Fan Fiction Fellow Writers - Come Chat!

[Abstract Debauchery]

I don't really care much for poetry anymore. It's nice to read every now and then, but for the most part, I simply don't care. I stopped writing it ages ago, and now every time I start writing it I feel like a hipster that should be writing shit up on a laptop in a Starbucks somewhere.

These days, I simply write up RP posts (which aren't very good), and write up ideas for short stories (that I never get around to writing).

 

[nomad]

As if hipsters everywhere don't also (primarily) write short fiction and novels on laptops in Starbucks. The difference is that it's harder to tell the difference between good prose and bad prose than it is to tell the difference between good poetry and bad poetry. It's a cleaner artform. Poetry is like acoustic guitar, while prose is akin to a distorted guitar that helps the inexperienced player mask his sloppiness.

 

[The Witch]

Not sure how active this is but can anyone suggest something helpful to avoid using phrases a bit too much? I notice I use a few words too much and when I edit I always cringe at that fact. I try to think of other words/phrases to use but I usually draw a blank or don't think it fits right.

Any advise how a writer can avoid that?

(I'm trying not to post what phrases/words i use too much to prevent myself from looking like a complete idiot)

Thanks.

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

I do the same damn thing... all the time. The only thing I can really suggest is just continuing to write, finish whatever it is you were working on, and then proofreading it once you're done. If you see phrases that you're using too much, change them up a bit. If it's words you're using too much, look for synonyms for it.

I know what you're going on about, and it's annoying when you realize what you're doing.

 

[The Witch]

I do the same damn thing... all the time. The only thing I can really suggest is just continuing to write, finish whatever it is you were working on, and then proofreading it once you're done. If you see phrases that you're using too much, change them up a bit. If it's words you're using too much, look for synonyms for it.

I know what you're going on about, and it's annoying when you realize what you're doing.

Thank god someone else goes through it

It's not really words that I use too much. It's phrases like "as she opened the door" I'll also use a few sentences later "he threw the pen at the t.v. as he collapsed to the couch."

i reread my writing and see all the ASes(plural) I use within my writing that i think it makes it uncomfortable for the reader or prevents it from flowing. I feel like it's the best way to write the scene but I'm not sure at the same time. :/

I've always wanted to know how to stop something like that.

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Ah, I see. That's a simple rewording then, luckily. For example, when you use "he threw the pen at the t.v as he collapsed to the couch" you can change up the wording a bit. So instead you can get something like this; "collapsing into the couch, he threw his pen at the t.v."

Little things like that can go a long way. You can just change it up a bit to make it seem less repetitive. Now, the tricky part is coming up with more and more of those so that doesn't get to the point where it looks repetitive.

Whenever I'm writing, repetitivity is one of my biggest pet peeves. I mean, I'm not a great writer, but when I start seeing things like "he said," or "she said" over and over again... I start wanting to punch my computer monitor.

For me, it's mainly repetitivity around dialogue that gets me. But I do slip up on it in other places as well.

Anyway, I hope that helps.

 

[The Witch]

Ah, I see. That's a simple rewording then, luckily. For example, when you use "he threw the pen at the t.v as he collapsed to the couch" you can change up the wording a bit. So instead you can get something like this; "collapsing into the couch, he threw his pen at the t.v."

Little things like that can go a long way. You can just change it up a bit to make it seem less repetitive. Now, the tricky part is coming up with more and more of those so that doesn't get to the point where it looks repetitive.

Whenever I'm writing, repetitivity is one of my biggest pet peeves. I mean, I'm not a great writer, but when I start seeing things like "he said," or "she said" over and over again... I start wanting to punch my computer monitor.

For me, it's mainly repetitivity around dialogue that gets me. But I do slip up on it in other places as well.

Anyway, I hope that helps.

Hahaha, yeah, exactly. It's the repetitiveness that makes me want to chuck my comp out the window and watch it burn But thanks for that advise. I do that usually but I guess I never noticed that THAT is what fixes that lil problem of mine. Talk about a moment.

I hate using he said or she saids. They're annoying as heck.

Do you have any replacements for words like he said she said?

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Sadly, not really. Every now and then I'll come up with some different wording for it, but it's very small things. Like "she sighed" if she said something with a disappointing tone, and things of that nature.

But for the most part, I'm horrible about that.

 

[The Witch]

*sigh*

I guess that's okay. Thanks for the help anywayz. :/

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Well, actually... There is a little something you can do. I just remembered that I do it from time to time. Instead of "she said" or "she sighed", you can also do something like this.

