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Warning:
This is not a tutorial on how to write. This is a tutorial on how to write better. My ideas are just that, ideas. None of this is probably taught anywhere else. Use at your own discretion. This is formulated for the writing of a novel/story, but can be adapted to pretty much anything.
Extrapolate what you can use, good luck.
Wow, this one was nominated for three PMCA Awards.
This is not a tutorial on how to write. This is a tutorial on how to write better. My ideas are just that, ideas. None of this is probably taught anywhere else. Use at your own discretion. This is formulated for the writing of a novel/story, but can be adapted to pretty much anything.
Extrapolate what you can use, good luck.
Ideas
To quote Herman Melville:
"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it."
In order to write an original story, you must have a good idea. Writing beautifully an idea that reeks will still make it reek. There really isn't any way around that. A good idea is imperative.
But to again quote Herman Melville:
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
If that confuses you, you are not the only one.
What the mighty Melville is trying to say, is that coming up with a crap idea is better than doing well at writing someone elses idea. Which, is cool, because if you think about it, because coming up with an idea is actually a lot of fun, mapping out characters, locations, etc. Take it from me.
If you lack confidence, here are some thoughts to help you come up with some ideas.
1: Take a walk. Getting away from distractions is a great thing, and walking is a great idea.
2: Read. Immersing yourself in works of geniuses can help you get your brain flowing.
3: Thinking. Seriously, stopping and brainstorming is one of the best things you can do.
"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be that have tried it."
In order to write an original story, you must have a good idea. Writing beautifully an idea that reeks will still make it reek. There really isn't any way around that. A good idea is imperative.
But to again quote Herman Melville:
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
If that confuses you, you are not the only one.
What the mighty Melville is trying to say, is that coming up with a crap idea is better than doing well at writing someone elses idea. Which, is cool, because if you think about it, because coming up with an idea is actually a lot of fun, mapping out characters, locations, etc. Take it from me.
If you lack confidence, here are some thoughts to help you come up with some ideas.
1: Take a walk. Getting away from distractions is a great thing, and walking is a great idea.
2: Read. Immersing yourself in works of geniuses can help you get your brain flowing.
3: Thinking. Seriously, stopping and brainstorming is one of the best things you can do.
Background Music
This step is actually the easiest in writing more efficiently in anything.
The title is very self-explanatory. Listening to music can help you focus, as long as it's the right kind. I find that songs that are extremely artistic, and very easy to listen to are the best. These would include mainly Singer/Songwriter and other gentle genres like that. Rock, Pop, and Electronica are typically not that great to listen to whilst writing, as they demand more attention.
I love to listen to Pink Floyd, Andrew Peterson, and the League of Legends soundtrack myself - all good recommendations.
But, be warned. Background music doesn't always help. If you have trouble focusing on what you write when listening to something, then don't. Simple cause and effect.
The title is very self-explanatory. Listening to music can help you focus, as long as it's the right kind. I find that songs that are extremely artistic, and very easy to listen to are the best. These would include mainly Singer/Songwriter and other gentle genres like that. Rock, Pop, and Electronica are typically not that great to listen to whilst writing, as they demand more attention.
I love to listen to Pink Floyd, Andrew Peterson, and the League of Legends soundtrack myself - all good recommendations.
But, be warned. Background music doesn't always help. If you have trouble focusing on what you write when listening to something, then don't. Simple cause and effect.
Grammar
Gee whiz, this one should be obvious, but yet it's much more clandestine than one might think.
Literally, it's seriously more difficult than one might think. Spelling and punctuation are extremely sneaky, and without spellcheck in some word processors, you can very easily make a mistake. Using online spell-checkers can also mess up your flow and grammar-stuffs. Having even a rudimentary knowledge of spelling and grammar can go a long way on your road of writing.
If you struggle with this, you aren't alone. I hate grammar, I can't understand it, I just know how to use it.
Literally, it's seriously more difficult than one might think. Spelling and punctuation are extremely sneaky, and without spellcheck in some word processors, you can very easily make a mistake. Using online spell-checkers can also mess up your flow and grammar-stuffs. Having even a rudimentary knowledge of spelling and grammar can go a long way on your road of writing.
If you struggle with this, you aren't alone. I hate grammar, I can't understand it, I just know how to use it.
