'the best way to become good at writing is to write' what if idk how to write? (1 Viewer)

[jane1820]

i. dont. know. how. to. write. AT. ALL.

everyone around me tells me that in order to become good is to practice but the problem is idk anything about writing to be able to write
its so bad to an extent last yr i spent 3 straight hours crying abt yr 10 english and deadass considered english studies and now (though i havent cried yet) im in the same boat: so overwhelmed and stressed about english

no one around me is able to help:
- i have a shit ass teacher who doesnt know how to give feedback
- a head teacher that refuses to check students work if not from his class bc i 'need to give your teacher a chance'
- a mum who ditched her ENGLISH teaching career to become a uni doctor and claims that she doesnt remember anything abt teaching english
- a sister who is on the road for a band 6 who only knows to say 'your writing is so shit, here read mine' and brags abt hers and doesnt help one bit

im trying to beg my parents to help me go english tutoring but idk if theres any point bc the tutor is gonna help me improve my writing not actually teach me to (also my school does those random ass texts instead of the famous ones n im not sure any tutor is familiar w them (eg great expectations instead of ts eliot))

i really need help w learning how to write, what r ur best tips?
the only useful tip i got was (ironically) from my ex math tutor who said 'dont bother actually analysing texts just use google scholar' and lowkey its a lifesaver so im not so much worried about analysing (just yet - ill stress when i have a hidden text exam)

GUYS PLEASE IM ACTUALLY REALLY IN A TIGHT SITUATION RN AND IM GONNA KMS
i tried reading articles and watching yt videos but they all were like: 'an essay consists of 4 main aspects: a title, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion' like bitch ik what a bitchass essay is i need help in writing one not being introduced to one

if interested: my at2 is an exam where we need to compare toxic masculinity between othello (shakespeare) and adolescence (netflix, 2025) but we arent told what the exact question is

 

[Study to success]

i. dont. know. how. to. write. AT. ALL.

everyone around me tells me that in order to become good is to practice but the problem is idk anything about writing to be able to write
its so bad to an extent last yr i spent 3 straight hours crying abt yr 10 english and deadass considered english studies and now (though i havent cried yet) im in the same boat: so overwhelmed and stressed about english

no one around me is able to help:
- i have a shit ass teacher who doesnt know how to give feedback
- a head teacher that refuses to check students work if not from his class bc i 'need to give your teacher a chance'
- a mum who ditched her ENGLISH teaching career to become a uni doctor and claims that she doesnt remember anything abt teaching english
- a sister who is on the road for a band 6 who only knows to say 'your writing is so shit, here read mine' and brags abt hers and doesnt help one bit

im trying to beg my parents to help me go english tutoring but idk if theres any point bc the tutor is gonna help me improve my writing not actually teach me to (also my school does those random ass texts instead of the famous ones n im not sure any tutor is familiar w them (eg great expectations instead of ts eliot))

i really need help w learning how to write, what r ur best tips?
the only useful tip i got was (ironically) from my ex math tutor who said 'dont bother actually analysing texts just use google scholar' and lowkey its a lifesaver so im not so much worried about analysing (just yet - ill stress when i have a hidden text exam)

GUYS PLEASE IM ACTUALLY REALLY IN A TIGHT SITUATION RN AND IM GONNA KMS
i tried reading articles and watching yt videos but they all were like: 'an essay consists of 4 main aspects: a title, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion' like bitch ik what a bitchass essay is i need help in writing one not being introduced to one

if interested: my at2 is an exam where we need to compare toxic masculinity between othello (shakespeare) and adolescence (netflix, 2025) but we arent told what the exact question is

omg same English is such as struggle for me too and it's really hard for us to to know exactly what the markers want. But I think maybe get ur parents to explain to the head teacher about ur situation with ur teacher and maybe give him evidence of ur teacher's shit feedback so that he can understand and maybe he can start giving u feedback. But I think just finding the right people to help u is the only way cause English is one of those subjects where it's hard to do well if u don't know how to write the way they want u too. But tbh I'm kinda in the same situation so I don't really know what to say but if u ever have any questions feel free to ask me.

