a lot as well for practise, as that's probably the best way to improve your skill, e.g. letters, essays, fiction. Bear in mind that I'm biased. In the extreme. (ERROR: SENTENCE FRAGMENT)

 

Really, it depends on what styles of writing you're looking to improve. If you want to improve scientific, analytical writing then reading and writing a lot of essay type papers would probably be your best bet. If it's not just analytical writing that you want to improve... well then, I'd best not get started on that.

Are there any proffers for any prodigious codice? Am I being too bombastic?

I dont think you should have any influences on the way you write. Just start writing and then you will have your own style.

Yeah, but the Man sayz I gotta write better... :anger:

 

You know, I can prove how and when capitalism will collapse (save the conditions remain and there aren't any catastrophic acts of nature); and I still get a B- in English. ARGGH!!!

 

Plus, most of what I have read is complex philosophy, economics, history, and plays.

Biographies of Economists and Mathematicians are always well written, if u wanna have a look.

What you should read all depends on what you want to right. Read stuff along the same lines (obviously, if your writting sci-fi you don't want to take your cues from Shakespear). Just read to uderstand how they make sentences and ideas flow and then tweek it to make it more your own.

JaKiri‘s advice is key; increase your vocab to expand your eloquence. That doesn’t mean nail a thesaurus to your hand or memorise random words for effect.

 

You may have noticed that JaKiri has a consummate grasp of language. He can, and does, make complex points in one sentence. That skill comes from him reading a whalefull of books, and using the explicitly concise vocabulary at his disposal.

 

If you learn to write in much the same way that you speak, your vocab will flow naturally. If you force it, it will look forced.

one book i would especially reccomend you is "Enders Game".(sci-fi) It really took to me

 

Also Fantasy would be a good place to view creative writing. see if u can get the sparrahawk trilogy. its quite amazing.

Remember that being a sesquipedalianist doesn't make you a good writer. Find several writers, whose styles you like, and emulate them. You will find your own style. Just go from there.

Funny, I thought being a sesquipedalianist meant you’re an 'ist' taped onto a real word.

Yes, one who uses sesquipedalian words is a Sesquipedalian.

 

Don't discourage him though - his writing has suddenly become readable.

I think you should either get a dictionary, or learn that the US and UK have different dialects.

yeah, i once read the book completely written in yob style, and it was quite funny, at the begginning you dont understand anything it says, and then u get hang of it.

I think you should either get a dictionary, or learn that the US and UK have different dialects.

Well, dictionary.com agrees with me and takes its primary sources from US dictionaries.

 

My Collins English Dictionary and Oxford English Dictionary, both of which were written in England by English people, also agree.

 

By the way, Dictionaries deal with languages and not dialects. A dialect would be described by a regional lexicon.

My etymology book doesn't. I looked it up. It is on page 128

Tracing where a word comes from and why isn't quite the same as having the current usage, is it?

sesquipedalianist-n.,one who exessively uses long words