Writing Advice!

[enderdragon]

Hello, MassiveCrafters!

MassiveCraft as a whole has so many types of talented players. Some players are extraordinarily skilled at building, while others have the ability to create unique and honestly pretty amazing pieces of art. This thread will not be about those people, sorry! There are so many experienced and skilled writers on MassiveCraft, who have a wealth of knowledge and information.

Many people, like me, are aspiring to become better writers, so the purpose of creating this thread is for the experienced writers to share their knowledge with us simpleton writers

Generally, I would like to know (not limited to):

· Common mistakes you see with other writers, such as with character apps, lore stories, etc.…

· Tips you have for the aspiring writer to make their writing generally better.

· And whatever else you want to say!

Oh, and please don't be overly humble and say you aren't a very skilled writer. Do us all a favor and just give your two cents or advice, we are all curious to know what you have to say!

Do it for the children!!

 

[Jovee]

I use a thesaurus when I'm writing. It helps to smash through that pesky writer's block when you're trying to think of a word to use, but just can't quite put your finger on it. Additionally, by using a thesaurus, you end up learning new words for the future, which can spice up your writing in the long run. Some might think it's cheating, but I say it's beneficial.

 

[Gabauchi]

a thing i see a lot of very young/inexperienced writers trip up with is a lack of connection in their work. ideas don't have a lot of logical flow, and jump around from idea to idea with little more than a 'suddenly' or 'and then'. it's very confusing and disinteresting for the reader,

a thing i see a lot of mediocre writers doing is using worn out or bland descriptions, which usually involves just switching up adjectives. every red's a crimson as i like to say.

for the first issue, that's more of a personal development thing. as you gain experience and write/read a lot more, you eventually iron out those creases so-to-speak.

and for the second, try using some colorful Literary Devices. instead of using the bland old old bland stuff, you can tie together words and phrases in totally unique ways and connotations that make it way more fun for the reader. go ham, live a lil.

 

[enderdragon]

I use a thesaurus when I'm writing. It helps to smash through that pesky writer's block when you're trying to think of a word to use, but just can't quite put your finger on it. Additionally, by using a thesaurus, you end up learning new words for the future, which can spice up your writing in the long run. Some might think it's cheating, but I say it's beneficial.

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Great tip! I have used a thesaurus in my writing before, and can personally say that it is very helpful.

a thing i see a lot of very young/inexperienced writers trip up with is a lack of connection in their work. ideas don't have a lot of logical flow, and jump around from idea to idea with little more than a 'suddenly' or 'and then'. it's very confusing and disinteresting for the reader,

a thing i see a lot of mediocre writers doing is using worn out or bland descriptions, which usually involves just switching up adjectives. every red's a crimson as i like to say.

for the first issue, that's more of a personal development thing. as you gain experience and write/read a lot more, you eventually iron out those creases so-to-speak.

and for the second, try using some colorful Literary Devices. instead of using the bland old old bland stuff, you can tie together words and phrases in totally unique ways and connotations that make it way more fun for the reader. go ham, live a lil.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the link, it is very helpful

 

[tin77]

With character apps, I'd say to keep your story simple and focused. There doesn't have to be some grand adventure that spans years with a bunch of action sequences thrown in, it can be as easy as writing what life was like growing up.

When you're writing the backstory to a character, try to focus on the main idea of their personality. Make sure their story helps contribute to who the character is now and how they act, try not to go on too much about other characters unless they were a major influence in your character's life. Find a way to be short and sweet, getting the point across. You can see that in a lot of rejected applications that people tried too hard to have an important or convoluted backstory, getting the basic concept of their character lost in it. Find a way to make it meaningful.

That's the only thing I can give advice on and it's really only specific to the character applications, so luckily it's useful when it comes to that.

 

[The Golem]

I've got a few sparse tidbits I might suggest, though they're more of habits I've developed throughout my arbitrary writing phases.

-Google Drive
Now I don't know if many people use it, but I really enjoy Google Drive for being able to save and access my folders. I have a large Writing folder, and underneath categories like poetry, massivecraft, concepts, etc. I think it's neat to have so you can look back on what you've done and no character app will ever be truly lost. And I've found that, similar to what my artist friends tell me, sometimes you get random really cool ideas. Instead of a notebook, since it's 2017, getting a concept page would be really cool to have an idea dump.