Also if ur teacher isn't giving good feedback then maybe go up to her after and class and ask her ur questions and exactly how u can implement the feedback and improve. Or maybe ask other people in ur class or the grade above u. Also maybe try sitting down with ur sister and talking to her about how ur feeling about English and beg her to actually help u. And then give her some incentive if she really doesn't budge

 

[jane1820]

me and my mum already made a complaint abt my teacher to the deputy and the deputy told the headteacher and his response was for him to tell me 'youre a bright kid, i read your writing and i agree that you should receive better feedback ill talk to your teacher' and thats it
shes still shit tho and this convo was like week 5 term 1 bc i had her in yr 10 and know exactly what shes like

 

[Study to success]

Also for mod a I know in my school the question was based on some of the key terms in the module prescription such as narratives, context, values, etc so make sure that u have stuff that will relate to this because at least in my school that's what they use to make the questions

 

[Study to success]

me and my mum already made a complaint abt my teacher to the deputy and the deputy told the headteacher and his response was for him to tell me 'youre a bright kid, i read your writing and i agree that you should receive better feedback ill talk to your teacher' and thats it
shes still shit tho and this convo was like week 5 term 1 bc i had her in yr 10 and know exactly what shes like

maybe complain to the principal or smth. It might be extreme but if they don't take action then u have to do what's right I guess

 

[jane1820]

the only reasonable action is to change her, we have other much experienced teachers who have been teaching for way longer idk why we (my class) dont get them

anyways it doesnt matter its still the same problem, its too late to learn how to write at the age of 16 aint no english qualified teacher and hsc marker is gonna sit down and teach me how to write they're only going to teach me how to improve
so back to the main problem, how does one learn how to write?

 

[Study to success]

the only reasonable action is to change her, we have other much experienced teachers who have been teaching for way longer idk why we (my class) dont get them

anyways it doesnt matter its still the same problem, its too late to learn how to write at the age of 16 aint no english qualified teacher and hsc marker is gonna sit down and teach me how to write they're only going to teach me how to improve
so back to the main problem, how does one learn how to write?

dw u still have time. I think getting a tutor would really help and if u find the right one they can def help u write. I have a friend who really struggled with the subject and has improved a lot ever since she got her current tutor cause she apparently helped with how to write. And also by writing, do u just struggle with writing in general or just in English? Cause u obv know how to write and didn't u rank 1st in eco or smth so u obv do know how to write in other subjects maybe not in English.

 

[jane1820]

ik how to reports and stuff yh but not essays like analytical

 

[Study to success]

ik how to reports and stuff yh but not essays like analytical

yeah same with me. I think we both have the same problem. But for me, the only way I started to improve was when I had a good teacher and they actually analysed stuff and gave ideas for what to write in our responses. Once u get used to analysing a lot in class then u might get used to thinking analytically. But if u don't have a good teacher or someone to help u then it's kinda difficult unfortunately. But worse case just chatgpt cause it might be good start to get ideas and analysis. Also how does ur teacher teach. Does she analyse or explain anything in class?

 

[anothermadhatter99]

heyyyy! i do 4 units of english
as a person who kind of struggled with writing in junior years i totally get where ur coming from, english is really really subjective and kinda annnoying.
i think that before you begin to practice writing, you should read into band 6 exemplars. there are some really interesting key themes that pervade within great essays:
1) they answer the question instead of simply rephrasing the terms, providing more nuanced insights
2) a cohesive thesis that permeates throughout their entire essay - the thesis should usually have some sort of relevance to contemporary society (the polarising power imbalances that arise from gender inequality)
3) consistently answering the question especially at the start and end of each paragraph.

also some cool add-ons are:
- cool metalanguage/technical jargon
- critic quotes

i noticed that your head eng teacher is refusing to give you feedback. are there any other eng teachers that might be able to help you?

also i think what your maths tutor said is also very true. if you are struggle to shape perceptive insights into the text, you should def read into the literature about the texts. This may also include news articles and stuff maybe abt adolescence.

if you hv any other questions lmk hope this helps

 

[jane1820]

Also how does ur teacher teach. Does she analyse or explain anything in class?

she gives us work to do in class but bc she doesnt know how to manage a classroom no one (including me) does the work bc no one takes her seriously

 

[jane1820]

heyyyy! i do 4 units of english
as a person who kind of struggled with writing in junior years i totally get where ur coming from, english is really really subjective and kinda annnoying.
i think that before you begin to practice writing, you should read into band 6 exemplars. there are some really interesting key themes that pervade within great essays:
1) they answer the question instead of simply rephrasing the terms, providing more nuanced insights
2) a cohesive thesis that permeates throughout their entire essay - the thesis should usually have some sort of relevance to contemporary society (the polarising power imbalances that arise from gender inequality)
3) consistently answering the question especially at the start and end of each paragraph.

also some cool add-ons are:
- cool metalanguage/technical jargon
- critic quotes

i noticed that your head eng teacher is refusing to give you feedback. are there any other eng teachers that might be able to help you?

also i think what your maths tutor said is also very true. if you are struggle to shape perceptive insights into the text, you should def read into the literature about the texts. This may also include news articles and stuff maybe abt adolescence.

