Help for a writer wanting to improve?

[WishingStar]

Hello! I'm not sure how to ask this but here I go!

I've always enjoyed writing since I was younger, I attempted to write several stories both fanfiction and original during my Highschool days, but gave up due to lack of ambition and self esteem. I would thus like to ask you great people on KHI for help! First I'd like to bring up my flaws, maybe that would give you some insight and let you help me better? Well, let's give this a try shall we?

Grammar - I wasn't the best student and always struggled with my schoolwork due to my short term memory loss and my inability to keep myself focused, ADHD had a big factor in my ability to pay attention or stay interested in anything for more than a few hours, so basically- I was lazy and inattentive and thus after highschool graduation I quickly forgot most of what I remembered in school. That was four years ago. So my grammar is horrible as a result as well as my ability to structure sentences, use punctuation correctly and the like.

ADHD- I always hated using this as an excuse but in this case it's one hundred percent true. I can rarely stay focused on anything for more than a hours at least and a month at most. My mind is constantly brimming with new ideas and the moment I get a new thought I abandon my previous one in favor of it. This also makes it difficult for me to plan things such as plots, character developments, and the like when writing. I have medication to combat my ADHD but it rarely ever works. So my mind is always a chaotic mess that can't stay on one idea for too long. A good example is that I roleplay on forums however to keep myself interested I must rp on as many rp sites as I can, where I eventually drop some of them in favor of something else.

Confidence- Lastly I have suffered with my confidence throughout my life is low self esteem. Because of that I rarely feel good or proud about my work because I fear I did terrible at it. I always seem to give up before really trying and because of this I seek praise or encouragement in any possible form. Though this also means I have a hard time separating criticizing with 'flaming' which makes me feel like I failed when someone might just be trying to help me improve.

I know no one can help with my mental problems, but I felt you should know this to better understand my situation. I love to write but due to the above mentioned things I never seem to get anywhere. So I would like advice on how to better myself as a writer. Any tips or tricks anyone is willing to share is very appreciated. Thank for your time and I apologize if I said too much x-x;;;

-WishingStar

 

[KingdomKey]

Confidence- Lastly I have suffered with my confidence throughout my life is low self esteem. Because of that I rarely feel good or proud about my work because I fear I did terrible at it. I always seem to give up before really trying and because of this I seek praise or encouragement in any possible form. Though this also means I have a hard time separating criticizing with 'flaming' which makes me feel like I failed when someone might just be trying to help me improve.

Don't worry about it! I give out positive feedback no matter what form of writing its done in. Long as I can read it, you'll be absolutely fine. Nobody around here has been flamed in quite some time. It'd be quite rare for that to happen. If it happens, usually myself or one of the other moderators will handle it. So no worries there. I only give out suggestions or critiques, if a person wants it. Otherwise, I have a tendency to gush over stories that I like a lot. I'm sure a few of you out there would say that's true. xD Just do the best that you can, and you've come to the right place for help!

Grammar - I wasn't the best student and always struggled with my schoolwork due to my short term memory loss and my inability to keep myself focused, ADHD had a big factor in my ability to pay attention or stay interested in anything for more than a few hours, so basically- I was lazy and inattentive and thus after highschool graduation I quickly forgot most of what I remembered in school. That was four years ago. So my grammar is horrible as a result as well as my ability to structure sentences, use punctuation correctly and the like.

Here: Let's talk about Grammar!

A few kind and generous members of the forum made this thread for, members such as yourself to look at from time to time. Myself included. It may be long, but there are usually shortcuts to some of the things they point out. So, you don't have to read the whole thread itself, and can take what you need from it.

If you want somebody to beta check your work, we can do that here. :3 I wouldn't worry too much about grammar. Everybody improves over time with their writing by posting it here on the forum. So, we'll help you out, and point out small errors we see. Long as you're comfortable with myself, or anybody else doing that for you. But I assure you, we're not going to do that every time you post a chapter! Writing is meant to be fun after all.

ADHD- I always hated using this as an excuse but in this case it's one hundred percent true. I can rarely stay focused on anything for more than a hours at least and a month at most. My mind is constantly brimming with new ideas and the moment I get a new thought I abandon my previous one in favor of it. This also makes it difficult for me to plan things such as plots, character developments, and the like when writing. I have medication to combat my ADHD but it rarely ever works. So my mind is always a chaotic mess that can't stay on one idea for too long. A good example is that I roleplay on forums however to keep myself interested I must rp on as many rp sites as I can, where I eventually drop some of them in favor of something else.

If you're concerned about having incomplete stories, don't be. I can give you the options of closing them down or deleting them altogether. Just send a Private Message to me, and I'll take care of it. Also, I can change title thread names no problem.

As for having your attention diverted: Create a list for your ideas, so you won't forget them.

Its what I do, whenever I have an idea I want to write about, but don't have the time for. This way you can come back to it, when you want to work on it, or have new ideas you want to add to it.

I hope this helps you out, WishingStar. If you need help with anything else, feel free to contact me.