~The Writer's Lounge~

*sigh* I know what you mean about not realizing how bad something is, and having to 'go back in and pull out the weeds' as yout put it. I am writing a fantasy novel, but there are so many holes in the plot-- I'm not sure it even has a plot anymore! Kinda sad..

What's even more sad is that a *Star Wars parody* I thought up last night had two or three pages written in less than 20 minutes, with the plot and twists thought out better than any other story I've tried to write.

 

Yeah, the best stories are often written quickly and without much planning. Look at Steinbeck, for instance. He wrote very rapidly.

 

This thread has me interested and confused.

Is this a place for help with the actual writing (grammar, themes, etc.)

Or, is this a place where one can post ideas in the hopes that others would help them with it. If it's this, I have a bunch of ideads floating around in my head.

 

It's for both of what you said .

 

In my opinion, creating the people, land, and history of a fantasy story is often the best part. I've made up hundreds of faraway lands...one of my favorites was Oranis, an island that I created for my story Four Warriors. Ah, that was a great story...not too original, but I had a huge timeline and everything for it.

Anyhoo...I don't really consider myself a good writer. I mean, I have much better writing skills than a lot of people my age, but I just can't sit still and write a story. It's just too difficult for me. But I love making the histories and maps and stuff Ah, that's so much fun. In my Social Studies class last year, we had a project where we got to invent our own island! Man, that was definitely the best school project ever.

So, if you ever need someone to create a huge encyclopedia for your newly created world, I'm the person you want!

 

SWEET!

*runs off to make a summary of a story he's working on*

And I must say, I'm more of a visualist (wanna be a director) so writing for me can be at times...painful. I tend to write my stories in a script form. So I'll work on a summary of my first story. I think it's a pretty good one. I planned it as a TV series, so I have like six episode typed up. Ha, man I have no life.


I look forward to all the help I'll give and get from this thread.

 

I can understand how you think Yodave I too am more of a visualist...so writing scripts is always easier for me.

 

i have a writing problem with a book i'm trying to write. I know the whole story except for the beginning. I cant come up with something intreging yet explainitory and funny. how do u shed writters block???

 

I'm glad to see a thread for writers of non-fanfic at the JC!

I write fantasy--mostly "alternate earth" (i.e.- Not our historical Earth, but having the same general rules as Earth--such as no magic) and also your more traditional fantasy. I've been working on several different novels off and on since I was thirteeen and the chances that I'll ever finish any of them are slim to none. But that's okay.


I also write terrible poetry (anyone read Douglas Adams and know who the Vogons are? It's worse than theirs!) and the occasional sarcastic essay or book review.

Some books that I highly recommend for writers:

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner: Gardner was a famous creative writing teacher and author of the book Grendel. The advice in his book is very straight-forward, and Gardner's wonderful writing style gives him a lot of credibility in my book.

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White: A classic.

One of my good friends is a published SF/F writer. On her web site, she has a page of no-nonsense advice for writers. If you're interested in checking it out, click here: Pegasus Nest: Writing: Advice
Here's a sample from her web site:

Learn discipline, especially if you want someday to write for a living. This is the hardest part, and it's related to, though not the same as, persistence. Can you face getting up in the morning and writing an average of 1000-2000 words every day? Writing freelance is difficult in that you have to resist the siren call of computer games, that football game and your favourite soap operas long enough to get the writing done. Don't expect to have much intellectual capacity left after 2000 words a day every day, either; writing is work. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

You might say, "But I can only write when I'm inspired." Wrong. You only think you can write when you're inspired. If you're lucky, you're "inspired" enough that you can produce stories/novels at a decent clip. Chances are you're not. If you were learning to play basketball or solve differential equations (the ones that have simple solutions, anyway), would you expect a day's practice every month to get you far? Writing, too, requires practice. The story you think is brilliant now may look awful in a year...but if you keep at it, the story you write next year may be something to be proud of.

 

If I post a short story/vignette (half page) will people read it and respond?

 

Yes .

 

Thanks for the link and the recommendations, Rilina. They seem excellent.

