General Writing Discussion Thread | Current Topic: NaNoWriMo

RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Is there such a thing as too much description or dialogue? Have you seen stories based solely on one of them? If so, how have they done?
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Yes.
Too much description is called "purple prose".
Too much dialogue is called "children's fan fiction".

I have a habit of making my stories dialogue-driven; consequently, that means I run the risk of having too much of it, and I have to end up throwing in a lot of description to off-set the balance closer towards the center. It is a fine tightrope I walk, since I default to dialogue.
I'm not sure what the ideal ratio between description and dialogue is. I want to say 50-50, but part of me thinks there really isn't a uniform ratio and it depends on the story. I dunno; maybe I'm just weird.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Definitely depends on the story, and is strongly linked to both author style and the full number of characters, in addition to other things. The story of mine that I posted about before that had only a single character for the vast majority of the novel had very little dialogue, but of course it was part of the story and the style. There's no set formula for anything in writing.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Questions for Readers and Writers​

Question 8​
In reading or writing, what is your favorite part? Do you like the actions leading up to the climax, the climax itself, or the eventual resolution?​


For reading, I appreciate the climax because after building up with all of the drama, events, and suspense, it's kind of like the author's "well here ya go, thanks for reading!" I see it as the author giving us readers exactly what we want because we have experienced these characters change...and now we get to see how this change affects each and every one when it matters most. In writing, I really like creating the resolution because I can tie loose ends and give nice farewells to the characters of my story. I think the best part of all is the last paragraph; without it, several pieces of literature would be blank and meaningless. The last paragraph is supposed to sum up everything--even if it's just an ending, it has to bring some message. Though I don't really care for reading them, writing themes and messages into my story is very creative and I enjoy my last impression on my readers.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Writing: Building up action, definitely. It's where you get to play around the most and have fun with character development and world building and all those nice meaty bits of story creation. Climaxes, while nice gifts to readers, I find rather boring to write, since everything is already more or less decided, and I'm terrible at endings because I hate letting characters go.

Reading: My favourite part of reading any good book/story/etc. is the denouement. Like I said in my writing section, I hate letting characters go (and this is true for reading as much as it is for writing!), and a good denouement is the only way for me to find final satisfaction at the conclusion. It's like a fine dessert after a good meal.

Funnily enough, climaxes are probably my least favourite sections of both reading and writing.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Writing: Definitely the climax. I don't like writing much, so having it finally all over makes me feel extremely relaxed. The worst part is the middle; most of the time I feel "I don't wanna write this bit; it's BORING!"

Reading: Probably the middle, or even the lead-up to the climax. I like relishing books as I read them and for me the middle is the best part to do that (ironic, since I don't like writing middles, but like reading them).

I am a man of few words.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Writing: As much as I enjoy writing climaxes and endings, the rising action is often my favorite segment to write, simply because it is the basis of your story. Catching the reader's attention and building upon suspense are some of the greatest challenges that writing offers, and a writer must be proficient at both right out of the gate if they want anyone to continue reading their work.

Reading: Being an action junkie, I definitely love reading the segments with conflict and the climax more than anything else.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

I enjoy writing the entirety of the story, including the mindless chit-chat to pass the time. In my stories, everything means something -- everything has a purpose, even if that purpose is to make you think that the thing you just witnessed actually meant something. But, I must say that I do enjoy the visceral combat sequences I write a lot. Of course, that's harder to do with where my book is right now, but when I move out of that, I can't wait to write some of those fight sequences. Of course, there is one thing that I think I require a bit of training on the matter: Romance. I mean, I can make chemistry between characters, but the last time I wrote a confession scene, it looked really cheesy and kind of awkward from my point of view. (though, an artist and a perfectionist are basically one in the same) But one thing about reading and watching other people's stories, is that you can pick up some ideas from them, and use those ideas to better your writing. Plot devices, pacing, it's something that I pay attention to, especially when I am reading/watching something critically acclaimed, like Steins;Gate.

As for reading, that depends on the book. If it's a book that I really to read into the details, I really enjoy the "meaningless" conversation, if it's done well. If there is a fight scene, I also usually can't take my eyes from the page.

On a side note, Steins;Gate does all of those really well. It's probably one of my favorite, if not my favorite, anime/VNs I've come across. I also really like Analogue. Analogue is written really well.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

I've been working on something.


Staring through the massive, floor-to-ceiling window, a man, garbed in a white-tie suit, stood waiting - waiting to live - waiting to die; he was unaware what would occur after the events that had unfolded throughout the previous three days. It was a Wednesday, stormy, dull, disgusting; it was bitterly frigid. He paused for no more than fifteen seconds and then sat on a black, leather, Chippendale chaise lounge, and waited. Tears streaming down his face, he arose, and, distraught, stepped over to a large, mahogany desk. The wood was carved from Viridian Forest and of the finest quality.

Reluctantly opening a drawer, he reached in, grabbing a small revolver. He returned to his original position beside the window. After careful deliberation, he placed the revolver to his temple. Suddenly, all went black. Silence.

No one neither knew why he did it, nor who he was. All they knew is that he was obviously troubled. The constable entered the room, clothed in a deep navy uniform and he approached the cadaver. Turning the corpse over, he shrieked. The constable stared into the body's eyes, dilated, and stood in disbelief. It was Giovanni, the notorious leader of the infamous familia known only by its code-name as "Rocket."
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RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Questions for Readers and Writers​

Question 9​
Reading and writing go hand-in-hand when it comes to literature. Therefore, this question is dedicated to the many readers here in the Writer's Corner.

