Whatcha Learned Lately?

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Yesterday I came across writing advice from Ed McBain: Don't add a character until/unless they matter a lot] to the quality of the story.

 

[raysofdawn]

It's not really a new thing I've learned, but something I've been trying to put more into practice... starting a story in medias res. I tend to want to over explain in the beginning or offer too much set up. Diving right in to something actually happening is much more pleasing (at least in my opinion) to read.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Seriously great question but for me I 'never tell' directly or openly, and haven't for a while - but I always include 'stuff' in my stories, heavily covered in cellophane wrapping.

...I can't say I learn new things all the time, but I have recently. And amazing things, too.

 

[KeithD]

Yesterday I came across writing advice from Ed McBain: Don't add a character until/unless they matter a lot] to the quality of the story.

As with everything in fiction, the "until" of this is more a "disincline to unless you have a reason to use the device" than universal guidance. A story can be quite effective in dropping a character in supposedly incidentally who later comes back up as a primary character.

Take any tips by an established writer as (A) they have to come up with something in order to make money off of giving tips, (B) what works for them--or they claim does (read some of their stuff to see if they actually do it)--doesn't work for everyone, and (C) fiction is a vastly elastic medium, and thank God it is, and a lot of "never dos" work a charm.

 

[KeithD]

Here, to give James an orgasm and for what it’s worth, is Raymond Chandler’s writing advice:

1. A writer who is afraid to overreach himself is as useless as a general who is afraid to be wrong.

2. Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder… The moment a man begins to talk about technique that’s proof that he is fresh out of ideas.

3. The most durable thing in writing is style, and style is the single most valuable investment a writer can make with his time. It [style] is a projection of personality and you have to have a personality before you can project it. It is the product of emotion and perception.

4. The challenge is to write about real things magically.

5. The more you reason the less you create.

6. Don’t ever write anything you don’t like yourself and if you do like it, don’t take anyone’s advice about changing it.

7. I am a writer, and there comes a time when that which I write has to belong to me, has to be written alone and in silence, with no one looking over my shoulder, no one telling me a better way to write it. It doesn’t have to be great writing, it doesn’t even have to be terribly good. It just has to be mine.

(https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/writing-advice-from-raymond-chandler/)

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I learn about stuff everyday. The problem with most of it is it's all throw-a-way crap that I will most likely never use.

It's still in my head like the algebra I learned back in high school that I thought I would never need at the time I learned it, but 10 years later I was writing software for an insurance company. When you have to find the present value of a future value 20 years from now you need algebra. Or a really good calculator.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I think for me recently it's been "to write, you go into that room alone and it's just you, the story and the words and you have to write. Just you and the room, every day." I read that article on that concept by whoever it was and it really helped me with conceptuallizing that. Understanding makes a huge difference when you understand the real challenge. Which is to sit and write, consistently, for years.

 

[KeithD]

I think that's why I couldn't possibly conceive of being able to write in a crowded coffee shop.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

That it's impossible to find an editor.

I don't think my stuff needs heavily edited, but I do like to have another set of eyes to read over for any really obvious mistakes I may have made, and to say, Hey this doesn't make sense to me, because sometimes what I imagine in my head is hard for me to get into writing.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I think that's why I couldn't possibly conceive of being able to write in a crowded coffee shop.

I could never write in a crowded coffee shop. A quiet almost empty one, yes. But I need quiet. By myself is always best.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

I can do notes though, in a crowded coffee shop, and have done some decent full-bore writing late at night at a beach-side McDonald's and also around midnight plus at a 24/7 burger fries and coffee place in the heart of a city.

Admittedly, the McDonald's was usually empty and it was in the middle of winter when no one much was around and no, it couldn't have been Chicago!! ...I have done some writing in the Palmer House Hilton but that would have been on commercial business law firm reports. I can probably still quote you sections of those reports even today... LOL

...I remember one time this associate was trying to explain something at Trader Vic's there to me... ...about a Harvard Professor from How-r-yer. And how Antonio Gramsci was more important to real economics than Irving Fisher. I remember thinking that was the stupidest thing I ever heard from anyone with pretensions to intellect.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

The whole secret to writing is MAKE IT ENTERTAINING. Maybe one writer in 10,000 gets it. If it aint entertaing toss it out.