-Gathering Concepts
A really cool exercise for getting ideas I've found was googling images. As a former tabletop player, I know that looking up D&D - whatever, can get you some really cool concept art. Even if it's impractical on the forums, having a dark forest to introduce your Shendar hex mage, or a cat prowling the cityscapes to introduce your Altalar Ellon Mage is pretty damn cool. With a quick "D&D forest" search I found this, this, and this.

-Character Apps
For me, I tend to go wild when I wanna make a character app. I never have something planned, I just have x badass scene and I wanna make it real for people to see. Kinda as the others above have said, you want to learn how to keep your writing orderly. Rambling tangents on how badass your rogue slizzar is won't get anyone's eye. And as a matter of fact, you probably won't get any eyes regardless until you do some crazy stuff with x character. So for character apps, I'd say remember to limit yourself. Remember that not everyone shares your vision and will understand what you say, you need to summarize and highlight what's most important.

honestly the above was written in a rant form, but it gives you something, and helps solidify what I felt, so haha. im available to sit down and discuss any writing if u want but i charge the price of friendship so beware

 

[enderdragon]

With character apps, I'd say to keep your story simple and focused. There doesn't have to be some grand adventure that spans years with a bunch of action sequences thrown in, it can be as easy as writing what life was like growing up.

When you're writing the backstory to a character, try to focus on the main idea of their personality. Make sure their story helps contribute to who the character is now and how they act, try not to go on too much about other characters unless they were a major influence in your character's life. Find a way to be short and sweet, getting the point across. You can see that in a lot of rejected applications that people tried too hard to have an important or convoluted backstory, getting the basic concept of their character lost in it. Find a way to make it meaningful.

That's the only thing I can give advice on and it's really only specific to the character applications, so luckily it's useful when it comes to that.

Click to shrink...

I completely agree! I also see many people focusing too much on personality traits, strengths, or weaknesses that will not be of use to them at any time during actual roleplay.

Thanks for the advice! @tin77

I've got a few sparse tidbits I might suggest, though they're more of habits I've developed throughout my arbitrary writing phases.

-Google Drive
Now I don't know if many people use it, but I really enjoy Google Drive for being able to save and access my folders. I have a large Writing folder, and underneath categories like poetry, massivecraft, concepts, etc. I think it's neat to have so you can look back on what you've done and no character app will ever be truly lost. And I've found that, similar to what my artist friends tell me, sometimes you get random really cool ideas. Instead of a notebook, since it's 2017, getting a concept page would be really cool to have an idea dump.

-Gathering Concepts
A really cool exercise for getting ideas I've found was googling images. As a former tabletop player, I know that looking up D&D - whatever, can get you some really cool concept art. Even if it's impractical on the forums, having a dark forest to introduce your Shendar hex mage, or a cat prowling the cityscapes to introduce your Altalar Ellon Mage is pretty damn cool. With a quick "D&D forest" search I found this, this, and this.

-Character Apps
For me, I tend to go wild when I wanna make a character app. I never have something planned, I just have x badass scene and I wanna make it real for people to see. Kinda as the others above have said, you want to learn how to keep your writing orderly. Rambling tangents on how badass your rogue slizzar is won't get anyone's eye. And as a matter of fact, you probably won't get any eyes regardless until you do some crazy stuff with x character. So for character apps, I'd say remember to limit yourself. Remember that not everyone shares your vision and will understand what you say, you need to summarize and highlight what's most important.

honestly the above was written in a rant form, but it gives you something, and helps solidify what I felt, so haha. im available to sit down and discuss any writing if u want but i charge the price of friendship so beware

Click to shrink...

Good habits make strong writers

Google Drive - Yeah organizing your thoughts by using google drive does sound like an easy way to keep all your ideas in one place. I sorta just have documents scattered around word

Gathering Concepts - Gathering concepts sounds like a neat idea, but I bet if you live in a more exotic or crazy busy area then you will have plenty of things to write about!

Character Apps - I have seen it go both ways when it comes to character apps. Some people spend an inordinate amount of time setting their character app up, while others, like yourself, write what comes to mind, or you have a central idea that you have based your character on. In all cases, I agree that it is extremely important to keep your thoughts and ideas in an orderly fashion.

