fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #5216 ]

[ SECRET POST #5216 ]

⌈ Secret Post #5216 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Writers of FS, what's the advice you would give to a novice writer starting out in original fiction?

Just write. No really. Don't stop to think, "Hey has someone done this idea before?" because the answer is 100% going to be yes and it's going to deflate you.

Write for yourself and only yourself when starting out. There is the chance that you may never develop a large audience but if you enjoy what you are writing then the journey to a complete story will have been worth it regardless.

Read quality work in the genre you want to write about and pay attention to the technical aspects of how the author tells the story. Broaden your horizon and read other genres and non fiction as well - being well informed and well read can only help you when it comes to your own writing. I see too many authors who do not do this and frankly, it shows in their lack of creativity and lack of awareness of genre tropes and clichés.

Practice. Write lots and try to finish what you start, even if it's not perfect.

Edit and revise. Find a good beta, not just a human spellchecker. You need someone who can read with a critical eye towards plot, characterization, pacing and all the little things that go into telling a story.

DA

Find a good beta

I am SO SICK of this advice. It's been ten years, I've asked in three fandoms, asked in beta communities, put out general requests. There's no one out there, or at least so few people who are willing to beta stuff these days that finding one is like winning the lottery. 'Find a beta' is not a helpful tip for improving.

(Cozy Werewolf Anon)

I'm sorry to hear this. I really am.

Um, in some ways going out to find a beta and asking in those communities isn't actually going to net you a beta. I found my writing buddy/editor by making friends with her first in our shared fandom. We established trust first. And what she really does is listen a lot (to her amusement) and helps me apply general advice to my own manuscripts. (We also barter, so I help her with her MSes.)

Like, on tumblr and youtube, there is a lot of really good general advice. And sometimes you get so deep into your own MS you can't see what needs to stay/go/be changed. All a beta reader does is probably save me from editing my work 3 different ways to see which way I like the best.

But here is the thing, even PAID editors might only give you general advice, like "read your work out loud." And editors can give bad advice that might not fit your style/character/writing needs. (I had a couple people blast me for 3rd Omni. Guess what, my story doesn't work for me in 3rd limited. No.)

Editing is a lot of work. And being a good writer doesn't always equate into being a good editor. (Writing and knowing the nuts and bolts of how you do it are 2 different things.) Or having the time/want to do it. Really, start with tumblr, people like heywriters and the 960writers have a TON of good info on their blogs. And they also have ask policies! Lit agents/former lit agents also put good advice on youtube. I really wish I could help you more.

Thanks CWA, I appreciate you taking the time to give me advice at all.

' I found my writing buddy/editor by making friends with her first in our shared fandom. We established trust first.'

This is the only thing I haven't been able to try. Ill health and the financial consequences of that mean pretty much all of my previous relationships have been eroded away, and I have no time to build new friendships IRL or online, and no money to pay an editor. So I'm stuck.

Thanks for the tip about advice on Tumblr. I've been considering signing up for a free course, but all of my work has MLM relationships and sometimes erotic content in and I think it would be too embarrassing.

Anyway, thanks again, CWA. I always love reading your comments about the writing process.

(CWA)

You're welcome!

I'm sorry to hear about your ill health. I understand from one spoonie to another. Many of my own relationships have faded over time too, so I cling to my editor.

Hey, on tumblr no one will judge your MLM relationships! And I don't know how many of those 'free' writing courses have 'homework' so I wouldn't worry too much about it there. Or find one without turn in homework? Like writing master classes can really be less workshops and more the author going "this writing process works for me." And that can be helpful too!

And again, you're welcome. always glad to be helpful!

If you're trying to write original work you want to publish, it should be "get feedback about your writing from multiple people," not "get a beta." Find and join one or more writing groups.

Meh, I'm trying to start out in original fiction now (in a sense? I just need a story for my game and just "kinda want this to be like that, also vibes" won't do I guess, lol.) so I'd like to hear advice on how to... not lose yourself in knowing there's so many ways the story could go, so to speak. Sometimes I think of a scenario, then I think of another scenario and I try to make them fit together but it just doesn't work, they only work as individual scenarios. I think indecision is one big flaw of mine and it's really showing.

I suffer from this too nonny, big time. Also would love help with it.

(Cozy Werewolf Anon)

Hello fellow game dev! Okay, have you tried the SNOWFLAKE method of outlining? (Games are actually good places to have individual scenarios.) Okay, what you do is you put your ideas onto a white board or whatever in like a very general terms. Then whatever your next thought is for that idea, you draw a line and write the next very general term and see if you can get those ideas to connect! So, it looks like a snowflake or a spiderweb.

