## [D] Sunday Writing Skills Thread

* Author: u/xamueljones  *My arch-enemy is entropy**
* URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/5xnvsa/d_sunday_writing_skills_thread/
* Score: 3

* Created: 2017-03-05T17:26:37

### Post:

Welcome to the Sunday thread for discussions on writing skills!

Every genre has its own specific tricks and needs, and rational and rationalist stories are no exception. Do you want to discuss with your community of fellow /r/rational fans...

* Advice on how to more effectively apply any of the [tropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RationalFic)?

* How to turn a rational story into a rationalist one?

* Get feedback about a story's characters, themes, plot progression, prosody, and other English literature topics?

* Considering issues outside the story's plain text, such as titles, cover design, included imagery, or typography?

* Or generally gab about the problems of being a writer, such as maintaining focus, attracting and managing beta-readers, marketing, making it free or paid, and long-term community-building?

Then comment below!

Setting design should probably go in the Wednesday Worldbuilding thread.

### Comments:

> **u/FishNetwork** [+1]  (an hour later)
> 
> I'm really impressed by The Last Psychiatrists writing style.
> 
> The 'conversational' essays seem really effective at drawing a reader in.
> 
> Does anyone know what that style is called?  Are there any good breakdowns of why that works?

>> **u/Kuiper** [+1]  (10 hours later)
>> 
>> I'm not sure if this answers your question, but you might enjoy the numerous essays [Paul Graham](http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html) has written, particularly those on essay-writing: [Write Like You Talk](http://www.paulgraham.com/talk.html), [Persuade xor Discover](http://www.paulgraham.com/discover.html), [Writing, Briefly](http://www.paulgraham.com/writing44.html), and [Age of the Essay](http://www.paulgraham.com/essay.html).

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