Any tips for a non-native English speaker (and someone without a literary background) to improve in writing and storytelling?

[Bmkkp]

Well… the title says it all, folks. Lately, I've been feeling stuck in my writing. I tend to fall back on the same sentence structures/synonyms, and when it comes to smut, I've noticed my vocabulary is getting more and more limited (no pun intended…).

Any tips on how to diversify my style and push myself out of my comfort zone ?

many thanks ...

 

[bodman54]

One thing I see people suggest is just read more. Both for enjoyment and to see and think about how other authors handle similar situations and descriptions. It could mean reading public stories on here, if you want to expand your smut skills. Or just reading more books in your spare time, if you have any

 

[Bmkkp]

One thing I see people suggest is just read more. Both for enjoyment and to see and think about how other authors handle similar situations and descriptions. It could mean reading public stories on here, if you want to expand your smut skills. Or just reading more books in your spare time, if you have any

Thank you! I had no idea I could read public stories here… haha !

 

[Wapato]

Well, just to make sure you know the term since English is a second language, writers often use a thesaurus to get related words. There are ones online Thesaurus.com - The world's favorite online thesaurus! and I'm sure there are fancier ai ones these days.

However beyond that maybe you're doing the same things over and over again, lots of people reuse plots, and it's that you need to fundamentally change the scene.

 

[Zubaida]

Well… the title says it all, folks. Lately, I've been feeling stuck in my writing. I tend to fall back on the same sentence structures/synonyms, and when it comes to smut, I've noticed my vocabulary is getting more and more limited (no pun intended…).

Any tips on how to diversify my style and push myself out of my comfort zone ?

many thanks ...

English is my third language.

Pashto is my first. I also know Mongolian and ASL.

I will give you an honest answer, or at least how I learned. Reading, lots. Don't read comics, magna, or low-level literature. There is nothing wrong with these mediums, but you're looking to expand your vocabulary and whatnot. It's really that simple and difficult. There is no short cut. Its time+effort=Result.

 

[song]

jumping in as someone that's baaaasically trilingual (at least, in terms of writing/bilingual (or multilingual if you count dialects that family members/in-laws speak) in terms of speaking, i actually think that "low-level" lit can be really useful for learning the foundations AND learning how to write in a way that is accessible/easy to understand. there's a time and place to be flowery or to be straightforward but poignant.

also hi fellow french speaker!

in canada, public schools tend to have at least 5 years minimum of french education. we were taught with kids shows and "simple" books like le petit prince (which btw is a 10/10 classic book, i'm aware my tastes are basic lol) or even reading classic books in french, that type of thing. but you seem like your understanding is already pretty good!

i'd recommend listening to music (i guess ~sexy~ music if your focus is on being better at writing smut?) and conversing with people fluent in the language! what sounds sexy in english? if it sounds sexy, it probably reads sexy.

on thesauruses: thesauruses might be useful to find similar words, but i think talking to a native speaker (or reading synonyms in a sentence) can find the nuances of certain synonyms. take happiness for example: thesaurus.com states some synonyms for happiness like "elation" and "contentment". but i'd say someone pretty familiar with english would know that they describe different types of happiness.

another niche french thing: maybe you could also practice writing smut in your native language? or reading smut in both languages and seeing the similarities? i think it might be helpful to see if metaphors/euphemisms can be transferable and see if that expands your range in storytelling. for example: la petite mort aka the little death (ik, ik, an old term), but sentences/ideas can be formed from that like "dying from pleasure" to describe an orgasmic state. stuff like that. the possibilities are endless.

tl;dr - write more, read more, enjoy more art, and get creative!

 

[Lockdown]

I think everyone has given great advice already so I’ll be brief in my post. Here’s a thread I use pretty much anytime I write my 1000+ word stories. It’s a great tool to get better at writing by diversifying and broadening your vocabulary. It can also help with your smut since it has examples of couple poses and kissing.

Since you’re not a native speaker to English I’m going to especially recommend you look at the reverse dictionary when you can’t find the word you want. Describe what you’re looking for and it’ll try and find a match.

Best of luck and happy writing.

 

[Bmkkp]

Thank you all for your thoughtful advice! And wow... what incredibly useful resources !