My writing is mediocre and so is everybody else's: Why, and how to fix it.

This is your daily dose of asshole advice.<br><br># What's wrong with you?<br><br>The most common problems, in the most common order:<br><br>* Poor grammar and spelling. You can't get this stuff wrong on a professional level. Do you read the comments on your nitpicks? Stop it. People will projectile vomit on your back because they cannot stand to read something that is full of mistakes. Even the most talented writers lose credibility when they can't spell. If you can't look at a piece of nitpick and see what you did wrong, then you aren't as good as you think you are, and your writing needs work. If you continue to write like this, you will never be a great writer, and you will continue to be ridiculed. Fix it.<br><br>* Poor syntax and clarity. If you can't express your thoughts clearly, you should not be a writer. If you are writing in a way that nobody can understand, then you are not doing it right. Stop it.<br><br>* Poor vocabulary. If your vocabulary fits that of a 4th grader, you will never be a great writer. Never. Grow up and read a book.<br><br>* Weak and boring nitpicks. Stop it. If you can't write something compelling, then you shouldn't be writing anything at all. If you aren't making somebody laugh, cry, or smile, then you are wasting your time.<br><br># What's wrong with you?<br><br>Okay. Now that we have your problems solved, lets look at nitpicking as a whole. I'm sure that you, as a writer, have been on the end of a harsh critique from a peer. This can be annoying. But really, it's a lot worse than that. What you are doing is creating a beginner culture. You're pulling other writers down. You are giving them a low standard for themselves and for the art of nitpicking. You are making a bad writer, worse.<br><br>The only way to leave this culture is to do better. When you read a nitpick, don't give it a nitpick of its own, write the nitpick you should have gotten.<br><br># What you can do<br><br>1. Read a lot. nitpicking is not a new art form. If you want to write, read the masters. The ones who have done it for 40 years. The ones who are legends. If you can't read 60 pages a day, then you can't write.<br><br>2. Write a lot. If you aren't producing new content, you aren't getting better. You will not be a great writer if you had 10 ideas a month and don't do anything with it. If you aren't writing at least 1,000 words a day, then you aren't training. If you aren't training, then you aren't a real writer.<br><br>3. Get help. You aren't perfect. Nobody is perfect. Nobody is the greatest. The greatest writers have editors, writing groups, and mentors. If you can't get help, then you think you know everything already, and you don't need this post.<br><br>4. Practice. Practice doesn't make perfect, but it helps. If you're writing again and again, but never improving, then you aren't practicing. You need to look at what you did wrong, and work on it. If you continue to write like this, you will never improve. <br><br># What you can't do<br><br> nitpicking is not a path to wealth, notoriety, fame, or fortune. nitpicking is a job. If you want to be a writer, you should write. If you want to be famous, read a book. You can have your own views on it, but if you disagree with me, you're wrong.<br><br># Conclusion<br><br>If you're still here, congratulations. You are on the path to greatness. Good luck. If you disagree, go ahead. You don't know anything.