Writing Tips - Let's help each other not be crap.

[rookie]

Bumping this thread for a new year-- I'm actually trying to make a comic, but these writing tips are super helpful for me too.

Anyways, I need help with not sounding like I'm pandering; I want to write a transgender character for the purpose more of being relatable to people struggling with the same issues rather than getting mad SJW cred. I mean, I know the basics, like not drawing attention to it every five seconds, actually giving them a character rather than them being a walking label, not having them go on tirades about #transrights in every strip, etc. But I want to be sure I'm not missing anything that I need to avoid.

 

[SpessCaptain]

Don't make the only unqiue feature being their sexuality or tranniness.

 

[JSGOTI]

Do everything that Assigned Male doesn't, and you should be just fine.

 

[Lorento]

Bumping this thread for a new year-- I'm actually trying to make a comic, but these writing tips are super helpful for me too.

Anyways, I need help with not sounding like I'm pandering; I want to write a transgender character for the purpose more of being relatable to people struggling with the same issues rather than getting mad SJW cred. I mean, I know the basics, like not drawing attention to it every five seconds, actually giving them a character rather than them being a walking label, not having them go on tirades about #transrights in every strip, etc. But I want to be sure I'm not missing anything that I need to avoid.

I recommend having the character in question exhibit a sense of humour about the situation. The worst thing you can do is to have a character that's all 'WOE IS ME' with NO FUN ALLOWED ABOUT MY SENSITIVE ISSUE! Melodramatic whining is what we associate with the Trenders and the last thing I want to read is one of these trenders in a fictional setting.

I can't quite recommend jokes about this matter, because I know nothing about your character or setting. But jokes go a long way, even if they are kind of morbid or a little edgy.

 

[GV 998]

I was going to make this about making characters in general because that what I'm struggling with most, but figured this would be more helpful. Post your struggles with writing and hopefully we can help each other out.

I was going to make this about making characters in general because that what I'm struggling with most, but figured this would be more helpful. Post your struggles with writing and hopefully we can help each other out.

For me, I'm trying to write a character that is a young Navajo girl, who's a skin-walker. Her culture obviously has a lot to do with her story and I don't want to look like ignorant. Just want to know a good place to do some research.

For me, I'm trying to write a character that is a young Navajo girl, who's a skin-walker. Her culture obviously has a lot to do with her story and I don't want to look like ignorant. Just want to know a good place to do some research.

Well since it's fiction, you're not exactly expected to be a historical expert. It can help with worldbuilding, but the problem you may run into, like others have mentioned, is that you'll get so into the world building that readers will lose interest.

But you can't get everything right, and someone out there someone will point out an inconsistency. But, if you're afraid of being considered ignorant then I suggest researching published books on Navajo culture, or if you live near any, see if you can find a historical expert to interview

 

[MW 002]

*Bumping this thread*

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way if you're writing a romance story.

Make sure that your love interest is just as interesting as the protagonist. Give them their own ambitions, dreams, personality,etc. You have no idea how many times I've read novels where the love interest is as dull as a butter knife.

And no, dripping with sex on every page is NOT a personality trait by itself. Give them something to be insecure about or maybe give them some kind of intriguing flaw (for example: maybe they're a huge womanizer because it's how they deal with their crippling depression that leaves them feeling emotionally numb most of the time... it'd be a start).

 

[DatBepisTho]

Keep a notebook for whenever typing on a screen isn't feasible, and write snippets or notes on things of interest that you might want to research and incorporate at a later date.

Also it doesn't hurt to do an outline regarding your locations, hows and whys to refer back to in order to remain fairly consistent. Ie. If you have a lot of relevant locations in a story, you might want to write their names, brief descriptions and why the characters hit that place on their journey.

 

[Hatoful Dandy]

Came across this video earlier that I found interesting

The channel has a lot of interviews with screenwriters with tips and anecdotes.

Also, this tumblr post about character creation tips

http://rebeckalah.tumblr.com/post/82769432666/jebbyfish-so-you-want-to-make-an-oc-a (quite a few link to http://www.springhole.net/writing/index.html )

 

[Henry Bemis]

How Not to Write a Novel is a handy constructive guide on avoiding overused and misused tropes. The anti-examples the authors crafted are a delight in and of themselves.

 

[MW 002]

This is gonna contradict some popular advice, but sometimes you do need to tell instead of showing if you want to avoid info-dumping.

It confused me at first because I've had "show, don't tell" drilled into me by my English professors.

This is relevant if you're writing a fantasy and/or science fiction story, sometimes it's better to just simply tell the reader- especially if it's otherwise meant to be in the background. Most people in general do not need to read eight paragraphs explaining how to prepare a specific dish if it doesn't affect the story overall- no matter how exotic you think it is.

