Young Writers Society

How many types of writing is there?

The usual type I see on Here is novel writing. That, I do want to learn but also if I knew all the types of writing I can choose which ones right for me.

My interest is in writing about abstract things and giving examples of them and relating them to life. For example writing on forgiveness. What it is, an example or a story and how we can become more forgiving.

I also would like to write stories and explain the morals they teach.

What kind of writing is this called?

What type of writing is recommended for me to read? Any specifics is possible?

What things should I master in order to achieve this?

what other resources can I get relating to this?

What sections of our forum should I read upon that is specific to this?

Sorry for the heaps of questions. It is just a burning desire I ''ve had, and have had no-one to
help me.

Really? I usually see more poetry than novel chapters. But it's all a matter of opinion, I suppose.

Looks like your stories center around philosophy. Both subjects have always fascinated me. I'd recommend checking out this site: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/12/02/best-psychology-philosophy-books-2013/. It points out some great philosophy and psychology books. Writing poetry might also help you. I've incorporated lines from my poetry into prose, and vice versa.

Modern works tend to contain more hidden messages than classics. Lauren Oliver's Delirium, for instance--stuffed with them. As well as John Green. The Fault in Our Stars and Papertown, both of which I haven't read fully, but I intend to . What's more, they're entertaining and good-quality writing, and you could learn a good deal more than philosophy from them. Pacing, vocabulary, the works. Hope this helped a little.

Sorry, my bad. I guess I just didn't Look properly. There is some good poetry.

That's close to what I'm looking for. Stories and poems based philosophy. Btw the link you sent me is great. I will definitely look into that. Also do you know of any philosophiCal poets?

I like the idea of changing poetry into prose and vice versa. Maybe a exercise.

But I haven't really started writing yet So I'm finding It difficult. Don't knkwwhereto start. Sometimes I would pick up he dictionary and think of analogis and smilies. Sometimes write a line. Sometimes just write useful phrases. Have hundreds of word documents created, all incomplete and 5 lines each.

In short, don't know where to start,.....

How many types of writing are there?

Ahah. Infinite. Like music genres, you can classify things basically into one or the other, but then someone will come along and claim they fit into neither and make their own genre.

The best advice I have to give is to write what you want, and then see where it fits and edit as appropriate. If you try to put yourself into a bracket you'll be locking doors before you ever check what's behind them.

The big question is probably whether your work is fiction or non-fiction. You can write both as separate projects, but not as a single one.


Fiction

Fiction is writing stories, and you can do it a thousand different ways. Most fiction teaches some kind of morality but not always the most popular. The stories come in vastly different levels of complexity, from the Bible's Prodigal Son to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

It's up to you to decide whether you prefer short stories or epic novels, children's or adults, before you figure out what comes next.

The benefit of this is that blind preaching can turn people away easily, but with novels you have the chance to draw your reader in and make them think about things. One of my favourite things about fiction is that you have the opportunity to explore issues of morality in a safe environment and still have the same impact.

For example, weighing up the positive and negative of the black slave trade is likely to get you a lot of abuse. Weight up the positive and negative of the ogre slave trade will allow you to explore these things without offence or predefined prejudice.


Non Fiction

If you want to talk about morality without going through the motions of writing a story then you'll be aiming at non fiction, and there are different ways you can do this.

Blogging is a chance for you to get your opinions out there easily, and there doesn't have to be any consistency to the topics except that they come from you.

Non fiction books will take much more thought and a vastly broader scope on these subjects (which can be much harder if you set out with a preliminary agenda in mind.) You can also do self help books.

I once read a book, I can't remember what it was called, but it was basically a survival guide for youth, and managed to fit a general hygiene chapter right next to a school punctuality chapter. It worked though because it all came under the topic of, and was written for, teenagers. It was short, which was a shame, but if you find an audience you could cover everything under them- you'd still have to research though.


What would I recommend for you to read...

Everything!

What you seem to have right now is a desire to impact the world through the literary art, but until you find your own unique style, read everything.

If you want to look at topics of morality I'd recommend delving into some psychology books, and also biographies. Morality is a difficult thing. We change our perceptions every day, and no two people are ever exactly alike in how they define good and bad. Nobody ever has the same experience of forgiving, or being forgiven. The more you explore these things and the more you see things from other perspectives, the better standing you'll have in being able to understand and convey your thoughts to a variety of people.


What things should you master...

If you want to be teaching people these kinds of things then like I said above you need to be able to see things from all different perspectives. This will take an open mind.

You'll also need patience. If you're young, there's still a lot that you don't fully understand so try not to rush into things too much. Write about what you have a clear perspective on.


Other potential resources...

