The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword discussion
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Got a work-in-progress for a book?
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tinyteaplots
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Dec 07, 2012 08:06PM
I'm interested, but not prepared yet. I need to work on my story some more.
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I joined this group specifically to find some people to help me brainstorm my ideas and keep me from being cliché or unoriginal by mistake :)
Working on a fantasy, and the world building is killing me. I'm researching more at the moment before I progress with the plot.
Oh dude I know I'm. Building off of our world and adding stuff here and there like entrances so its kinda difficult
Mckenzie wrote: "Oh dude I know I'm. Building off of our world and adding stuff here and there like entrances so its kinda difficult"Plus the names. So many characters, how do you name them, what do they eat, speak, wear, what are the places, how is the society like blah blah :D Fantasies are a real pain.
Agreed I tried making characters, well I made some listed there physical characteristics and some personality characters and a little splurge with who they are so far without you know making any major decisions for the story. It's hard though I agree
Oh building unique characters is my favourite part :3 I have extensive spreadsheets with a bunch of questions to answer when I make up a character.Things like "Are they impulsive or deliberate?" "What type of sense of humor do they have?" "What would they do in this situation?" "What would be their Meyers-Briggs score?" It doesn't matter if you think the Meyers-Briggs test is bull, it's perfectly suited to developing characters.
Try making up your own spreadsheet on google docs or something so you can line up certain main characters together and compare them to each other on each question - that way your characters will end up plenty different and it's easy to keep all your notes together.
Finally if anyone is seriously having poo-brain with character building I can't recommend enough to pick through some tabletop rpg books like Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder. Obviously don't take any intellectual property but they have character generation down to a science, including shallow characterization for unimportant side characters (known as NPCs in the game world - "non-player characters") Even just ideas for simple quirks like eyes darting a lot or having a stutter on a certain letter.
I've got a novel WIP and an anthology WIP.As for the characters, they just come to me. My character for "The Wishing Well" was originally a doodle made in college, then he got his cynical personality and OCD. Came to life then. My character for my novel is a Celtic and emotional Alice-in-wonderland sort of character, and very intelligent for her age.
Character creation just comes natural to me. It's awesome.
Hi folks. I have 2 chapters left to edit on my novel. I'm following your posts and realize that each of us create in our own way. However, start writing sooner than later, yes, set up the outline for your story, but writing is the creative impetus and the more you just jump in the water the more you will be swimming in those creative juices and creating worlds you thought you never could. Keep your heart open to whatever each new character brings to the forefront of your mind and go with it. Don't over analyze because that is a roadblock to your creative wellspring.David B.
David wrote: "Hi folks. I have 2 chapters left to edit on my novel. I'm following your posts and realize that each of us create in our own way. However, start writing sooner than later, yes, set up the outline f..."Indeed people write differently, I actually find analysis the perfect inspiration when I'm feeling blocked. If I have a thoroughly constructed character I can just ask them where we should go next and they'll tell me through their background. I find with the proper foundation my stories build themselves organically and often I feel as if I'm simply a conduit.
I don't think any one method will ever work for everyone though, as you more-or-less said.
Hi! I'm working on a play... kinda. Its called "Love in Waiting" I'm already on Part 3! :)
Samantha wrote: "Oh building unique characters is my favourite part :3 I have extensive spreadsheets with a bunch of questions to answer when I make up a character.Things like "Are they impulsive or deliberate?" ..."
Thanks for that. Will try to apply your method for the characters. Still researching for the world building though :)
I had to map my story out before getting to the writing. My book deals with the seven sins, each with their own demon form, so I had to think of the forms, the personalities, and of course, the battles between them and the character, so I wanted all of that out to serve as a reference should I get stuck in the story.
Kirsten wrote: "I had to map my story out before getting to the writing. My book deals with the seven sins, each with their own demon form, so I had to think of the forms, the personalities, and of course, the bat..."That sounds really interesting! And actually, in reference to what I was saying to David, I forgot to mention that I NEED to do a lot of preperation because these stories I'm writing now are very interconnecting and concerning a war that spans many years between three countries and how it effects a handful of different people in each country. I'm going to have 6 main characters with POV and I need them to be distinct. Moreover I want to get this fictional war feeling like a real one through details and complication.
Samantha wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I had to map my story out before getting to the writing. My book deals with the seven sins, each with their own demon form, so I had to think of the forms, the personalities, and of..."Definitely have to keep everything straight in a giant series like that! I can hardly keep everything in my book straight as is, and it's a one book, one POV deal.
With multiple POVs like that, character development becomes soooooo freaking important. If that falls through, so does everything else...
My plots still kind of up in the air, I know where I want to go with it
Yes, I agree that more than one POV is a wonderful way to expand your creative mind and get the juices flowing. My novel is two separate books, two periods in history and what is connecting all the characters is the belief in reincarnation. Also, each chapter of the entire novel is written by a separate POV with even different font styles to help the reader along on this path. I got the idea from reading Jodi Piccoult who is a fabulous writer and knows how to flush out all her characters with seeming ease. Its been a challenge but a joyous one.
Ok now that's awesome I wanna read the draft for that if its ok with you. Or whatever it sounds awesome.
I just started the research for my novel. I am writing about the Oregon Trail. My main character is probably going to be a teenage girl who moves west with her family. It will be about their hardships and good times. A typical Oregon Trail story. :)
I'm starting something new involving a business, and I want it to be as financially accurate as possible -_-
I'm working on my book that is kinda like a Fantasy but not really, and we are reading To Kill a Mockingbird in my English class and all it is is explain this, what is the hidden meaning in this, and on and on. I look at it and I'm like "I write, and I totally don't think that she wrote to put all these special meanings in, most people just write to write!" but yeah, I'm totally stuck in the middle of the 18th chapter in my book right now.
Jane I see your point, a lot of teachers are guilty of that but I am folding quite a lot of symbolism into my writing, even the format is going to change across the book because it's two distinct protagonists in first-person view, one whose voice is mostly expressive writing while the other is going to be dry and action oriented. The two are going to become more similar as they rebuild their relationship as sisters and their voices will begin to sound the same.Edit to add: something I'm certain will be pointed out as a flaw if this ever does get published.
I have several WIP, right now my main focus is to pick one book and go from there. I'd be happy to simply see a project through to the end right now because goodness knows I have spent over a decade starting stories that never seem to get finished.
My Main WIP is stalled at the moment because I can't bring myself to finish Chapter 6. It's really a true story about one of my horses and in Chapter 6 he dies just like he died in real life 6 years ago. I currently have a writer's block on the chapter because every time I remember his death, I cry and get depressed and can't write the story about it. If I can get past that chapter, the rest of the short story is complete and ready for proof reading and editing and then publishing.
I have a few projects going on at any one time. It's not the most efficient and a lot of stories end up without endings, but I get bored or annoyed with my story if I spend to much time on it... kinda like spending too much time with a person lol