In games, it's actually OKAY to have a branching story line IF you can program the mechanics for it. "Okay, so character does X and so gets Y quest." or "Character does B and gets C quest." You can have more than one story and more than one ENDING. Which will make your players want to REPLAY THE GAME. WHEEE! (You can also add story percentage completion or methods to TRACK the storylines for your achiever players.)

Or think of your individual scenarios as individual chapters of a greater story. (This what my game dev partner and I are doing.) So, they "Fit" together in the overall arc, but they are each unique stories to that particular part of the map. So, the story might have a "beginning, middle, and end" that are all the SAME, but the player gets to CHOOSE their adventure on how they GET THERE. (Funsies!)

Add reputation points for additional fun of making your characters work harder if your player chooses the "timid" character dialog option. (.... evil, noooo....)

Look into Detroit: Become Human. They had this really amazing branching storyline game mechanic. I mean it's an example. You don't have to get that complicated. It's just possible.

(Hello, Cozy Werewolf Anon - I really appreciate your insights!)

Oooh, never heard of it. (Maybe I would've if I was working on my narrative class instead of procrastinating rn but.) Sounds very interesting!

I thought of making it non-linear but a) programming branches = pain in the ass, and honestly b) it's not my preferred type of game. I haven't worked on a game in years now and I'd rather restart humbly. I actually like what you're doing best, as a player.

I'll check it! Thanks so much!!

Your early things will probably be...not so great. And that's ok. It's part of learning a craft. Don't let that stop you. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just talent. It's practice and finetuning.

Also: enter in short story competitions. 1) they are manageable projects and 2) it might get you published in magazines (and get you prizes).

(Cozy werewolf Anon)

Write what you want to read. Write a lot. Write when you can, as you feel up to it. Writing includes making notes/doing research/watching documentaries. (Oh dear God, so many episodes of Ganglands when I was researching Heathens.)

Take the technical bits ONE thing at a time. Like, if you want to write great dialog. Focus on writing dialog. Watch/Read analyze media with dialog you LIKE. (stay away from daffy question answer exchanges unless it's a police procedural. Law & Order has some great situation dialog though.) When you feel comfy with your dialog skills. You've leveled up. Then work on the next bit you want to work on. (Descriptions, Characterizations, Showing vs. Telling, Conflicts, Stakes, etc. Choose ONE.)

Read. Whatever genre you want to write, whether it's a single genre or a mixed genre. Read in it. Read everything. This is the ONLY way you're going to know the tropes and the conventions typical to that genre. That way you can lampshade/subvert/break at will. If you want to write like scifi thrillers, you're going to have to read science fiction AND thrillers. (Sorry.) The more genres you want to mix, the more you are going to have to read. Analyze what you read and what works/doesn't work for YOU.

Learn to love the word BROWN. If you want to write diverse characters of different races and ethnicities, learn to love the word BROWN. Just. SIGH. Tan is good. So is Olive. White and Ivory. All good words. Red and Yellow are bad. Pale, mixed feelings. Black can be neutral but I'd stay away from it. Food words are out.

Stay away from prologues. And kidnappings first thing. Most readers will skip your prologue and no one is invested enough in your character they're going to care they've been kidnapped.

When in doubt, remember K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid.) If you feel like you're reaching for a thesaurus or right clicking for another word, stop. Keep your descriptions/wordage SIMPLE. (This is how eyeballs end up ORBS.) A line editor will tell you about repeated words and phrases. And they can give you alternatives that mean what you want to say. So, you can fix it later.

Get that first draft out. The first draft's purpose is to get the story in your head out on the page. I don't care if it's an outline, a paragraph outline, an actual narrative story, just get it out. It's word vomit. It's only purpose is to exist. That's all it has to do. Exist. If you have TROUBLE with this, try the NANO method.

Everything, and I do mean everything can be salvaged in editing. Look, I know, editing is hard and painful. It's part of a process. No one writes a perfect first draft.

Remember writing is work. Find ways to make yourself comfy and get the ambience you need to concentrate. It's okay if you write 100 words at a time. You'll get more words out the longer you write. No one starts at 10000 words a day (and most never reach that, at 8K I get tired and I've been writing close to 20 years.) Sometimes, some days, writing a single sentence is progress.

Lastly, Find a writing buddy who you can share your ideas/goals/visions for your writing with in a safe space. Love your writing buddy. Listen to your writing buddy's ideas/goals/visions for their writing. Your writing buddy will be honest with you b/c they love you and your work. So, look for a writing buddy that will lift you up, instead of tearing you down. (No writing buddies that insult you or your ideas in a personal uncalled for manner!)

Hope this helps. Happy writing!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #5216 ]

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