Writing Tips
Just a little help for those interested in the craft of writing...
Writing a book, story or essay may seem easy when you first dream up the concept that you picture as being the best thing ever imagined by human kind. Which, it may very well be, but once you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, it gets a whole new level of intense. If you don't have the proper amount of planning and patients before you begin writing, things can get out of hand and you can easily lose control of the original direction you wanted to go. It could end up being a wast of three months before you realized things went bad, when instead you could have spend an extra two weeks preparing.
Being a writer isn't always easy, in fact, the easiest part is thinking of the very first ideas that spur your story. From there you have a lengthy process of imagining enough things to form a backbone for your story. You transfer that line of ideas to a paper or computer, then brainstorm and spend some more time thinking of things to give the story a beginning, middle, end. Write that down. Then, decide who your main characters are going to be and give them a personality of their own. Next comes the more difficult things: give each main character their own arc and purpose in the story, and the character arcs have to intertwine with the arc of your story. Allow them to fit in with the main plot. Develop it even more now and give it elements that make it more interesting to capture the readers attention. Add some plot twists and take out those filthy cliche's. Lather, rinse and repeat at least three times. Once you have a beginning, middle, end, story arc and plot, characters that are developed, and conflicts that the characters have to overcome - you're beginning to get a decent first draft. Fine tune everything and edit the heck out of that puppy. Learn about certain writing equations like the three-act structure, Dan Wells Seven-point story structure, formatting of chapters, and learning how to write outlines will help in the planning process. If your story fits any of these, then awesome it might improve your work, but if it doesn't match then don't worry!
Things to think about:
Protagonists and antagonists have to be believable people!
Readers have to connect in some way with the characters and/or plot.
Cliffhangers are great, don't overdo it.
Writing takes practice and a lot of it. Your first work won't be perfect, so don't worry.
Early feedback is essential.
Details matter, but once again, don't overdo it. (Watch out for world builders disease!)
Need more help? Research and ask questions. Learn as much as you can about the craft.
Writing a book, story or essay may seem easy when you first dream up the concept that you picture as being the best thing ever imagined by human kind. Which, it may very well be, but once you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, it gets a whole new level of intense. If you don't have the proper amount of planning and patients before you begin writing, things can get out of hand and you can easily lose control of the original direction you wanted to go. It could end up being a wast of three months before you realized things went bad, when instead you could have spend an extra two weeks preparing.
Being a writer isn't always easy, in fact, the easiest part is thinking of the very first ideas that spur your story. From there you have a lengthy process of imagining enough things to form a backbone for your story. You transfer that line of ideas to a paper or computer, then brainstorm and spend some more time thinking of things to give the story a beginning, middle, end. Write that down. Then, decide who your main characters are going to be and give them a personality of their own. Next comes the more difficult things: give each main character their own arc and purpose in the story, and the character arcs have to intertwine with the arc of your story. Allow them to fit in with the main plot. Develop it even more now and give it elements that make it more interesting to capture the readers attention. Add some plot twists and take out those filthy cliche's. Lather, rinse and repeat at least three times. Once you have a beginning, middle, end, story arc and plot, characters that are developed, and conflicts that the characters have to overcome - you're beginning to get a decent first draft. Fine tune everything and edit the heck out of that puppy. Learn about certain writing equations like the three-act structure, Dan Wells Seven-point story structure, formatting of chapters, and learning how to write outlines will help in the planning process. If your story fits any of these, then awesome it might improve your work, but if it doesn't match then don't worry!
Things to think about:
Protagonists and antagonists have to be believable people!
Readers have to connect in some way with the characters and/or plot.
Cliffhangers are great, don't overdo it.
Writing takes practice and a lot of it. Your first work won't be perfect, so don't worry.
Early feedback is essential.
Details matter, but once again, don't overdo it. (Watch out for world builders disease!)
Need more help? Research and ask questions. Learn as much as you can about the craft.
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by
Kristine
(new)
Mar 01, 2016 12:14PM
Ideas are the easiest part ! Have an outline for the area of my town in which the action takes place. It's been sitting in my notebook for about a year...sigh. My local library had a small H. P. Lovecraft Festival, which developed a reading group for creepy horror fans.
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I would love to find a local horror writing/critique group! From the point when I started writing seriously, I have had stories stewing in my mind. Years of stewing and waiting! Eventually they develop and evolve in my head, and maybe, if they're good enough they'll see the light of day on my computer. But, that doesn't mean they'll turn out good! Ideas are completely amazing, but unfortunately they are the easiest part of the process .