if you hv any other questions lmk hope this helps

thank you!
i have already finished analysing both texts in terms of toxic masculinity (i have 2 docs one for each text and each has ~3 pages analytical responses to the texts from uni professors for othello to tv show reviews for adolescence)
as i said previously the only problem is me not knowing how to approach answering the question or starting my essay, i cant 'just write' bc i dont know how to and i find this very frustrating

unfortunately the only other alternative for feedback is my teacher but as i said she is so bad and cant provide feedback (eg for our at1 creative drafts she gave every one in the class the same feedback and it was 'show not tell', thats it nothing more and it was a private google classroom comment)

do you recommend getting a tutor? idk im against the idea bc as i said:
- tutors are generally there to help you 'improve' not 'teach' you to write
- we do the unpopular texts for yr 12 (im in yr 11 currently) and its going to be very hard to find a private tutor that has their experience wide and not limited to popular texts like ts eliot or handsmaids tale etc

 

[totally_screwed]

I wouldn't rule out tutoring (if that's feasible for you), only bc english tutors don't necessarily need to be well-versed in your prescribed texts in order to help you write/improve your essays + the right tutor will understand your needs and try to cater. it obviously sounds like your English teachers at school are hopeless

in your community are there any ex high school students, ideally from your school, who band 6'ed english you could reach out to?? some of the bos ads charge high rates + complete strangers so I would personally search irl that's just me

I currently tutor one year 9 student for english, we linked through word of mouth, and yeah I just do whatever he needs me to do or I see that he needs help with. ranging from feedback, writing responses together, going over basics, advice for exams and whatnot. idk any of his texts as I never studied them but I do some research after hours to gauge them and it's light work. he seems to find it helpful

so yeah I recommend a tutor yes it will cost money but it can give results : )

 

[jane1820]

I wouldn't rule out tutoring (if that's feasible for you), only bc english tutors don't necessarily need to be well-versed in your prescribed texts in order to help you write/improve your essays + the right tutor will understand your needs and try to cater. it obviously sounds like your English teachers at school are hopeless

in your community are there any ex high school students, ideally from your school, who band 6'ed english you could reach out to?? some of the bos ads charge high rates + complete strangers so I would personally search irl that's just me

I currently tutor one year 9 student for english, we linked through word of mouth, and yeah I just do whatever he needs me to do or I see that he needs help with. ranging from feedback, writing responses together, going over basics, advice for exams and whatnot. idk any of his texts as I never studied them but I do some research after hours to gauge them and it's light work. he seems to find it helpful

so yeah I recommend a tutor yes it will cost money but it can give results : )

the last time my school got b6s was in 2022 and we got 3 (eng adv) and i moved to my school in 2024 so no i dont know anyone
ill try and see if i can convince my parents for tutoring but for now ig ill have to yolo it bc its just yr 11 after all ig

 

[reniiiblaseee]

hey! just a minor tip but recently chatgpt has taken over our world, so it wouldn't hurt to use it. its helped me in aspects such as correcting my writing, helping me choose better word alternatives and as a general, helped guide me in what to write because like you, i don't know what or how to write when put on the spot. ofc don't become too reliant on it, use it as a resource because trust me everyone is, even your own teachers. im so sick of seeing little goodie two shoes going "I don't use chatgpt im better than everyone" and they end up getting a 70% while everyone in their class gets 80s & 90s due to their ignorance. its literally okay to embrace chatgpt into school life now, its already embraced in many aspects of the world. how can u get ahead of competition if ur own competitors are using the smartest tech out there to ace their assignments. the whole school system doesn't even rely on the student's knowledge, its rather a game. be smart, beat the game.

i. dont. know. how. to. write. AT. ALL.

everyone around me tells me that in order to become good is to practice but the problem is idk anything about writing to be able to write
its so bad to an extent last yr i spent 3 straight hours crying abt yr 10 english and deadass considered english studies and now (though i havent cried yet) im in the same boat: so overwhelmed and stressed about english

no one around me is able to help:
- i have a shit ass teacher who doesnt know how to give feedback
- a head teacher that refuses to check students work if not from his class bc i 'need to give your teacher a chance'
- a mum who ditched her ENGLISH teaching career to become a uni doctor and claims that she doesnt remember anything abt teaching english
- a sister who is on the road for a band 6 who only knows to say 'your writing is so shit, here read mine' and brags abt hers and doesnt help one bit

im trying to beg my parents to help me go english tutoring but idk if theres any point bc the tutor is gonna help me improve my writing not actually teach me to (also my school does those random ass texts instead of the famous ones n im not sure any tutor is familiar w them (eg great expectations instead of ts eliot))

i really need help w learning how to write, what r ur best tips?
the only useful tip i got was (ironically) from my ex math tutor who said 'dont bother actually analysing texts just use google scholar' and lowkey its a lifesaver so im not so much worried about analysing (just yet - ill stress when i have a hidden text exam)

