How do you get to write so well in HN?

Somebody, I think it was Stephen King, once said something like "the best way to get better at writing is to write a lot, and read a lot". I seem to recall this sentiment being expressed in King's book On Writing, but I may be mis-remembering. Anyway, it rings true with me. Read, write, read some more, write some more, lather, rinse, repeat.

If you need something to help encourage you to write, consider participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)[1][2].

Also, there are TONS of resources available for people who are working on getting better at writing. Just go down to any Barnes & Noble store and find the section with the writing books, and you'll find shelves full of books on "how to be a better writer". Some are aimed at fiction, some non-fiction, some specifically for writers of memoirs, magazine articles, etc.

It's sort of cliched to say, but The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is excellent, as is Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

I have been trying to improve my English a little but not having anybody to write to or any need to use English makes me believe that I will be stagnated in a low level profile, and that I will never will achieve the level of mastery and proficiency they show so well in their writing.

Maybe consider starting a blog in English, and just write about whatever interests you. It doesn't even really matter if you get any readers/followers or not, the important thing is just to write as much as you can.

All of this advice is predicated on the idea that you're more interested in getting better at written English. If you want to be a better public speaker the best thing to do is, wait for it... do a lot of speaking!

One good way to get yourself some practice speaking is to join a group like Toastmasters[3], if you have a chapter nearby. If not, there may be a similar group, but you may have to dig a little. Another option would be to find any local techie user-groups (Linux User's Group, Ruby Meetup, Java Meetup, whatever it might be) and offer to present there. These groups often struggle to find enough speakers to fill their calendars, and any volunteers of usually (in my experience) warmly welcomed.

Edit: I just remembered, there is another book, which I found recommended here on HN a while back, and just recently acquired, which I consider excellent. It's called The Pyramid Principle[4], by Barbara Minto. This book is less about language, and more about structure and organization, in terms of how you present your ideas. I recommend this one very highly.

[1]: http://nanowrimo.org/

[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Novel_Writing_Month

[3]: http://www.toastmasters.org/

[4]: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pyramid-Principle-Writing-Thinking...

1. Your writing per this example seems perfectly fine.

2. English skill is separate from being intelligent/informed.

As a native speaker who has had very extensive English training my entire life, I still find myself in a situation similar to yours. My issue is lack of experience. There are so many people on HN that have been through it all and know about countless technical topics inside and out. I find myself just observing most of the time, besides those rare occasions where the topic happens to overlap with my experiences.

I have certainly encountered examples of horrible English that were still highly informative posts. Sure it can inhibit their communication ability, but that doesn't prevent the content from shining through. In fact, I tend to be more interested in content from non-native speakers, because it implies they are probably not from America and have points of view that are more valuable/unique for me to learn about.

Post the link to the question when you submit it :).

Is a real gift to read all those wonderful responses, a language is also about feelings and communication. Maybe one day I will be able to write on the spur on the moment and those written words will modulate love, anger, passion or regret. Maybe in one of those moments I could feel that this language is no longer a wall, that I am not alone any more and that I communicate with someone else soul.

I learned English by debating online and I recommend this method to anyone. Go on Reddit and start disagreeing with people. When they prove you wrong do some research and refute their arguments. Rinse and repeat. You will learn English and be informed and have fun at the same time.