Pokemon Universe MMORPG
Creative Discussions => Fan Fiction & Writing => Topic started by: GrizzlyEatsKids on January 16, 2014, 04:38:37 PM
-
A large number of active members on this site and its forums are largely into writing. How many times that, as a writer, you've had a question concerning your work? These questions contain an almost seemingly infinite number of topics, with grammar, plot, mood, setting, characters, wording, writer's block, just to name a few. You've likely gone to people for help before, but sometimes get an opinion you aren't sure about, get multiple opinions from different people that don't agree with each other, or sometimes, you don't even ask for help at all. Rather than you not knowing which people to send to your questions to, or you having to open a thread just for a single question about your work, I've decided to simplify this issue by opening this support thread, where anyone is free to post questions about nearly any aspect of their writing and get feedback from multiple other writers at sometimes a quicker pace than you normally would when hunting assistance down yourself. I know that there are many cases where you wish to keep things about your writing secret, and you are by no means obligated to post that here.
Lastly, I just ask that, while it is ok to post a small excerpt of your work here for proofreading, more or less for a specific part of that excerpt (whether it be style, structure, wording, etc.), you please don't post stories, chapters, and a bunch of poems and the like here, as this thread is not made to replace the entire writing section of the forum, but is simply just a place for you to ask questions and get multiple answers easily, without having to look too far. And who knows? There's a good chance that someone else is going to ask a question that you have yourself or that will come up for you in the future.
-
I think I will contribute here as well, as I have put up many (albeit unfinished) works here and around the web for everyone's enjoyment. I think for my first contribution is to give would be and already proficient writers little writing tricks to help them get into the mood for writing:
1. Start writing insanity- Just take a break from your work, and begin to write the first thing that comes to mind, and let it flow. If it starts getting crazy, keep going, and see how far you can get until it's completely out of your system. This exercise allows you to vent your frustrations in a controlled environment, and might even help you find a new concept for your main piece.
2. Make an unimportant character important- I'm not saying to completely abandon your work. This allows you to take a break from it and still practice your writing skills. Simply take a character in your main piece that has no effect on the story, and give them a story for a bit. You'll be surprised what you can come up with, and it allows you to focus on something else for a bit. So, make that shopkeeper have a hidden secret, then when their side story is done, or you feel ready, return to the main work.
3. Act it out- Do this alone, you don't want to look crazy. Or do it in public, your choice. Just act out a scene, say the dialogue, do the actions, scream, cry, laugh. Get in your characters head, and you will have an easier time fleshing out those action scenes as you go.
4. Start a group work- This is the RP section of writing. This can be a good getaway from writing your main work for a bit and learn new skills form other writers. Don't underestimate the power of group effort.
5. If not in the mood to write, set the mood- Put on some music, take a bath, eat, light some candles, get a robe on, wait, that sounds like tips for a special time, doesn't it? No. simply do what relaxes you, empty your mind, and then return to your work when you're good and ready.
I do these, and they work. I am still working on a story of mine, and I know how frustrating it can be when you hit that writers block, or begin to lose interest. These can help you out, but how you use them is up to you.
Since this thread is about writing questions, I am obligated to ask one for my work:
I am writing a medieval fantasy novel. So far, I have character concepts and plot devices, but for a main plot I am torn between a chosen one story, or a rag tag underdog story. Which one should I go for, as both seem really appealing, but I'm not sure which to choose.
-
Those are some great tips Xetroc, and I've actually used some of those techniques before myself. The novel series I'm working on write now is actually fantasy as well, but I'd call it more of a medieval meets futuristic sort of thing, with heavy influences from many different types of mythology.
As for your question, I think it depends on what you're going for in the future of the series, specifically for the protagonist him/herself. While it depends on their personality, generally in the whole chosen one type, I find that the character often has a lot of "why me" moments, and may often be reluctant to carry on his/her tasks, and may often include a lot of mood swings that frequently include anger and confusion. As for the underdog, I find that there's more or less a sort of clear bouncing back between hope and hopelessness for the character. The chosen one may often seem a little more empowered though, as compared to the underdog who will often have the odds stacked against him. This is all generally speaking, of course, but it also depends how you want readers to grow and react to your character. Do you want them to root for the underdog, to always feel like, even though improbable, there's always still hope? Or do you want them to feel thrust into the acton with the chosen one, feeling frustrated that they weren't given a choice, as if they have a role they're feeling forced into? Both are perfectly acceptable options, but they both have large, different effects on the overall tone of the story.
