How NOT to Write

If you like writing analogies DO NOT READ THIS!  You will be disgusted and perhaps scarred for life... but if you just want to laugh at how bad other people can write than go ahead, read on.

Another Update

Wow.  It's been a REALLY long time since I've posted on here, so here's another update.
First off if you read my last post I've switched gears since then and started on another idea for a book that I've had for a super long time... though not quite as long as the trilogy.  I've been using the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum to hammer it out and it's been coming out quite nicely.  (go to: http://www.oneyearnovel.com/ if you are interested in using the best writing curriculum EVER)!
My goal was to enter it in the annual OYAN student writing contest but had a bit of an emotional set back when my favorite uncle passed away in a car accident.

Whenever I think of him (which is often) I just thank God he was a strong christian that served Jesus Christ and that I know without a shadow of a doubt that he is in heaven right now.


Any way back to the book... I've been using this extra time to edit, review, and redo my book.  It's actually changed quite a lot from what I had planned on originally and it's coming along much better than what it was before.
Plus I've just been playing around a little and came up with this for the fun of it:
book characters / actors, pinterest album
if clicking the button above doesn't work here is the actual address:
https://pinterest.com/phantomhero/book-characters/
(to help others visualize my characters when I'm telling them about it until I can find time to draw some pictures).
And if you'd like to see some artwork for my Sci-Fi / Fantasy trilogy I made another album for that @:
https://pinterest.com/phantomhero/concept-art-for-my-books/

Also I know have an Aspiring Writers facebook page (which I check and update slightly more often than my blog)
www.facebook.com/Aspiring-Writers

Book Updates

I know I usually have advice on how to write your book but I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to write down any tips, so this blog will just be a quick update on what I'm doing with my books.

First of all I've had an idea for a book that I wanted to write for about eight or nine years now and I started actually writing it down and coming up with more ideas in the past year or two.  Now it's actually going to be more like a trilogy and later I'll write a prequel and then a sequel.  I'd rather not disclose much information now (until I can get it copyrighted, because you never can tell who looks at your stuff on the internet), so all I can tell you is it has lots of action and is a sort of sci-fi fantasy mix, with dragons and elves and all that other good stuff.

Also I've had what I call brain floods, which is somewhat like a brainstorm but so much more so with so many ideas pouring in I hardly have time to write one down before two more come in.  Once I'm done writing my trilogy I've got a list of other books to write (some of them I've actually already started on).  I'm going to write a western (inspired by something my dad said), a time travel book, a sort of "end of the world because of a nuclear war" book (it will probably be in to parts), a secret agent book (to name a few).  Plus just last night I had this really crazy dream which would make a pretty awesome book (this is another one that I would love to talk about but rather not until I get it copyrighted just because it's such a good idea).  Also I've written and will probably write more children's books (mainly picture books).  I haven't had these published yet and I really need to soon but one is about this kid who tries to pull a rabbit out of his hat but instead gets an elephant.  The other is just a quick adventure two goat kids have when they escape from their pen and get lost in the woods.

"Do this... Unless you're doing this..."

I need to apologize for nearly every post I've put on here where I say one thing and then say "unless it's like this..." I realize that might be getting kind of annoying but that is only because there are so many possibilities and I don't want to be discouraging you from writing things your way.  That is how a lot of stories are written: going against the grain, things that don't normally happen (even in a story), just happening.

Similar Things

I touched briefly on this in the How to Write a Fight post but now I'll cover it a little more thoroughly.
As you write your book or play (or whatever it is you're writing) think up a list of movies and books that are similar to yours.  Maybe it will give you some new ideas but don't do things exactly the same and especially if it was very popular and you have similar things happening in your story make sure it differs enough that people won't instantly think of it as a remake.  Make sure the plot is different, unless of course that is exactly what you're trying to do.  For instance from what I understand Gnomeo and Juliet was trying to redo Shakespeare's famous play and turn it into a comedy.

What Makes a Hero?

The Main Character:

Your main character should be a hero, even some odd stories and movies like Gru from Despicable Me, was the hero in a way.  In the story the hero is the one you should be rooting for (unless it’s someone like Scrooge).  Make your hero someone your reader cares about.  Show them doing things, they don’t necessarily have to be heroic deeds, but things that will make your reader see them as being good and as someone worth reading about.

Purpose:

In order to give your story meaning it is best to have the hero learn something and therefore teaching the reader something, (that is how Scrooge could be the hero and have it work: based on what he learned he became a better person in the end).  Everyone wants to have purpose and without purpose life becomes very dull, this is true with books as well.  Don’t simply insert a random lesson to be learned in the end but have pieces of it appearing steadily throughout the story.  Make it clear in the very beginning what the story goal is (what should be accomplished by the end of the book).  It should be clear that the bad guy needs to be defeated somehow or the mystery solved for the story to end, it’s the how that keeps people reading.  Make it unexpected but not random.

More on this subject (and even more subjects) can be found in the writing curriculum One Year Adventure Novel by Daniel Schwabauer.  Find it at: http://www.oneyearnovel.com/

It is kind of expensive but it is worth it!  If you're not sure if you'll like it on their website you can request a free dvd that tells about the course and includes the first lesson as a sample.  I've been taking this course and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in writing a novel (whether you already know what you want to write about or you're interested in writing but don't know where to start this course will be perfect for you)!  I haven't tried out their science fiction and fantasy course yet but I'd really like to sometime.

Conversation

Only write things that you would say if you were in that situation, unless for some reason you need a character to say something unusual.  If you’re not sure how it went, re-read your conversations and make sure they flow naturally.  Try not to have frequent repeated words like: "typically," simple words like: "the" that appear quite frequently in everyday speech usually don’t apply.

To liven things up try giving someone an accent.  Make sure it’s familiar enough to you that you can write it without to much trouble (if you’re trying to write an Scottish accent make sure you don’t accidentally switch to Irish).  If you do try this make an effort to throw in words that is used in that accent to make it all the more authentic (just don't over do it).  Things like holiday instead of vacation for an english accent, or "Oy mate!" for "Hey you!" in an australian accent.  You get the idea.