Making an attempt to write a book.

[Zahri]

Starting off, i'm only 15, and as such have almost no ability to stick to something for a good long time, other than video games of course.

Anyways... I've always had somewhat of a knack for wordplay (according to my own thoughts and a few peers/teachers), along with an imagination that i usually keep to myself, usually involving great fantasies in expansive and in-depth worlds...

Well i feel like making a serious attempt at plotting a rather new idea of mine on paper, in the form of a possibly large text.

I have some planning set up in a word document, though incomplete, and thought i might as well ask for some tips when it comes to writing a compelling story...

Anyways, i've thought the escapist here to be somewhat of a nice place for intuitive and useful advice.

Any help? some tips?

EDIT: My apologies for any rough wording or the whatnot... 10:30 PM here and i am somewhat tired.

 

[Flying-Emu]

I'm doing the same thing.

Best advice I can give is to set aside time each day to write, even if it's just freewriting (pouring thoughts onto a piece of paper).

Always carry a notebook with you so you can scribble down random ideas you have.

Don't set it aside for a single day, cause you'll lose your momentum.

And rule numero uno;

Make a rough plan.

I can't stress that enough. If you start writing without at least a rough idea of where you want it to go, it won't go anywhere.

*EDIT*

Release segments to people you don't know for constructive criticism. Don't be fooled into using www.deviantart.com, they don't give criticism there. I'm willing to do it; feel free to PM me with it if you ever feel the need for a little criticism.

 

[Fenring]

Write about something you find interesting or care about, if your just writing about something because you feel you should it'll show. Pick a topic you care about.

Try to develop a personal writing style. Be original.

If you're incorporating real world places or things, do some research on them. If you're going to talk about a city you've never been to read about it, talk to people who have lived/been there. Try to capture the feeling of the place if its important.

Hope that helps, best of luck!

 

[the captain]

How you uh, how you comin' on that novel you're working on? Huh? Gotta a big, uh, big stack of papers there? Gotta, gotta nice litte story you're working on there? Your big novel you've been working on for 3 years? Huh? Gotta, gotta compelling protaganist? Yeah? Gotta obstacle for him to overcome? Huh? Gotta story brewing there? Working on, working on that for quite some time? Huh? (voice getting higher pitched) Yea, talking about that 3 years ago. Been working on that the whole time? Nice little narrative? Beginning, middle, and end? Some friends become enemies, some enemies become friends? At the end your main character is richer from the experience? Yeah? Yeah? (voice returns to normal) No, no, you deserve some time off.

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

I think that almost everyone on this site is writing a book, be it fan-fiction or otherwise.

Unfortunately, when I got writer's block I stopped writing and now the latest pages, which I wrote friggin' MONTHS ago, are sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be typed into the computer.

Writer's block is a *****. Although my ideas are usually pretty good. I just need a way to transfer those ideas onto paper.

 

[Flying-Emu]

*snip*

Thank you for contributing to this young man's attempt at creating a work of art.

 

[RebelRising]

Start with one very well-written and polished sentence, then leave it. Give yourself time to turn over ideas in your head, formulating concepts that fit together with more clarity and mechanics over time.

Be unique and creative. It's good to have a favourite author to use as inspiration or a template, but then deviate from it, letting your own ideas fill in the missing gaps; don't try to force incredible creativity where it doesn't work for you.

Try to keep in mind, allegory, allusion, characterization, motifs, similes, and alternatives to just commas and periods. Don't feel like you have to use overcomplicated vocabulary - it depends on what you're trying to communicate to the reader. Often, a simple, poetic style is way more effective than complex wording. But again, it depends.

 

[the captain]

*snip*

Thank you for contributing to this young man's attempt at creating a work of art.

I was saying it with love at least. I'm sure if he sticks to it the book with be great.

 

[Zahri]

Hah =3 This topic is entertaining me xD

Anyways, Emu and count, thank you very much. =3 I'll gladly take you up on that offer Emu once i finally start. I have a rough plan, but have yet to begin even an intro.

Anyways, if it takes place anywhere in the real world, i'll be sure to look it up...

It's going to be more fantasy than anything, based on some "Altered" history, somewhat like what Assassins Creed did xD

It's going to take place a good deal of time into the future, i know that much for certain as i do want it to take place on Earth, just not have much to do with todays modern Era.

And Captain don't worry, i thought your post to be quite comical =3 hopefully i can stick to it

Rebel, i'll have to look up with an Allegory is, and possibly a motif just to clarify for myself but damn o.o thank you =3

 

[Flying-Emu]

I was saying it with love at least. I'm sure if he sticks to it the book with be great.

A derisive quote from Family Guy is love now?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

This young man is asking for assistance in creating a potentially beautiful piece of art, and you go off on a wild tangent by quoting a show that has little, if anything, with the topic. Yes, it was mildly amusing within the show. But this thread is about helping your fellow Escapist grow and become a more proficient, more skilled artist. Not about flaunting your witty remarks and getting lulz.

 

[FalloutJack]

Sure, why not? I have actually written some lengthy stuff. Some decent overall tips would have to be...

If you're really serious about this, then you'd better be into alot of writing and alot of proofreading. If you don't have the patience for the latter, you can always ask other people for that in case there's something you missed. (You'll probably also get their opinions ON the actual piece, which may be good or bad depending on how you look at it.)

If you're using Microsoft Word to write this, TURN OFF THE ACTIVE SPELLCHECKER AND GRAMMAR. Microsoft Word is one of the most incompetent checkers of spelling and grammar that I have ever seen. Its dictionary for understood terms is limited (and thus, you need to add each and every new term it can't understand), it can't pick up the use of the wrong word by accident (EXAMPLE: "There" and "Their".), and then there are the things it actually DOES while you type. The computer, in its infinite lack of wisdom, will throw in those jagged lines like you're a dumbass, and it will give suggestions...WHICH ARE ALL WRONG. Who taught these computers how to write a sentence? (Let's just face it, man. The programmers of Word were NOT writers.) If it needs to learn a new word, fine. But don't engage auto-correct unless you like fighting with the damn machine to put in another word that's slightly different.

