I would like to write

mindless1 · 12-09-2007, 03:02 PM

I really want to write a good fiction. I was wondering if the writers on this site have any tips to getting started.

MollyMac · 12-09-2007, 05:56 PM

write, write, and write some more. Quantity over quailty in the beginning. That will help determine what style you really lean towards.

then edit, edit, edit some more. Once you determine style and form, you will see that most of what you have written is crap.

Apathy's_Child · 12-11-2007, 05:08 AM

Read as much as you can by different writers then write as much as you can. Don't be sentimental about what you've written, if it's crap then be honest with yourself, chalk it up to experience and write something else without repeating the mistake. Avoid cliche like the plague. If you'd be embarrassed to show what you've written to a friend then it's probably self-consciously verbose, over-romantic or otherwise bad.

Think about what's important to you in life and work it into your fiction. If you're going to write then write from the heart (I know that's a cliche but this isn't fiction so it's not the worst sin in the world) - what's closest to your heart? For example I write a lot about fetishism and the fact that I think the left-wing has totally lost its way in modern times, to pick two things at random.What do you most want to express in your writing? How you see the world will determine your fiction so give it some thought.

Steppenwolf · 12-12-2007, 04:13 PM

-try to write the novel you always wanted to read .

-write everyday , like you brush your teeth and take a shower : writing should be an habit .

-Learn "the propper tools" that will help you to do "the propper thing"

-Again , write everyday .

-No idea what you should write? Go for a walk and you'll find a million ideas . If not , you should forget the whole "writing dream" .

-I misstrust the "hobby-writer" . You are a writer or you are NOT .

-Read? Better re-read . And analize what you read .

-The ideal writer is not a "preacher" of his own private religion , he is making politics during the whole novel/short story . The readers want to be entertained and the writer's work is to convince them (the good writer seduces them ....)

-Write every day . Or 6 days on a week . Better every day . If you can't or don't want , then call it "a hobby" , but don't call yourself "a writer"

††BlackRose†† · 12-15-2007, 10:32 AM

I would tell you to do freehand writting. Basically just write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn't have to flow or make sense whatsoever, it's just like a large jotting of scenes that you see in your head. Trust me it works. I'm doing that right now too, and I see a story idea formulating. Some authors use this method and keep it for future references.

JCC · 12-15-2007, 10:58 AM

Read.

A LOT.

Good writing comes from a lot of reading.

L'Oiseau Noir · 12-15-2007, 02:16 PM

I'm not a published author, but I am currently in the process of writing my own novel. I'll try to help you as much as I can.

Read a lot. I know I'm just echoing the words of several other people, but this really is an essential part of the writing process. Study the author's form--what kind of pacing do they use? Are they overly descriptive, or too underly descriptive? How realistic does their dialog sound? Are their characters relatable to yourself or real life? Just ask yourself a bunch of questions about the author's writing, and analyze every component of it.

Practice. Practice makes perfect, as I'm sure you've heard. Read up on your grammar so you can familiarize yourself with the English language, then write; anything will do, just get something on your paper. Then edit it. Write a few short stories to practice your pacing, plotting, characterization, etc.

Write what you know. If you don't know about something, research it. You can't just write a piece of literature about something you're completely ignorant of, just because you may have seen a movie that takes place in that area/era/whatever.

For example, in my story the setting is in Paris. I didn't know anything about France except a few tidbits, so I did some research online. I looked up pictures, names of districts/famous monuments, common terms and phrases, brushed up on a bit of basic French, and I watched videos on youtube that documented a person's trip through these specific areas. I paid close attention to the backdrops and the people, so I could be sure I wouldn't sound fake and uninformed in my story.

Research. I think I covered this pretty well above, but I'll enlighten a bit more here. Watch videos if you're setting is in a foreign place (and in the present). Or if it takes place in, let's say, the dark ages, then get your butt online and look stuff up about the dark ages like the names of armor pieces (do you know what a hauberk or a pauldron is?), parts of a castle (have you heard the terms curtain wall or the lower bailey/main bailey/barbican?), names of areas from that particular time period, the different kinds of people that inhabited those areas during that time, and so on. I think you get the picture.

Critique Groups. Though it isn't a requirement, it'd be a good idea to join a writing forum online and have your work appraised by other writers who are well-versed in grammar, or other parts of the English language. That way you can see through another pair of eyes if you're story flows well, if your characters are well done, if your dialog is flaky or really good, if your punctuation is done correctly; and you get the rest. If forums aren't your thing though, then get a group of people (like friends of family) who're good in English to look over your work and give you feedback about it. I'd say at least three people. Maybe even your English teacher (make sure they aren't one of those types that just glance over work, see words, and give you an "A") have a look at it and help you edit it.

That's just a bit of advice I have for you, but like I said I'm not published. It's just bits of information I've acquired while scouring the internet and talking in various forums.

mindless1 · 12-18-2007, 03:00 AM

Ah, thankyou for the tips. I'm reading a book on how to write creatively. I'm working on expanding my vocabulary. Right now my writing is pretty indecent. I have a lot of colorful ideas but can't seem to place them together. I think the most important aspect would be to have fun while writing. I've also found that right before I fall asleep I can easily word things that I otherwise couldn't word them. I haven't gotten my whole style right but it seems that when I have the right tools I can put things in a really cool perspective. I think I might write something that would be in a darker genre anyways.