Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by spencerflem 382 days ago
This all feels very true to me, and written much more crisply and empathetically than I could manage
1 comments

GP's comment is extremely eloquent, and for me too expresses exactly how I feel. If you look at the profile, it's Bob Nystrom, writer of HN favourites Game Programming Patterns and Crafting Interpreters, so it makes sense that he knows how to write well. Still, I'm pretty much amazed at how he was able to express himself in such a clear, empathetic, and yet no-BS way. I'd love to become so clear; even this awkwardly-phrased comment took me ten minutes.
Thank you for saying that.

I don't think there's any secret to writing well beyond:

1. Write a whole lot.

2. Reflect on the writing and iterate.

Probably the most helpful thing that's taught me to write better (without intending it to be that way) is spending years and years on Reddit and HN, writing thousands of comments. Seeing which ones resonate with people and how is an effective training ground for getting better at making sentences that work.

Thanks! After my initial commenting, I sent off a long-winded email asking for your secret ;) Your comment covers it nicely. Cheers!