 

No problemo, Radiohead. I ask for so much advice about writing that it's nice to pass it on every once in a while. And my pal Yoon gives some of the most sane writing advice that I've ever received!

Now maybe if I spent less time seeking out advice and more time actually writing, I'd be getting somewhere....

 

The_Jinx, to overcome the writer's block, keep writing. When I wrote my first novel last year I kept going even when I felt it didn't come out the way I wanted. But it really does not matter because I can go back later and revise or edit it.

DarthSnuggles1121, I like your excerpt. You have some really good stuff.

Terr_Mys, I too prefer making the history of the world and the maps. There's something special about creating a new world. Now I know who's going to make the detailed maps I need .

Anyway, I made good progress yesterday and have the religious beliefs outlined now. It got even better than I first thought .

 

I think the best way to combat writer's block is not to keep writing, but to read. Reading or keeping your mind active is more conducive to inspiring and stimulating than simply staring at a blank page or writing down dead-end ideas.

 

I think both ways work. For me keeping writing helps a lot more than not doing it. I just get frustrated. Sometimes I need to get away and do something entirely different for awhile.

 

To combat writer's block, I do one of two things.

1) I start working on a different project. If Story A is being a bear, then I turn to Story B. It gives perspective, and there's nothing wrong with letting a project rest for a little while.

2) I start working on a different scene in the troublesome project. In other words, I work on scenes out of order. I've found this works really well. Often, I develop so-called writer's block simply because I don't feel like writing, say, an action scene at the moment. So I jump ahead and write a different scene, and then at a later date I go back and attempt the difficult scene again. I have a tendency to obsess over little details--like the first sentence of a work--and get bogged down, so this strategy helps me get my ideas down on paper (or in Word).

Personally, for me, the main thing is to keep writing--even if just journaling. I've discovered that once I stop writing, I stop completely--for weeks or even months at a time.

 

Ugh, writers block...a instrument of the antichrist. Seriously though, I've had writers' block on my story for about two months now (which is why I turned to fan fiction). I have just about every scene after this chapter planned out, but I can't get past one part and it's been driving me crazy.

Thanks so much, Emilsson! You should post more about your book, I'd love to read it.

 

"The Elements of Style" is a wonderful book. I also suggest "Steering the Craft."

 

DarthSnuggles, I and my cowriter has just made the outline of the plot. Here's a summary.

The story deals with a character called Orthloh, a 60 year old scholar that resides on an island called the western island. In his twenties he studied at the greatest university on the mainland. During his time there he became fascinated with the people known as the shadow people. He found a scripture called The Book, which outlines the religious beliefs of the shadow people. Orthloh becomes more and more involved with the shadow people. He learns about the shadow people's past. How they had to flee from the expansionist empire in the south and how they now live in forests in the northern part of the continent. Orthloh sees the empire as corrupt and decides to use the shadow people as an army who will destroy the empire. To achieve this and unite this scattered people Orthloh begins using a prophecy that is widely spread among the shadow people. He does all he can to make sure it is fullfilled.

He gathers a fellowship that corresponds to his interpretation of the prophecy. Most noteable are Henrik and Moragh. Henrik is a knight whose mother was of the shadow people and Henrik's father was a nobleman living in the north of the empire. Moragh's father belonged to the shadow people but was cast out when he was convicted for a crime. Moragh decided to share her father's fate.

Orthloh, Henrik and Moragh starts searching for three symbols of the shadow people. These symbols correspond to four elements which are essential in their religion. The first one is the book already in Orthloh's possesion. The book represents water. The second one is a sword cpnnected with fire. The third one is a flute connected with air and the fourth one is a talisman connected with earth (what earth, water, air and fire symbolis is a whole story in itself). These symbols are spread all over the continent.

Meanwhile Orthloh's activities has caught the attention of the empire and specifically the high council consisting of the emperor, the bishop and a general called Robert who pursues Orthloh and his fellowship.

To make a long story short: Orthloh will die with Henrik fullfilling his plan. But Henrik will also reach a deeper understanding of the prophecy and the shadow people realising the solution is not to overthrow the empire but ensure the survival of everyone on the continent. Henrik becomes both warrior and mystic.