The world is full of them. Just go explore it.


Sections that might help you-

Strap on your seatbelt and go check out the Serious Discussion and Debate forum. You'll find a lot of fun stuff, and some a little startling. If you're going to be talking about abstract principles then you need to be prepared for how others might react to them, and also see from different perspectives.


Lastly, on being a new writer

If you're struggling to figure out where to start and you have so many scrap documents then you're simply at the beginning of your journey as a writer.

First of all I'd recommend piling all the little pieces into one document, as a kind of repertoire that you can draw from. It'll keep your computer tidy and make it easier to sift through them.

Try some very basic exercises first just to get the hang of things. Keep a diary and write about your day, describe what's around you, create a few characters and play around with them. The best way to learn is to do it.

Thanks for the advice. Its very helpful.

I intent to base my writing on non-fiction but also fictional stories can be added to make a certain point. Basically, i want to write, to change peoples minds or at least portray my thoughts on life referencing quotes and anything to put my message across. Be it even a fictional story with a great moral.

I've started off by writing 200-300 words a day on a word processor. Just writing anything and everything that comes to mind. Be it describing nature, characters or events.

Is it possible to master writing in all fields? Are there such writers? Just curious

200-300 words a day is a pretty good start!

Can you master writing in all fields... I think it's possible, though a know a lot of people would disagree. If you learn all the necessary skills and keep an open mind then you could produce amazing works in different genres and fields. That's what creativity is all about.

Shakespeare crossed through comedy, tragedy and romance in his most renown works. C.S.Lewis wrote simple childrens novels and very complex works for adults. I've heard H.G.Wells wrote historical fiction as well as sci-fi. J.Patterson has written and co-written in thriller, detective, historical, biographical, fantasy and romance genres.

I think the most important thing to want to write in those different fields. If you force yourself to write or study a particular style without finding reason to then you'll risk putting half-effort into it and picking up bad habits.

First of all, sit back and relax. It's not like you have to be hyper-alert or expert to be able to write. Writing, though it does require considerable effort on the writer's part, should come natural. It shouldn't be a burden. So I'd say, write in a way that isn't a burden to you.

Some suggestions here :

- Are you better at poetry or prose? Which of these comes natural to you? Go with what you can handle best.

- Read, read, read. A writer has to read (unless he/she is an exception of some sort).

- Don't force yourself too much to write in a particular way or to fit into a particular genre (genres, after all, are created by writers)

- Writing doesn't require a tutorial, it's just a process of gradual learning. Don't worry about "mastering" anything.

^ Yea, take that as some "intense" advice from a fellow writer. Good luck. As for the site is concerned, hopefully you'll find some helpful reviewers here and you will, in turn have to review others' work (that's the way it's around here)

Tenyo wrote:200-300 words a day is a pretty good start!

Can you master writing in all fields... I think it's possible, though a know a lot of people would disagree. If you learn all the necessary skills and keep an open mind then you could produce amazing works in different genres and fields. That's what creativity is all about.

Shakespeare crossed through comedy, tragedy and romance in his most renown works. C.S.Lewis wrote simple childrens novels and very complex works for adults. I've heard H.G.Wells wrote historical fiction as well as sci-fi. J.Patterson has written and co-written in thriller, detective, historical, biographical, fantasy and romance genres.

I think the most important thing to want to write in those different fields. If you force yourself to write or study a particular style without finding reason to then you'll risk putting half-effort into it and picking up bad habits.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll just keep writing for a while. And then after some time maybe post some work on here for them to be reviewed and also to see what genre they fit into. Thanks again.

shoaib wrote:First of all, sit back and relax. It's not like you have to be hyper-alert or expert to be able to write. Writing, though it does require considerable effort on the writer's part, should come natural. It shouldn't be a burden. So I'd say, write in a way that isn't a burden to you.

Some suggestions here :

- Are you better at poetry or prose? Which of these comes natural to you? Go with what you can handle best.

- Read, read, read. A writer has to read (unless he/she is an exception of some sort).

- Don't force yourself too much to write in a particular way or to fit into a particular genre (genres, after all, are created by writers)

- Writing doesn't require a tutorial, it's just a process of gradual learning. Don't worry about "mastering" anything.

^ Yea, take that as some "intense" advice from a fellow writer. Good luck. As for the site is concerned, hopefully you'll find some helpful reviewers here and you will, in turn have to review others' work (that's the way it's around here)

Thanks for the tips.I guess I.'ll just keep reading and writing. And post them on here when I get ready. I do feel comfortable In prose but I like poetry. I write them sometimes but I don't know the rules. I have thoughts but don't exactly know how to put them into prose.