Little Writing Things

"Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:01:04 -0400

“Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that—but you are the only you… There are better writers than me out there, there are smarter writers, there are people who can plot better—there are all those kinds of things, but there’s nobody who can write a Neil Gaiman story like I can.”

- Neil Gaiman (via writingquotes)

thehelpfulroleplayer: There have been a few guides floating...

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:30:27 -0400

thehelpfulroleplayer:

There have been a few guides floating around on ‘how to play a cancer patient’ though I haven’t seen any on how to play a sibling of a cancer patient. It is equally important. Disclaimer: There is no specific way of how people react this is just from research and personal experience.

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Reblog if you love to write.

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:43:54 -0400

Whether it be fanfiction, original stories, drabbles, songs, poems, books, or anything that has to do with creative words, then reblog. Let’s gather all the writers of Tumblr together.

I’m going to be going away this weekend for a wedding, and I won’t be back until...

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:42:50 -0400

I’m going to be going away this weekend for a wedding, and I won’t be back until Tuesday. I don’t have much queued up and I won’t be bringing my laptop so I’ll be posting when I get back!

Have a good weekend!

WriteWorld: Writing: Your Characters Must Earn (or Have Earned) Their Skills

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:30:32 -0400

WriteWorld: Writing: Your Characters Must Earn (or Have Earned) Their Skills:

worddocs:

Magic (and other skills—especially physical skills) must be practiced. Yes, your wizard could be the “chosen one,” but remember that even Harry Potter had to practice his patronus charm. In The Matrix, Neo had to learn how to get used to working within the system.

Knowledge must be studied: Your character probably wasn’t born with world knowledge floating around in her brain. She might have a high IQ, but she still needs to study. Hermione Granger read Hogwarts: A History well before she attended it. NOTE: This also applies to knowledge about science fiction technology.

Wisdom often comes from making mistakes earlier in life: My dad will often say he learned most of his knowledge about woodworking from “the school of hard knocks.” He usually follows that with a story about how he screwed something up. Your skilled characters probably have a lot of stories. Wisdom can also come from watching others make mistakes and choosing not to go down the same path.

Wisdom also comes from experience: A legendary general will have seen many ways to fight a war. He knows what works and what doesn’t based on what he has seen.

-by M. B. Weston and continued at mbweston.com

Sagging Middle Syndrome: How To Rescue Your Novel From Its Fatal Effect

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:01:08 -0400

worddocs:

Sagging middles especially result when there is no increase in tension as the plot progresses. In the move towards the climax, your characters should face increasingly bigger obstacles and challenges. Things should get more complicated – never less. Characters should have more at stake as events unfold. The emotions should run higher and deeper. And each event should leave the reader more concerned about what will happen next.

- by Glen C. Strathy and continued at How to Write a Book Now

amandaonwriting: Beginner writers tend to write essays when...

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:30:14 -0400

amandaonwriting:

Beginner writers tend to write essays when they first start writing novels. Successful writers soon realise that a novel is not an essay. It is a story made up of scenes. But how do you know if you’ve written a great scene?

Source

reference for writers: Character Points to Consider When Writing Dialogue

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:21 -0400

reference for writers: Character Points to Consider When Writing Dialogue:

writingbox:

Following on from my post yesterday about naturalistic dialogue, I wanted to talk a little more in depth about it.

Remember that naturalistic speech for one character is very different to naturalistic speech for another character. Everyone has their own way of speaking, their individual quirks and nuances.

There are many things about your character which will affect the way in which they speak, and the words they use:

Who they are talking to. Someone older or younger than them. Someone of higher or lower status. Someone they know well or a stranger.

Their age

Their level of education (whether through an establishment, home-schooled, or self-taught)

Their accent, or blend of different accents

Any speech impediment, social or mental disorder, facial injuries or disfigurement, or recovery from illness eg a stroke

If they wear false teeth

Their hearing ability

Their general upbringing

Their level of self-confidence

The person they view themselves as

The person they want people to think they are

Whether or not they are speaking in their first language

Morality and beliefs

erinbowman: Michael Hauge’s Six Stage Plot Structure. (Or:...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:55 -0400

erinbowman:

Michael Hauge’s Six Stage Plot Structure. (Or: infographics I want to hug.)

Graphic by Eduardo L. Lozano

"Publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down..."

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:30:17 -0400

“Publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars.”

- Nicholas Sparks (via writingquotes)

12 ways to start writing again

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:30:23 -0400

12 ways to start writing again:

amandaonwriting:

Forgive yourself.

Set a concrete, measurable goal.

Schedule it.

Write somewhere else.

Write sometime else.

Re-read.

Start Slow.

Start Small.

Minimize distractions.

Tunes.

Don’t censor.

Start writing now.

Follow the link to read the full article.

