I need some writing tips

[Ironmonger]

I'm starting to get a little flustered with my writing. I have a bunch of ideas for my story, but when I go to start writing I begin to draw creative blanks. I've been reading Fallout Equestria: Starlight, and this author, including others seems to have the ability to take a handful of scenes/ideas and stretch them out into 15-20K chapters. When I try this, it always ends up being right to the point, I can't think of anything else and it's driving me stark-raving mad. Does anyone know how to properly do this, uh, "filler"?

[Derpy Hooves]

There, a few writing tips for you.

Now seriously, I can't help you. I can only write nonfictional and persuasive writings. I basically have the same problem when trying to write fiction. (think about it, when writing essays you are trained to get to your point, not dance around. But storytelling is an artful dance of varying steps, which is hard to do when you're trained to take the shortest route to the point.)

[Quotidian]

^ This.

Good writing needs multiple revisions. Get down your basic point-a-to-point-b stuff, then go back and look for spots where more could take place. When you're writing your first draft, don't worry about anything other than plot and basic logical consistency. Self-editing will kill your story before it's even started. Throw everything in, then go back and pare off the bad stuff.

"What If" scenarios are also good. "What if Blackjack took a bath in full armor?" "What if Blackjack decided to take a shortcut through this minefield?" "What if Blackjack's hooves were replaced with screaming, fang-filled mouths that were never silent?"

Okay, maybe not that last one.

Also, who says short and to the point are bad things? There was this guy called Hemingway you might have heard of. He was pretty popular, and he never used a word he didn't need.

[Ironmonger]

I think I understand now. This makes me lean more towards my theory that despite some authors cranking out chapters in strikingly short time periods, they have actually been over things a lot.

Thanks guys, your help means a lot to me.

[Harold_Genhi]

One solution to breaking through the writers block is to just keep writing despite cracking out terrible sentences and terrible ideas and stunted dialogue. It doesn't matter. As you keep writing you will give yourself ideas and start back up again. The time it takes for this to happen can be rather long. (I once went two crappy chapters of writing before I realized where the story should be going) After that, then you go back and basically erase everything that you had (re-read it just in case it happens to be pretty good) or revise it to fit in with the story. This helps crack the writer's block.

As for the filler that you require, you need to show the read not tell the reader. Describe what needs to be described and avoid using words like "got, very, really, nothing, everything, things, stuff, was/were, and am,is,are". They are lazy words that you can create a whole sentence for filled with description. "He was dead." can become. "The rancid stench of rot grazed across my nostrils sending a sick lurch in my bowels. My eyes watered as I raised my hand to my mouth in hopes of holding the stench back which I'm sure it would be possible with how thick it floated in the air. Rounding the corner, a crumpled form a torn piece of meat in clothes materialized out of my tear filled eyes. The hope of calling out to the pile of what I assumed at one point walked and talked like a man would be futile. Instead, a dull fear permeated my being and rattled my heart. Of course, my stomach caught up with me first and I coated the floor in vomit. As if expecting a response, I peered back to the crumpled man to see any movement. None. It confirmed my suspicions. With what will power I had left, I hurriedly ran past the blood soaked floor around the lump of a man. Death struck this man quickly, or at least, I humored such an idea to steady my panicked heart."

And that is how you convert 3 words into a paragraph.

[Ironmonger]

That...is rather insightful, thank you. I figured out one thing that seems to help, if I can get to a quiet place after getting some ideas I can work them around in my head and get something decent. Another thing is putting myself in the character's place and describing how I felt and what I sensed. I'm starting to get my ball rolling again.

[Harold_Genhi]

I normally envision it much like a movie, put on some headphones and play some fitting music for the scene. It helps me concentrate since I am a movie addict. I'm sure it doesn't work for everyone and you have found your own way of handling it. You should only write when you want to write. Writing when you don't want to write only spells terrible. This is different from writer's block where you want to write, but have a mental block to do it. Also you can expand your work by including some descriptors during dialogues. So instead of just "She said." it can become. "She shuffled her feet uncomfortably." The said would be an indirect affirmation and now you'd given her some movement as she talked so you don't get an Elder Scrolls Oblivion speech that freezes the world around them.

And remember that scenery can set the tone, but you must describe it that way. You can also use contrary descriptions to hint at the personality of a character. Normally one would say, "The rose had a pleasing aroma." Now you have an evil character that hates roses. You could say. "The sweet smell of the roses tickled the nose of (Insert Evil Name here) causing him to grimace." You could tackle it as through the personality of the villain. "The roses reeked of kindness and weakness as (Insert Evil Name here) smashed their frail forms under his cold metal boots." Here the flowers have lost their sweet aroma to something that reeks, at least to said character. It allows for a nice variation.