 

[TxRad]

Captain Obvious strikes again.

 

[KeithD]

Captain Obvious strikes again.

Except for the grossly exaggerated "only one writer in 10,000."

 

[R. Richard]

With each story that I write, I learn something. I'm continuing to write.

 

[SimonDoom]

Except for the grossly exaggerated "only one writer in 10,000."

Yeah, I don't buy the "1 in 10,000 people have the gift and everyone else is trash" theme. Maybe 1 in 10,000 have the talent of a Mark Twain, but I wonder about that figure even as it applies to his talent. Twain worked his butt off to become the writer he was. Writing is like any other ability; talent is distributed unevenly, and a few have talents that others will never be able to acquire no matter how hard they try. But there are plenty of successful authors of worthwhile books who probably got where they did through some talent and lots of work.

An obsessive learner named Max Deutsch took on the task of trying to master 12 very hard tasks, one per month, for 12 months. They were things like memorizing a deck of cards in 12 minutes, learning to play a blues solo on guitar, carrying on a conversation in Hebrew, doing a backflip, etc. He was remarkably successful -- not at all of the tasks (he didn't beat Magnus Carlssen at chess) -- but overall. He's obviously very able, but it's not probable that he's inherently exceptional at all of the tasks. He learned them by applying himself. We can probably all do better at that.

 

[KeithD]

It was just a "pulled outta the ass" stat.

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

That it's impossible to find an editor.

I don't think my stuff needs heavily edited, but I do like to have another set of eyes to read over for any really obvious mistakes I may have made, and to say, Hey this doesn't make sense to me, because sometimes what I imagine in my head is hard for me to get into writing.

Really? I've never had trouble finding an editor. I've had three, and I've stuck with the last one for my last several stories. Just go over to the Editor's board, and post a request. Tell them a bit about the story, how long it is, and what kind of editing you're looking for.

I write fairly short, fairly vanilla stories, and I've always gotten a response to my requests. Maybe longer stories in more discriminating categories are harder to find editors for.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Yeah, I don't buy the "1 in 10,000 people have the gift and everyone else is trash" theme. Maybe 1 in 10,000 have the talent of a Mark Twain, but I wonder about that figure even as it applies to his talent. Twain worked his butt off to become the writer he was. Writing is like any other ability; talent is distributed unevenly, and a few have talents that others will never be able to acquire no matter how hard they try. But there are plenty of successful authors of worthwhile books who probably got where they did through some talent and lots of work.

An obsessive learner named Max Deutsch took on the task of trying to master 12 very hard tasks, one per month, for 12 months. They were things like memorizing a deck of cards in 12 minutes, learning to play a blues solo on guitar, carrying on a conversation in Hebrew, doing a backflip, etc. He was remarkably successful -- not at all of the tasks (he didn't beat Magnus Carlssen at chess) -- but overall. He's obviously very able, but it's not probable that he's inherently exceptional at all of the tasks. He learned them by applying himself. We can probably all do better at that.

There are far fewer PILOTs than NFL stars.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Really? I've never had trouble finding an editor. I've had three, and I've stuck with the last one for my last several stories. Just go over to the Editor's board, and post a request. Tell them a bit about the story, how long it is, and what kind of editing you're looking for.

I write fairly short, fairly vanilla stories, and I've always gotten a response to my requests. Maybe longer stories in more discriminating categories are harder to find editors for.

There are no editors at LIT.

 

[TxRad]

There are no editors at LIT.

Wrong! i know of at least three editors on Lit who do it for a living. As usual, you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

OMG I forgot to mention TEX. TEX and PILOIT pretty well cover the writing world. What they don't know they aint thought of yet. Hint: entertaining, try entertaining.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I haven't been able to find an editor the last few times I was looking. I did post looking for one on the editors board a couple days ago and haven't heard from anyone.

The few that I have worked with in the past I can't seem to find. I don't write consistently enough to always be in contact with someone unfortunately.

Luckily someone has offered to read over my chapter and I am very appreciative

 

[FEELINGLUCKYPUNK]

Every LIT writer demands flattery NOT suggestions to improve.

 

[TxRad]

Every LIT writer demands flattery NOT suggestions to improve.

You stir the shit and stir the shit and all that ever floats to the top is you.

Is that flattering enough or should I go on?