Your simple writing tips

[NotWise]

What I was told once was that advice are important, but if you have an idea that defies the general rules of writing, you should go for it and experiment. It may not always produce something good but you might just be lucky. At worst you will have a first draft or story elements that you can reuse...

This could be bad advice if you haven't already been successful as a writer. There's hardly a limit to the number of ideas that defy the general rules of writing. If you spend your time pursuing them, then you may never learn what works.

This is great advice. If all your scenes are connected by "and then" you aren't writing an engaging story.

Also, something from Larry Niven, "All dialogue is first draft."

Normal people don't speak in eloquent soliloquies.

The idea seemed really clever at first. Their advice depends completely on how you define your "beats." But also, they're talking about writing twenty minutes of animated comedy. In more complicated contexts there may be scenes that aren't clearly related by cause and effect.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

This could be bad advice if you haven't already been successful as a writer. There's hardly a limit to the number of ideas that defy the general rules of writing. If you spend your time pursuing them, then you may never learn what works.



The idea seemed really clever at first. Their advice depends completely on how you define your "beats." But also, they're talking about writing twenty minutes of animated comedy. In more complicated contexts there may be scenes that aren't clearly related by cause and effect.

If your scenes aren't related by cause and effect they are just filler. Doesn't matter if we are talking 20 minutes of animated comedy or a 10 book series.

 

[iwatchus]

If your scenes aren't related by cause and effect they are just filler. Doesn't matter if we are talking 20 minutes of animated comedy or a 10 book series.

The relevance may not be obvious at the time.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

The relevance may not be obvious at the time.

Which is an irrelevant distinction in this context.
You as a writer know it's relevant, the reader might not recognize it until later, but it's relevant, it's cause and effect.

 

[iwatchus]

Two things. You are writing for the reader. And they can be independent causes of a third event and be not directly related

 

[NotWise]

If your scenes aren't related by cause and effect they are just filler. Doesn't matter if we are talking 20 minutes of animated comedy or a 10 book series.

The story I'm working on now consists of two threads: the main character's professional life in one, and events at home in another. The two threads don't come together until near the end of the story. I smooth the scene transitions from one thread to the other, but the scenes aren't related by cause and effect. There is no "filler."

I imagine others could site more examples.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

The story I'm working on now consists of two threads: the main character's professional life in one, and events at home in another. The two threads don't come together until near the end of the story. I smooth the scene transitions from one thread to the other, but the scenes aren't related by cause and effect. There is no "filler."

I imagine others could site more examples.

But the events in each thread should.
The fact that you are telling two intertwined stories as a narrative device doesn't mean that each story shouldn't have cause and effect.

 

[NotWise]

But the events in each thread should.
The fact that you are telling two intertwined stories as a narrative device doesn't mean that each story shouldn't have cause and effect.

Mysteries, thrillers and horror stories, for instance, are examples of stories that can have fairly complex arcs where one scene doesn't always follow from the last. Characterization (something they don't worry about in South Park) may also cause some diversions.

In the simple case where a story follows a single thread, then I agree that one scene should normally have a causal link to the last. I'm affected by a little ADD, and if that isn't true then my attention is likely to wander.

 

[alexandra_secret]

This could be bad advice if you haven't already been successful as a writer. There's hardly a limit to the number of ideas that defy the general rules of writing. If you spend your time pursuing them, then you may never learn what works.

What I meant is that if you blindly follow advice (even if they are very good), you might end up writing the same thing as everybody else. You may be satisfied with it, it may be a very good story, but will it be fresh?
Some people may be fine with that, I personally prefers to focus on writing something that feels original (to me), with the hope that I will eventually improve my writing skills after a while.

I will say though, that I have found some very interesting advice in this forum, some I may actually use myself

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Mysteries, thrillers and horror stories, for instance, are examples of stories that can have fairly complex arcs where one scene doesn't always follow from the last. Characterization (something they don't worry about in South Park) may also cause some diversions.

In the simple case where a story follows a single thread, then I agree that one scene should normally have a causal link to the last. I'm affected by a little ADD, and if that isn't true then my attention is likely to wander.

You are over simplifying what he's talking about.
He isn't saying everything has to be a completely linear cause and effect.
What he is saying is that every scene should have consequences.