"I can't believe you did that," the sound of disappointment was evident in her tone.

Bad writing that sounds like it came out of a shitty novel aside, it's a change up of sorts. It's not "she said" or "she sighed", and it still brings about the change you would want.

Hopefully that helps. I know I do more from time to time, but I never remember them. They just hit me... like women do when I tell them they have nice asses.

 

[nomad]

"I can't believe you did that," the sound of disappointment was evident in her tone.

The only problem being that it isn't a sentence.

If you're tired of "he said, she said," just don't say it. If your dialogue is good enough, people will be able to figure out who is speaking without identifying the speaker after every statement. You don't even have to start a new paragraph every time a new speaker starts, and you don't even have to use quotes. This probably sounds nuts to you, but I've read some very good fiction that breaks all of these standards and to great effect. Give it a shot. Write short short stories experimenting with different dialogue techniques until you find something you're comfortable with.

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

If you're tired of "he said, she said," just don't say it. If your dialogue is good enough, people will be able to figure out who is speaking without identifying the speaker after every statement.

I suppose I can give that a try. However, I've never considered myself to be that good. Not to mention that my writing is usually in RPs... I've got to make sure they understand who said what, or they'll get confused. It's happened before, and it's annoying.

You don't even have to start a new paragraph every time a new speaker starts, and you don't even have to use quotes.

Good, because I hate doing that.

This probably sounds nuts to you, but I've read some very good fiction that breaks all of these standards and to great effect. Give it a shot. Write short short stories experimenting with different dialogue techniques until you find something you're comfortable with.

I've read a few good books like that, myself. However, I don't think I can do the same. I'm so uncomfortable with my writing that I don't take any of it seriously. RPs are RPs, it's just something to pass the time, so I don't care about most of my writing for it.

But when it comes down to it, I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I'm something I'm not. My writing is average at best, and I've never considered myself higher than that.

 

[nomad]

Any average writer can take workshops and get better. Some people do it on their own. Others do a mix of the two methods and become great.

 

[The Witch]

Hmmm. good advise. I'll try that sometimes with my next fiction.

 

[Amizon]

Any average writer can take workshops and get better. Some people do it on their own. Others do a mix of the two methods and become great.

I full-heartedly agree with you right there.

I had drama workshops last year in Uni and they were so helpful to improving the quality. Even though most writers think in their mind that their fiction/scripts are perfect, you can be quite surprised by what you can improve when you hear feedback from others.

 

[Dragon Mage]

I will give you some advice, Draco.

he said/she said are absolutely invisible. Your brain just skips right over them. If it's just two people talking, all you have to establish who is taking first then you can absolutely skip having to do the 'said/said/said'. It's called lightning dialogue.

"This taco smells funny," Raz said.
"It's just he chili," Jazz said.
"What the hell is chili powder doing in my taco?"
"It's ethnic, enjoy it."

See? No need to specify who is saying what next. I used to make my attributives crazy busy because I wanted to avoid the 'said/said/said' syndrome. Truth is, you don't even have to worry about it. In fact, you attributives should be a sparse and simple as possible.


Also: WORKSHOPS ARE AMAZING. But if you are particularly writing Fantasy and Sci-fi, please, please, pick up "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" By Orson Scott Card. It is the BEST guide and how-to book on writing the genre out there. Card writes like he's actually speaking to you and how tells you all the things a writer wants to know.




for example, did you know that your viewpoint character (the character who you're telling the story through) doesn't have to be the main character? Did you know that you could have three separate character for the viewpoint character, main character, and protagonist? Or you could have those roles fulfilled by one character alone, or split the roles amongst 2 characters. Yeah! I had no idea that was even allowed or just 'done' in the writing industry. When I read that, I suddenly realized all my problems for my book were solved. Now I have 1 viewpoint character, and a main character who is also the protagonist -- but NOT the viewpoint char. It solved all the problems I had.

It's an awesome book. If you're serious about writing those genre's you definitely need to pick it up. It's only about $8 on Amazon.

 

[Sexy Beast]

Okay bare with me here, this is going to be a form of a rant of sorts. ^^;

So, I guess about a year ago when I really started to elevate in my poetry, my other creative interests seemed to fluctuate in an unbalanced scale. For example, when I would concentrate more on poetry, my ability to write short stories or even on a lesser-scale, RP posts and/or characters, would dwindle. And it's the same thing vise-versa. I would write short stories,rp characters, and RP posts, but then my knack for poetry would lessen.