Making decent characters is about as hard in of itself as hashing out your plot and intriguing twists. But if you do it right, your characters start telling YOU where the hell they wanna take this and THEY start making the plot more fun. Also, if you really want to get a jolt of incredible inspiration to make a character, think of WHAT makes them special first, and find the name that follows.

Always listen to alot of music when trying to think of what happens next, or down the lines. I have a ton of characters, a flurry of worlds, and horrendous amounts of experience under the belt. I owe inspiration to my crazy personality, but also to using music to make me think. It sets the right mood...

 

[Shade Jackrabbit]

Firstly, it's important to write what you know about. If it's gonna be sword and sorcery, go read some ancient mythology. Don't base your work off of contemporary works such as games. That is possibly the WORST thing you could do.

That being said, I'm not saying that writing a Forgotten Realms novel is a bad thing. R.A. Salvatore has proven multiple times that using a pre-existing world for a setting can still allow amazing character development.

Basically, study anything that is going to be in your work. The older or more real the source of reference the better. If you want to know what a forest is like, go walk in a forest and take pictures, videos, and sound recordings.

Oh yes, and please, PLEASE do not write a book like Eragon. It's okay, but terribly written and forgettable. Trust me, I stopped for good reason.

And as people say, Internet peoples are great for criticism. Unlike dA.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and everything FalloutJack said is good advice too. *thumbs up*

 

[Zahri]

I was saying it with love at least. I'm sure if he sticks to it the book with be great.

A derisive quote from Family Guy is love now?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

This young man is asking for assistance in creating a potentially beautiful piece of art, and you go off on a wild tangent by quoting a show that has little, if anything, with the topic. Yes, it was mildly amusing within the show. But this thread is about helping your fellow Escapist grow and become a more proficient, more skilled artist. Not about flaunting your witty remarks and getting lulz.

xD this is getting good. =3 ima see how this little quarrel develops. :3 -nods and offers you both friendship cookies-

 

[Lavi]

OUTLINE, and don't write anything too long, you might get bored.

Long fanfiction is probably a better way to start. You get serious practice on writing in general and on formulating realistic characters (aka, in character and not 2D). The advantage is is that the world already exists and so does background to it.

 

[the captain]

I was saying it with love at least. I'm sure if he sticks to it the book with be great.

A derisive quote from Family Guy is love now?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

This young man is asking for assistance in creating a potentially beautiful piece of art, and you go off on a wild tangent by quoting a show that has little, if anything, with the topic. Yes, it was mildly amusing within the show. But this thread is about helping your fellow Escapist grow and become a more proficient, more skilled artist. Not about flaunting your witty remarks and getting lulz.

xD this is getting good. =3 ima see how this little quarrel develops. :3 -nods and offers you both friendship cookies-

Well, sorry if I offended you but since he appreciated what I said I think your opinion about it matters very little emu.

 

[Zahri]

OUTLINE, and don't write anything too long, you might get bored.

Long fanfiction is probably a better way to start. You get serious practice on writing in general and on formulating realistic characters (aka, in character and not 2D). The advantage is is that the world already exists and so does background to it.

I have had a good backround in fanfiction. When zatch bell was popular, i was all over it... And as ashamed as i am to say, years before (9 or 10 years old maybe? possibly less) the runescape story forums were my haven.

 

[Bunnymarn]

I'm actually writing a books aswell, hopefully called The Joy of Irony. - It's a song, so I'll have to find out from them if I can use it. I write short stories aswell, so I have to kind of juggle between them and the main one.

My advice is to keep at it and write down ideas whenever you think of them. Once you've done a chapter, get someone to check the grammar and paragraphs.

Good luck!

 

[Flying-Emu]

Well, sorry if I offended you but since he appreciated what I said I think your opinion about it matters very little.

I am mildly offended, but as Zahri decided it was amusing, I'll hold my piece.

And I'll offer you a hint; saying that someone's opinion matters little is not a good way to make friends around here.

 

[ShadowPen]

I've actually finished writing my first novel, and am awaiting word from publishers now.

Not to undermine everyone's advice, but my best advice is this: Work the way you want to. I've heard people say to write every day, for X hours, but that doesn't work for me. If I'm not into the writing at a particular time, I won't, because what I WILL write at that time will be complete garbage, and it'll show. But to each their own.

My personal 'outline' is what I call Road Map style. Its like planning a road trip. You have your starting point and your destination. You plan the stops as you go. Though it is usually best to have some small list of events you may want to incorporate.

and the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION!

Do you want to change people's lives? Make them think? Than be original. I myself prefer a psychological approach. If you simply want the book to be successful and make a lot of money, just add vampires having sex, gay and women's rights, and a cameo from Barack Obama in some way shape or form (it worked for Spider-man), and I can guarantee you'll see your name on the NYT best seller list. Though you will lose your self respect in the process T_T

 

[the captain]

Well, sorry if I offended you but since he appreciated what I said I think your opinion about it matters very little.

I am mildly offended, but as Zahri decided it was amusing, I'll hold my piece.

And I'll offer you a hint; saying that someone's opinion matters little is not a good way to make friends around here.

Yes, but I think the only person who would care about me saying that I didn?t care about someone?s opinion is the person I said it to, and if they don?t want to be my friend, I?m ok with that. Because, as I said, I don?t care about their opinions so why would I want to be friends with them?