I'm rambling. If you want any other advice on anything, I will jabber on.

[Ironmonger]

Keep jabbering if you feel like it! I'm here to learn after all, and I'm absorbing this line a magnet does nails.

[Harold_Genhi]

And have fun. Don't try to emulate someone else. Writing is for you and no one else. Take criticisms with an open mind and the desire to do better even if they berate and belittle your work. Do what you feel is right, not what the reader wants.

Oh, and in terms of creating villains or the antagonist of your story, a powerful approach is to somehow get the reader to like the villain. The last story I wrote, I had people who wanted my villain to win because they felt he was actually in the right. (I don't know how I managed to gain such an effect.) So my villain, who is my avatar had people rooting for him to win. This creates a very powerful dynamic at the end of the story as the reader no longer knows who is right and who is wrong. You've grayed the area and create a moral dilemma. Of course, this is only if you wish to create a gray villain which are my favorite, but not necessarily the greatest. Truly evil villains are also gems in the story. Villains that can truly shock the reader with their genius or their cruelty. The most important detail is to make them slightly less or as important as the protagonist (hero) of the story.

In terms of length per chapter, I normally write about 5000-7000 words per chapter. It is about average without losing the attention span of the reader though it depends on the genre and a number of other opinionated preferences.

And to help improve interactions in the story, people watching always helps. Just sit in the park or the mall and just watch people generally. Don't stare, but notice their little idiosyncrasies. How a couple eats together. How short people deal with tall. How mothers deal with kids. How kids behave. Even relate yourself in that position and truly picture what you would do there.

And another random tip though I don't know how good such would be, just generally write on your own. It doesn't need to be about your big project, could just be a short story about something that comes to mind. The practice helps you focus. Equally, reading other's works is great at learning techniques and style. With other's work that is better than yours, you can find where you go wrong and have examples in which to correct your work. If they are worse than your work then you will learn what not to do. Plus you can read when you don't want to write and if you don't want to read... well... Party Hard/Soft. Artwork can also help. Look at a picture and write a story about what happened in that picture. It could be completely made up. Could be a dirty hobo woman, but you see a peasant that was attacked by a dragon and how her son is now valiantly fighting for her safety.

Letting go and just writing is the goal. Truly just letting your imagination take hold is incredible at times. The possibilities are truly endless. That's all the random tips I have, I think. Anything else would need to be specific questions.

[Ironmonger]

Not sure if anyone could help with this, but one of the things I've been having trouble with is picking a "theme" for my story. Somber has...whatever all of that is (not sure of the words to use), Heroes has this sense of blending in and being unassuming, and Starlight has the Seven Deadly Sins. I've been considering using neutral elements such as War and Death as my theme, with certain characters being their avatars, said avatars would be a balancing factor for the elements of harmony and disharmony.

[Harold_Genhi]

What is your favorite theme? What is the theme that you enjoy the most when reading other fictions. Do you prefer it dark, brooding, psychological, rainbows and kittens, ect.? Your favorite genre is the easiest to get into and your preferred theme. Mine is psychological mindf*cks, and I am really good at them, though my writing style, amid my advice, is lacking and grammar mistakes abound. I could revise it and make it shimmer, but I've been in an art stint lately... digression...

Finding beauty amid death would be the type of theme I would follow. Death and War are virtually the same side of the coin though finding Peace in Death would be an interesting element. Go with what you feel right, write a few paragraphs of it and see how it feels. If it feels wrong then keep experimenting. Writing doesn't just happen... then again sometimes it does just happen. The world is a mystery.

[Ironmonger]

...You make a good point. I think I have found my theme: coping with the effects of being on the verge of war and being in a war, along wit observing the possible upside of a conflict. Fallout Equestria talks a lot about the after-effects of a huge war, but not of actually being in one aside from memory orbs and whatnot. I guess the theme would be that some things must happen and others will happen, no matter how terrible they are or large-scale.

EDIT: Damn it I think I just derped what I was trying to say. I'm posting in the midst of insomnia.
Anyway, one thing I could write about is how people tend to personalize or give-face to something bad that happens, like "x was y person's fault" or "as long as x is around we will have y"

[Harold_Genhi]

And you are now on your merry way to creating a story.