WriteWorld: "Why?" She said questioningly

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:01:11 -0400

WriteWorld: "Why?" She said questioningly:

referenceforwriters:

I really really really want to know why. Why do people say we can’t use adverbs? I’ve read books and they use adverbs. What’s with adverbs really? By the way, i love you blog—it’s been said many times already but there’s nothing else I could do to make you happy but know it. - drowningchimes

Do not believe anything that tells you you can’t use this or that in your writing. There is not, by any means, a right way to write. You can use adverbs in your writing. Adverbs are a fundamental part of speech, no different than any other.

The problem comes when people use them a lot. When you use any word or type of word continuously, it shows. It gets repetitive. It gets annoying. They also happen to be the part of speech most likely to clutter your sentence to no avail. They can weaken your prose:

They can be reduntant. E.g: “I hate these idiots!” He yelled angrily. You have a strong verb right here, no need to use “angrily”, I got the idea he was angry.

They can prop up a weak verb. Let’s take a look at “to boldly go”. Okay, split infinitive. What I mean is that just saying “to go” sorta sounds bland. You may think the adverb is necessary. But no. The verb just happens to be weak, generic, bland. How about replacing the verb? “To venture”, “To explore”. These verbs are more specific, more evocative so to speak.

The speech tags deal. We go back to talking about “said”. Instead of picking some pompous word to replace said, we spice it up with an adverb. This is often (yet, not always) unecessary. Most of the time, you can let the dialogue speak for itself. Or you can use more things to explain how the characters are saying it, if it’s not clear. “I am dying here!” Kyle waved his arms in the air, trying to make his friends notice him.

You (probably are) telling instead of showing.

Before using an adverb, you can ask yourself these questions:

1) Does it change the word it modifies? Does it make the verb or adjective mean something drastically different?

2) Does it convey some vital piece of information in a way that’s better or more evocative than real description or a stronger verb by itself?

It’s a thing on style, however. If you like to use lots of adverbs, and feel like they’re necessary, go for it.

In the end, yes, books have adverbs. You can use adverbs. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t. Do ask yourself if the message you’re trying to get across with your writing is being sent the best way it can be.

-Alex

motivation for moving beyond your writing habits: Resources for finding literary agents

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:30:25 -0400

motivation for moving beyond your writing habits: Resources for finding literary agents:

keyboardsmashwriters:

It’s always a good idea to begin your research as early as you can, because A LOT is still not enough. When you round up your data, make sure you check out every website, twitter, or other networking site an agency might have.

To jump-start your research, here are all the resources I’ve compiled over the process of my own querying journeys (also, these sites are free, and a few of them have donation pages or additional services if you do find them helpful):

Agent Query — is a great website with a database of agents. AQ also has additional resources like how to submit to a literary agent and how to write a query.

Query Tracker — is updated quickly, especially when agents close to submissions for periods of time. QT has individual message boards for each agent page so writers who are querying can see approximate and recent response times that other writers are getting. Additionally, agent pages also have graphs and lists of clients and other useful things.

Absolute Write — is a forum for writers that has a whole branch for members to discuss agents, response times, goings-on, so on and so forth. Other helpful threads include workshopping chapters and queries — which, if you’re fairly new to querying, is highly recommended.

Literary Rambles — is a blog run by Casey McCormick and Natalie Aguirre, and they post really sweet, in-depth profiles and blurbs from interviews of literary agents in the YA (young adult), MG (middle grade), PB (picture books) and CB (chapter book) realms.

Writer Beware — is sponsored by the SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) with support from the MWA (Mystery Writers of America). They update with publishing scams and schemes and traps with advice on how to spot and avoid them. They also have a blog and a facebook page.

What to do when you’ve finished your manuscript — is advice I put together to help prepare writers to prepare their manuscripts and submission needs. Many writers begin querying before they’re ready.

Avoiding publishing scams — another quick tidbit of advice on steeling oneself against the temptation of “too good to be true” offers. The aforementioned sites are linked here as well.

"It’s wonderful to look back at our old writing and cringe. It simply means we have grown and can..."

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:30:33 -0400

“It’s wonderful to look back at our old writing and cringe. It simply means we have grown and can write better now. And you found some parts you can be proud of, so when you throw the old writing on the floor and stomp on it, remember to celebrate those seeds of genius and be glad that you’re still writing.”

- Jeanne Voelker (via writingquotes)

Your Character Is A “Sue”, Just Not A Mary Or Gary.

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:01:05 -0400

thetrolliestcritic:

I’m sure you know that there are Mary Sue & Gary Stu characters. But, there are more than just these genres of Sue/Stu. This is where I go and talk about the various other subdivisions under both of these. If you’re interested to see if your character(s) falls under one or more of these, check this out.

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A 'strong female character'

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:30:29 -0400

drshebloggo:

DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN

a character who is physically strong

a character who is mentally strong

a character who is emotionally strong

ABSOLUTELY MEANS

a character who makes her own choices, even if they’re mistakes

a character whose point of view is explored at least briefly

a character who is the hero of her own story whether she knows it or not

And that’s just a strong character, really.

