Advice to an aspiring author

[SpeedyTypist]

Hi, I'm new to the site and new to writing as well. I was hoping to get writing advice and wisdom from some of you who have been doing this for a while. What's the best way to get better?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Hi, I'm new to the site and new to writing as well. I was hoping to get writing advice and wisdom from some of you who have been doing this for a while. What's the best way to get better?

Read good writing.

 

[oggbashan]

Hi, I'm new to the site and new to writing as well. I was hoping to get writing advice and wisdom from some of you who have been doing this for a while. What's the best way to get better?

Write.

Post.

Write again.

Do a NaNoWriMo challenge.

Post.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Hi, I'm new to the site and new to writing as well. I was hoping to get writing advice and wisdom from some of you who have been doing this for a while. What's the best way to get better?

Read a lot. When you like something, figure out WHY you like it. When you don't like something, ditto.

Write a lot. Don't wait for the Talent Fairy to come visit you in the middle of the night; the writers who make it look easy all had to work for it.

When working on a long story try to write something every day, even if it's only a few lines; it helps keep up the momentum.

 

[HeyAll]

Read good writing.

That's always been my advice.

Once you read a story that makes you think, "Man, that was great." Read it and figure out how they did it.

One thing that's really helped my writing is to listen to the dialogue of your favorite tv shows or movies. Then think of your story as a tv show or movie and write it that way.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

That's always been my advice.

Once you read a story that makes you think, "Man, that was great." Read it and figure out how they did it.

One thing that's really helped my writing is to listen to the dialogue of your favorite tv shows or movies. Then think of your story as a tv show or movie and write it that way.

Really! Leave out all the boring crap like the movies/tv do.

 

[SamScribble]

Write every day. After the first ten or twelve thousand hours of writing you should find that it gets easier.

 

[lovecraft68]

Write every day. After the first ten or twelve thousand hours of writing you should find that it gets easier.

Yup, couldn't agree more. Even if you have to force it a bit you'll catch on and once you do, don't worry about whether it is good or bad just run with it, you can always fix it later.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Yup, couldn't agree more. Even if you have to force it a bit you'll catch on and once you do, don't worry about whether it is good or bad just run with it, you can always fix it later.

Or he can be a PILOT scholar, sitting at the feet of the master.

 

[slyc_willie]

That's always been my advice.

Once you read a story that makes you think, "Man, that was great." Read it and figure out how they did it.

One thing that's really helped my writing is to listen to the dialogue of your favorite tv shows or movies. Then think of your story as a tv show or movie and write it that way.

You know, when I write, I always envision the scenes I'm describing as if they were in a movie. Maybe that's because I watch so many movies. I dunno. But to me, it helps me when I'm describing where characters are, their expressions, and so on.

 

[KlaytonFrost]

Read, write, repeat. And stick with it. Bad writers are the ones who give up and phone it in rather than striving to get better.

Do you have any specific areas you need help with?

 

[JackLuis]

To the OP:

Typing fast is good, it's learning to lie well enough that takes some time.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I think you should have fun. If you are rolling on the floor laughing at what you write, you're already pleasing one person! Or if you are rolling on the floor doing something else .

There is a section of the story index with lots of articles that have tips about writing, too - some of them written by people who have modestly posted here without mentioning it. LOL.

Welcome to the Board. It can get a little strange here. You should ignore any weirdness as if you respond the trolls smell blood on the water and come rushing. Loveliest and most intelligent trolls in the world. I often do breakfast for them if we get any spam. (Hey, guys, there hasn't been spam for ages! Someone should post some so we can have fritters again.)

You should get an editor. It really helps to have someone cast a critical eye over your stuff.

Come over to Naked Party and have coffee in the morning if you are still around. There's a nice Dragon who hangs out there, and John from Seattle - it his bedtime really but he doesn't mind us having sausages and bacon sarnies in our weird British way.

 

[MSTarot]

learn to talk to yourself. When you go on long drives have long in depth conversations...with yourself. Doesn't really matter about what. Give some one a good cussing. Try to work out how you would talk someone into bed. Just what ever.

sure you may look a little strange to the passing cars but hey in this day of hands free cell phone most will think your talking to your phone.

