Re: any writers?
I've been writing as a hobby all my life, done a little reading about writing (there was quite a good one by Stephen King called 'on writing', is the only one I can remember clearly)
and here is the cliff notes I've picked up about it:
1) Do lots of writing!
I agree completely with Dominic. To be a good writer, you need to write! Lots! Every day. Stephen King, whenever he writes about writing in forewords etc, always stresses that to be good at it, you have to do it, constantly. and I agree completely with this.
2) Rules of clear writing
The only rules I keep in mind are two I picked up from somewhere:
1. Remove unnecessary words
2. Simplify
'simplify' to me means replace many words with 1 if it has the same meaning, but also replace 1 word with many, if that works better (eg you use a word a lot of people wouldn't know - best replace it!)
3) As you advance, try different formats of writing:
Recently I've tried screenplays, and the art of screenplay is very useful. Where prose is just 'writing it down' as you go (to me at least), a screenplay requires thinking about each scene, and what your trying to say implicitly and explicitly in that scene. I spend much more time constructing/deconstructing each scene.
To me, this is a new way of writing, and quite satisfying, and the first time I've actually done solid work to understand writing (I got several books on screenplay writing). I now believe if you spend time on each form of writing, you become a better overall writer (but have no proof/experience of this)!
prose - just writing
poetry - gives you an understanding of how specific words are better than others with similar meaning, and can build up to a more beautiful pattern of words. Also the rhythm of words becomes more important (consider the drive of 'The Raven' say - the rhythm is more important than the words, maybe!)
Screenplays - deconstruction of motivation + characters to align with the dialogue (and less key, action)
plays - as screenplays, but typically even more character-focused and leisurely to get to the point
4) Learn to self-edit
Creative courses can help you develop this, but also develop the habit of putting down the work for a period, and then going back to it as a very stern editor. Cut the crap out, clean up the okay, and be proud of the good. However, NOTHING is sacred.
I don't know if any of this is right or wrong... it's just how I think of it all at the moment.
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