One major point is to go beyond saying one side is good and one side is evil and show it's far more complex than that.

 

Wow, that sounds really cool, emilsson. Very nice! I'd be thrilled to help with any "map-making" hehe.

Anyway, I need some advice from you guys. I'm working on my first script, but it's a very rough draft and I need some people to read it and give me advice. I only have a very small portion so far (which I will be improving on) but you can read what I have here. If anyone's interested in helping me with this project, then I'll send you an overview of the entire story.

 

Uh...ignore the link in my above post...check out this link instead. Well, if you're interested anyway

 

I love to write, though for a year I haven't had one good idea. I have written somewhere around 2 400 page books in the past, both either partially destroyed or lost forever in one of my many moves.

I generally like to write "epic" stories that span over some time.

But again, I've been without a good idea for a year.

 

Here's a short essay that I've been trying to polish up. I'd love to get feedback and suggestions!

My confession: I love using polysyllabic words in everyday conversation and informal writing. The usual verdict of other people: My tendency is 1) pretentious 2) snobby 3) unnecessary 4) inappropriate 5) ridiculous or 6) all of the above. Before I'm sentenced, however, let me state my case for my behavior.

It started when I was quite young. I was a precocious little brat suffering from what I like to call "the word-of-the-day syndrome." When I learned a word, I wanted to use it. Most people knew I was a burgeoning nerd who liked reading more than playing with Barbie dolls, so my increasingly mouthy declarations were not a complete surprise. On one occasion (to my family's eternal amusement) I answered the door and found my brother's friends on the step. I said, "No trespassing!" and calmly shut the door in their shocked faces.

Behavior that's cute in a five year old is less so in a college student. Now that I'm old enough to buy alcohol legally, I'm expected to know that big scary words are only used in legal briefs and lit crit. Sheesh. What's the point of knowing such fascinating words if they're confined to such boring mediums?

I guess Beatrix Potter was just being a snotty Brit when she wrote that milk had a soporific effect on Peter Rabbit. And Shakespeare! How dare he use so many nasty SAT words in his plays? Did he really think that people talked in iambic pentameter? Those poor groundlings--they were looking for entertainment at the trendiest show in town and found a vocabulary lesson.

I love the precision of using the best word, even when I'm talking about a spree at Old Navy. It's my choice to spend cash frivolously, and I'll enjoy myself, thankyouverymuch. To be honest, I'll also admit that I don't always use weird words in the name of precision. I use them for the same reason other people use four-letter Anglo-Saxon expletives--for the gut pleasure of their sound and feel, whether spoken aloud or scribbled in a journal. Listen to the battling 'g' and 'r' in "egregiously" resolve into the lovely smudged sound of the third syllable. Feel how "polysyllabic" rolls off the tongue in with its many l-sounds and polysyllabic splendor. So I use long words in my English papers, and I use 'em in speech too. And people cringe.

They respond, "Normal people don't talk like that!" They're right, of course, but honestly, who cares? Realistic writing and speech isn't always more visceral than the unrealistic. I think there's a reason why the words "art" and "artifice" have a common origin. Have you ever watched an episode of "Law and Order" or "The X-Files" where the police monitor a bugged phone or a secret microphone? Every time I watch one of those scenes, I'm reminded that everyday speech is generally dull. Inane. Tedious. Monotonous.

"Like, how was your day?"

"Not bad."

"Oh, that's good."

"How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine. Hey, could you pass the remote? I want to watch General Hospital.

"Here ya go."

So let me use my words--big, scary, SAT, polysyllabic--in whatever context I please. Maybe you'll discover, as I have, the wonder and pleasure of juxtaposing the high and the low, the literary and the common. I think Shakespeare knew it--his plays have the court and the tavern, their kings and their fools. Convention may rant and rave, telling us to keep each word in its place. To hell with convention! Be new, be different, be eccentric, be cool. Think of this before you condemn me for using words like "deconstruction" outside of discussion section. My use of language may never be conventional, but it will always be entertaining.

 

Terr_Mys, I am seriously consider your offer. I need maps .