Thanks for all the tips @The Golem

 

[MokeDuck]

I completely agree! I also see many people focusing too much on personality traits, strengths, or weaknesses that will not be of use to them at any time during actual roleplay.

Thanks for the advice! @tin77

snip @The Golem

Click to shrink...

Personally I think this is a lot of very good information. I personally have often simply switched up adjectives in both school and my one character app, and now that I think about it that doesn't really help my writing at all.

One thing I had a very hard time with is that I had a sort of a story thought out, and then I had a sort of a personality thought out. I rarely attributed anything in one to the other, even though I was lucky and they matched really well. Anyway, I would say, as an inexperienced writer, don't do that. ^ I see now that doing that was just me trying to create the perfect character with the most awesome storyline, but then I had to nerf everything and in the end the app took way longer then it should have. Anyway, that's my half a cent. If I had two id give it though.

 

[FeyWitches]

I wrote for a while, and my teachers seem to like what I write so I guess I'm good? But I'm not going to be humble and say I didn't get an A on creative writing (Wait... I'm bragging too much now? Make up your mind...).

Anywho, advice, yes... When I write I generally have a plan... A recent story... I wanted to make a story about a doctor, he was recently divorced, he wants purge, and the like. When writing, you want to grab their attention on the first three to five sentences. So say you want to write about whales... And we are going to write about a journey to a whale expedition... Take me there, convince me to go there with you, make your first three to five sentences exciting and draws the reader in. So, you just convinced, cool, I love whales! But what do we do there? Deliver the excitement or drama you stroke up in the first few sentences, and take me on a journey, whether it takes me through two pages, or four hundred pages, the first chapter or sentence is the life blood of getting your story out there.

Grammar, grammar is key, grammar is in my opinion one of my most important factors. Whether it's re-reading fifty times or running it through grammarly, just... Grammar!

Characters, everyone loves them! But why? Study why people love characters, and apply them to your set of characters. it doesn't matter who they are, give the reader something they will love, and hate. People will love a character if they are good and bad. For me I do a lot of bad characters, not the villain type. Just, these characters of personality that has ill moral, an anti hero, really. What I think makes characters interesting is personality. When I write, I make sure people know who the heck Bonaar is, who the heck Unsterbligh is, who in the damned hell is Alvah. And I do this gradually, you learn them, you learn more and more about this character as you read, you hate them, but you come to love them because they might be cruel, but their endeavors to do the right thing, and is really confused what to do. Give them something to admire of feel sympathy for... Tell me why I want to follow this man around on his horid journey through the sewers.

Also you must develop a severely fast and creative mind... If something doesn't work learn to improvise... A happy ending makes the story bland? Alter it, Bonaar doesn't get the girl and lives happily ever after... That makes it too bland... So go back to the drawing board and think of ways to draw more interest... If you write short dramas like I do... Put them at an end that makes them sit there... Contemplating. If you're writing a book, maybe something that is happy, or just really happy. Depends what mood you want to insert.

Last advice... Originality! What I see in a few stories that beginners write, is that they follow this compass that is generally very cliche. What I do is follow a board that can be altered to your will, it has components and basic structure, but it takes a lot of thinking to track down the themes. I follow the Hero's Journey template a lot... Like, I live by that chart, it has a really good theme and makes all stories interesting. Here's a link to a template http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm
Best thing is it doesn't need all of them. maybe there doesn't need to be a mentor, maybe he never returns, who knows?

So that's my bit...

 

[enderdragon]

So, this isn't really a tip, but it has helped me improve my writing! @DockedRelic mentioned it, and I heard about it from @The_Shadow_King3
Grammarly is a pretty helpful Google chrome extension for your computer. It's free, easy to use, and it corrects grammar and punctuation errors (obviously). It also catches a ton more errors than Microsft word.

 

[soapboxstage]

· Tips you have for the aspiring writer to make their writing generally better.

Click to shrink...