Dialogue
Dang, this is one of my least favorite parts of writing. It's almost impossible to not feel dry or just stupid. But I have learned some things to make it easier.
1: The stereotypical regular kind: Jan said. "Hello." Katie said "Hi" back. I personally dislike this, because it's so hard to not sound like you're writing a children's book. Almost every book geared at 1st graders is written like this
2: Dictating what someone is doing whilst they talk: Katie dropped down to pick up her book. "I'm so clumsy." This is my personal favorite. The series of Redwall is written in this method.
3: Combining the two together: Jan also dropped down, to help her friend pick up her books, and said. "No you aren't, there was a crack in the sidewalk." This is one of the best, but yet, not perfect. Harry Potter is written mostly like this.
Seriously though, usually I map out short stories to not involve dialogue. Also, I usually write poetry now, no dialogue. There are ways around it, if you have great trouble with it.
1: The stereotypical regular kind: Jan said. "Hello." Katie said "Hi" back. I personally dislike this, because it's so hard to not sound like you're writing a children's book. Almost every book geared at 1st graders is written like this
2: Dictating what someone is doing whilst they talk: Katie dropped down to pick up her book. "I'm so clumsy." This is my personal favorite. The series of Redwall is written in this method.
3: Combining the two together: Jan also dropped down, to help her friend pick up her books, and said. "No you aren't, there was a crack in the sidewalk." This is one of the best, but yet, not perfect. Harry Potter is written mostly like this.
Seriously though, usually I map out short stories to not involve dialogue. Also, I usually write poetry now, no dialogue. There are ways around it, if you have great trouble with it.
Vocabulary
This is one of my favorite parts of writing. Using big words. I've always loved it.
Using words that are commonplace can drag your story down, trivializing it. If you use words that are more exotic, that you don't hear as you walk down the street, it can spice up your work, making it more enticing to read.
Now, I'm gonna compare using complex vocabulary to seasoning food. Imagine you're making a steak, and want it to not seem quite as normal. So you take out a plethora of spices and seasonings, and begin to slather the inundated steak with them. After cooking it, it tastes like a spice cabinet erupted, and you can't even stomach it -- that's what's at stake (ohh puns) if you use them carelessly. It takes a balance, one which not even I have achieved yet.
Using a thesaurus and dictionary are very important in doing this. If you hear a word used in a book or movie, and you just don't quite know what it means, look it up. I've learned a lot of my vocabulary from books and entertainment.
But, take all of this with a grain of salt. To quote one of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century, C.S Lewis:
"Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."
This is a deep pit that people fall into, when they feel confident with their writing. Don't overuse describing words, or you will run out of people's attention to them when you actually need to use them.
Using words that are commonplace can drag your story down, trivializing it. If you use words that are more exotic, that you don't hear as you walk down the street, it can spice up your work, making it more enticing to read.
Now, I'm gonna compare using complex vocabulary to seasoning food. Imagine you're making a steak, and want it to not seem quite as normal. So you take out a plethora of spices and seasonings, and begin to slather the inundated steak with them. After cooking it, it tastes like a spice cabinet erupted, and you can't even stomach it -- that's what's at stake (ohh puns) if you use them carelessly. It takes a balance, one which not even I have achieved yet.
Using a thesaurus and dictionary are very important in doing this. If you hear a word used in a book or movie, and you just don't quite know what it means, look it up. I've learned a lot of my vocabulary from books and entertainment.
But, take all of this with a grain of salt. To quote one of the greatest literary minds of the 20th century, C.S Lewis:
"Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."
This is a deep pit that people fall into, when they feel confident with their writing. Don't overuse describing words, or you will run out of people's attention to them when you actually need to use them.
Tones
Once you become extremely comfortable with writing, beginning to use tones can set the mood of the entire thing. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Tones are just the styles of words that you can use. I personally use a rough and rugged tone, as illustrated in this excerpt from my short story Afire:
"With matches in hand, he built a tower of wood inside his fireplace, doused it in firestarter, carefully tucking in newspaper at an opportune place, to catch the wood and kerosene alight. The utopiadic world he witnessed inside his thermometer dropped steadily. Suppressing a shiver, he struck the wooden match, and again, and again, until he finally lit it. Keeping a careful hand, he moved the match towards the paper, setting fire to it."
It gives the impression that it's a rough and untame story. Imagine if I used a more refined tone to rewrite that.