Think of your favorite book or story. I want you to take a moment and analyze why you like the novel and what sets it apart from the rest you have read. Your answer may be as simple as a favorite character, but you may also dig deeper in your reasoning and analyze its rhetorical meaning or effects on society itself. Post your reasoning here and be sure to explain how this novel has made an impact on you! ​




Colress, that's an amazing piece you have there! I can't wait to see how you expand on it.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Think of your favorite book or story. I want you to take a moment and analyze why you like the novel and what sets it apart from the rest you have read.
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Favorite book: The Dream Prison
Reason why: It was written by my best friend

...I didn't even have a favorite book until I read that, because I could never think of a good reason why it should be a favorite.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

It really is impossible for me to say I have a favorite book or novel. No book is perfect, and I like many books for different reasons. For the sake of answering, however, I'll pick one. And I'm gonna pick one you've probably never heard of.
Björn Larsson's "Long John Silver" is an attempt to portray the well-known pirate from Stevenson's "Treasure Island". The book is essentially a first-person biography of Silver, which uses a few references from "Treasure Island" and a lot of imagination to give depth to one of Stevenson's most mysterious characters. Silver is what makes me love this book. His character and attitude are very well-detailed, all his actions are seen under his own light, and the product is a pirate philosopher with many lessons to give about life (and also a brief history of piracy). "So y'all gonna read 'bout Long John Silver. His friends, if he had any, called him Barbecue. And his many enemies called him Barbecue as well."
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

From around 10-13 I indulged myself in three main series, each individually brilliant. I wouldn't say that these are the most intricately written, but the premises are fantastic and they were the first books (aside from Dr Seuss and Roald Dahl) that managed to capture my imagination to a tee. Superb.

The Gone series, where everybody over the age of 16 mysteriously disappears while an impenetratable dome comes over the city...

The Maze Runner, where participants of a man-made challenge attempt to find a way out of a labyrinth...

and SPUD, a South-African novel that managed to make me laugh (something that is very hard to do!), and opened up new cultures for me.

And if you're around the age of 12, I'd also recommend the Cherub series too (the first series though).
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Turtwig said:
Think of your favorite book or story. I want you to take a moment and analyze why you like the novel and what sets it apart from the rest you have read. Your answer may be as simple as a favorite character, but you may also dig deeper in your reasoning and analyze its rhetorical meaning or effects on society itself. Post your reasoning here and be sure to explain how this novel has made an impact on you!
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Hard for me to pick a single favourite book, but I can pick a favourite series easily: The Nightrunner/Tamír Triad books by Lynn Flewelling.

I think I love this series so much because Lynn is an amazing storyteller who builds incredibly detailed worlds. Her books flit endlessly between fantasy, history, military life, political intrigue, religion, sexuality/gender issues, skulduggery, and onward. The stories she weaves flit seamlessly between topics, keeping the reader entranced, and her world is so richly built that you really feel a part of it the whole way through. I have never felt so thoroughly absorbed into a author's world before.

I could go on and on about her work, but I think this is the most important and best aspect of it, so I'll leave it here for now. :)
 
Re: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Anyone have advice how to motivate ourself to finish our story.? I have serious trouble in that. And already left 3 forums to run away from finishing my fanfic. Wahahahahaha!!

Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk 2
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Questions for Readers and Writers​

Question 10​
Hooray, this is our 10th question! I wanted to make this one count. This question goes out to all you writers out there.

What is the singular best piece of advice you have ever been given for your writing? It can be from teachers, reviews here, or just your own personal reflections. Now, what advice do you have for the writers here at PB (not individually, but as a whole)?​
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

"You can do better, DNA. I know you can. Now do better."

Given to me by an old friend from Venezuela I met waaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, back when I was actually under 18. (I'm really dating myself here.) He saw the potential in me that I either couldn't or wouldn't see. As simplistic as those words were, they hit me right in the core. And he was right. Since then...well, I got better.

If I had advice to give to any would-be writers? Find someone who will challenge you intellectually and force you to improve, and in the end, you will, and be thankful for it. Though my old friend wasn't here on the 'Beach, when I came here I ran into Zyflair instead. And I got told much the same thing. It was worth it.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

Get a plan before you write the first word of the first chapter. Don't just write and hope the pieces will fall into place because more often than not, they won't.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

"You should write a book. Do it now." - my fourth-grade teacher

He's the one who inspired me to start writing once he saw my potential when I was just a fourth grader, so I just took his words of advice and created a dream for myself.

If I ever do actually publish a book, I will dedicate it to him. He was a great teacher.

As for advice... just don't overthink your writing or get ahead of yourself. Just let it flow.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

This is probably the hardest question for me to answer because I can't recall actually ever getting serious advice on my writing. I almost never share the things that I write with others, and the few things that I have, I've never really received actual criticism or anything particularly meaningful. So, in that respect, I guess the best advice I've received is to just stick with it and keep writing, even though I've stopped heeding that advice a few times in the past.
 
RE: Writer's Corner General Discussion Thread

I have basically gotten this advice from every teacher I have ever had, and also my parents and grand parents. "Take more time with your writing, [Real Name Here]." I generally never spend more than a few hours on anything that I am required to write, and I can't make myself write for longer than 2 hours for "fun."

However, the times that I have spent more time on my writing, I generally write higher quality stuff in comparison to other things I have written. So the advice is sound, and implementing it has its advantages. I just can't make myself write for much longer than a couple hours without a really good reason.

Advice for writers at Pokebeach as a whole? Double, triple, quadruple check your grammar and spelling if you have the time. It's always nice to read things without errors in them, saves me headaches. (Not saying this is really a consistent problem here, just that it should always be done).

If you understood all of that babble, I commend you.
 
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