 

[heathercho]

This is gonna contradict some popular advice, but sometimes you do need to tell instead of showing if you want to avoid info-dumping.

It confused me at first because I've had "show, don't tell" drilled into me by my English professors.

This is relevant if you're writing a fantasy and/or science fiction story, sometimes it's better to just simply tell the reader- especially if it's otherwise meant to be in the background. Most people in general do not need to read eight paragraphs explaining how to prepare a specific dish if it doesn't affect the story overall- no matter how exotic you think it is.

I don't write fiction, but in media writing and journalism, that too is drilled in. However, I always took it to be that telling is a bland offering of facts, where as showing is bringing the reader/audience into the scene - which can be done very simply without waffling on. That though is the issue with so many fiction writers - they waffle.
One of my teachers made us do an exercise once which was called "500-50". Write 500 words on a topic and then graduate down to 300, then 100, then 50. All on the same topic, with the intent to convey the exact same info rich message to the audience. IMO it takes the art of "showing" and renders it down to the technique of telling - it's a good medium.
It's something that I honestly use all the time in self-editing - whether it be for speech or narrative based pieces, really helps to keep you on point, but engaging.

 

[HG 400]

You should all just give up on writing and get a job stacking shelves in the local supermarket.

 

[DeadwastePrime]

You should all just give up on writing and get a job stacking shelves in the local supermarket.

you cant tell me what i can and cant do with my free time mom

 

[Dark Emporer Dood]

Keep descriptions short, too many fictional works get bogged down by describing every bit of detail, not letting the reader use their imagination.

 

[Replicant Sasquatch]

Keep descriptions short, too many fictional works get bogged down by describing every bit of detail, not letting the reader use their imagination.

I think what's really important is filtering descriptions through your characters. Showing your world is good. Showing how your characters percieve it is better.

 

[Dark Emporer Dood]

I think what's really important is filtering descriptions through your characters. Showing your world is good. Showing how your characters percieve it is better.

Key word being "show", not "tell".

 

[vertexwindi]

Here's one writing tip I really like in particular.

A lot of writers talk about how they suffer from writer's block. I've never had that happen to me, because I take my inspiration from the easiest place where you can find it - real life. Take the most narratively interesting parts in your life and use them as a guideline for writing your story. Base characters off real people you know. Talk to friends or family, learn about their stories and what kind of people they know. Tada - an endless source of inspiration.

 

[Tragi-Chan]

This is gonna contradict some popular advice, but sometimes you do need to tell instead of showing if you want to avoid info-dumping.

It confused me at first because I've had "show, don't tell" drilled into me by my English professors.

This is relevant if you're writing a fantasy and/or science fiction story, sometimes it's better to just simply tell the reader- especially if it's otherwise meant to be in the background. Most people in general do not need to read eight paragraphs explaining how to prepare a specific dish if it doesn't affect the story overall- no matter how exotic you think it is.

Quite a good way to introduce exotic concepts in worldbuilding is to introduce an outsider character. That way, you can talk about concepts that will be alien to your readers by having them be alien to your characters.

Spoiler: Two examples from the same book

One of my favourite fantasy novels is China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, which is set in this utterly bizarre fantasy world, and particularly in the city-state of New Crobuzon. The starting point for the story is a being named Yagharek, a bird-man from the desert whose wings have been removed as punishment, and who comes to the city seeking someone who can restore the power of flight. He meets Isaac, a dilettante scientist. As Yagharek experiences the city, we get to see the weirdness around him through his eyes, and similarly, Isaac is able to show us how weird Yagharek is. Their conversations enable Isaac to talk about technology and magic in the world.

Isaac's girlfriend is a khepri named Lin. Khepri are this race with the bodies of women and scarab beetles for heads. Lin herself is a bohemian outcast from khepri society, and by discussing her reasons for abandoning khepri society, the author is able to describe khepri (and human) society in this world.

Granted, Mieville isn't entirely innocent of info-dumping, but he does make it flow naturally into the story.

Better known examples are the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings books and the companions in Doctor Who.

 

[UnclePhil]

Some of the best advice I've seen on the subject is Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules for Writing:

1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said” … he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

 

[Koby_Fish]

One thing I've avoided since middle school is writing anything in first-person perspective. I did it a lot when I was younger because of the story prompts we were given for creative writing in elementary school ('so-and-so and I'), but I found that reading first-person perspective annoyed me a LOT because I'd often forget WHO was speaking. "I this" and "I that" got soooo repetitive, too. I prefer third person perspective, typically third person omniscient (or close to omniscient), because it's easier to read, and easier to keep track of who is who. But that's just my opinion and two cents worth of :autism: :autism:.