The Writing Box: Making the Leap: Fan Fiction to Original Work

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:01:01 -0400

The Writing Box: Making the Leap: Fan Fiction to Original Work:

hopelessromantic-jade

asked writingbox:
I really want to start writing my first original story but I have no idea where to start! I’ve written lots of fanfiction stories because it’s easier when you already have a starting point and characters to work off of; but I’m ready to start something completely from scratch. Where do I start?

First, good on you! The leap from fan fiction to original work can be a daunting one.

Second, where to start. Any story begins with an idea. Just the one; that really is all you need to kick things off. It might be a character idea, or just a character’s name, a setting, a single plot idea.

One really good place to start with this is prompts. Here are a few Tumblr blogs that post regular writing prompts:

Get Scribbling

Wheel of Writing Prompts

Prompts and Pointers

Writing Prompts

There are many more; search the tags for ‘writing prompts’. There are other great ways to find inspiration too. Try visiting Flickr and exploring ‘recent photos’, see if anything sparks off an idea. Visit Wikipedia and pull up a random article. Visit coffee shops and eavesdrop on conversations. Visit a junk shop and find an interesting object; think about the person who might have owned it.

Try using a Character Chart to build up an understanding of who your characters are.

And start small. you don’t need to jump straight into writing a novel. Try writing flash fiction, or just individual scenes.

Hope all that helps. Good luck!

pali-princess: When to use i.e. in a sentence By The Oatmeal

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:01:03 -0400

pali-princess:

When to use i.e. in a sentence

By The Oatmeal

motivation for moving beyond your writing habits: Avoiding publishing scams

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:01:10 -0400

motivation for moving beyond your writing habits: Avoiding publishing scams:

keyboardsmashwriters:

soulothought asked you:

I’m looking to publish my work (after been told since I was 12 that I should) how do I spot the real deal from the others?

Firstly, make sure you read this post on what to do after you’ve finished your manuscript, and make sure you don’t skip a step!

If by “real deal” you mean publishers, my personal advice is that you don’t begin your search with publishers. Start with agents (which you can read about in the post I linked). Literary agents make connections to editors at publishing houses so that you don’t sit in the “slush pile”, hoping and waiting and waiting some more to be seen. The slush pile is manuscript purgatory and there’s no guarantee you’ll ever be seen.

A reputable agent will have a history of their recent sales available on a website or on publisher’s marketplace where you can easily access it. The same should apply to publishers (if you do decide to query them directly). Many agents/agencies and editors are connected through blogs and twitter. Make sure you do all your research before you submit to anyone.

Keep in mind a legitimate agent and publisher will NEVER ask for you to pay for anything before your book is sold (the case used to be a little bit different before the digital age, I’ve heard, but in all my experiences, I haven’t come across any agent ever asking for money before the book reaches the shelves). You might even find someone who reads your manuscript and tells you, “Hey, I think the big publishing houses will fall over themselves to get their hands on this, but first I need $1000 for this editing service to make it even better…” NO. This is a scam.

An agent’s goal is to make a commission off of your book when it sells (as is a publisher’s). Typically what I’ve seen of agent commissions ranges about 15%, to give you an idea of what to expect, and these terms will be plain in the contract. If anyone requests you pay before they provide you feedback, run. It might be tempting, because scam artists are really good at tempting you and they’ll know exactly what to say to hit you in the backs of your knees, but run.

Heck, the editing services may actually make your manuscript better. I’ve seen people claim this, and there are legitimate editing services that don’t operate under the guise of an agency, but the fact of the matter is that utilizing editing services (especially the predators who promise to give you the loot of a thousand publishing houses) doesn’t guarantee your manuscript will sell to anyone, and most people who buy into these scams end up $1000 poorer with (possibly) a revised manuscript that still won’t sell.

So, in short, here’s how you can typically discern the reputable from the repugnant:

Agents and editors won’t ask you for money until your book sells.

Agents and editors showcase their sales and clients where you can easily access.

Agents and editors will have positive feedback from such sites as Agent Query, Query Tracker, Absolute Write, and Literary Rambles

The great majority of agents and editors these days have websites, blogs, twitters, and/or other forms of social media.

Agents and editors do not advertise their services via google or facebook or the like — they don’t need to. Any time you see a “get your book published!” advertisement, avoid all eye contact with it.

To maximize your chances with interesting a literary agent, make sure you follow the steps of revision and critique partners I mention in the topmost link. Make sure your query is pristine. Make sure you do all your research. This could make all the difference.

Good luck!

I added a helpful little print-out for you guys to the tool page. It’s under character...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:10:51 -0400

I added a helpful little print-out for you guys to the tool page. It’s under character development. :)