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Amazing thread, thanks Dr. K so much for putting it all together. I'll chime in to add http://www.writingexcuses.com/ as a resource. It's a podcast by several writers (Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Dan Wells are the core of the group) who put out lots of 15 minute long casts that tackle some writing concept (or something related to writing), then give you a prompt. The prompts are generally fun, the conversations interesting and informative, and there's now twelve seasons of content that include a plethora of guests and different topics.
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Jan 28, 2017 08:46
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A human heart posted:I'd be more interested in this thread if there was more about prose style, more focus on language. That's where everything else comes from after all. Well, feel free to contribute a post talking about composing prose, different prose styles, and the use of language. I'd be interested to read it. For example, what is it about modernist writing that draws the reader along and keeps them interested?
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Mar 5, 2017 20:32
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Sitting Here posted:That leads me to a question I wonder about a lot: how esoteric is the actual writing process for you guys? When I try to articulate my methods sometimes, they end up sounding wrong, or they just plain don't work for other people. But I get decent feedback from readers and publications, so apparently something in there is working. Obviously, writing blogs and books have to speak in general terms because they have a wide audience. How much do you guys tend to skew the process to better suit the weird machinations of your brains? From what I've heard from professional authors, everyone does it differently. Some people full-outline then write exactly what they outline with no deviations, some people full-discovery write and just make everything up as they go along. Some proof as they read and do almost no revising, and some spew out awful crap and then prune off all the bad parts--but most people are somewhere on a spectrum of those extremes. I'm trying it different ways with different stories, but usually I start with an interesting premise and a cool climax, and work from there. I think of cool scenes and moments I want to hit, and the rest of the story is connecting those pieces together in ways that gives them the emotional resonance I want and is an interesting journey. I've come to the conclusion that writing middles is basically impossible, and no one can do it. Mostly, my outlines are pretty bare bones, and I fill in secondary characters as needed. Often, I'll write the scenes that are really cemented in my mind before the rest of the story, which only sorta works since by the time I actually reach them they'll have changed significantly. Disclaimer, I haven't ever actually finished a novel, just short stories. From what I've heard, though, my process would be normal for some authors and heresy for others. anime was right posted:how about this, how do people feel about information density? is it cool to thrust people into buzzword city so long as it makes sense as you continue to read? do you think its better to introduce elements slowly at the cost of lengthening your pace? It also depends on the genre and how much crap you're trying to throw at them. If you are breaking genre expectations, you'll need to talk about it. If you're doing what's normal, don't waste time explaining it.
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Mar 17, 2017 03:50
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Agreeing that everyone is going to have a different style that works for the. I'm generally fairly light on outlines, but what I do generally is 1. Come up with several cool moments that I want the story to hit (this usually includes an ending scene and a setting that grows out of those moments) 2. Come up with a core of characters who are interesting in some way 3. Figure out where to begin (hook) 4. Write a general progression of major story events in an ordered list that links together the big moments 5. Start writing from the beginning, but also write pieces of the cool moments that will give me either something to include later or a basis for when I rewrite that section as I reach it 6. Update and change my outline, including key events, as I write and my discovery process shapes and changes things later on so that I still know where I'm going For shorter stuff (less than 10k words), I generally don't change the outline because the story doesn't deviate from it all that much. If it's a longer piece, I've usually already thought about the story a lot by the time I decide to write it. The hardest part is linking the climactic scenes and setting up the emotional moments so they resonate the way I want them to (so, writing the middles).
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Jul 27, 2017 21:04
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MockingQuantum posted:Are there any worthwhile online courses for novel writing, paid or otherwise? I've never had anything like a writing class, outside of the standard ones required as part of education curriculum, and I wouldn't mind having a class that maybe results in me stumbling around blindly a little less. The Writing Excuses podcast, run by a bunch of published authors, dedicated season 10 to specifically going through putting together a novel. Depending on where you are, you can skip around on episodes. Each episode is really short (~15 minutes). You can also scan the other seasons for specific topics you're looking for. Just make sure to actually try out some of the exercises, because that's the part that's actually going to make you a better writer.
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Aug 6, 2017 00:22
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Marsupial Ape posted:I'm a 42 year old man. I have an English Degree with a creative writing education emphasis. I used to teach writing. One day I realized I couldn't and shouldn't. What's the point of killing your darlings if they are all abortions, anyway? By pass the miserable still birthing all together. I really feel like this polly-anna 'you can do it if you Care Bear Stare long enough' attitude towards writing is incredibly toxic. Not everyone is equipped to be a storyteller, no matter how much they throw themselves against that wall. Divine muses or not, if you ain't got the juice, you ain't got the juice. The real tragedy of it is that most of us are perfectly equipped to appreciate art, to interpret and ingest it, but not to synthesis it into something new. Story telling is thaumaturgy, is wonder making, and not everyone is made to invoke it. To make someone believe that can actually do that magic, make their mind's eye visible to another person, but always be just out of their reach is a cruel abuse of hope. This isn't really the thread to post about how not everyone should write, and you're not going to write, and furthermore, all hope (and juice) is lost.
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Nov 16, 2022 09:17
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Wungus posted:I simply do not let my plots get thinner, instead choosing the cool act of making everything ever-complicated until the book collapses under the holy and good weight of my hefty word Didn't know Robert Jordan was a goon The Sean posted:I've put off posting this for a while but: Uranium Phoenix fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Apr 12, 2023 |
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Apr 12, 2023 21:14
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tiny brain: Frodo should have taken the eagles to Mount Doom galaxy brain: Frodo should simply have been able to fly himself
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Sep 2, 2023 04:56
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DropTheAnvil posted:... I was just having a conversation about this phenomenon in general, and I don't think writing is an exception. Basically, it feels like everyone everywhere is constantly trying to sell you something. Random stranger on the street approaches you? They generally want money for something. Random advice video online? They're about to tell you about a product that changed their lives. I once had a stranger on an airplane strike up conversation with me purely so they could pitch their multi-level marketing scheme. There's still people out there who genuinely want to give good advice out there out of the goodness of their hearts, but they're eclipsed by the rampaging hordes of people trying to make an extra buck, and I think it's extremely important to be on the look out for anyone who is financially motivated. Financial motivation doesn't necessarily mean the advice is bad, but they're rarely going to be looking out for your best interests, so be wary.
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Sep 3, 2023 01:31
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cumpantry posted:i have tried... a good portion seems written by children. maybe this style will help it stand out? or alienate it... If you're planning on selling anything, you might want to read successful examples of the genre you plan on writing. Setting aside the 'litrpg' part (this doesn't read at all like litrpg), this reads like someone trying to write fantasy who has never read fantasy.
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Mar 21, 2024 20:59
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