-
If I can throw in my opinion, Xetroc, why not both? Maybe he's chosen, but that's not a good thing. Like Absol, a hero, but mistaken and a symbol for bad luck. He's destined for great things, but people dislike him for that. Maybe his predecessor was a failure and a liar, maybe he comes from a really bad family and no one really trusts him, maybe he has a bad past. A chosen one that is an underdog. I dunno, it's something I've considered before, but neither of those are really my style.
And continuing the trend of asking a question from this thread: Which of my characters is the weakest personality wise, and why? What could I do to change them?
-
I am unable to contribute anything to this section
-
If I can throw in my opinion, Xetroc, why not both? Maybe he's chosen, but that's not a good thing. Like Absol, a hero, but mistaken and a symbol for bad luck. He's destined for great things, but people dislike him for that. Maybe his predecessor was a failure and a liar, maybe he comes from a really bad family and no one really trusts him, maybe he has a bad past. A chosen one that is an underdog. I dunno, it's something I've considered before, but neither of those are really my style.
And continuing the trend of asking a question from this thread: Which of my characters is the weakest personality wise, and why? What could I do to change them?
I kinda like the idea to go with both, could be interesting.
Personally, I've found Ash to be your weakest, at least for as much as I can remember. He just personally seems less interesting than the others to me, and his personality doesn't really stand out. As for how to fix him specifically, I can't say exactly, but to fix some of my characters, I've felt that it helped to sort of break them down a bit. Recount their past, and determine how it would have changed them, defined what's important to them and how those things correspond to the way they react to situations and how their personality develops off of that. Writing down their general likes and dislikes may also help. I also find that when I write, two questions are almost essential in creating a character:
1. What reaction do I want readers to have to this character?
2. Why should readers care about this character?
I know that you had your own profile template you used to make characters, but I did a bunch of research and put together my own. I could send it to you, if you wanted it.
-
Send me that as well. I have to work on my characters, an area that I do struggle with from time to time.
-
Sure, Fenror, shoot me the template.
-
Sent them. Currently stuck on appearances for the major characters of my novel right now, which includes revamped versions of Celine, Leon, and Jack. I pretty much have Celine's down, and a rough idea for Jack, but am completely in the dark for Leon. He needs to be a bit more real, so to speak, than his anime-like appearances from RP's. The same goes for Jack and Celine, but Celine's is pretty much done, like I said. Jack needs a little work, and Leon needs A LOT of work. The main problem is finding an appearance that fits their newly revised personality.
-
Is Jack Celine's dead cousin ?
-
Jack is traditionally Celine's cousin, in some universes he's dead, some he turns evil, and in others he's none of these.
-
You mentioned the mid evil era, so not sure if they are warriors, but if they are.... Give them scars. So many people make warriors, who fight all their lives, yet they are scarless. never had an injury that severe in the life of a warrior? Yeah, I doubt it.... Sorry, went on a mini-rant. It's one of my pet peeves.
-
It actually takes place far into the future, but scars will be present throughout the series, without giving away too much. I'm also using other physical changes, such as getting or shaving facial hair, getting haircuts, wrinkles, etc. to symbolize an emotional change. I'm about 3/5 done planning the plot out, and I feel like it's missing something. I'm only on my first draft of the plot, but it doesn't quite have that emotional punch throughout the entire thing that I'm looking for, and the environment seems nothing special, unlike what it's supposed to be. Based on the way I'm planning this one out, which is quite different than I normally do, it's a little hard to judge quite how those things will play out, especially emotional wise, until I actually sit down to write the novel. The section of the book I'm actually getting into planning is where the majority of the protagonist's development takes place, so I'll wait and see if I need to make any edits afterwards. As for the environment, I know what I'm aiming for, but the way I've been planning hasn't allowed me to really lay that down yet, but I think that once I hop into the writing it'll be fine.
Also, I would like an opinion. I'm thinking of third person limited as the point of view I'm going with, and while the book obviously mainly follows the protagonist, I'm considering having several chapters told from another character's point of view, some in which the protagonist is present, and others in an entirely different location. It'll give looks into the point of view of mainly supporting characters and one of the antagonists. The prologue and epilogue are a different story, as I'm thinking of making those two third person omniscient, but I'm not positive about that part yet. How does all of that sound? Come February or March, I may be able to get fully into the writing, but I need this worked out first. Plus, it may affect the planning of the plot a little.
