Writing Advice

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Writing Advice

Writing Advice

So I'm not really a writer. I mean I wrote a couple stories a few years that never made it anywhere. I'm always making up stories in my mind but it's hard for me to put them on paper. I want to get into writing but I can never finish stories and struggle with characters. Does anyone have any tips for beginner writers? 

submitted by Leo
(January 2, 2020 - 6:42 pm)

Don't worry. I haven't finished a bunch of stories myself. Character's are an okay thing for me, but I usually struggle. Sorry if I talk about myself so much, I like to ramble. If I wrote anything wrong, my fingers and hands have a mind of their own. I didn't have time to read over this to see if anything is right... so sorry! Besides that, here is my advice!

For any beginner of writing, I'd advise maybe start with a small idea. Try to get the character ideas and the plot of the story and write it down for notes. Later, you can bring it all together and create a story. I began with small stories, leading up to a huge story with chapters. Try writing different stories in different perspectives to find the perspective you like the most (if you haven't found the one you're the most interested in). Try writing often to get used to writing a story (if you want to work on a story often).

For ideas for stories, I personally like to take things that happened to me in the past for realistic stories. For more fictional stories, try to come up with cool ideas! Like dragons and stuff. Always come up with different genres for your different stories to see if you enjoy writing fantasy stories or realisitic. 

For names, I just like to look up fantasy name generators, or look at "good boy/girl names". I'd advise trying to stick with smaller stories and then branch out to longer ones with chapters or anything like that.

Try making a rough draft, slowly getting it to evolve into something better and bigger. Try writing in a journal rather than a computer. I personally like writing in a journal rather than a computer just because I can remember what I wrote down instead of typing, then having to scroll all the way to the paragraph I needed. DON'T WORK ON MULTIPLE STORIES AT THE SAME TIME. It's just confusing and hard to remember which stories have which plot.

Sometimes, I like to just kind of narrate my own story without even writing it down. It gives me something to think about.

For characters in stories, just simply make a charrie sheet like on CB! Do the name, gender, age, personality, appearance, backstory, favourite of anything, and anything like that! You can always draw out the character and write in little notes for the character. OR you could just use a character you already made for a story. I've done that tactic so many times. It's actually fun seeing how your character can just be written in so many stories going through so many emotions!

I write in a lot of detail, meaning I describe the characters, plot, setting, and anything too much. Maybe write in notes for that, don't try to go overboard with details.

If you're ever struggling with a perspective, try writing in it and getting someone who writes in the perspective to look it over. Always be open to constructive criticism. 

And that is maybe SOME of my tips/advice for beginning writers. Thank you if you read all of this. (I might even post more..)

submitted by Luminara
(January 2, 2020 - 8:46 pm)
submitted by Top!
(January 3, 2020 - 8:17 am)

This is really helpful. Thank you, Luminara! 

Also, top! 

submitted by Leo
(January 5, 2020 - 5:19 pm)

I'm also a beginner writer, and if you're having trouble getting a story started/continued, you could try setting the font to comic sans? It worked for me, and I wrote about a thousand words in three hours (which is slow but much better). And then you can edit it until it makes sense or sounds better or mess around with the plot.

submitted by icarus
(January 6, 2020 - 8:00 pm)

Now, I can't ramble on like Luminara, but here's a little advice for fonts. Try using Times New Roman or Comic Sans. It's easier to tell the I's from the L's. If you want a story that other people read, always make it readable. Meaning, that it's easier to read and not a headache to try to find out things. Probably just use those fonts for names with I's and L's in it. 

submitted by *Umi*
(January 6, 2020 - 11:34 pm)