GUYS PLEASE IM ACTUALLY REALLY IN A TIGHT SITUATION RN AND IM GONNA KMS
i tried reading articles and watching yt videos but they all were like: 'an essay consists of 4 main aspects: a title, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion' like bitch ik what a bitchass essay is i need help in writing one not being introduced to one

if interested: my at2 is an exam where we need to compare toxic masculinity between othello (shakespeare) and adolescence (netflix, 2025) but we arent told what the exact question is

 

[Hehehe22]

This is probably very bad advice, but personally I like to converse with ChatGPT about texts and their significance (themes, ideas, etc). I don't ever copy anything it says directly, but it really helps me brainstorm and get better acquainted with the text. Chat is also good in helping shape your ideas into something that actually makes sense

In terms of structuring the essay and what to include, try and establish a general idea in your head. You want a thesis that directly responds to the question but adds flair, as well as two complex ideas. For each of your body paragraphs you want:
- Topic sentence
- Form (text type, genre, structural techniques) and context (social, personal and historical/political environment of the author)
- Analysis and techniques - this part is really important, so make sure you make all your analyses cohesive and build on top of each other
- Linking sentence - whatever tangent you went on, this is your opportunity to tie it back to the key words of the question

The conclusion can just be 1-2 sentences, it's not very important

 

[Hehehe22]

hey! just a minor tip but recently chatgpt has taken over our world, so it wouldn't hurt to use it. its helped me in aspects such as correcting my writing, helping me choose better word alternatives and as a general, helped guide me in what to write because like you, i don't know what or how to write when put on the spot. ofc don't become too reliant on it, use it as a resource because trust me everyone is, even your own teachers. im so sick of seeing little goodie two shoes going "I don't use chatgpt im better than everyone" and they end up getting a 70% while everyone in their class gets 80s & 90s due to their ignorance. its literally okay to embrace chatgpt into school life now, its already embraced in many aspects of the world. how can u get ahead of competition if ur own competitors are using the smartest tech out there to ace their assignments. the whole school system doesn't even rely on the student's knowledge, its rather a game. be smart, beat the game.

Haha jinx, I just typed up the point about ChatGPT and this popped up

Couldn't agree more though

 

[apricot70]

i. dont. know. how. to. write. AT. ALL.

everyone around me tells me that in order to become good is to practice but the problem is idk anything about writing to be able to write
its so bad to an extent last yr i spent 3 straight hours crying abt yr 10 english and deadass considered english studies and now (though i havent cried yet) im in the same boat: so overwhelmed and stressed about english

no one around me is able to help:
- i have a shit ass teacher who doesnt know how to give feedback
- a head teacher that refuses to check students work if not from his class bc i 'need to give your teacher a chance'
- a mum who ditched her ENGLISH teaching career to become a uni doctor and claims that she doesnt remember anything abt teaching english
- a sister who is on the road for a band 6 who only knows to say 'your writing is so shit, here read mine' and brags abt hers and doesnt help one bit

im trying to beg my parents to help me go english tutoring but idk if theres any point bc the tutor is gonna help me improve my writing not actually teach me to (also my school does those random ass texts instead of the famous ones n im not sure any tutor is familiar w them (eg great expectations instead of ts eliot))

i really need help w learning how to write, what r ur best tips?
the only useful tip i got was (ironically) from my ex math tutor who said 'dont bother actually analysing texts just use google scholar' and lowkey its a lifesaver so im not so much worried about analysing (just yet - ill stress when i have a hidden text exam)

GUYS PLEASE IM ACTUALLY REALLY IN A TIGHT SITUATION RN AND IM GONNA KMS
i tried reading articles and watching yt videos but they all were like: 'an essay consists of 4 main aspects: a title, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion' like bitch ik what a bitchass essay is i need help in writing one not being introduced to one

if interested: my at2 is an exam where we need to compare toxic masculinity between othello (shakespeare) and adolescence (netflix, 2025) but we arent told what the exact question is

maybe look at sample band 6's and see what they do that you can improve on (also ask your school/teacher for band 6 samples from previous year 12s) , also for mod C; I think the best way to write is to read and imitate others like learn about what authors do well and incorporate it into your writing- and read a bunch of articles or videos on writing and it should help a lot --> Maybe also read other HSC texts (don't annotate it but like see what the author has done well)

you got this