Resources for a developing writer?

[Mara]

I write for fun and mainly my own entertainment. Some of you've read my (very long-neglected) blog and I've enjoyed the feedback.

 

I'd like to improve, though. I guess I'm kind of taking a long view towards putting a bit more "out there" for more people to read and, perhaps at some point, get published.

 

But mainly it's a perfectionistic streak in me. If I'm putting it down on paper (or screen), I want it to be as good as possible. The reason so many of my posts have edits is because I cannot STAND spelling or grammar errors!

 

I haven't taken a writing course since high school. Do any of you authors out there have some suggestions on resources I can use to improve my fiction-writing skills?

[Griffon]

These are some general tips, but they help me, and I hope they will help you:

 

Write. A lot.

 

Experiment. Never be afraid to explore some goofy idea or point of view--it keeps you fresh and gives you a wider perspective and plenty of options for how to tell your story.

 

Don't be shocked if the story you're working on dead-ends on page 10 and it won't go forward anymore--the experience of doing it is still valuable, and if you keep it to hand, you never know--a bit of that story in the drawer that can help you work on the one you're working on now. Nothing is ever wasted.

 

Every story is a great one until it starts, and sometimes you fumble the ball because you're not ready to write it. You will, someday. Just don't give up!

 

And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself to get it right, but balance that with a very wise saying: "Perfect is the enemy of Good."

 

I hope that helps. I've been writing for many years and remembering these things has kept me writing.

[CMWriter]

Write. Just write. And when you can't write, read. If not for subject matter, then for style. I started getting into the classics in the beginning of high school and reading those, studying them, that sort of thing, really improved my fiction.

But we'll focus on the writing.

 

I've read your stuff and it's really, really good. There's a lot of promise and you generally have great characters with good background and the like. Learn to pick out your strengths and by all means capitalize on them. Of course, at the same time it's important to recognize your weaker points and practice on getting those better, but there will always be certain things you do better in writing.

 

Prime example: I am a dialogue whore. I love dialogue. Sometimes I just write stories where there is all dialogue and the action is merely implied. However, I often get so wrapped up in my characters gabbing at each other that I get this, "Oh, wait, where were we again?" feeling and then I have to backtrack.

 

But perhaps more importantly is to be patient with yourself. If you write a short story and it looks like utter puke, don't give up. Just write a different story. Of course you have to have a bit of a thick skin when you're asking for critique on anything, but the other thing about writing is that it's largely a matter of opinion. Take everything with a grain of salt but don't dismiss every criticism. In most cases they're just trying to help.

...And whatever you do, don't take it personally. DON'T. If someone hates your protagonist, c'est la vie, move on.

 

As for the more technical aspects of fiction, such as publishing, getting a good agent, a good editor... I'd consult a good magazine such as Writer's Digest, or even just the website (writersdigest.com). It has a lot of really, really good tips about writing in general and getting published.

 

You talked about getting your work "out there".. If you want to stand out, do like you did with that Neil story you wrote and put it on a blog. It's less likely to be seen unless YOU spread it around yourself, but it separates you from the masses. You could also try fictionpress.com, but I'm not a big fan of that (too much like fanfiction.net). Get involved with writing communities. They'll give you the best feedback.

 

..And as I've said before, I'm always available to help give reviews and just to talk about writing.

Good luck! Have fun! The biggest thing I can say is ENJOY IT, because that's all that will make it worthwhile.

[GeddyRulz]

I'm a big cheerleader for Strunk & White's "Elements of Style," a slim paperback with the most important grammatical rules. It gives great examples and isn't written as dry as your English textbooks in school. I see copies of this book at garage sales and always buy another copy, thinking I'm going to pass it on to other would-be writers, and nieces, nephews, and my own children when they go to college.

 

Some other good books on writing include Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird" and Stephen King's "On Writing." I think it was King, or possibly King quoting the Strunk book, who taught me "adverbs are not your friends." You were taught in school to use them, but if you're writing well you won't really need them. A sentence with an adverb can almost always be written without it, and just as clearly. Simplify! If you don't need the word or phrase, take it out. Hemingway is known as one of our greatest writers, and he was also the most simple. "He went down to the sea. The sea was there."

 

In my own writing, I use the oft-neglected and mis-used semi-colon (just as John Irving does), and I don't worry about writing incomplete sentences or starting sentences with a conjunction, if it improves the "flow" or sounds more "vernacular." There are a lot of 8th grade grammatical "rules" which are broken all the time by professional writers; it often makes for better writing to break the rules, not worse.

 

 

[The_Necromancer_77]

Wow this stuff is all very helpful

 

I'm not too great of a writer, but I recommend reading a lot, experimenting, copying (not too much, I think you'll understand), and my favorite: writing down all of your ideas. I've had lots of great ideas and forgotten them because I never wrote them down. It also helps to write down things that inspire you, or that you may have an interest in writing about. Then, when you have a writing block, you can look at your list and put some things together