Writers! Come and Talk About Writing!

I think you could use the

Spoiler

tag next time for that x-x.

There is also this character sheet I found that seems pretty useful:
Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com

 

Would someone writing poems and songs be accepted on this thread ?

 

I'm currently working on a dystopian novel with my friend. It's a cross between the Hunger Games, and Divergent.

We also plan to write a queer dystopian novel, which I'm really excited about.

 

My cold-blooded criticism is that that sort of plot is too overdone and has little potential. But your awareness of similarities to those two stories will probably help more than hurt, so do it and make it awesome. What is your "queer dystopian novel" going to be about?

 

Well, I'll come back the day I have a story to share then, wait for me
*disappears in his room*

 

Well, writing short stories and writing novels are also vastly different (in my opinion, mostly because I can do one but not the other), but we're all writers in the end. I have friends who are writers in real life, most of whom write poetry, whereas I've never touched it (well, maybe once or twice). We can still find a lot of common ground and really interesting topics when we're talking, specifically, about writing.

Question: Why do you guys write?

 

Why? Because my head is constantly flooded by ideas and I feel that if I don't get them out on paper, I'll go crazy...er.

I also like the idea that when I'm gone, something in the world will remain with my name on it.

If I can bring a couple of people enjoyment from reading my stuff then that's a very welcome bonus.

 

Oh gee. This is a hard question. It is so broad for me. There are many, many kind of writings, and each of them for a different reasons. There are work writing, then there are hobby writing. There are writing for others, then there are writing for myself. There are writing for communication, there are writing for meditation. And so on.

Lots of forms of writing and lots of reasons for each of them. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they are not. I can't tell all the reason why I write for each of those, because there are so many I probably have no idea at all.

 

Well i've got a lot of ideas going through my head but i've never came down to writing anything in the end because i never get to working out the details (i change my mind too often)

if i ever get down to doing anything it'll be a comic.The two main ideas i'm currently working on are these:

1.A crime story whith a group of people where one person that was very close to people in an emotional sense that is revealed to be a murderer later on.here should be some suspicion against them in beforehand because the reader would expect this suspicion to be cleared and the subject proven unguilty in the end (playing around with expectations is awesome).In the process the rest of the people would have to deal with said person again to solve something else.I like the psychology in it with discovering someone you thought you knew very well is actually a complete stranger.
This idea is pretty old and i only revived it because it goes so well with the second one.

2.Inspired by fantasy novels:if someone on the street would tell you the stuff you hear there like "you are the chosen one" etc. you'd probably declare them crazy.Going from this idea I'm thinking about a Sherlock-Holmes-like Protagonist- someone that believes in logic being confronted with the supernatural.On the other hand i'd create an adversary where the reader remains unsure wether this person is insane or not.Combined with the above this one would probably commit these murders for a reason linked to the fantastic element in the story.

The second reason i'm not writing it is because it seems like a gigantic load of bullshit to me sometimes so if anyone has any thoughts on this feel free to share.

 

You rap, yes?
Dropping dope beats,
like Koopas on N.E.S.?

I hope that you do,
Wait a second, you're French --
call me 'Misses Waterloo', when I'm talking to you.

LOL. I'm terrible, I know
I <3 you.

To be totally serious, though. Poems and songs are pretty powerful, and can often times surpass even a visual presentation in terms of influence. They're events and stories too, just compressed. I've been moved more by songs and poems than novels, which is why I'd say they're definitely welcomed. Even silly little freestyle rhymes. Expression, period, is cool in my book.

If you want a list:

- Therapeutic
- 'Tangible progress'
- When shared, the impression and opinions it invokes. Sharing writing is very much like a currency, because it shares ideas and styles, and possibly helps both writers to step it up. I've picked up tricks and techniques over the years, and it makes any English/Writing class easier, LOL.

And, as of a little bit ago, it's now a way for me to make money. I'll always need to write, so like working out a muscle, I should improve. Well, ideally. I may slip into super writer's block. But that bridge will be crossed, when I get to it.