Something happens in Scene A, that doesn't mean Scene B has to directly follow the consequences of Scene A.
You might shift perspectives, or introduce a new character half a world away, lots of things can happen.
What it does mean is that at some point in the story there should be the beat that was the consequence of Scene A, and the beat that was the consequence of Scene B and so forth.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Just remember that it's /i/ before /e/ except after /c/ or when Heidi, that feisty foreigner plans a heist.

 

[Trionyx]

Try to avoid giving her cup size in the first paragraph.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Try to avoid giving her cup size in the first paragraph.

Cup size definitely goes in the third paragraph.

 

[StillStunned]

Cup size definitely goes in the third paragraph.

From the barista's demeanour I gathered he thought I was as annoying as I found baristas with man-buns. Ignoring the studied air of disinterest, I put on a fake smile, leaned forward across the counter and said, "A cappuccino, please."

He didn't respond. Just looked at me, his expression somewhere between expectant and encouraging, like I was a small child just learning the alphabet. When I didn't speak, he finally broke his silence. "What size?" If I had to guess, I'd say he resented wasting even those two words on a customer like me.

I didn't care. I liked to make them work for it. For a moment I thought about asking what the possibilities were, then decided to just study the menu with a worried look. At length, when I almost expected steam to come gurgling out of his ears like it did from the Noisy Coffee Maker (TM), I gave another smile. "Large, please."

 

[NotWise]

Wrong cup. Right size.

 

[TheLobster]

Just remember that it's /i/ before /e/ except after /c/ or when Heidi, that feisty foreigner plans a heist.

I neigh in your general direction.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

From the barista's demeanour I gathered he thought I was as annoying as I found baristas with man-buns. Ignoring the studied air of disinterest, I put on a fake smile, leaned forward across the counter and said, "A cappuccino, please."

He didn't respond. Just looked at me, his expression somewhere between expectant and encouraging, like I was a small child just learning the alphabet. When I didn't speak, he finally broke his silence. "What size?" If I had to guess, I'd say he resented wasting even those two words on a customer like me.

I didn't care. I liked to make them work for it. For a moment I thought about asking what the possibilities were, then decided to just study the menu with a worried look. At length, when I almost expected steam to come gurgling out of his ears like it did from the Noisy Coffee Maker (TM), I gave another smile. "Large, please."

Well played Good Sir, well played.

 

[TheLobster]

From the barista's demeanour I gathered he thought I was as annoying as I found baristas with man-buns. Ignoring the studied air of disinterest, I put on a fake smile, leaned forward across the counter and said, "A cappuccino, please."

He didn't respond. Just looked at me, his expression somewhere between expectant and encouraging, like I was a small child just learning the alphabet. When I didn't speak, he finally broke his silence. "What size?" If I had to guess, I'd say he resented wasting even those two words on a customer like me.

I didn't care. I liked to make them work for it. For a moment I thought about asking what the possibilities were, then decided to just study the menu with a worried look. At length, when I almost expected steam to come gurgling out of his ears like it did from the Noisy Coffee Maker (TM), I gave another smile. "Large, please."

Isabella's breasts were a good handful, definitely on the grande side, but Maria... Oh sweet Jesus, those jugs I could only ever describe as venti.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

I neigh in your general direction.

As a good neighbor should after a winter's sleigh ride.

 

[iwatchus]

Cup size definitely goes in the third paragraph.

Or you can avoid the bra altogether and let them bounce between paragraphs.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Or you can avoid the bra altogether and let them bounce between paragraphs.

Excessive bouncing can be uncomfortable.

 

[Voboy]

Excessive bouncing can be uncomfortable.

...which we'd have known, if you'd just gone ahead and put them in the first paragraph. Like a newb.

 

[SimonDoom]

Excessive bouncing can be uncomfortable.

In the physics of the Literoticaverse, unfettered bosoms achieve the maximum degree of bouncing, swaying, and jiggling with no discomfort whatsoever.

Believe me, I know. I've asked my characters, and this is what they tell me.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Y'all leave Heidi alone.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

In the physics of the Literoticaverse, unfettered bosoms achieve the maximum degree of bouncing, swaying, and jiggling with no discomfort whatsoever.

Believe me, I know. I've asked my characters, and this is what they tell me.