I'm posting now to give advice. I got the idea as I was editing my little sister's story for her Creative Writing class.
Punctuation is probably one of the most important aspects of writing. Take this, for example:
Commas create drama!
That's right--it's underlined and bolded! (And there's an exclamation point--that marks importance too) That means it's important. Depending on where you put a comma, it can tell the reader where to pause, where things end, where it gets harder for the character to continue or breathe or anything. Commas, punctuation, periods, are where things start to become real.
If you don't know your punctuation, then I hope you learn to. You can really get creative with punctuation. It's half the writing! That and spelling, of course--along with grammar and word choice... but those are topics for another time!
Happy writing!
-Anevay
Friday, January 27, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New prompt? I'm thinking YES.
Snagging this one from my Writing Club... thanks, Stephanie... and here we are! My prompt on this was a very depressing, very well-written story about one of my favorite characters I have created. I know, kind of contradictory, but the pessimistic characters are always my favorite! Here we are.
It's a character development story. Pick two or more of these questions, choose a character already created or make a new one, and answer the chosen questions in your story. And the questions are:
1. What do they fear?
2. What do they remember with guilt?
3. What is their happiest memory?
4. How do they feel about love? Have they been in love before?
5. How much torture would it take for them to give up their mother?
6. What is one thing they would change about themselves?
7. What is one secret they would never tell anyone?
8. What is their ideal life?
9. Given the choice, would they rather kill themselves or kill a stranger?
10. What do they dream when they sleep?
Trust me, these are important questions that open the body and soul of a character. It reveals the way they not only see themselves, but others, as well as their family--and life. I was surprised how well this worked.
See what you can come up with!
-Anevay
It's a character development story. Pick two or more of these questions, choose a character already created or make a new one, and answer the chosen questions in your story. And the questions are:
1. What do they fear?
2. What do they remember with guilt?
3. What is their happiest memory?
4. How do they feel about love? Have they been in love before?
5. How much torture would it take for them to give up their mother?
 |
| I know, I know: bit random. It just caught my attention on Google. |
7. What is one secret they would never tell anyone?
8. What is their ideal life?
9. Given the choice, would they rather kill themselves or kill a stranger?
10. What do they dream when they sleep?
Trust me, these are important questions that open the body and soul of a character. It reveals the way they not only see themselves, but others, as well as their family--and life. I was surprised how well this worked.
See what you can come up with!
-Anevay
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Journalism
Journalism, let's see...
This will be a fairly short post. Journalism, or any newspaper article for that matter, I believe requires a sense of realism, conviction and tone.
The realism has to be done by they way you describe things in detail, and how well you describe their detail. It's about telling people about what they didn't know and not only making them know it, but even want to know it. You have to seize what you want and pin people's attention down with your words.
Your conviction is what makes people believe it. It's what makes them want to know it, because you're writing on it. You've got to convince them it matters.
Tone, however, is particularly important... the way you write about it is the way they view it, or vise versa. One way or the other.
If you write journalism for a living, I salute you. For though I am a writer, I'm only developing my journalism and news article skills. Good luck and happy writing.
-Anevay
This will be a fairly short post. Journalism, or any newspaper article for that matter, I believe requires a sense of realism, conviction and tone.
The realism has to be done by they way you describe things in detail, and how well you describe their detail. It's about telling people about what they didn't know and not only making them know it, but even want to know it. You have to seize what you want and pin people's attention down with your words.
Your conviction is what makes people believe it. It's what makes them want to know it, because you're writing on it. You've got to convince them it matters.
Tone, however, is particularly important... the way you write about it is the way they view it, or vise versa. One way or the other.
If you write journalism for a living, I salute you. For though I am a writer, I'm only developing my journalism and news article skills. Good luck and happy writing.
-Anevay
Monday, January 23, 2012
When is enough?
Advice for the day...
You know, not every writer can please every reader out there. Some readers like fantasy, some sci-fi, romance, fiction. There are the anti-magic readers out there. The realists and techno-geeks, the romantics and action-adrenalin freaks. And though there are tons of different readers in the world, there are books to please every one of them.
The point, you ask? Well, my advice for you writers out there is this: if you want to become popular, write what you want, but write it well and write it appropriate. Play with the audience. Tease them, torture them, push them to the edge, make them cry and make them laugh but know when it's too much and when it's too little. Readers like just the right amount. I would know--I'm a reading fanatic myself.
