/lit/ - Literature

[Tom Harper No.1870488]

/lit/ i want to start writing can you give me any tips?

[Anonymous No.1870495]

Write about underage wizards and sparkly vampires. And remember it's always ok to be racist to white people.

[red No.1870496]

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Both-Sides-Brain-Breakthrough/dp/006254490X

[Tom Harper No.1870528]

>>1870495
>>1870496
no

[Insinuates gODS No.1870535]

Just the fact that you asked this question proves that you will never succeed with writing.

Enjoy your delusion, brother.

[Anonymous No.1870536]

Ultimate Writers school 101 generic but important advice****.

1. Show. Don't tell.

2. Withhold information smartly. Don't be overly revelatory at an inappropriate time. (note: this is different than obscuring and muddling everything and then creating an "ah-ha" moment like a mystery novel).

3. Consider what your characters want. To quote Vonnegut, all the characters should want something, even if it's just a glass of water.

4. Determine whose story it is. The story often does not belong to the narrator. This is important to keep in mind in order to avoid writing that is tepid and aimless.

5. Make sure all the main characters are connected *somehow*, even if only ostensibly/vicariously/tenuously

6. Make sure what you're writing answers the "So what?" question. What is the upshot? Why do we care about the characters and what is going on?

****All rules are meant to be broken.

[Tom Harper No.1870557]

>>1870536
elabortae point 1 please

[Anonymous No.1870561]

The number one rule is not being a faggot, and you have clearly broken it.

Sorry OP, you'll never write a good novel.

[Anonymous No.1870562]

>>1870536
1. A bad writer doesn't know the rules.
2. A good writer knows the rules and follows them
3. A great writer knows the rules and knows how and when to break them.
4. An excellent writer knows the rules and ignores them.
4b. A good reader knows the difference between 4 and 1.

[Anonymous No.1870584]

>>1870557
An example:
Sally walked out of the room. She was mad.

Can be improved to:
Sally stormed out of the room.

You know Sally is angry because she stormed out of the room, you shouldn't say that Sally is angry, because you can show it.

Dialogue:
'Fuck you!' Sam shouted angrily.

This is fine, apart from that fucking adverb, but it can be improved.

'Fuck you!' Sam said.

'Fuck you' is already an angry sentence. We know that Sam is angry without saying anything else. Give it some context and you can make Sam seem like he is in a Biblical rage.

These are just basic examples, but tl;dr:
Show us that Sally and Sam are angry through their actions and language. Don't ever write the words, 'Sam and Sally are angry.'

[Tom Harper No.1870588]

i'm just wanting to start writing as a hobby, I'm not interested in showing anyone I', shit probabyl but i just wanted some advice to help and i guess its helped a little so far thanks

[red No.1870596]

>>1870584
>sam said
Or you know, just
'Fuck you!'
Then followed by either the persons response, or sam following up.

[Tuc No.1871984]

If you want to be a serious writer you must:
*constantly read (a good writer appreciates the masters before him)
*constantly write (coupled with reading, one can see an improvement in his skills)
*constantly have others revise

Do NOT believe the ass hole who makes statements like "Well Ernest Hemingway just got shitfaced and became a literary giant." Hemingway would work up to 9 hours a day and THEN he would get shit faced. If you want to write something to be proud of, you need to work for it--much like everthing else that is truly rewarding in life

[Anonymous No.1871991]

pick up some how to books like the art of fiction by john gardner, they'll be much more informative and interesting than this thread. You probably know all the obvious advice already anyway.