Now why do you need to talk to yourself?

I find it's a great way to get your brain thinking in dialog. How would this person say that... what would the responce back be.

Then put that training to use in your stories. Don't just fill paragraphs with decriptions. make your characters talk!

It does help.

and if nothign else you get to have at least one inteligent conversation where the other person understands exactly what you mean.

M.S.Tarot

 

[slyc_willie]

learn to talk to yourself. When you go on long drives have long in depth conversations...with yourself. Doesn't really matter about what. Give some one a good cussing. Try to work out how you would talk someone into bed. Just what ever.

This is really good advice. The hardest thing for a lot of new writers is how to write convincing, easy-to-follow, poignant, yet "real" dialogue. Many make the mistake of using correct grammar all the time, because that's what you are trying to do in your description. Resist this urge. Practically no one speaks with correct grammar. Real conversations are filled with run-on sentences, half-finished thoughts, interruptions, poor use of words, random expletives, and so on.

Like MST suggests, have conversations with yourself. I do it at night when everyone's asleep. I walk around the living room and act out the parts of my various characters. Silly as it sounds, it helps.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

learn to talk to yourself. When you go on long drives have long in depth conversations...with yourself. Doesn't really matter about what. Give some one a good cussing. Try to work out how you would talk someone into bed. Just what ever.

sure you may look a little strange to the passing cars but hey in this day of hands free cell phone most will think your talking to your phone.

Now why do you need to talk to yourself?

I find it's a great way to get your brain thinking in dialog. How would this person say that... what would the responce back be.

Then put that training to use in your stories. Don't just fill paragraphs with decriptions. make your characters talk!

It does help.

and if nothign else you get to have at least one inteligent conversation where the other person understands exactly what you mean.

M.S.Tarot

Partial credit. John O'Hara's advice was to capture the gist of what any conversation means and package it in the appropriate vernacular. Prolly the best place to learn how to do it is read/listen to local preachers/politicians. I noted this in James Agee's LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN. He lets the poor folks do the acting, and lets the landlords/pols/preachers do the talking. Agee's poetical narrative is sublime in how he translates simple folkways into prose. Its the best prose formula I know of.

 

[MatthewVett]

Pretty much what everyone else is suggesting. Read stories you think are well-written and try to analyze what makes them good. Write, write, write! You can't get good without practice. Even if you think your story sucks, post it and see what advice people give you. Don't be afraid of criticism, but don't let others' opinions dictate your work, either. And most important of all, write! This website has some nice little writing exercises that might help: http://writing-workout.com/

 

[TxRad]

And most of all, write for yourself. You'll find you own voice that way and enjoy writing much more.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Thst such BS. Write for your readers. Identify your readers, and feed their need. If you wanna write for yourself keep a diary.

That said, if your readers wants stories about old men who stick porcupines up their asses, and that doesnt turn you on, identify readers whose druthers are a good match with you.

 

[slyc_willie]

Thst such BS. Write for your readers. Identify your readers, and feed their need. If you wanna write for yourself keep a diary.

That said, if your readers wants stories about old men who stick porcupines up their asses, and that doesnt turn you on, identify readers whose druthers are a good match with you.

Which turns right back around and supports the idea of writing whatever the hell you want to write. There's an audience for everything.

 

[The_Fool]

old news

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Which turns right back around and supports the idea of writing whatever the hell you want to write. There's an audience for everything.

True! That said, authors are notorious for abandoning popular characters and pissing off loyal readers, to chase will-o-the-wisps in to oblivion. That said, authors like W.E.B.Griffin don't know when to stop writing the same book.

 

[oggbashan]

Where did Speedy Typist go?

One post to start this thread, and that's it?

 

[JoeDreamer]

Constructive Critism

Read the comments on your stories. Enjoy the complements, ignore the trolls and pay special attention to the constructive critisms. That's where you learn to be better. I'm not suggested every one of them is fair or right, but many are good and help you understand where your strength and weaknesses lie.

Regards,

JD

 

[lovecraft68]

Where did Speedy Typist go?

One post to start this thread, and that's it?

No kidding and this thread has been extremely civil. Go figure.