Now that I think of it, this is a recurring thing for me. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but I believe it's something that has to do with the fact that I lack the ability to be able to balance out multiple creative interests without the other dwindling in some way, shape, or form.

Does anyone else have that same problem? I'm sure I can't be the only one.

 

[Lirael]

Okay bare with me here, this is going to be a form of a rant of sorts. ^^;

So, I guess about a year ago when I really started to elevate in my poetry, my other creative interests seemed to fluctuate in an unbalanced scale. For example, when I would concentrate more on poetry, my ability to write short stories or even on a lesser-scale, RP posts and/or characters, would dwindle. And it's the same thing vise-versa. I would write short stories,rp characters, and RP posts, but then my knack for poetry would lessen.

Now that I think of it, this is a recurring thing for me. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but I believe it's something that has to do with the fact that I lack the ability to be able to balance out multiple creative interests without the other dwindling in some way, shape, or form.

Does anyone else have that same problem? I'm sure I can't be the only one.

I think it really depends on how you work. Some people can multi-task and even prefer it, but others find it easier and more rewarding to focus on a single task and see it through to its completion before attempting another. Whilst I can multi-task, I do prefer to focus on one hobby - perhaps two - at a time.

When it comes to writing, which I need to do more often, I like to get lost in the story, script or poem I'm writing! I find it hard to write otherwise. University, whilst positive in terms of useful feedback (outsiders who read your text may suggest a small idea that transforms everything), had me flitting between far too many types of writing at once. I stopped getting lost in what I was writing and therefore had to search harder to uncover what happened next. I have also gotten into the habit of editing as I go, which doesn't help me get very far.

I wouldn't worry too much about focussing on one thing at a time. You can always return to a piece later. Distance from a piece can also be a positive thing as you come back, re-read it and suddenly have a eurika moment about how to improve it and/or where it should go next.

 

[Gaige]

Personally, I like to have multiple projects at a time, whether it be in RPing, writing fiction, or going for script form writing. I have a very low attention span, and tried focusing on a single project at a time for maybe a year. End result was my overall muse just dropped. Total focus on a single thing burns me out very quickly, in things outside of writing as well as those within.

Being able to "world hop" as it were is very efficient for me and keeps the creativity flowing longer. When I've done a little work on one thing and I'm beginning to lose steam for it, I can move onto another and come back to it later. I have a huge memory for my characters, settings and all that, so it feels more like hopping from one group of friends to another really. Sad, I know.

In regards to actual writing, I tend to write the first draft without stopping to think. For me, I feel as if I should be getting as immersed with my characters and world as I would like my reader to be. That of course means not knowing what will happen in advance as much as possible. As ideas and potential scenarios, branching points, and development stimuli come into my mind, I try to note them down without breaking stride and write down that which fits best, again, hopefully without breaking stride. We're getting to know our characters and our worlds as we write them. It's as much an adventure for the writer as we hope it will be for the reader.

Of course, this is all theory. Half the time, I stop to think, stop to correct my grammar, stop to wonder what X would do in Y. Really as I become better at it, I see the beauty in this being as much an unpredictable adventure for you as it is for your future readers. I find overthinking things or thinking at all really tears the life out of your manuscript. Makes it seem cold and lifeless.

The best time for you to think is at the beginning, as you set out the basic structure of your world. After that, you shouldn't be thinking until you've finished the entire first draft, whether it be one page or one thousand. Then your second draft and readover, when you remove all of the spelling and grammar mistakes, all of the negative traits, all of the things that don't instantly click with you, is the time to do the most thinking. Your complete product seems more genuine if you do things like that, I believe.

Of course, I'm just one person in a sea of writers. Each person has their own way of...doing things that they will find satisfying and capable of causing the most muse driven stimulation and creative empathy with your characters. Experiment, yes, but if something doesn't work, and I mean really doesn't work, you'll know it within a few days of starting it off. That's all there is to it really.

 

[Pandora]

That would apply to me, although I don't write poetry often, so it's usually between me RPing, creating RP characters and writing short stories, character bios for stories, or excerpts from future novels. If I work on one group, I'll falter on the other. I tend to like writing when it's long term as opposed to roleplaying and short term works. You can take as much time as you want, think about it overtime, and you make a bigger connection to what it is you're writing about. I think that's one of the few reason why I like to write stories and alike and why I seem to be drawn away from RP if I ever get a block from it. I wish I would enjoy both equally, but alas, I can't .