Writers should understand that people don't like to feel uncomfortable while reading--you have to play to your audience. Play the tune they want and play it good.
A writer should understand a person's motives. That said, it is also essential for a writer to be realistic to some extent, even writing fantasy.
Your challenge from today's post: practice writing in just enough detail to spike a reader's passion, but not too much that they become tired of reading it.
Your next question now might be, 'How do I do that?' And here's my answer.
To have just enough you need to have detail. Follow the character. Don't put everything about the character into one paragraph or even one chapter--siphon it out slowly so that the character grows on the reader.
Don't put descriptions of something into one paragraph, either, or, if the case calls, even in the same chapter or page. Ease it out as the character sees it. Describe it as the character would; in their words and in their ideas of things.
A writer has to train themselves to see when to stop and when to keep going. Soon enough it will become instinct.
-Anevay
You know, not every writer can please every reader out there. Some readers like fantasy, some sci-fi, romance, fiction. There are the anti-magic readers out there. The realists and techno-geeks, the romantics and action-adrenalin freaks. And though there are tons of different readers in the world, there are books to please every one of them.
The point, you ask? Well, my advice for you writers out there is this: if you want to become popular, write what you want, but write it well and write it appropriate. Play with the audience. Tease them, torture them, push them to the edge, make them cry and make them laugh but know when it's too much and when it's too little. Readers like just the right amount. I would know--I'm a reading fanatic myself.
Writers should understand that people don't like to feel uncomfortable while reading--you have to play to your audience. Play the tune they want and play it good.
A writer should understand a person's motives. That said, it is also essential for a writer to be realistic to some extent, even writing fantasy.
Your challenge from today's post: practice writing in just enough detail to spike a reader's passion, but not too much that they become tired of reading it.
Your next question now might be, 'How do I do that?' And here's my answer.
To have just enough you need to have detail. Follow the character. Don't put everything about the character into one paragraph or even one chapter--siphon it out slowly so that the character grows on the reader.
Don't put descriptions of something into one paragraph, either, or, if the case calls, even in the same chapter or page. Ease it out as the character sees it. Describe it as the character would; in their words and in their ideas of things.
A writer has to train themselves to see when to stop and when to keep going. Soon enough it will become instinct.
-Anevay
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Writing Percentages
Writing is 50% skill, 30% instinct and 20% originality/creativity.
You need the instinct to let it flow and create realistic characters, but you need the skill to string words together in sentences and paragraphs and stories that make sense. The originality and creativity are needed to make it yours.
Why fifty percent skill? Because not only do you need to be able to string words together, but you have to make it have a tone. Not only that, but you have to know how to do dialogue, formatting, spelling and grammar, setting and knowing what you're talking about--plus a lot more.
Thirty percent instinct: you've got to know where you want to go and how to make it flow. You've got to know how people react to situations, how to make each character unique and different, how situations and problems effect certain aspects of people--you have to know how each of your central characters will react in any given situation. You've got to know where they'll go, what they'll do and why in any given place. Know what makes your character tick; what sets them off.
Twenty percent originality and creativity: you can't just take someone's story line, put in different characters and call it done. The originality--you've got to have your own twists and places, characters and quirks. Creativity--you've got to get creative with it. Know what you're talking about. Make your characters fun and likable; that takes skill, but it also takes creativity. Creativity is key in creating your own world. You've got to know how to describe something. You have to create your own objects and places, and you need to make them real.
In simple terms I'd put it at this: writing is 60% skill and 40% instinct.
In complicated terms I'd put it at this: writing is 30% skill, 20% instinct, 10% creativity, 10% originality, 10% experience, 10% knowledge and 10% insanity.
However! You aren't just born with that instinct. You have to build it up with your knowledge about writing and the parts attached: punctuation, grammar, spelling, formatting, and so much more that can't be defined as mere characteristics of writing.
Now let's test your writers percentages. Given several characteristics, what kind of character(s) can you come up with and what story would you put them in?
-Boastful
-Prideful
-Miserable
-Sly
-Childlike
-Immature
-Confident
You can use more than one or all of them, whether on one character or multiple. It's your choice as a writer what you create. Have some fun with it.
