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This is at best tangential to what you're saying, but it's something I always wonder about whenever I see a discussion about practicing writing: is there an upp

This is at best tangential to what you're saying, but it's something I always wonder about whenever I see a discussion about practicing writing: is there an upper threshold to writing ability? See, I've been writing in fairly substantial amounts for about the past seven years. When I look at my old writing, it's clear that I improved extremely rapidly for the first year or so, and there's noticeable (though less pronounced) improvement for the next three or four years, but recently I think I've plateaued -- I no longer write in quite the same way I did a year ago, but I can't really distinguish between my writing then and now in terms of quality. What's more, I'm not sure I can see anywhere for my writing to go -- I feel like I've maxed out my ability to appeal to my own aesthetic (in prose). And the fact that that even seems possible is a little painful. I have to go and don't have time to really finish saying whatever I'm saying here. Have any of you ever felt like this? Have any of you ever gotten over feeling like this?

Radix 17y ago
This is an interesting tangent, because unlike musical ability, or obviously, athletic ability, writing is independent of ones physical skill. So I would look to other skills of the mind to find the answer. A comment here once told of how the commenter's father had been working on a physics phd, he worked hard, got a nice letter of recommendation. But when he asked to see a friends letter there was little more than the line 'Nobel material'. After that he quit for a different path. I expect there is a point where diminishing returns become greater than the cost of effort. You may be able to improve yet, but it may not be worth it.
anonymousDan 17y ago
Maybe you could look around for a good teacher? Or even some new people to collaborate/learn from?
GeneralMaximus 17y ago
I actually feel my writing has deteriorated over the past few years. Part of the problem might be my limited vocabulary. I can pick up new words effortlessly as I encounter them, but I rarely manage to put them in use. I spend a lot of time just looking for that one word that could convey my meaning succinctly, but I inevitably end up writing three sentences in place of that one word. I face a completely different problem when I'm writing for an audience (my audience being the 3 people that read my blog). As I write this comment, words are coming naturally to me, but they completely evade me when I sit down to write a blog post. The result is a bunch of mediocre, incomplete blog posts in my 'Drafts' folder. Needless to say, I need practice. One of these days, I should take some time off from writing code ...
- adw 17y ago
  Vocabulary is overrated! Simple words are the best words; if you can get your story across without jargon, and have it remain compelling, then you've got a chance. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

Radix 17y ago

This is an interesting tangent, because unlike musical ability, or obviously, athletic ability, writing is independent of ones physical skill. So I would look to other skills of the mind to find the answer. A comment here once told of how the commenter's father had been working on a physics phd, he worked hard, got a nice letter of recommendation. But when he asked to see a friends letter there was little more than the line 'Nobel material'. After that he quit for a different path. I expect there is a point where diminishing returns become greater than the cost of effort. You may be able to improve yet, but it may not be worth it.

anonymousDan 17y ago

Maybe you could look around for a good teacher? Or even some new people to collaborate/learn from?

GeneralMaximus 17y ago

I actually feel my writing has deteriorated over the past few years. Part of the problem might be my limited vocabulary. I can pick up new words effortlessly as I encounter them, but I rarely manage to put them in use. I spend a lot of time just looking for that one word that could convey my meaning succinctly, but I inevitably end up writing three sentences in place of that one word. I face a completely different problem when I'm writing for an audience (my audience being the 3 people that read my blog). As I write this comment, words are coming naturally to me, but they completely evade me when I sit down to write a blog post. The result is a bunch of mediocre, incomplete blog posts in my 'Drafts' folder. Needless to say, I need practice. One of these days, I should take some time off from writing code ...

adw 17y ago
Vocabulary is overrated! Simple words are the best words; if you can get your story across without jargon, and have it remain compelling, then you've got a chance. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm