Your Best Writing Tips

[AG31]

I think I see what you're saying here.

DEM usually mirrors an expected solution or implementation but I can appreciate some of the creative DEMs that authors used.

My lack of imagination aside, the "a little too perfect" of a solution problem remains.

Timmy didn't study for a quiz. A meteorite obliterating the school is a bit much, at least for my radar.

What is DEM?

 

[GrushaVashnadze]

Have a story worth telling

Yes!

Then add fucking...

 

[32aa]

Environment should reflect mood. Happy people notice flowers and clouds. Unhappy people notice shadows and decay.

Just like in 'Real Life'!!

 

[AchtungNight]

Set crazy challenges for yourself and see if you can accomplish them. If you succeed, try not to act too astonished. If you fail, know what you could have done better. Then do that next time.

 

[Altissimus]

What is DEM?

Deus Ex Machina.

"The hero was outnumbered, trapped, with his back to the wall of a steep cliff, nowhere to run. He checked his magazine... one bullet left. He did a quick count of his enemies: thirty eight. Hmm.

Suddenly, a mating pair of gold dragons dropped down the mountain, landing on half the men. The dragons were far too busy getting it on to notice the rest of our hero's enemies, until one man stupidly screamed and unloaded a barrage of fire. The hero covered his eyes and winced until the roars, fireballs, searing heat and screams had finally died away, then exited stage left while the dragons shared some post-coital munchies."

 

[Cali_Love]

Your characters tell your story.

Thank you for that. I would expect no less from an award winning author. Cut and paste that into a “How To” submission so it doesn’t go away.

Cheers,

CL

 

[lovecraft68]

Listen only to your muse and not the noise.

 

[lovecraft68]

Deus Ex Machina.

"The hero was outnumbered, trapped, with his back to the wall of a steep cliff, nowhere to run. He checked his magazine... one bullet left. He did a quick count of his enemies: thirty eight. Hmm.

Suddenly, a mating pair of gold dragons dropped down the mountain, landing on half the men. The dragons were far too busy getting it on to notice the rest of our hero's enemies, until one man stupidly screamed and unloaded a barrage of fire. The hero covered his eyes and winced until the roars, fireballs, searing heat and screams had finally died away, then exited stage left while the dragons shared some post-coital munchies."

Or suddenly one person creates time travel in 30 seconds(the lazy AF solution the MCU used in Endgame)

 

[SeraphNocturne]

Well, in no particular order - other than the first point. The first point is, IMO, the pivotal, driving point.

Your characters tell your story. Define your characters as well as you can as soon as you can, then stick to it, ffs.

• You don't have to explain it all to the reader in the first two paras, you just have to know your character yourself...
• ...but you do have to show the character as the story progresses (and this is achieved through emotions as much as anything)
• if you want to change your character, you need an excuse - an 'Event', trauma, realisation, epiphany, a new experience.
• if you don't know what to do next in the story and you have a well-established character, ask the character what they'd do. They'll respond, according to their character, then you can write that. Easy.
• If your characters do anything, they need a reason. Otherwise they don't do it - same as you or me. You should know that reason - whether you let the reader in on it depends on the story.

Plan it

• Spend all that down-time when your brain isn't fully occupied - the commute in the car, walking the dog, going down on your partner - thinking about your story.
• Ask yourself questions that start with 'how' or a 'w': Where can it go? Why would it go there? How does it end? How would my character respond to this or that? What story am I trying to tell? Why am I trying to tell that? When does it come together? Who is driving it?
• Make notes of ideas as they come so you don't forget them. Something I love to do is WhatsApp myself the thought I just had, coz I can do this anywhere at any time. Then when I sit at my desk I can just pull up my WhatsApp and go... yep, that bit goes there, and I need to go back and add in that bit, and here's a note at the end of the doc to include this bit, and...
• Signposts. (I dunno if this is a term.) I think of a cool line/dialogue/event/thingy that I want to include, and I write it down at the bottom of the doc and then work out how to get the story there. And if I have somewhere I want to go (a plot point, a cool event, the end) then I work back from that point to where I am, figuring out what needs to happen in the interim.

