The Writing Advice Game!

[Otulissa]

That's good advice! I seem to never finish anything either... but a few years ago, I finished this one novel, and it made me feel so happy. And ever since then, I really want to finish a second novel. ^_^

Okay, here is something I learned: many of the dreams I have could be turned into a great story! If you wake up from a dream that has a great plotline, interesting concept, cool characters, or anything else that may spark ideas, write it down! If I do not write down a dream, I always forget it quickly.  

[Alice Ate The Cake]

Otulissa

That's good advice! I seem to never finish anything either... but a few years ago, I finished this one novel, and it made me feel so happy. And ever since then, I really want to finish a second novel. ^_^

Okay, here is something I learned: many of the dreams I have could be turned into a great story! If you wake up from a dream that has a great plotline, interesting concept, cool characters, or anything else that may spark ideas, write it down! If I do not write down a dream, I always forget it quickly.

I love that. I used to carry around a tape recorder for just that use lol. But then I lost it sweatdrop


If you get stuck on a part and really can't think of anything, ask a friend or family member you know is god at writing. Don't be afraid to use what they suggest. It's not stealing their work if they let you have it. I always use my mom lol =]  

[Otulissa]

Good advice. XD I am afraid to ask for help with writing, because if someone makes a suggestion, I keep subconsciously thinking that I can NOT use their suggestion because it's their idea and not mine. And if I do, I feel guilty as if I stole something. sweatdrop I guess I over-react too much. Some of my friends say I'm "too noble," hehe...

Okay, if you are having trouble imagining what your character looks like, just draw him or her out! It doesn't matter if you are not good at drawing; drawing something out yourself helps you remember it better. That's what I sometimes do...although I never do my characters justice... *sigh*  

[Ava850]

I have tried that befour. It really helped find out the characters porfile.. good going smile


When wirting a play you should wirte out a outline like you do a story I have found it helps better then just writing down notes.  

[Ava850]

Otulissa

Ooh! That's a good idea. I never thought of it in that way. XD;;

When writing a poem, try not to restrict yourself. Let loose, and let your mind wander, and the words will just come to you from inspiration. Don't try to force out something into a poem on paper; it doesn't work that way. (Unless it's a school assignment. XD;; Then if you have no inspiration, you will have to force it out. I don't think your teacher will like it if you say, "I had no inspiration, sorry!" But, if you are writing in your own free time, let loose!)

{{This has happened to me befour, My drama teacher left for the last 9weeks of my school year and so we had to have a sub for the rest of the year and becase my drama teacher had english classes we had to have a sub who use to teach english or had their degree in english,well she told me to make a pome on spot and I had to turn it in befour class got out(had like less then 30 minutes) or she was going to give me a zreo.. and i chouldnt wirte any thing.. She whouldn't even let me use something i had already wrote. She made me so mad............(SORRY JUST HAD TO SAY THAT)}}

 

[Otulissa]

((Aw... usually for school, I just pump something out of my head randomly, and most of the time, it doesn't turn out that good... xD But I don't want to turn in a blank sheet.))  

[Marissa_Jeane]

((One time I had to write a poem about about Romeo and Juliet, but the amount of writing was restricted to a quatrain. I had too many lines so I had to condense it. THat was the hard part for me.))

I've never written a play before, but if I do I'll be sure to outline it.

When you're writing for a particualar audience, make sure that you use the right kind of vocabulary. For example, you wouldn't use words such as miasma or contaminated if you were writing for younger children.  

[Otulissa]

True, true, very true. I've tried writing a children's book once...and accidentally used big words like "ostentatious" and "tumultuously." And this was in like 5th grade I believe... I liked big words... and what's ironic is the fact that now I use smaller words even though I'm in high school... sweatdrop

Building off of what Marissa said, your topics also have to connect to the age group. Obviously, you are not going to put violent murder or mental disorders into a young children's book, and you probably don't want to put stuff about flying dinosaurs who eat fluffy marshmallows in the sky into an adult's thriller novel. xd  

[rioliogio]

Very true. Unless, in the thriller, it's only a deranged madman who thinks that the dinosaurs are eating marshmellows, when, in fact, they are eating his entire family. Or, in the children's book, you are trying to create an evil race of adorable psychopathic murderers, without alerting the police or the military.

Anyway... Not sure if anyone put this yet... Write the main parts of your story first. You know, the stuff that's really key to the whole plot. Then you can put in the page fillers.  

[Otulissa]

Interesting. XD I should try that; I usually don't do that and end up getting stuck in the middle of a story without knowing how it will end or continue.

Okay, another piece of advice - for poetry - is observing random things you see. Doing this will help you with your figurative language. What does the leaf look like in the sunlight? What is the sound of your mechanical pencil dropping to the linoleum floor? How about the feeling of spilled juice upon your clothes?  

[Marissa_Jeane]

That's a good one. I'll keep that in mind,

This is also for poetry. Remember that poems don't have to rhyme or follow any particular rule unless you're doing a specific type of poem such as a couplet or sonnet.  

[Otulissa]

Okay. And that's very true! I have some friends who're convinced poems have to rhyme. XD And I'm like, "It doesn't! Most of my poems don't rhyme!"

And another thing about poetry -- poems can be as short or as long as you want it to be. Write until you feel you have gotten your inspiration onto paper, and then when you edit, try not to change the first impression, the essence, of the poem. Make necessary alterations, but not too many extreme changes.