I have an idea for a story which I have been coming up with ideas for for awhile now, but every time I set down to write it... I find that I seem to lack the descriptive talent to convey the story in my head. I would like to know what sort of tips you may have for an early writer as myself, and what sorts of things I should attempt to do in order to beter my writing potential. Thank you so much for even reading this if you do.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Tip #1 -- read OSC's two books on writing.
Posted by Treason (Member # 7587) on :
Tip #2 -- read Stephen King's book "On Writing".
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Tip #3 -- you may be sitting down to write too early. I can't do this effectively until I've imagined the scene I'm writing fairly well.
Tip #4 -- write it anyway, even if you feel like a no-talent hack when you do it. Maybe it'll be good. Maybe others can read it for you (Hatrack writer's workshop?) and suggest ways to make it better. This is the "BIC" principle ("butt in chair" -- I would have said "fingers on keyboard"). Don't worry if it sounds awful. You'll still be closer to a good story than if you don't write it at all!
Posted by R. Ann Dryden (Member # 8186) on :
Practice practice practice.
It's kind of like a kid who sits down to paint the masterpiece he sees in his head. Is it going to look anything like what he wants it to, the first attempt? Nope. Or the second. Or so on. But the more the kid practices painting, the better he gets, and eventually he can produce wonderful paintings.
Writing is just like anything difficult. It takes time and work and discipline. The reason we put ourselves through the wringer is because ultimately we enjoy it, and have stories to tell. But don't let anyone tell you it isn't work.
Oh, and by the way, you will NEVER be able to make what is on the page match what you see in your head. Writers spend their lives trying to get close.
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
Read everything under the Uncle Orson's Writing Class. Start lurking in the Writer's Workshop. He already has helped me immensely just by having a place to share writing.
Posted by Oliver Dale (Member # 8398) on :
Read. Read more. Read analytically. Then write.
Posted by trance (Member # 6623) on :
I'm also a fellow writer although I'm not planning to write my book series until I'm done my upgrading for college. Card (no offense to you Card) doesn't write very many descriptions in his books for various reasons. I personally believe that this is because he also writes scripts for plays and so istead of painting the picture for the reader he seems to allow the reader to paint much of the picture. But then Card makes up for this by his characters' personalities being realistically super fleshed out. I have yet to find a character of Cards that is anti-social and doesn't like to talk. (I think this comes in hand with his script writing. He's so used to making talkative characters that he doesn't like not to make 'em). Although Card may fail to describe appearances and detailed descriptions he never fails to describe something that would need description for the reader to understand. And it's not a bad thing to leave the reader to visualise the story themselves. It's like writing in first person and third-some readers perfer it and some don't. Most will just read it and enjoy it either way. There are many authors like Card who leave it up to the reader to visualise the novel and you may be one of them. And if that is the only problem that you are having (and not fleshing out your character's personas) then you are doing swell. I tend to visualise everything before I write it and rewrite it three or more times before I'm satified to continue the next major event/scene. Here's a lesson that may help you descover what you need to write descriptivly. When you feel something nostalgic-figure out why and describe everything that moment from the tempeture, weather and breeze to surroundings and further.
Posted by trance (Member # 6623) on :
My weakness is spelling...but there are spellchecks and dictionaries for that. Even editors...
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
trance, I've read (don't remember where) that some writers deliberatly don't describe the characters, locations, etc. in great detail on purpouse so that each reader can see them in his (or her) own way and thus have the story be more personal and closer to them.
Posted by OlavMah (Member # 756) on :
Card's got his own style. I've read interviews by him where he admits that he doesn't describe the landscape much. Also, if you read his book "Character's and Viewpoint" there's a section that deals with how describing a character's attributes is not at all the same as describing the character.
But if you want writing help from Card, go to Uncle Orson's Writing Class. Apply to his Literary Boot Camp (if he still is doing this. I'm out of the loop.) Or ask him your questions at a Q & A session at a signing, or while he's on a panel at a con. It's unlikely he'll respond on the forum, because you know he gets questions like this all the time.
He does sometimes answer a writing question on email. He was kind enough to do this for me once. But bear in mind, he gets LOADS of email and responds only when he has the time. A great email may go unanswered because he's busy. Or you might even be in the middle of an email conversation with him when he suddenly disappears and stops talking to you. He's got rather a lot of demands on his time.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Thanks, Emily, for describing my undependability as a correspondent so kindly. All true, sadly enough.
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
OlavMah, you're Emily Card?
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
No, she's not. There are other people named Emily, and Scott knows at least one of them.
Posted by OlavMah (Member # 756) on :