Love Chipka's post, always do. Anyway, I suppose it also depends on what you want to accomplish with your writing. I used to think the how to books could help. They don't for the most part, too much info too fast, I think. I used to want to publish a book, but meh, I've realized I am content writing short episodes and posting them. I've read that was very popular back in the mid-1800's when pamphlet publications were all the rage. Anyway, as for grammar and stuff, I use the web-site Grammerly, it's not perfect by any means, but it helps me get all the commas and other nicknacks in the right spot. And, there are these little cards that drop down when you have a 'mistake' and you can read about that particular rule and why you should do this or that. So, it's more like feeding me the rules a bit at a time instead of a big how to book shoving thousands of rules at once.

I think maybe the best way to learn to write is to write. Just do it. So what if there are mistakes. I think it's no different than visual arts. Folk post stuff with visual mistakes all the time; a leg not pointing quite the right way, an arm that just seems to be in an awkard postion, colors that only exist in the land of Oz, or my favoritie, poses that couldn't even be performed by a yoga master. I celebrate mistakes, yay for mistakes, it's the wonderful learning process to a craft. If I were instantly good at something, I wouldn't want to do it, no fun in that.

As for how I come up with story ideas. No clue. Just happens, but caffine and donuts help. Nothing like being tweaked out on a sugar and caffine high to come up with a story.

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Wolfenshire, Moderator/Community Leader