[Kippershy]

So... to the people saying you should rehash your shit a few times...
Is it bad that I don't?

I mean, my chapters only go to 10k - but that's all I want them to go, really. I could go for 15k - 20k chapters, but I feel that 10k for me, is enough to have some real content down, enough to have some filler, enough that it's worth reading while not so long that you have to have immense amounts of focus and time to get through.

Is it a bad thing that I just write, write and write? Of course, I look over what I have after each section and change it slightly if needed, but mostly I don't need to.

(Not that this helps Iron in any way. One suggestion would be to go for 10-15k chapters instead of 20k+)

[Kippershy]

Also, in terms of themes, you'll have to find something important to you and something you feel you can really involve.

Broken Bonds has at least two main themes.


1. Justice, mercy and if the ends justify means. Leadership is a big thing in my story, from the main character to the biggest picture, leadership is a pivotal part.

2. Relationships - both intimate and casual - and - breaking the bonds of those relationships. (Hence the title, Broken Bonds.)


Of course, there's sub-themes within the story itself. Project Horizons has a lot of sub-themes but you shouldn't go for too many unless you seriously think you can handle the work.
Broken Bonds will probably end up around 450k words or so because I know I don't have the skill to handle a Project Horizons sized piece.
(Which right now puts me at 1/3 of the way through, personally, and that scares me.)

[Ironmonger]

For me, my important cause would be finding something to fight for.United States Army: "This we'll defend."

After doing the math, I fully expect Armed Redemption to be no less than 700K words. I won't be finishing it for years so I may as well have some fun with it and give my readers the quality they deserve.

[Kippershy]

I could go longer with Broken Bonds and I'm not putting a hard limit on myself - I just don't want to feel like I'm a failure because I say I plan to hit 700k words and don't manage it (if I don't.)

450k is a much more forgiving target, especially seeing as I'm at 173k currently.

[IncoherentOrange]

Now, I have a pretty fickle writing process, myself. It's entirely dependant on whether I'm in the mood and/or bored enough to not do anything but write, yet I love writing; it's fun. Strange, isn't it?

On themes, since I often (80% of the time) use humans in my stories, I place small focus on interactions between ponies and humans, their similarity, but mostly on the conflict, which always concerns why humans and ponies have met in the first place--usually it's something bad. Eclipse in particular has interaction and comparison as its primary themes, while lacking action enough to call it an action story. I don't plan for it to exceed 50K, but I have not a real ending in mind, but I do have a sequel. It will be named Follower.

On the subject of chapter size, I personally believe in planning ahead, but only making chapters 3-5 thousand words long (or, formerly, even 1.5-2.5, but I've wisened up). It leaves more of an ability to receive feedback, you still get plenty done, it bumps the story more often, and you can make more adjustments and go back on your plans should they turn out flawed. I've yet to publish a chapter greater than 4.5 thousand words in length, since I usually accomplish my objective for the chapter within three, and add details and stuff to it before sending it to whoever it goes through before publishing. I think I could use a co-writer, to keep me motivated. You have that in Frost, Iron.

So ends my blathering on about writing. Might come up with more.

[Ironmonger]

Ya know, we could turn this thread into a writer's clubhouse instead of just my little place to receive tips. We writers having a place to exchange tips and whatnot could be beneficial.

Speaking of which, I'm attempting to found a group on Fimfiction for authors to promote their stories, and the members promote each others stories. The logic being that it can be difficult to get views for a story so we show off everyone's work.

[Flying Ace: Comet]

Anyone else see two "writing"s in the title?
~Comet<3

[Ironmonger]

Anyone else see two "writing"s in the title?
~Comet<3

The fu-*looks at title*-WHAT THE HELL?!

My brain does this crap of ignoring duplicates I make. This becomes irritating.

[Flying Ace: Comet]

Anyone else see two "writing"s in the title?
~Comet<3

The fu-*looks at title*-WHAT THE HELL?!

My brain does this crap of ignoring duplicates I make. This becomes irritating.

Lol, no problem, just saw it haha

[Ironmonger]

Thanks for pointing it out. I rarely catch this myself! XD

[Flying Ace: Comet]

I'm usually a Grammar Nazi when I decide to attempt posting on this site. That is the only reason I noticed the error. (x
~Comet<3

[Ironmonger]

I have an excerpt from a new chapter of my story that I've edited using some of the above tips. Anyone feel free to look over it.

No major spoilers:

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

here is a link to the great wanderer d and all his blog guides

http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/38998

[Sponsored content]