You need the instinct to let it flow and create realistic characters, but you need the skill to string words together in sentences and paragraphs and stories that make sense. The originality and creativity are needed to make it yours.
Why fifty percent skill? Because not only do you need to be able to string words together, but you have to make it have a tone. Not only that, but you have to know how to do dialogue, formatting, spelling and grammar, setting and knowing what you're talking about--plus a lot more.
Thirty percent instinct: you've got to know where you want to go and how to make it flow. You've got to know how people react to situations, how to make each character unique and different, how situations and problems effect certain aspects of people--you have to know how each of your central characters will react in any given situation. You've got to know where they'll go, what they'll do and why in any given place. Know what makes your character tick; what sets them off.
Twenty percent originality and creativity: you can't just take someone's story line, put in different characters and call it done. The originality--you've got to have your own twists and places, characters and quirks. Creativity--you've got to get creative with it. Know what you're talking about. Make your characters fun and likable; that takes skill, but it also takes creativity. Creativity is key in creating your own world. You've got to know how to describe something. You have to create your own objects and places, and you need to make them real.
In simple terms I'd put it at this: writing is 60% skill and 40% instinct.
In complicated terms I'd put it at this: writing is 30% skill, 20% instinct, 10% creativity, 10% originality, 10% experience, 10% knowledge and 10% insanity.
However! You aren't just born with that instinct. You have to build it up with your knowledge about writing and the parts attached: punctuation, grammar, spelling, formatting, and so much more that can't be defined as mere characteristics of writing.
Now let's test your writers percentages. Given several characteristics, what kind of character(s) can you come up with and what story would you put them in?
-Boastful
-Prideful
-Miserable
-Sly
-Childlike
-Immature
-Confident
You can use more than one or all of them, whether on one character or multiple. It's your choice as a writer what you create. Have some fun with it.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas prompt
Alright, here's a sentence to start you off. Use it anywhere in your story. First person or third, rewording it, I don't care. See where it takes you, and Merry Christmas!
Spending Christmas hiding under our tree wasn't my idea--I just wanted to sit around it and tear open presents, but our little visitor made that impossible. Did weird things like that have to follow me all the time?
Apparently, the answer was yes.
Spending Christmas hiding under our tree wasn't my idea--I just wanted to sit around it and tear open presents, but our little visitor made that impossible. Did weird things like that have to follow me all the time?
Apparently, the answer was yes.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
A story from Anevay
I decided I'd post one of my stories. So, here you go. It's not based on any of the prompts, but it's meant to inspire... something. Get what you want from it.
CLAIMER: storyline and characters are mine. No stealing! Thanks for playing.
CLAIMER: storyline and characters are mine. No stealing! Thanks for playing.
Flat against the wall, she peeked around and quickly withdrew. “Guards,” she hissed. Removing her necklace, she wound the chain around her wrist until the strange, long charm about as long as her pinky finger was in a comfortable grip. Silently, she flicked it open to reveal a tiny knife.
“What is that going to do?” I hissed. The blade itself was shorter than her pinky! She just grinned, reaching behind her to pull out another switch blade a little shorter than her pointer finger. “A few tiny knives aren’t going to help us!”
Ignoring me, she slid around the corner with a knife in each hand. I followed, wondering if she was going to get herself killed. I guess I should have had more faith in her.
As soon as the guards noticed her, she went on the attack. She extended her arm and used it as a barrier, pushing the side of her hand and arm against the guard’s neck. Before he could retaliate, her longer blade’s hilt thudded against his temple and he passed out. The second guard hesitated, and this time, her right foot struck out flat against his knee, causing him to double over and giving her the chance to hit his temple, too.
My mouth gaped stupidly and I hurriedly snapped it shut before she looked back at me. “Handy tools,” I commented.
“The chain serves a dual purpose,” she said, adjusting her grip on the knives. “It hides it and keeps the knife in my grip. If anyone tries to take it from me,” she shrugged. “It stays."
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Random idea I had. I don't know who they are, or what's going on, but that's the way a lot of ideas are with me. Eventually, they turn into something! I think I'll use this in a certain series I've been thinking on... yep, good place to put it. Anyway, hopefully that inspired something in you. A want to write? I dunno. Constructive criticism is welcome!
-Anevay
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