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Sara's 10 Basic Writing Tips
- Thread starter Sarita
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Wow! New to here, not to writing, although from the 5 pages of posts, tips and great ideas, I feel infantile with my writing too! Problem that has plagued me for 5 completed books now - Length! Average word count 160,000. Mind you, I have never attempted to get a single one published! Have 19 in various stages of nearly done. Imagine if they were all good enough... Burned my eyeballs reading all the info offered here. And in a short word or two... Thank you!
Ian,
Glad you like it here!
Okay, an example... hmmm. I'm so chatty and extroverted, it's just my nature to talk to everyone. But here goes: I work at Starbucks and one of our regulars is an older guy, (told me today that he's 63) and he relentlessly flirts with all of the girls behind the register. Instead of shutting him down, I make him talk more if I don't have a line. And if I'm making drinks on the bar, I'll talk to him for a 1/2 hour because his character fascinates me. He would make a great creepy dad in a chicklit, a good serial killer or stalker or or or... My possibilities with this creeper are endless. LOL. Now, just to clarify, I don't think the actual man is creepy or a stalker or anything so nefarious otherwise I wouldn't be chatting him up. I just think that some of his aspects could be molded that way in fiction. So, I'm storing him, along with so many other people, in my character catalogue, with details about how he moves his head when he talks, what his voice sounds like, the way he grips a coffee cup, the color of his loafers. All of those details will be ready to pull out when I need that character.
Does that help?
Hey I'm new too *waves*
I definitely agree about the reading even if just to get exposed to different styles, learning their strengths and weaknesses. I haven't been able to read much this semester but exams are done and I've got a pile of books with pretty covers calling me oh so seductively
I also love the advice about getting to know different types of people...that's definitely helped me come up with some rather odd characters!
I definitely agree about the reading even if just to get exposed to different styles, learning their strengths and weaknesses. I haven't been able to read much this semester but exams are done and I've got a pile of books with pretty covers calling me oh so seductively
I also love the advice about getting to know different types of people...that's definitely helped me come up with some rather odd characters!
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If you haven't already, check out Beta Readers, Mentors, and Writing Partners forum and read the sticky info threads.
-Derek
^ I do precisely that with my work - it helps. A lot. And I love the bit about not being alone, haha! So very true.
Something my Uni lecturer tought me on my course was to just sit somewhere and write down precisely what happens around you, as life unfolds. I still do that on a random basis or if I'm stuck for ideas. Used to sit on my windowsil in my flat in halls and do it - living 3 floors up in the middle of London, I saw (and wrote about) the world and it didn't know
Did it in a pub the other day too. Also a great excuse to eye up any potential bar staff *ahem*Beta writers and playing nicely with characters...
Thanks, I hooked up with the beta writers thread. It looks promising.
Fang100 I love your comment and playing nicely with characters or haunts in the writer's head.
Thanks, I hooked up with the beta writers thread. It looks promising.
Fang100 I love your comment and playing nicely with characters or haunts in the writer's head.
I'm pretty new myself, (to Absolute Write and to writing), but I really love what you said Fang100 about just writing down everything that happens around you. I have a professor who makes all of his students go somewhere, like a cafe, to write down other people's conversations. It's awkward sometimes, haha, but it works.
Hello.
I hope you don't mind but after reading this thread for the very first time, I decided to copy it and paste it into my WordPad for future reference. Thank you so much!!
I hope you don't mind but after reading this thread for the very first time, I decided to copy it and paste it into my WordPad for future reference. Thank you so much!!
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This is what exactly happens with me though still a good preaching skills like Sara's makes me feel to learn and improve my writing skills..
Thanks for sharing Sara..looking forward to learn more..
Shining_Garnet
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can anyone tell me if an agent tells you your writing is commercial and gives you suggestions for rewrites is that a compliment?
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Yes! If an agent gives you any kind of feedback other than a form letter, consider it a compliment. The fact that she thinks what you write is commercial is fine. It simply means it's not literary fiction. I should be so lucky!
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I have a tip for the ten tip thing.
I've been starting and not finishing novels ever since I was 10 years old. number one, i needed the discipline to write EVERY DAY. Jumping that hurdle, I discovered that some days I simply did not feel like writing. Or if I did, I didn't feel like continuing the same area I'd worked on the day before because I didn't have that scene completely worked out in my head yet.
Solution? Work out of order. Don't feel like you HAVE to write in a straight line. Jump around a little. If a scene is screaming to you, start working it out. Of course, verify information that you've put in different places and make sure that you synch it up (you don't want conflicting names or information), but I finally managed to finish a novel using this method.
And then I could step back and see the big picture. If I'd written consecutive scenes, I think it would have plodded too slowly. This gave me injections of exciting life throughout the book, because I was always excited about doing something new when I wrote a particular scene.
I've been starting and not finishing novels ever since I was 10 years old. number one, i needed the discipline to write EVERY DAY. Jumping that hurdle, I discovered that some days I simply did not feel like writing. Or if I did, I didn't feel like continuing the same area I'd worked on the day before because I didn't have that scene completely worked out in my head yet.
Solution? Work out of order. Don't feel like you HAVE to write in a straight line. Jump around a little. If a scene is screaming to you, start working it out. Of course, verify information that you've put in different places and make sure that you synch it up (you don't want conflicting names or information), but I finally managed to finish a novel using this method.
And then I could step back and see the big picture. If I'd written consecutive scenes, I think it would have plodded too slowly. This gave me injections of exciting life throughout the book, because I was always excited about doing something new when I wrote a particular scene.
Thank you, this gives me more confidence now. It was a personal e- mail. I am diving back into my rewrites. I was in a gray place for awhile but now getting back to my writing is all I think about. Thank you for your input. It really makes me happy to know I do have someones attention!
I also find that if I get that dreaded "writers block" that I tend to read something that is totally off the subject. From my experiance, it is the fictional stories that get those creative juices flowing, even if I am writing an article or blog post. It just seems to take your mind off the task at hand while stimulating your next move!
More...
If you find yourself spinning too much in social circles and you really need and want to write more productively stop spinning (it may cause sleepwriting and dizziness).
To stop spinning: regain your composure and focus.
If you find yourself spinning too much in social circles and you really need and want to write more productively stop spinning (it may cause sleepwriting and dizziness).
To stop spinning: regain your composure and focus.
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Ian,
Glad you like it here!
I work at Starbucks and one of our regulars is an older guy, (told me today that he's 63) and he relentlessly flirts with all of the girls behind the register. Instead of shutting him down, I make him talk more if I don't have a line. And if I'm making drinks on the bar, I'll talk to him for a 1/2 hour because his character fascinates me. He would make a great creepy dad in a chicklit, a good serial killer or stalker or or or... My possibilities with this creeper are endless. LOL. Now, just to clarify, I don't think the actual man is creepy or a stalker or anything so nefarious otherwise I wouldn't be chatting him up. I just think that some of his aspects could be molded that way in fiction. So, I'm storing him, along with so many other people, in my character catalogue, with details about how he moves his head when he talks, what his voice sounds like, the way he grips a coffee cup, the color of his loafers. All of those details will be ready to pull out when I need that character.
Does that help?
Excellent advice. I'm not exactly an introvert, but I do tend to keep to myself. I love writing at coffee shops, though, and like you (well, I don't work there, but all the baristas know me by name -- It's like CHEERS for me), I love people watch and chatting with people there. There are some interesting regulars and I can absolutely draw characters from them. That's one reason why I love writing at public places.
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