Topic ID: 15463
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whence
look, it's a whence. Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 17 Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 705 Reviews: 314 Country: For Old Men (take that, Coen brothers) 300 Points
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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Read. The best writer's read the work of better writers, and learn from it.
[fallacy, but good advice] |
_________________ The good parts of a book may be only something a writer is lucky enough to overhear or it may be the wreck of his whole damn life — and one is as good as the other.
Ernest Hemingway
I'm reminding myself to crit this |
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Meep
♥less Master of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 19 Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 1851 Reviews: 209 Country: Nutopia 300 Points
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:38 am Post subject: |
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LIFE.
Literature.
Imagination.
Folklore.
Experience.
Even if it's not a magical cure for writers block, it's a good place to start when you've come to a road block, especially in plot or character development. ("Where does this go from here?") |
_________________ 「… the closer you get to the light // the greater your shadow becomes …」
» temporary hiatus while I go back to school and get settled in again
» enter the "fangirl project" competition & win fabulous(?) prizes! |
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Sam
starface Epic Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 15 Joined: 12 Dec 2004 Posts: 4920 Reviews: 1251 Country: 'mreeka 446 Points
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:57 am Post subject: |
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I think it was Holly Lisle's site (the one that El loves, and I love as well)- something about "Feel free to steal ideas, but twist them and shake them to make them your own."
It's true. Plots are never wholly original- there's always the problem of common themes. There would only be fifty or so stories in existence if we weren't alowed to copy, and that sort of thing.
The "twist" thing is the rule to live by. If you don't twist the things you find- for example, you like the idea of a society that destroys things, like in Fahrenheit 451- then it becomes a Bradbury fanfic. If you're clever, you'd find away to emulate the destruction (taking the idea at its heart) and channel it into something new.
...I think it makes sense, right? |
_________________ You can build a throne with bayonets, but you can't sit on it for very long.
- Boris Yeltsin |
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Samara
Senior Writer

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 116 Reviews: 20 Country: Narnia 300 Points
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Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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^ that's a great tip, Sam.
There are very few stories that are completely original. But you can make an old IDEA original by twisting it. |
_________________ "I can't stand him. His ego is splattered all over that screen and it's making me nauseous."
~Me referring to Ashton Kutcher.
"I think the dragon should eat him."
~My boyfriend referring to Eragon |
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Lynlyn
the ocean is full of water Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Posts: 418 Reviews: 167 Country: Yeah. A little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll. 300 Points
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't expect what you write to be perfect. It won't be. |
_________________ "Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae." -Kurt Vonnegut
Lynlyn's Magical Critique Emporium |
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Samuel Garrison
God Save the King! Master of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 27 Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 1655 Reviews: 297 Country: Native Vermonter. 384 Points
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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You suck.
Encouraging, no?
Actually those single two words are my driving force. I want to excell and reach my full potencial. Until then, I suck. XD |
_________________ PM me if you have added me to a messeging service, otherwise the invitation'll be blocked.
230th F&I Commemeration; Fort Ti, 2007 |
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Gadi.
that was good ... for your age Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 15 Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 996 Reviews: 394 Country: under the covers 190 Points
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| NEVER leave something unfinished. Otherwise you can never take credit for it. |
_________________ my world isn't only beautiful
it is so far away |
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Blooregard Q. Kazoo
Junior Writer

 Gender:  Age: 17 Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 49 Reviews: 32 Country: USA 300 Points
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| I forget where I read it, but my favorite writing tip is to think of a story you would like to read, then write it. |
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Dream Deep
is a teapot Epic Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 17 Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 3654 Reviews: 503 Country: the peace house 317 Points
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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I have to echo Blooregard here:
Write the book you want to read. |
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gyrfalcon
now we must laud the heaven-kingdom's keeper Master of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 21 Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 2153 Reviews: 423 Country: follow me 300 Points
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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1) Always, always, always have a pen with you.
2) When you think of it, write it down. I mean now. Because you will not remember it later.
3) When you can't write, read. When you can't read, write. Fill your days with those.
Sorry, I know it's three, but those are like my commandments. |
_________________ "I would take the song of the swan as my entertainment, the cry of the gannet and the call of the curlew in place of human laughter...storms would pound the rocky cliffs whilst the tern, icy-winged, answered them..." ~The Seafarer, 10th century |
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Poltergiest
Akatsuki Jam! Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 848 Reviews: 164 Country: That one place that's somewhere. 300 Points
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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1) Mind set: I've tried writing when I don't want to but I always end up writing only two or three sentances that really suck. Try typing every now and then and when you start going, don't let anyone stop you. Writing Rampage!!!
2) Environment: I prefer it to be cold, helps keep my mind focused and alert. I also like it to be dark. It helps me be not disracted by other things easily.
3) Time: Always make sure you have enough time. I can't tell you how many time's I've begun to write and have to stop in the middle of what could have turned out to be a really good long session.
4) Pace: Be sure to know when to stop. Sometimes whenver I type for hours on end my ideas get all jumbled together and I get all unfocused. You don't have to write the whole book in one day. Take your time and learn to striaghten out your ideas.
Hope that helped!
~Pol~ |
_________________ I used to rule the world, see it rise when I gave the word, now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own
-Coldplay, Viva La Viva |
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Shine
My life=Randomness Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 978 Reviews: 362 Country: India 319 Points
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| My tip would be read work of others,and believe me there is loads to learn from them.And whenever you are writing you should have the true feelings in it.You should get involved in it. |
_________________ "A good plot is like a dream.If you dont write down your dream on paper the moment you wake up,the chances are you'll forget it and it'll be gone forever"-Roald Dalh. |
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lyrical_sunshine
δυναμις Master of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 11 Sep 2007 Posts: 1355 Reviews: 208 Country: YOUR FACE!!! *bursts out laughing* 792 Points
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Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Trident wrote: |
| You can only break the rules if you truly understand them in the first place. |
gah! my writing teacher says that all the time...
grr...
"I feel the best way to write believable characters is to really believe in them yourself. When you hear a song on the radio, you should know how your character feels about it--which songs your character would relate to, which songs she hates. Hear the conversations that your characters would have when they're not doing anything exciting; let them talk in your head, get to know them. Know their favorite colors and their opinions on current events, their birthdays and their flaws."
~Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series |
_________________ "I am their lawyer, and THIS is my necktie!"
~iCarly
"Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Make some light." ~Kate DiCamillo |
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Perra
Y so srs? >:) Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 19 Joined: 18 Nov 2004 Posts: 752 Reviews: 87 Country: Arkansas, USA 300 Points
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Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:28 am Post subject: |
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Whenever you have to stop writing, stop in the middle of a sentence and right before you get to a good part. That way, when you come back, you'll finish the sentence and get back into the writing groove. A published writer told me that, and it kind of works for me.
My dad always reminds me that Stephen King says to read for four hours and write for four hours. So I always feel guilty that I don't read much anymore. XD |
_________________ YWS gives me carpal tunnel.
Need a Critique?
Evil lurks everywhere, often in plain sight...Can you lurk in plain sight? Or is that just walking? |
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EnchantressMuffin
Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 15 Joined: 21 Apr 2007 Posts: 427 Reviews: 193
300 Points
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:07 am Post subject: |
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My mom tells me that I should write things that I would want to read, and that chances are somebody else out there will want to read it, too.
Yup. Good advice, in my book. Maybe not the most critically inspiring, but still. Good advice.
Peace, love, chocolate,
Muffin |
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