Tips and Pointers -- A Guide to Writing

[Shicoco]

I thought on this thread I'd write a guide that would cover various aspects of writing. I've noticed we get newbie writers on these forums, who are looking for help/advice.

But I can't do this alone. Over the next few days I'm going to cover various topics and put them on this thread. If you've got some advice, feel free to post. It doesn't matter if the advice is just a small tip grammar, or a complete guide to getting published (well...let's not make something that big, or no one will read it).

I know we have some experienced writers out there...Christian Fantasy...Avatar....I'd greatly appreciate any input. Full credit will be given

So far, I plan to go over themes and character development. Feel free to post and tell me what you think!

Here's how credit will be given: At the bottom of each of the sections, I will put "Contributors:" and list the names (including myself) of those who helped. The names will be listed in alphabetical order. If there is only one contributor, then I will take out the contributor part, and instead put "Written by:"

 

[Shicoco]

Whether you're writing a story to sell it, or writing a story to tell it, there are some things you could do to spice it up. Or liven it up. Or whatever.

Depending on what you're writing, the plot or the theme will probably end up being the most important aspect in your story. But that doesn't mean it has to be, or always will be.

I'll start by listing the most important parts of a story, not necessarily in any order. This is also how the guide is going to be layed out. If you have an idea for another section, tell me! I can't think of it all, I'm sorry

Theme - This is the main point/lesson of your story. A strong theme can make the story memorable. You know you were crying or close to crying at the end of Where the Red Fern Grows.

Plot - What happens in your story. A great plot renders the reader unable to put the book down. Face it, Harry Potter made addicts forget about cocaine while they were reading, it made those who couldn't read forget about their illiteracy.

Characters - Those people running around your plot crying because you told them to. Great characters can also make the story memorable (as well as other things of course). When a certain character in Bridge to Terabithia died, quite a lot of people showed some emotion.

Style - The way you write/present your story. Your style can differentiate you from other writers, and therefore differentiate your story from the rest. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn show two completely different styles.

Note: The style of writing for a 1st person narrative will generally be categorized under the Characters section of this guide, because it deals with the way the character speaks. However, general style, 2nd, and 3rd person style will be covered in the Style section.

 

[Shicoco]

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[Shicoco]

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[Shicoco]

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[Christianfantasy]

Hi again, Shicoco. I don't know exactly what kind of tips you're looking for, but one occurred to me recently. Namely, let the reader know who they are reading about sooner than later. I mention this because I am currently betaing a novel that is just beautifully written, and there is no other way to describe the prose. [It's not for/by anyone on the Writer's Guild, btw.] One of the main flaws so far is that the writer tried to make me wait too long to figure out who is narrating the story/who the MC is. No amount of dazzling wordsmithery can take the place of at least a brief description of the MC. I finally resolved the problem by skipping/skimming forward to the point where the author finally described the MC, read the details and developed a mental image of the narrator/MC, and then went back and picked up where I had left off. It was amazing how much more interesting and enjoyable the story was, when I finally knew whose voice I was reading. So fwiw, there is a tip I derived from one of my most recent beta experiences.

 

[Jesus_Luvs_techies]

Very good tip. Here's mine. Make your characters real. Everyone is different. Some people are more logical than others. Most people don't fit the description this world gives us of perfection. Dive deep into your characters' personalities, especially if you want to get the reader to feel anything.

 

[Shicoco]

CF: Actually, it is important to know who both the characters are and the narrator is; rarely is there a need to withold this information from a reader. A mental image is pretty much a necessity; the reader wants to picture the character in their head acting out his storyline.

Anyone who has seen the movie Bridge to Terabithia will likely agree, the movie wouldn't have been nearly as great if it didn't have that blonde-haired sparkley-eyed girl playing as the second main character, if instead it had just your average girl.

Also, we do need to know about the narrator. Is he trustworthy? Is he silly? Is he serious? Is he actually a she? Is the narrator like Tom Sawyer or Ghandi?

I'll be sure to add this stuff into the character section.

Techies: I agree. As I've said before, the character is very important. One of the weaknesses of Eragon was the total lack of character personality and development. All the characters acted the same.

As you'll see above, I said I was going to work on a character development part...personality will be in that section

Thanks guys. Keep them coming. I'll try to post something this weekend.

 

[Jesus_Luvs_techies]

Like Christian Fantasy said, Don't wait too long to let everyone know who the MC is, but I want to add on to that...don't spend half the book introducing them. You have to find an even balance. It's not a fine line. Some of the best books I have read has developed the characters while telling the story.

 

[Shicoco]

That's a good thing to put in the Characters ssection.

I think another good thing to put in there is when to use character descriptions. Many of the stories I have read, the writer just stops and says something like, "Tommy was a tall, dark-haired boy, with blue eyes and glasses" when there wasn't really a need to describe the character. First off, descriptions like those are boring, and I think it would be better to gradually describe the characters' or to do it in a subtle manner, such as: "Maria saw a tall, dark-haired boy causing trouble in the distance. It had to be Tommy."

The focus should be more on personality. Personality descriptions paint a better picture than physical descriptions.

 

[Christianfantasy]

A agree, Jesus Luvs, that it's easy but counterproductive to go overboard in introducing the character. All I mainly wanted to know in the ms I alluded to above was gender and some indication as to age and looks. But I couldn't agree with you more that detailed character development should happen in small increments as the story progresses. Great point!

Shicoco, I think how a character is described is a matter of taste more than anything. Sometimes a writer's chosen POV precludes having a third person describe the MC. It drives me nuts, though, to read about an MC that I can't envision. I am an extremely visual reader, and it is distracting in the extreme for me to try to read about an MC whose appearance is a total mystery. I would far rather have the writer say, "Richard, a four-foot-tall talking toadstool, said yes, please, tea with two lumps, and extra milk' than have to wait for the POV to shift so that someone could observe, 'A four-foot-tall talking toadstool with orange polka dots--it had to be Richard." But again, that is just a personal preference, not some hard and fast rule of good writing.

 

[Shicoco]

Updated. Added the basic outline of how the guide's going to look like, with some introductory information.