Paint it

• Draw the picture of what you want the reader to see.
• Make it evocative.
• Include emotion. Even a sunny day in the park has emotion embedded within it: kids playing in a water fountain; a guy lying on a bench with his head in a woman's lap while she reads her book and idly strokes her fingers across his brow; a fella in a trench coat hiding behind a tree (wait, what?); a lost child crying for a parent; two dogs fighting, their owners seriously embarrassed while also trying very hard to check out the other person - is he wearing a ring? See? Everything is better with emotion.
• Don't paint stuff that doesn't matter. You'll make them think it matters, and they'll be like "yeah, but what about..." for the rest of the story.

Include conflict

• Conflict makes it real.
• It can be small or large, singular or numerous - but the 'plot' should pivot around a major conflict - physical, emotional, whatever. A separation. An atomic bomb. A lack of toilet paper. An internal conflict.
• Resolve it.

Sex

• FFS, I do NOT want to know how big his cock is or how big her breasts are. I don't even care what colour her hair is, unless it's specific to the story in some way shape or form. Reading allows the reader to get an image, and they'll put their own image over your words. If you dictate an image they don't like, you just lost them.
• Emotion. Emotion makes sex. No emotion? Just skip it, please. Tab A into Slot 1/2/3 isn't hot, unless it's Ikea on a warm summer's day. Tab A, with anger/tenderness/uncontrollable lust/dominance/cold control into Slot 1/2/3 with reluctance/passion/gratitude/smug manipulation/teasing is hot.
• Characters think during sex (according to who they are as characters - not according to who you are or what that girl you went to school with that you still really lust after/hate would do. Character consistency.)
• Sex is emotional; emotions drive reactions; reactions drive change/epiphanies/regrets/understandings/development. Reflect this during the sex (or immediately afterwards, as applicable, but during is hotter).

Beginning, middle and end

• These three are kinda important...
• ...and none of them is more, or less, important than the others.

General

• Write what you know - it's a cliche for a reason.
  • If you don't know what you're talking about it, learn. ChatGPT+Wiki+Youtube is pretty efficient.
• Write from the heart - if you don't care, no one else will
• Don't be afraid to include humour (but don't dictate when to laugh)
• Don't be afraid to break the rules (but if you do, have a reason for doing so)
• Don't assume the reader is an idiot...
• ...give them enough to get 4 when they add 2+2...
• ...unless you've got a 5 behind your back for the ending, of course.
• Did I mention characters? Vital.
• Did I mention emotion? Every step of the way.

Yeah, sorry about that. That particular one... I fed in just enough to make you care, teased the end, made you care even more, then cut it all off abruptly. If it's any consolation, it hurt me a lot more to write it than it did for you to read it. (If you want to read it, make sure you're done being happy for the day and want to stop that shit.)

This is the way.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Not every reader is a fan of men sitting on mommy's lap for a handjob, but here we are...

Uh. Where are you, exactly?

 

[Vintage_DM]

I thought I'd throw this out there and see what happens.

The idea of this thread is to share some of your techniques, approaches, philosophies, secret sauce or whatever that you've found helps build quality into your stories. The focus is on the specifics, not "read more" or "write more" (we can all agree on those).

There may be an inclination to say 'I'm not telling you that, Jack!', but even if two people read everything here and assimilated all the best stuff into their own works, they still would come up with completely different stories to each other, and to each of us. So I think we're safe there.

So, let's be positive and see what we can learn from one another. There's some mighty fine authors on this forum, and wouldn't it be great if we brush shoulders and have some of that rub off?

A couple of suggestions. When you have completed the story smile at yourself. Try this, before you submit the story let it sit up for several days, maybe even a week. Then go back and read your story with fresh eyes. When I've done this much to horror I find a boatload of errors I hadn't seen before. Also, try reading the story out loud. I've found that also gets to discover awkward phrasing. One last thing. If you're, like many of us, challenged for correct spelling and punctuation. There's an app that can help - Grammarly. There are two sides to the app. There is a free side, which is OK. I use the pay side. It has many enhancements, which I find extremely helpful.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Deus Ex Machina.

"The hero was outnumbered, trapped, with his back to the wall of a steep cliff, nowhere to run. He checked his magazine... one bullet left. He did a quick count of his enemies: thirty eight. Hmm.

