Creative Writing Help and Discussion Thread

[The stig]

I actually want to be a writer of books and/or films.

Im working on one now and ive posted 4 chapters of it on here, wanted to see if it was good or not.

I have the patience to do it but its wether people let me do it in peace

I also write because for some reason i like to right out stories and things, i also se it in action with in my head when i right to.

It makes me feel like i can actually do something without grades

[Sasuke's Legacy]

This is a really interesting and fun thread, and I have no idea if this is legal or not but I think it's really cool.

I don't write because I have pent up feelings of depression or anything like that, emotion hardly plays a part when I write. It only effects my mood, which sometimes makes me unwilling to write but it never carries into what is happening.

I write because I enjoy it, simple as that. I love capturing a reader's attention, which is hard for me but I love every second I get. I like making things that people never thought about. Sometimes it's hard for me to come up with ideas that aren't too cliche so my favorite thing is carrying on into the loose ends of other topics. That's where most of my work lies. Don't get me wrong, I love making new theme's but I only consider a few of them decent.

[OD Funk]

I write, because I feel I have to, I love it yes, but, I honestly can't stop, no real reason for it.. apart from enjoyment, oh, and I liked the satisfaction of hearing someone tell me a book I write is good, or a chapter and what not is brilliant, it makes me feel smug and confident, yes, a selfish reason, but oh well.

[4thseal]

I write for a lot of reason. But, I guess, it's an addiction to me. Writing, is hard and doesn't pay off in physical ways (well at least not creativitively in my case.) But, I've always had this dream of writing great books, of being known as a writer above all else. And, chasing this dream has always been an amazing feeling.

I could go on and on about how writing is an amazing thing and how it allows and does so much for individual people and the world as a whole...

I don't remember when I started writing. I was young, and it has allways been one of my favorite things to do.

Originally Posted by Sasuke's Legacy

This is a really interesting and fun thread, and I have no idea if this is legal or not but I think it's really cool.

^Nothing wrong with a thread discussing writing as long as it stays on topic

[Drak]

I write mainly for my personal agenda (which I mostly keep private) - usually it's just journal entries about my personal experiences or stories/profiles about some random fantasy characters that I have in my head. I do wish to place my ideas in verbal format, it's just that I haven't the time to complete or focus solely on them.

Literature classes I have taken in the past have pushed me to share my works and write in different forms. Though, now that I no longer take literature courses...I'm afraid my creative writing skills are becoming more dull.

[Ninjagirl]

I write because it's fun making up different characters and stories.
And I enjoy doing it.It's also a good way to show emotions,even though I don't bottle up my emotions.I have a way of letting them all out.
I started writing stories when I was little,but have not always continued to write through out the years.I have only started writing a lot again for about the last 3 or 4 years.I have only shared 2 of my works so far,but I plan on posting up more soon.

[Asros]

Where do you get ideas and how do you sort bad from great! This is probably one of the most difficult thing to learn.

[Avenging angel]

i write scripts and basic short fantasy stories

i'd like to have some long and deep explanation for this but simply because my lie is just so ordinary you know that i seek to sort of submerge myself in the story about someone living a life i'd like too, which also explains why my heroes/main characters are always female and i just have so many ideas that i can't help but you know write them down. i think maybe someday i'll use them when i get my animation degree.

I've always wanted to write poetry but i guess i'm just not deep enough i just can't do it.

[Sasuke's Legacy]

Asros, there's never an exact good or bad idea, that's impossible. What one may consider an idea to be a piece of trash, the other may find it to be the most glorious theme ever created. That can only be explained by perspective, and you should rely on your own thoughts for guidance. If you like an idea, go with it. Sometimes you can get others' opinions on it but ultimately it's up to you.

As for coming up with them, try think of your interests. Just try and come up with a simple theme that you can really relate to, and then just run with it and see where the road takes you.

That's all I can really come up with though.

[kai0x]

Yeh what SL said haha. Its not that I have a bad idea is that I have a hard time expressing this awesome idea in my head into words. And when I do sometimes it turns out to be crap and I get all mad that it wasn't as good as it was in my head.

[Yachiru]

Yeah, it's hard to remember sometimes that you just need to write what you want to write. I can admit it, I got really worried about Goodnight, Avery cause people were complaining that it was nothing like Ephemeral, but thankfully Martzu reminded me that who fucking cares if it's not the same, I should write what I want to write, and it doesn't matter if anyone else likes it, only if I do.

That's the biggest problem I've had to deal with so far; I'm expected to write a certain kind of story, and if I don't, it sends up warning flags and more criticism than I'm used to.

