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Intro
Hi. I'm Tokoyo, a college-age female writer who's finally making a blog containing something more than general whining! Whaddya know!
I've been wanting to write about writing itself for a long time now, mainly because I've seen innumerable writers on the internet making a ton of easily-avoidable mistakes. Don't misinterpret this-- I've made my own stupid mistakes, and will probably continue to make a whole slew of new ones in the future. But, while a lot of my early stuff sucks, I think I've improved enough and learned enough along the way to be able to give out some decent advice.
Let's face it: storytelling is hard, be it original fiction or fanfic; (Robin Hobb diciples, feel free to contact me-- I look forward to logically eviscerating your arguments. Heh heh.) It's a serious art that requires practice, some intense emotional investment, and occasional tears of blood. But you can do it. You can write a nail-bitingly riveting story that people will read (and hopefully buy, if that's what you're aiming for). It may not be easy, but it's far from impossible.*
So, to conclude with the intro, here's some basic advice:
1. Read. Read, read, read. Anything and everything. Good stuff, crappy stuff. If it's good writing, find out what makes it so compelling. If it's bad, take note of what not to do. READ.
2. Study. Writing is as much an art form as painting, dance, or music, and is equally (or arguably more) difficult. Buy books on creative writing, take a course, join a critique group (but be wary of these!) No one ever sat down and banged out anything good without seriously studying the craft. Learn the basics and conventions backwards and forwards, and then go ahead and break them.
3. Learn to accept criticism. Often writers are too immersed in their work to view it with a critical eye. You'll have to judge for yourself which opinions to want to take into consideration and which ones are crap, but make sure your story, not your ego, is in control.
4. Write. Simple: no one can get good at anything without practice. And to he/she who might say otherwise: You're a liar. (Or, as we say where I live: Yer a laaaahr!)
That's all I've got for today. Peace out.
*Headdesking Bunny agrees on this point and encourages you to take it to heart. And Headdesking Bunny WILL BE OBEYED.
Currently Reading: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Currently Researching: class-related stuff
Writing Book of the...uh, Post: How to Tell a Story: The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tales by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost
I've been wanting to write about writing itself for a long time now, mainly because I've seen innumerable writers on the internet making a ton of easily-avoidable mistakes. Don't misinterpret this-- I've made my own stupid mistakes, and will probably continue to make a whole slew of new ones in the future. But, while a lot of my early stuff sucks, I think I've improved enough and learned enough along the way to be able to give out some decent advice.
Let's face it: storytelling is hard, be it original fiction or fanfic; (Robin Hobb diciples, feel free to contact me-- I look forward to logically eviscerating your arguments. Heh heh.) It's a serious art that requires practice, some intense emotional investment, and occasional tears of blood. But you can do it. You can write a nail-bitingly riveting story that people will read (and hopefully buy, if that's what you're aiming for). It may not be easy, but it's far from impossible.*
So, to conclude with the intro, here's some basic advice:
1. Read. Read, read, read. Anything and everything. Good stuff, crappy stuff. If it's good writing, find out what makes it so compelling. If it's bad, take note of what not to do. READ.
2. Study. Writing is as much an art form as painting, dance, or music, and is equally (or arguably more) difficult. Buy books on creative writing, take a course, join a critique group (but be wary of these!) No one ever sat down and banged out anything good without seriously studying the craft. Learn the basics and conventions backwards and forwards, and then go ahead and break them.
3. Learn to accept criticism. Often writers are too immersed in their work to view it with a critical eye. You'll have to judge for yourself which opinions to want to take into consideration and which ones are crap, but make sure your story, not your ego, is in control.
4. Write. Simple: no one can get good at anything without practice. And to he/she who might say otherwise: You're a liar. (Or, as we say where I live: Yer a laaaahr!)
That's all I've got for today. Peace out.
*Headdesking Bunny agrees on this point and encourages you to take it to heart. And Headdesking Bunny WILL BE OBEYED.
Currently Reading: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Currently Researching: class-related stuff
Writing Book of the...uh, Post: How to Tell a Story: The Secrets of Writing Captivating Tales by Peter Rubie and Gary Provost