Suddenly, a mating pair of gold dragons dropped down the mountain, landing on half the men. The dragons were far too busy getting it on to notice the rest of our hero's enemies, until one man stupidly screamed and unloaded a barrage of fire. The hero covered his eyes and winced until the roars, fireballs, searing heat and screams had finally died away, then exited stage left while the dragons shared some post-coital munchies."

I know that you know, but for those who don't.

The term "Deus Ex Machina" comes from Greek theater. It translates as "God from a machine." It was a common device for playwrights to resolve their plots by having the gods just fix everything. Usually, they appeared on stage lowered by a crane or popped up from a trapdoor, hence the machine.

It's come to mean any miraculous resolution to a plot problem that comes out of nowhere. Best example in modern literature: the eagles flying Frodo and Sam out of Mordor.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Uh. Where are you, exactly?

Hanging out with a gang of perverts, apparently.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Hanging out with a gang of perverts, apparently.

 

[AchtungNight]

Deus Ex Machina.

"The hero was outnumbered, trapped, with his back to the wall of a steep cliff, nowhere to run. He checked his magazine... one bullet left. He did a quick count of his enemies: thirty eight. Hmm.

Suddenly, a mating pair of gold dragons dropped down the mountain, landing on half the men. The dragons were far too busy getting it on to notice the rest of our hero's enemies, until one man stupidly screamed and unloaded a barrage of fire. The hero covered his eyes and winced until the roars, fireballs, searing heat and screams had finally died away, then exited stage left while the dragons shared some post-coital munchies."

Note- this is not as much a Deus Ex Machina if earlier in the story the hero passed a sign warning him that he treads on dragon mating grounds and the bad guys were stealing dragon treasure. Maybe he was competing with them to steal that same treasure. And he has a cup and a few coins in his pockets. That nice golden skinned lady back in the village waiting for him is also a dragon in human form. The mating pair are her parents and they will be pleased she has properly claimed part of her inheritance through a seduced ally. Or angry at that ally, once they both finish enjoying their post coital bliss. Our hero better get out of the area fast…

If you’re going to pull a DEM out of your ass, work it into the plot somehow.

 

[Altissimus]

Note- this is not as much a Deus Ex Machina if earlier in the story the hero passed a sign warning him that he treads on dragon mating grounds and the bad guys were stealing dragon treasure. Maybe he was competing with them to steal that same treasure. And he has a cup and a few coins in his pockets. That nice golden skinned lady back in the village waiting for him is also a dragon in human form. The mating pair are her parents and they will be pleased she has properly claimed part of her inheritance through a seduced ally. Or angry at that ally, once they both finish enjoying their post coital bliss. Our hero better get out of the area fast…

If you’re going to pull a DEM out of your ass, work it into the plot somehow.

Nah. If you're going to do a DEM, best to set it in a western and never even hint at Gold Dragons until the crucial moment.

Or... I know! Maybe plan your plots a bit better so that DEM isn't necessary? Fuck the Ancient Greeks. They're all dead anyway.

(@Erozetta how's that for accidental necrophilia?)

 

[StillStunned]

Another tip: don't fall in love with your characters. I maintain that where Robert Jordan lost track of his narrative was when the characters came to life for him and he wanted to live every moment of each day. I got something of the same impression with the few of the later Honor Harrington books by David Weber: it seemed like he was writing her like a personal fantasy of his dream woman.

Make your reader care about the characters, sure. But don't ask them to put up with your lovesick moping over the figments of your imagination.

 

[Ian_Snow]

I love the writing exercise of carrying a notebook with me and writing down random bits of conversations around me. It really helps me make my dialogue sound more natural.

Beyond that, study what it is you like and don't like. I know the OP said to avoid saying things like "read," but I'm talking a more technical way of going about it. Analyze the story beats, how the writer writes action or sex or whatever it is that you like about it. Similarly, you can learn a lot about what not to do by studying works you don't like. And make liberal use out of tools like Grammarly and spellcheck programs, but always if you can get eyes on your work. Developing a thick hide when it comes to criticism is a must, or else you're never going to better your craft. It doesn't mean you should take everything critical to heart, but it does mean you should be open to the idea you're not perfect, which can be a hard pill for creatives to swallow.

And for God's sakes, study grammar. Yes, writers like Cormac McCarthy got away with breaking the rules, but they were masters of the language. Nothing will turn away a reader more than alien or outright bad grammar and formatting.