But Martzu was a peach, and now I remember that I look forward to criticism, because criticism means you've written something that someone has read enough into to find a problem. I don't mean grammar and spelling, since if someone complains about that, you caused it, but when someone complains about the fact that you're writing something that seems awkward or out of place from what you normally write: good.

The thing is, and this is more on what was asked, most people are never going to like what they write. I look at everything I've written and sigh because they each could have been better, but they're not better, they're exactly as I wrote them, so I like to think that that's how they were meant to be written. Literary fate? Something like that.

[Insin]

Ephemeral is its own story and should stay that way...if people don't like that your other works are different, than they should just reread ephemeral

[Yachiru]

As I said on AIM, I tend to follow a path of violence and such in my writing, so I'm not surprised that people would be bothered about Avery when they're expecting something else entirely from me. But I agree, if you want more Ephemeral, then read that shit again. Maybe you'll find something new that I didn't intentionally write in, but you can pretend I did.

[4thseal]

^if there's one thing I've learned about you're writing, is that you're extreamly versitle...Avery was not a surprise as it still feels like your style if that makes sense. Though, I completely agree with Insin about people reading ephermal if they're looking for something more dark (asweomely dark^^.)

I think this brings up a good point that, when we write, it's always with an audience in mind, and we can't help catering to that certain audiences taste. And, of course, certain people will like certain stories.

As for coming up with stories, for me it usually starts with a character. And, from there, the plot and setting develop around her or him. This is just what comes naturally to me i suppose, and the fact that my characters like to speak to me doesn't help the matter...I do indulge this though

I've always wondered how other writers go about creating characters? Do you guys create them from spontaneous thoughts or well-planed one's...?

[Sasuke's Legacy]

Yachi, that's exactly what I mean. Of course people can offer their opinions on what you've done and what you can do, but the bottom-line is that you yourself are satisfied by your ideas and creations.

As for 4th's question, that's rather interesting. I've never thought of that before... Well I like to consider myself at least average in versatility, so it honestly depends on what I'm writing about and when. At times I've written stories within fifteen minutes, the character's vague and spontaneous as you've stated. Other times I really have to get into the personality and mindset of the character, which is really fun to me. For example, in the Dear Dorothy series, I'm trying to match the natural alias of both Holmes and Watson and that takes more thought than a fifteen minute story.

Although I plan on avoiding first person perspective from Holmes, since his reputation and sheer wit is too much for me to try and portray.

[Yachiru]

Haha, that's a really good question.

I decide on an attitude, basically. I think "well, if this happens, what would the character do?" and go from there. Then, I think of a name, and I've been known to change how a character acts solely to match a name I really like. And once I have a name and a general idea of their personality, I can just flow the character out from then on.

[OD Funk]

I always think of writing to be like masturbation, takes awhile to build up to a certain standard, and at some points.. you may just feel like giving up, and think sod it, but if you stick with it, and keep beating that naughty stick, you'll end up with something great.

Oh yes.

When I write, that's all that comes into my mind, beating my own love carrot.

[Asros]

Remember! Always avoid clichés.

How many times has the main character lost his/her parents? That is just so old. It works, but it's old. The maincharacter has been 'the only one who can save the world' so many times, it makes my cry.

There are more but i don't have the time to list them here. If you know more please share your knowledge.

[OD Funk]

^ It only becomes cliche if the writer follows it on in a similar manner of which has been done many times before, the impact of losing ones parents is a great building block for character development depending on which way you want the plot to go, it all depends on how the writer follows said incident up, if he does it well.. then it can hardly be seen as cliche.

and the whole saving the world thing isn't avoidable in some stories haha, by that definition, the majority of action films/shows are all cliche and should GTFO

[Asros]

Originally Posted by Jack Harkness

^ It only becomes cliche if the writer follows it on in a similar manner of which has been done many times before, the impact of losing ones parents is a great building block for character development depending on which way you want the plot to go, it all depends on how the writer follows said incident up, if he does it well.. then it can hardly be seen as cliche.

and the whole saving the world thing isn't avoidable in some stories haha, by that definition, the majority of action films/shows are all cliche and should GTFO

You are right! Sometimes you can't avoid them and I didn't mean you should completely stop using them. I use them, but I'm trying to use them in new ways.

And the 'saving the world' thing. I said the maincharacter shouldn't be the ONLY one who can save the world. Saving the mankind is useful and I'm using it very often, but my maincharacter isn't powerful so there are many others who would be more suitable for that task.