Matt Devitt
Acolyte
Is there anything that has stuck with you till this day while you write? For me, it's, "add as much detail as possible. Make the reader feel like they're in the story."
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What's the best writing advice you ever received?
- Thread starter Matt Devitt
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pmmg
Myth Weaver
I dont know that it was advice. More like a comment.
I wrote a sentence like 'It was late in the day when Eldin caught up with the two, he was sitting on their porch when they appeared on the road."
The comment was, how could he be catching up to them when he is sitting, they are instead catching up to him.
It was a moment of epiphany, that stuff that passes in everyday conversation does not pass in writing. One of those that clued me in to Clarity matters.
I am sorry, but I cannot agree with the above though. There are many way to immerse one, too much detail, and skip till its over is how I will read it.
I wrote a sentence like 'It was late in the day when Eldin caught up with the two, he was sitting on their porch when they appeared on the road."
The comment was, how could he be catching up to them when he is sitting, they are instead catching up to him.
It was a moment of epiphany, that stuff that passes in everyday conversation does not pass in writing. One of those that clued me in to Clarity matters.
I am sorry, but I cannot agree with the above though. There are many way to immerse one, too much detail, and skip till its over is how I will read it.
Miles Lacey
Archmage
Keep it simple. Only add detail if something deviates from what would be expected, it's vital to the story that we have those details or if it's the observation of a character during a quiet period.
I've received very little direct advice, and most of that was in grad school (history). Perhaps the most valuable advice was not advice at all, but was the experience of being a historian, both in grad school and after. No one told me how to write. There were no classes in "how to write history". They just gave the assignment--write a thesis--and let us see when it's done. Once it was done, I received no end of comments and corrections, but those came after the fact, not before. There was no such thing as a developmental editor for the budding historian.
When I started writing fiction, I just assumed that's the way one went about it. Write. Do you best. Correct whatever you see can be corrected, then show it to your peers for feedback. Make more revisions. Publish and accept the criticisms as well as the praise.
Once I began writing fiction I began to see ways I could improve. Many of the things I learned I could find also in the form of advice in articles and books, but rarely was it the other way round. Rarely did I read some advice and then apply it and then find it was valuable. My theory on that is this: each lesson, each bit of advice, has to come at the right time. It must not merely be good advice, it must be good advice *for me, just now*. I have to be ready to hear it. This is why the same book or article can be praised by one writer as incredibly useful, but to another is barely a waste of time.
When I started writing fiction, I just assumed that's the way one went about it. Write. Do you best. Correct whatever you see can be corrected, then show it to your peers for feedback. Make more revisions. Publish and accept the criticisms as well as the praise.
Once I began writing fiction I began to see ways I could improve. Many of the things I learned I could find also in the form of advice in articles and books, but rarely was it the other way round. Rarely did I read some advice and then apply it and then find it was valuable. My theory on that is this: each lesson, each bit of advice, has to come at the right time. It must not merely be good advice, it must be good advice *for me, just now*. I have to be ready to hear it. This is why the same book or article can be praised by one writer as incredibly useful, but to another is barely a waste of time.
Squire Richard
Dreamer
If at all possible, try and contrive a situation where you have nothing better to do than write, such as a daily commute on public transport or as a way to avoid doing something else.
More seriously though, like stated above, you need to work whether you feel like it or not, waiting for inspiration simply won't do.
More seriously though, like stated above, you need to work whether you feel like it or not, waiting for inspiration simply won't do.
Karlin
Sage
I have gotten two really great bits of advice.
1. Take a creative writing course
2. Don't bother with a creative writing course, it would be a waste of time.
1. Take a creative writing course
2. Don't bother with a creative writing course, it would be a waste of time.
Prince of Spires
Istar
Every writer is different. What works for one, may not work for another. Find what works for you and ignore the rest. Treat any advice that tells you that writers must do X as a suggestion to try it, but no more.
I'm not sure I found anyone stating it like that. But at least Sanderson goes into it in his university lectures on youtube.
I'm not sure I found anyone stating it like that. But at least Sanderson goes into it in his university lectures on youtube.
Gurkhal
Auror
That inspiration fades while discipline remains
xena
Troubadour
“Write the scene like only you can.” It remind me to stop chasing perfection and just tell the story my way. This is the best writing advice I have ever received.
minta
Sage
Finish the draft, not make it perfect, just finish it. This is the best writing advice I have ever received.
Insolent Lad
Maester
Read critically. Try to understand how and why authors do things you might or might not like, and feel do or do not work. Put those thoughts into words as reviews, to make them solid. That's advice received as a poet but applies equally well to prose.
"You know writing is a pipe dream."
That was in 2011. Usually, we don't remember most of what someone says, but we do remember how they made us feel. I felt pretty pissed off. I find that when I get motivated, I get a whole hell of a lot accomplished. Blistering hot rage is like lazing a stick of dynamite under my backside. Also great for the memory.
Three books and one of the last things she said to me was, "I'm proud of you."
That was in 2011. Usually, we don't remember most of what someone says, but we do remember how they made us feel. I felt pretty pissed off. I find that when I get motivated, I get a whole hell of a lot accomplished. Blistering hot rage is like lazing a stick of dynamite under my backside. Also great for the memory.
Three books and one of the last things she said to me was, "I'm proud of you."
pmmg
Myth Weaver
For those who care, i tried to consolidate my advice here:
Goldie’s Words of Wisdom
The second section.
Ill reassert my ‘rules’.
1) Write Every Day
2) Finish it!
3) Dont seek feedback till its finished.
Thats is about it
Goldie’s Words of Wisdom
The second section.
Ill reassert my ‘rules’.
1) Write Every Day
2) Finish it!
3) Dont seek feedback till its finished.
Thats is about it
Karlin
Sage
I recently picked up Terry Pratchett's "Night Watch", with an eye to see how he handles time travel. I am working on a story with time travel, so it was one of the books I read (others include Zorba the Greek, for how he handles the contrast between the characters. And a few others that are more on the lines of research per se).
Anyhow, I picked up Night Watch, and found the writing so engrossing that I forgot why I was reading it, and just read the whole thing. Mind you, I've read it before. He writes so well that you don't pay attention to how he is doing it.
Naruzeldamaster
Maester
Not necessarily writing 'advice' but it's my favorite quote from the writer/creator of most of the music in DBZ. I still live by these words.
"A train station is where a train stops, a buss station is where a buss stops, at my desk, I have a work station."
"A train station is where a train stops, a buss station is where a buss stops, at my desk, I have a work station."
pmmg
Myth Weaver
So thats where the work stops? Does not seem like the message I want...
Maybe the Buck Stop Here.
Maybe the Buck Stop Here.
Naruzeldamaster
Maester
I think the implied meaning is that he's having fun doing what he does and doesn't see it as 'work' ...
Could just be me though.
Pretty sure it's just you. The quote sets up the implied but unspoken punchline that work just stops, and there is no mention of the train and the bus stopping because they love this work... That makes no sense. Remember, context, and the establishment of that context, are crucial to the reader's understanding and connecting with our work.
KATutin
New Member
Don't be afraid to write that weird story. You also don't need to write every day.
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