 

[AchtungNight]

Another tip: don't fall in love with your characters. I maintain that where Robert Jordan lost track of his narrative was when the characters came to life for him and he wanted to live every moment of each day. I got something of the same impression with the few of the later Honor Harrington books by David Weber: it seemed like he was writing her like a personal fantasy of his dream woman.

Make your reader care about the characters, sure. But don't ask them to put up with your lovesick moping over the figments of your imagination.

Unless of course they’re fans of the character as much as you are. Jordan and I share many tastes in women if Faile, Aviendha, Tuon, and the rest are anything to go by. I know he has other fans too.

 

[StillStunned]

Unless of course they’re fans of the character as much as you are. Jordan and I share many tastes in women if Faile, Aviendha, Tuon, and the rest are anything to go by. I know he has other fans too.

I can become quite fond of fictional characters. Faile was a favourite of mine too. But I don't want to be told her every thought and action. I'd rather make my own fantasies about her. Familiarity breeds contempt, they say, and that was certainly true of a lot of the characters in WoT.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Write text.

Text good? Keep.

Text bad? Delete or Edit. Try again.

Repeat endlessly.

If I feel that I'm writing bad, I stop writing bad and write awesome instead. True story.

OK to give an actual meaningful answer albeit tremendously clichéd answer, I read.
Specifically, I read purposefully to what I'm writing - what I mean is I read similarly themed books, similar genres, styles I want to emulate, etc... e.g, for an age-of-sail-esque naval battle scene in one of my stories, I read Patrick O'brien and CS Forester.
When I wrote Wölfin, I read several of Brian Lumley's Titus Crow books and a couple Agatha Christie books. I focus my reading on what I'm writing. I do it for my erotica and for my stories I publish elsewhere and for my stories that will never see the light of day. I read 100k for every 10k I write. Probably more.

Also, I read alot of nonfiction to inform the technical / historical details of what I write. Biographies are great in this regard because they always add a ground level humanistic perspective to the historical context.

 

[Altissimus]

Another tip: don't fall in love with your characters.

The ultimate narcissism. Guilty as charged.

 

[Euphony]

If I feel that I'm writing bad, I stop writing bad and write awesome instead. True story.

OK to give an actual meaningful answer albeit tremendously clichéd answer, I read.
Specifically, I read purposefully to what I'm writing - what I mean is I read similarly themed books, similar genres, styles I want to emulate, etc... e.g, for an age-of-sail-esque naval battle scene in one of my stories, I read Patrick O'brien and CS Forester.
When I wrote Wölfin, I read several of Brian Lumley's Titus Crow books and a couple Agatha Christie books. I focus my reading on what I'm writing. I do it for my erotica and for my stories I publish elsewhere and for my stories that will never see the light of day. I read 100k for every 10k I write. Probably more.

Also, I read alot of nonfiction to inform the technical / historical details of what I write. Biographies are great in this regard because they always add a ground level humanistic perspective to the historical context.

I've done this tho not to these levels (so kudos.)

I undervalued mindset for the longest. Like, you couldn't help but naturally click in once you start writing. Lost a lot of productive hours that way.

Understand why people might dislike the research aspect of writing (I loathe editing and see people euphoric over it ) but I love the stuffing out of it.

You're so in it. Curiosity is high. High curiosity leads to better creative output. Dominos start falling.

Wouldn't think even dry academic research could lead to better erotica but it has for me.

 

[Euphony]

The ultimate narcissism. Guilty as charged.

Do yours lose interests in you the minute they clock you're so into them?

 

[AchtungNight]

I can become quite fond of fictional characters. Faile was a favourite of mine too. But I don't want to be told her every thought and action. I'd rather make my own fantasies about her. Familiarity breeds contempt, they say, and that was certainly true of a lot of the characters in WoT.

True. I cringed every time Lanfear came on screen. And don’t get me started on how long it took Jordan to finally kill Liandrin. At least Verin got interesting once her big secret was finally revealed- wait, was that Jordan’s plan from the beginning or something Sanderson did? I guess we’ll never know.

Speaking of Sanderson, he too is guilty of much character obsession and Deus Ex Machina. Somehow, I usually find myself still absorbed by his work.