Apparently I fancy myself a writer now

[ZeldaQueen]

If you're interested in improving your writing techniques, there are loads of websites for people trying to produce works of literature.

My suggestions? First and foremost, make the story your own. Don't try to copy the style of another writer or use a certain style because "oh, it's a romance/comedy/murder/etc novel, it should use this style of writing". Don't try to string it out or make it a certain length. Just get the story down. You can always go back later and flesh parts out if you feel they ought to be bigger.

My second suggestion is to make sure you know your characters and have them developed very well. If you develop your characters enough, they'll almost make their own choices in the story. Also, if you identify with them and understand them more, it will be much easier to figure out what they'll say or do. Finally, balance out your characters' personalities. Don't make everyone perfect. Don't make everyone win. No one likes a Mary Sue.

[90's Child]

Originally Posted by ZeldaQueen

If you're interested in improving your writing techniques, there are loads of websites for people trying to produce works of literature.

My suggestions? First and foremost, make the story your own. Don't try to copy the style of another writer or use a certain style because "oh, it's a romance/comedy/murder/etc novel, it should use this style of writing". Don't try to string it out or make it a certain length. Just get the story down. You can always go back later and flesh parts out if you feel they ought to be bigger.

My second suggestion is to make sure you know your characters and have them developed very well. If you develop your characters enough, they'll almost make their own choices in the story. Also, if you identify with them and understand them more, it will be much easier to figure out what they'll say or do. Finally, balance out your characters' personalities. Don't make everyone perfect. Don't make everyone win. No one likes a Mary Sue.

Actually, the sad part about that first one is that the overblown, florid language I use is sort of my style. The reason I do that is to try to make it very vivid to the reader, not so much to posture at being sophisticated as to try at being vivid and descriptive, but I can see it has backfired and made me look silly.

And I actually do have several character development arcs planned, specifically for the characters Lou; who grows to actually somewhat enjoy his condition, and Ben, who learns to accept his weakness and develop his true strengths. And I do have the personalities for the chracters well-defined, such as Lou being quiet and shy, Ben being very agressive and trying to overcompensate, Timothy as enjoying his condition very much and always being chipper and playful, amongst others.

But enough about that. I am goign to start editing my story now. And hooboy, it needs a lot of editing.

[Tadao]

Originally Posted by 90's Child

But enough about that. I am goign to start editing my story now. And hooboy, it needs a lot of editing.

I don't agree with editing it. The Jap in me wants to hit you with a bamboo cane.

YOU KNOW THE STORY! REWRITE IT! PRACTICE!

The fluff and stuff helped support the weak pillars. Tear it down and start a new foundation that is free from the virus that spread throughout the paragraphs.

[90's Child]

Originally Posted by Tadao

I don't agree with editing it. The Jap in me wants to hit you with a bamboo cane.

YOU KNOW THE STORY! REWRITE IT! PRACTICE!

The fluff and stuff helped support the weak pillars. Tear it down and start a new foundation that is free from the virus that spread throughout the paragraphs.

Dangit. I wish I had read that post before I started editing. And it seems to me that it works a bit better for me to do massive, massive editing rather than rewriting it from scratch, because I seem to work much better with a framework to go upon rather than from scratch.

Well, I posted the 2nd draft of Chapter 1, so take a look and see if anything improved, and what else I need to do the chang it to make it not suck other than removing all the most unweildy and stumbling prose (which I tried to do)

And what weak pillars do you see other than craptastic prose?