"With a book of matches in hand, he built a tower of wood inside his fireplace, poured on some firestarter, carefully tucking in newspaper at an opportune place, to catch the wood and kerosene alight. The utopian world he witnessed inside his thermometer continued to drop. As he shivered, he struck the wooden match, and again, and again, until he finally caught it's fire. Keeping a careful hand, he moved the match towards the paper, setting fire to it."
I hope you can tell the difference.
Tones are just the styles of words that you can use. I personally use a rough and rugged tone, as illustrated in this excerpt from my short story Afire:
"With matches in hand, he built a tower of wood inside his fireplace, doused it in firestarter, carefully tucking in newspaper at an opportune place, to catch the wood and kerosene alight. The utopiadic world he witnessed inside his thermometer dropped steadily. Suppressing a shiver, he struck the wooden match, and again, and again, until he finally lit it. Keeping a careful hand, he moved the match towards the paper, setting fire to it."
It gives the impression that it's a rough and untame story. Imagine if I used a more refined tone to rewrite that.
"With a book of matches in hand, he built a tower of wood inside his fireplace, poured on some firestarter, carefully tucking in newspaper at an opportune place, to catch the wood and kerosene alight. The utopian world he witnessed inside his thermometer continued to drop. As he shivered, he struck the wooden match, and again, and again, until he finally caught it's fire. Keeping a careful hand, he moved the match towards the paper, setting fire to it."
I hope you can tell the difference.
Criticism
Depending on how it's given, this is either the easiest or the hardest thing in here.
A good and experienced critisicm giver can make it really easy to accept it and to assimilate it. Someone who doesn't know how to give it can really ruin it for you though.
One trick to remember though, is that no matter how rude someone is, if their point is valid, you have no ability to ignore it.
A good and experienced critisicm giver can make it really easy to accept it and to assimilate it. Someone who doesn't know how to give it can really ruin it for you though.
One trick to remember though, is that no matter how rude someone is, if their point is valid, you have no ability to ignore it.
Poetry
I love poetry, poetry is amazing, and it's a great tool for telling stories. But, it can be hard, depending on the person.
I play drums, as some people might know here. Believe it or not, just doing that one thing drastically helps in your poem writing. It requires a certain amount of beat to make a poem rhyme and flow, and if you play a beat-heavy instrument, it will greatly help in your writing.
Rhyming is another hard part of poetry. But, one thing I've started doing, is to pay attention to songs and other poems, and listen to what they do to make rhymes. It helps tremendously.
Believe you me, poetry is a lot of fun to write. I highly recommend it to everyone to try at least once.
I play drums, as some people might know here. Believe it or not, just doing that one thing drastically helps in your poem writing. It requires a certain amount of beat to make a poem rhyme and flow, and if you play a beat-heavy instrument, it will greatly help in your writing.
Rhyming is another hard part of poetry. But, one thing I've started doing, is to pay attention to songs and other poems, and listen to what they do to make rhymes. It helps tremendously.
Believe you me, poetry is a lot of fun to write. I highly recommend it to everyone to try at least once.
Conciseness
How can you convey what you mean to convey the best? Some would say using a lot of words, whereas I'd say the exact opposite. Use the least amount of words it takes to properly get your point across. There are several reasons I say this, which I will expound upon.
First off, it's necessary to keep your audience's attention. Using eight hundred words when you only needed to use two hundred will drag down the interest factor drastically. It's also courteous, since your audience is not obligated to read your work. They are open-mindedly using their time to read your work, you shouldn't take that for granted.
Essentially, talk less. Make sure your point is brought across, but you shouldn't take it farther than that.
First off, it's necessary to keep your audience's attention. Using eight hundred words when you only needed to use two hundred will drag down the interest factor drastically. It's also courteous, since your audience is not obligated to read your work. They are open-mindedly using their time to read your work, you shouldn't take that for granted.
Essentially, talk less. Make sure your point is brought across, but you shouldn't take it farther than that.
Wow, this one was nominated for three PMCA Awards.
| Credit | Everyone who's helped me learn all this stuff |
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Update #2 : by Punkamoar 04/06/2016 5:29:18 pmApr 6th, 2016
Added the section "Conciseness", and cleaned up the description quite a bit.
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(nice blog Pikamoar, great work!)
thanks :D