If you want some super deep reason, this is basically it:

You can think all the amazing thoughts in the world,
but unless you express them to somebody else, they die with you.​

Some folks keep it simple, and write letters to one another. Some send e-mails, and many more texts. Many exchange gossip and secrets. The lucky ones, they become internationally known for their craft, and increase their chances at being able to influence the masses. They become worthy of remembrance.

I write in the hopes of sparking that idea or inspiring that attitude in somebody, as well as myself, to do something with their lives, like, I don't know, discover a free, unlimited source of fuel, maybe invent teleportation or spreading those good vibes, to somebody else who could use them. It's really corny, but it is true. Writing allows me to collect my thoughts, release some energy, and make that paper-paper, LOL.

 

I want my story to be told, plain and simple.

After that, it would be great if it gave someone the courage they needed to hold on even when the going got tough and helped them find the strength to overcome something difficult.

EDIT: More specifically I want to draw attention to some of the things I think are most important about life from my perspective—ambition, tenacity, sharing your weaknesses and your strengths with others, working to understand even your enemies, being empathic and passionate and brave, to the bitter end.

 

I write because I love stories, and some that don't exist need to be created. It's similar to the feeling I get from playing video games, except that in the writing world, you are God. And unfortunately with that much power comes that much responsibility. Writing's much less fun if you abuse your power and create a discordant jumble of ideas, beat poets notwithstanding .

I also developed a passion for writing as an art in itself as much as a medium for creation. I love finding exactly the right word to describe something, or conjure the perfect emotion. Each word and phrase is a player in an orchestra, and the writer is their conductor.

 

Gotta post a writing update: I'm having sooooooooo much fun right now writing some villainous ideas for a group of villains. Organization XIII, Akatsuki, the Phantom Troupe ... I like the idea of villain teams. When antagonists gather in number, the threat they pose grows greater! And generally, their characterization grows thinner. So that's something I've had to iron out early on, what makes them distinct from one another outside of a defining 'power' or 'appearance.' It's been super-fun coming up with the kind of interplay they have with each other, their overall group dynamic. When all's said and done, they're still best described as a bunch of homicidal comic-con attendees with way too much power and time on their hands, but that's fine by me. For them, I've chosen the path of "most fun to write" rather than "most morally ambiguous." Just like the heroes, they also have 'nakama power' and they get pissed if anyone hurts their friends. Getting readers to relate to the things that make them tick (outside of their unrealistically destructive qualities) is what I'm going for.

 

I'm doing the same thing for my story. The part about characterization growing thinner can be difficult to deal with and not only for villain groups.

 

I don't know if I entirely agree with this, although I see where you're coming from. Nobody should ever write an "evil evil I know I'm evil, I'm all about evil" villain (simply bad writing). However, not all villains need to feel guilt or empathy either. Sociopaths and narcissists exist. Instead of erasing them, we should just try to understand their psyches and try to realistically integrate them with the plot. Give them an interesting purpose above "RAWR SO EVIL".

Between my main two villains, one is tragic/sympathetic and the other is a near sociopathic narcissist. However, she is also not a typical "SO EVUL" villain and is one of my most favorite/developed characters of all time. I love tragic/sympathetic villains, but if every villain was, we create a new stereotype trope (since not all real life killers are empathetic either).

(Though I'm not saying that you shouldn't or can't make more "guilt-free" villains relatable, which is what I do personally, so I do agree with the gist of this)

 

A villain usually has to genuinely believe that they're doing the right thing. Unless you're writing the Joker or some sort of satire (Balloon Bursters Incorporated or something) it's probably best for the villain to think that their crusade is the righteous path. I'll pitch you an example:

In 1995's Judge Dredd, Judge Dredd is exiled by the rest of the police and his "evil" brother takes over. While his brother is decidedly over the top evil, he still thinks that by abolishing the Judges he's doing the right thing because he sees them as a corrupt organization-- that's a gross oversimplification of the plot, but maybe you see what I'm driving at.