-
Test it out first with a couple of quick stories involving your characters. It doesn't necessarily need to go into your novel, but it's best to see how it would look before you go into it almost blind.
-
How can you use the Changing of facial hair to show emotional change. Not trying to be an ass or anything I'm genuinely curious.
-
While growing facial hair is natural, not shaving, or shaving, can be used to symbolize a number of things, depending on where it's at in the story. I was just using that as an example, as I haven't gotten to that many areas in the book that require a physical change, but they are sort of stretched out throughout the series, not just the first book. I do have a very specific case in mind, but it is very spoilery, and I refuse to spoil anything about the plot. It's just used as a form of symbolism, a literary device, if you will.
-
Well, Humen has a half point there. Having a lot of facial hair can symbolize hard times for a character, whether it's depression, poverty, increased work load, etc. This can represent an emotional state over time for them, in a way that the reader will say "Wow, he has been dealing with this a while. I mean, look at him, he looks a mess." You see what I'm saying?
-
True, but I think Fenror was going for more of a token. Like giving away your favorite item to a friend, it means something.
-
Both are true, actually. I think what Blades is saying is actually like the big spoiler point I mentioned, but Wha Xetroc is referencing happens has well, but it is a little more subtle, and isn't dwelled on quite like the other.
-
So its like if a guy lost his job feel into an alcoholic depression then the next tone you see him he's got a scruffy beard wearing nothing but a dirty robe and sweatpants in his messy apartment staring at the static on TV.( thanks TV for the scenario.)
-
Yeah, that's at least part of it. Now, in all of your opinions, what makes a truly unique world? What makes the environment of a story interesting to you?
-
Well, I think the landmarks would actually make a world unique. They are central to the story, and give you a goal for your characters to achieve.
Let me give an example, let's say I am writing a sci-fi novel. I am thinking flyung cars, lasers, and futuristic weapons. Now, I can place it in a futuristic city, but that's the obvious path. Instead, I am going to place it into the natural world with tons of forests and trees. Now, that is pretty general, and doesn't allow for much story development. So, I create a landmark, something the entire world would recognize. This landmark is called the Tower of Fom. It is said to be a a place where reality doesn't exist, and hides the secrets of the universe in its never ending insanity. Only a select few dare to crawl through this dungeon to find the one item that could save their planet, but they risk going insane themselves. Now, I have a plot point, I build from there. Are there towns located here? Is there a small secret area nearby? Is it a vast amount of land that are miles away from anything? Landmarks can basically have their own profile since they offer so much.
So, to make a unique world, make a landmark, figure out what it is supposed to represent, and then build on from there.
-
Thanks Xetroc, that actually helps a lot. I actually had a couple major landmarks/important locations written in, but I could stand to add in a few more. Now that I think about it, that actually does seem to greatly improve the environment and setting, and I think that it's just the thing I needed to really make the setting of the books I'm writing, which I do think is already fairly unique and has a lot of potential, truly come alive and sort of set itself apart from seeming somewhat generalized.
Although no one else has really been asking questions, I do have another. How do you go about constantly and consisttently expressing a character's emotion without plainly stating "He feels this way"? As far as my writing technique goes, I find this to be possibly my biggest flaw, for when I write I tend to express my characters' emotions in sort of short bursts, but usually not on a consistent basis.
-
Habits. State once that so and so bites their nails when they are nervous, and next time you say they bite their nails the reader knows they are nervous. One thing that really helps to write emotions is look at your friends and yourself, which of them are most like which character Once you've figured that out, ask yourself what they/you would do in that situation. A mistake a lot of newer authors make is assuming their readers are stupid, and being very obvious about everything. A bit of subtlety goes a long way.
That's just my opinion though, I suck.
-
Well, there are many mannerisms that people do when they express emotion, and each person is different. For instance, whenever I get mad, I tend to stay quiet, and completely block out what made me mad, while effectively hiding the fact that I am angry. If someone were to write that, it would go:
"Xetroc ignored his friend's question, and instead changed his focus to a bee flying around. He was in no mood to deal with stupidity, but saying that outright is wrong in itself."
When I'm sad, I have a hard time hiding it, and it can be easily seen in my eyes.
"Xetroc seemed beaten down, though his body language said everything was ok, his eyes said otherwise."
