Writing.Com General Discussion

Hey Joylife ,

I agree with most of what the others have already said, that it really depends on what you want to do with your writing. Is it a hobby/pastime, as Steev the Friction Wizurd mentioned, then learning the basics really isn't important as long as you enjoy winging it.

If you have some ambition of becoming published or even a professional, then you will need to learn the basics both on a story level and sentence level.

Winging it within any skill will probably lead to some bad habits that needs weeding out at some point. The thing is, as I see it, though, that nobody really starts deliberately practicing a skill with the goal of becoming a master without enjoying performing that particular skill first. So winging it will probably be the first step for everyone. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think you should worry about having acquired bad habits. You're most likely much better than you would be if you hadn't been writing at all, because even winging it can teach you something, albeit at a slower pace than the deliberate and focus practice, and the habits can be eradicated by practice.