Be yourself, This is what I have to say. First, you need to get sum gud spelling and lak sum gud pruper sentinces that arint tu ling no mittir howe hurd u tra. Next, you must find yourself. What do you want to write? What idea do you want people to get off of your writing? Come up with a common theme or idea you want to inform in your writing. Find some main points/events you want to make in your story that helps us comprehend your main point better. Then, you write it. ALWAYS have a thesaurus and dictionary on hand to ensure you are saying what you want the way you want. Once you do this, write more. Try to write things that you enjoy writing and eventually, find yourself in your writing. Once you have done this, you have developed your own style! Style is pretty beneficial for your writing because it makes your narrators more believable and such. I developed my style by using heavy detail with passive sentences, this gives my writing a more poetic effect and a more gloomy mood. Try to find the things you can use in your writing as well. Figurative language, personification, and pretty much anything that makes your writing more than just words on paper. So, to summarize:
- make sure you have proper syntax and writing and spelling
- find yourself in writing and write more and more often, develop in your writing
- Develop a style by finding yourself in your writing(I know I just said it but it helps)
- Work to make your writing better and find things that benefit your writing

 

[_Boreas]

LITERARY DEVICES ARE GODLY

Imagery, figures of speech, allusion syntax, the list goes on. Just learning to recognize these strategies while you're reading will help you pick up LOTS of skills. Just by weaving these devices into your writing can make your writing so much more colorful, rather than relying on only a thesaurus to keep your reader interested.

PLAN YA CHARACTERS AND STORY JIMBOO

Writing is not as easy as it looks. Sometimes it helps to step back from actually writing, and just taking notes a writing down what comes to mind. Though I haven't written a full length "book" or "story" or whateva, I get ideas a lot and it helps me to carelessly throw my ideas onto paper. Usually my note pages are just a wall of text of name ideas, character descriptions, rough plot outlines, settings, etc. Whatever your technique is, it REALLY helps me to just to get my thoughts on paper to really plan out essential characters, work out plot holes and what not, instead of just winging it and doing it as I go.

YOUR CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT BE PERFECTO

This is pretty obvious but it's one of my pet peeves. DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHARACTERS FLAWLESS. It really pisses me off when low level writers make their main character, or really any character, seemingly perfect. I could go on and on about the stereotypical character types but I won't do that because I don't think most of you need this lecture. Readers can not relate to your character that perfectly fits these stereotypes. One good way you can prevent this is by asking yourself the question "Who are they?" if you can mostly sum up your character in one word such as "Hipster" "Punk" "Nerd" than chances are that character is two dimensional and predictable. Though there are exceptions to this rule, if any important characters fall under this umbrella, scrap the character and work off the most essential qualities of the character.

I know my writing in this probably establishes me ZERO credibility, but I got excited. sorrynotsorry

 

[enderdragon]

LITERARY DEVICES ARE GODLY

Imagery, figures of speech, allusion syntax, the list goes on. Just learning to recognize these strategies while you're reading will help you pick up LOTS of skills. Just by weaving these devices into your writing can make your writing so much more colorful, rather than relying on only a thesaurus to keep your reader interested.

PLAN YA CHARACTERS AND STORY JIMBOO

Writing is not as easy as it looks. Sometimes it helps to step back from actually writing, and just taking notes a writing down what comes to mind. Though I haven't written a full length "book" or "story" or whateva, I get ideas a lot and it helps me to carelessly throw my ideas onto paper. Usually my note pages are just a wall of text of name ideas, character descriptions, rough plot outlines, settings, etc. Whatever your technique is, it REALLY helps me to just to get my thoughts on paper to really plan out essential characters, work out plot holes and what not, instead of just winging it and doing it as I go.

YOUR CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT BE PERFECTO

This is pretty obvious but it's one of my pet peeves. DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHARACTERS FLAWLESS. It really pisses me off when low level writers make their main character, or really any character, seemingly perfect. I could go on and on about the stereotypical character types but I won't do that because I don't think most of you need this lecture. Readers can not relate to your character that perfectly fits these stereotypes. One good way you can prevent this is by asking yourself the question "Who are they?" if you can mostly sum up your character in one word such as "Hipster" "Punk" "Nerd" than chances are that character is two dimensional and predictable. Though there are exceptions to this rule, if any important characters fall under this umbrella, scrap the character and work off the most essential qualities of the character.

I know my writing in this probably establishes me ZERO credibility, but I got excited. sorrynotsorry

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Good tips thanks for sharing!