It's all about identifying the different reactions a person has to their own emotions. Everyone expresses emotion differently. So, imagine how people do that, and apply it to your characters. Then, make them come to life. See if you can identify what emotion Dagen is feeling:
After an hour or so, Dagen was not even halfway through the stone panel. He had been hacking and slashing with little effect. He found heavy stones and bashed them against the door, but it proved futile as well. He was running out of ideas, and out of time. He could feel the fresh air in his prison become stale, and his breathing became labored. "I have.. to get out of here." His life flashed before his eyes, and he didn't feel ready. Dagen was going to die.
-
After the few months I took off from writing, I've been having a lot of trouble with describing appearances. In your opinion, what are details that need to be there, and what are ones that should be left out? I recently started filling out fenror's template for Ash, because I do need to work on his character, and I'm stuck on appearance. I have it partially done/done, but there's a few things I could add. The thing is they can be told about in he RP for more information about his past, because it's things like scars. Should I add them or no? I have this:
"Ashton has a solid build, with a nonchalant look about him. His brown eyes shelter behind his unkempt black hair, shadowed by his red and white cap, always turned forwards. His skin is tanned from years under the sun, and an energetic smile always takes up the majority of his face."
People generally say my descriptions are too long,s o tried to shorten it.
-
I think what you have down for appearance there is excellent, not too much, not too little, and it paints a nice picture. The scars could briefly be included, but what you have is a good introduction point to how the character looks. If needed, if this type of thing would be used for a book or story, you could further elaborate a bit later in the story on his appearance in subtle ways, like mentioning the shade/tone of his eyes when looking into a mirror, the shape of his lip when you want to draw the attention to a specific facial expression, and so on.
EDIT: Aside from my novel series, which is still heavy in the planning stage, I've decided to also work on another writing project that is along the lines of something I've been wanting to do. It will be limited to the main character's perspective, and I can use it to really help iron out and develop my writing style before I actually write the novels. It will be an emotional tale, it is my goal to have it non-linear, and in likely won't plan it so much ahead of time like my novels, but I'll rather just jump into it. Does anyone have any tips or thoughts on writing a story that isn't layer out in exact order? I've never written anything non-linear before, but I've always wanted to try it, and this is a good chance for me to use it while challenging myself and developing my abilities. Any tips are greatly appreciated.
-
How can you use the Changing of facial hair to show emotional change. Not trying to be an ass or anything I'm genuinely curious.
Basically, it can convey depression, progress, or any change in reality. A character who trains hard every day might not make it a priority to look their best, in this case, a man would grow a beard without realizing he hasn't shaved in a long time. The same goes for depression, there is lack of motivation to do anything, including looking your best. That's why most shows that have a character that goes through either of these events has them clean shaven at one point, but months later, they have a full lumberjack beard, and generally look awesome or sad. Pretty much any physical change can represent emotional change. A scar can represent a traumatic event the character is still reminded of, a change in weight can show what is going on in the characters life more that explaining it. Even waking up in a drunken stupor naked in the middle of nowhere can show that. It's even funnier when they realize they wasted for months. But I digress, these are writing elements that hit more plot points in a few words. You can even form a plot around one simple change in appearance.
-
I think Xetroc nailed it completely. Appearance can do more than just help the reader visualize what a character looks like.
Now, I know the difference between parentheses, dashes, and commas, and in some situations one or two of them can be used interchangeably with one another. I think it could just be due to the fact that I've played with and reworded the paragraph, and this sentence in particular, that I'm currently working on in my novel a ton of times, and so now I'm not quite sure what looks/sounds better in this situation. Here's the sentence:
Still, the party pressed onward, and after several minutes—which to Jack felt more like several hours—of ducking and dodging through the trees, the dense undergrowth began to thin out. Soon enough, the group arrived to the edge of the treescape, and all but the leading wolf scattered away into the shadows.
What I'm mulling over is whether to keep the dashes where I have them, or to put commas there instead. The thing is, due to the way that I've kind of developed and changed my writing style, I now use a lot of details and sensory words in my writing, which naturally leads to a few more commas and pauses in my sentences than I used to use. The number of commas/pauses, while not excessive, are a bit more numerous in the sentences directly surrounding this one, and this sentence has several phrases set off by commas in it already. Addtionally, I do want to draw just a slight bit more attention here to the fact that the minutes felt so drawn out to Jack, as it highlights the impatience that is now a part of his personality. That's quite a lot of thought for something so simple as punctuation like this, but again, my indecision here could be in large part caused by the number of times I've re-written this small section of my novel. So, dashes or commas?