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I've only been writing for just over 2 months now and my knowledge about writing techniques is limited to very few. I have been out of school now for well over a year now, dont go to University nor have I taken and writing lessons. I just write what comes to me and i feel that is the best I can do.
I guess I mainly write for leisure, something to do during the day and with my free time. I have a lot of ideas which i do jot down on paper and throw into a draw i have. Its kind of getting full now...
I have currently have about 3 stories I'm writing and they are only for fun so far anyway.
I do have dreams of becoming a successful author and wish to become one, so thats why I'm here now. I just would like some help on literary techniques that I could learn to use successfully. I want to learn a lot, how to write paragraphs properly, dialogue... THE LOT pretty much. Links to any site or your own help will be greatly appreciated!!
I also mainly write fantasy/adventure/sci-fi as well.
posted
I see you're in Australia. Australian English is probably closer in style to British English than it is to US English, so if you're looking for a style manual (which will answer many of your questions), try Fowler's Modern English Usage. There are also useful American style manuals like Strunk & White and the Chicago Manual of Style.
Above all, go out and get the best grammar book and the best dictionary you can afford. First and foremost, you need to ensure you have a firm grasp of the technical aspects of writing. Grammar, punctuation, spelling. Although grammar in particular feels restrictive at first, understanding it can give you more confidence in using different constructions. And, of course, once you know the rules, you can achieve certain effects by knowingly breaking them . Correct grammar is a springboard, not a straitjacket.
One of the best ways to learn about writing is to read extensively. Read all the fiction you can get your hands on. Don't restrict yourself to your preferred genres--classics can often be purchased very cheaply and you'll learn a lot from them, too. Including that their authors didn't always know their grammar, either! The more you read, the more you will be exposed to techniques and devices and will be able to see for yourself which ones work and which don't, and why. I can't recommend reading enough to writers.
When you're not reading, write. Try things out. Write them down, show them to people, discuss what they think works or doesn't work, and why. The "why" is all-important here. Whether or not you agree with someone's assessment, exploring their reasons will give you insight into how different techniques are perceived.
Send your stories out. They can't be published until they're offered for publication.
In short, to develop as a writer, read read read, write write write, and...submit submit submit.
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I agree with everything BuffyS. said, but I'd add this: Give yourself time to write without focusing on getting published. A year or so. Less pressure that way, and you'll have more time to focus on learning (A) fictional technique and (B) your own fictional vision . . . something you only come to from writing.
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Wow... help already! Thanks a lot Buffy! I have the basic concept of punctuation, just something I'm not to sure on. Time is something I have a lot of as well. I only work casually and don't do any study. Writing is something I enjoy a lot so I guess write, write, write and read, read, read is something I could do a little bit more of...
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As well as Orson Scott Card's own manual Characters & Viewpoint the following 'Write Great Fiction Series' is a pretty solid group of useful texts:
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint (by SF author Nancy Kress)
Dialogue
Plot & Structure
Description & Setting
also
Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress
and
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
All these titles, except the last, are published by Writer's Digest Books
[This message has been edited by Paul-girtbooks (edited October 08, 2005).]
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The comments about punctuation and grammar are being made because you have some pretty glaring technical errors in what you've posted here in this thread.
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Another excellent book is Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part how-to, it's a buoyant and inspiring read that I've seen recommended by literary agents.
Posts: 245 | Registered: Aug 2005
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The reality is that if you take your writing seriously starting now, you are probably ten years away from getting into the pro markets. A ten year gestation period seems to be fairly common, so don't let that scare you away. There will be little victories along the way. You'll know you are getting used to writing when you don't care if it accepted or rejected, you just want the manuscript back from a market that is taking forever to respond. You'll know you're getting close to pro level when you start getting individual comments on your rejection letters. Meanwhile, there is only way to learn how to write, and that is to write.
If you get writers digest, look at the ages of the new authors they profile every month. They are almost always in their forties and fifties, so ten years from now puts you ahead in the game at about age 30.
[This message has been edited by Spaceman (edited October 08, 2005).]
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You may want to consider taking some classes at your local university or college.
Stylistics and English composition type classes are excellent. They get you thinking critically about reading and writing. Both help you build a working understanding of grammar and language structure.
You might also want to take a couple of literature study classes. Women's Lit, Shakespeare, Early English Lit, etc. are examples of classes that get you thinking about what you read on a deeper level. Discussing literature (how an experienced author puts words together, the feel of what they write, and so on) is an excellent way to learn the nuances of writing.
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Oh, yes. Go to University. Fill your mind with knowledge. Read everything. Visit the library often and pick random subjects to read about. Both fiction and non-fiction.
I'd also add to the list of University classes this: HISTORY!
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That's a lot of stuff to do. The 10 year wait as well. Well no point in getting discouraged then. Thank you everyone for your help! Posts: 384 | Registered: Oct 2005
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I've heard it said that a writer must write a million words before they're publishable. I'm not sure how true that is, but surely one must write a lot in order to improve. One thing I suggest in addition to the many fine comments already given, is that you find a local writer's group and join. Make sure that you have at least one published writer in the group, and hopefully more. Also, not necessarily the same thing, are critique groups. A good critique group could help you a lot, however, make sure they cater to beginners as a lot of critiquers lose patience with raw beginners.
And my recommendation for a book is Paula LaRoque's The Book on Writing .
E-mail me privately for a lot of links that will help you out.
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When I was in elementary school (5th or 6th grade) the author of Bridge to Terebithia came and spoke to the children in our grade. She talked about how she researched a novel about a kid going to jail, and she talked a local police friend to lock her up for a night, do everything they would do to her if she were actually locked up. That has stayed with me over the years for some reason.
I also asked her if she consciously stole the country name "Terebithia" from C.S. Lewis and she laughed and said she realized that a couple of years after it was published, but reasoned that it was probably the same sort of thing Leslee would have done, picked up the name and forgotten where it came from.
Read Stephen King's 'On Writing.' Plus the OSC books, that should teach you a lot of the mistakes that you would make on your own, saving you time, so you can work on the other mistakes that you will make. Hahaha... It happens though. Everything you right will (should) be better then the last. And you will (should) be able to recognize your own mistakes, and that will also make you better $0.02
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When I first got interested in learning how to write waaaaay back in high school, I decided that I would reread books that I liked and try and figure out what it was I liked about 'em. If they made me cry, how'd the author get me to do that, and so on. That's a good place to start, I think.
Read increasingly more difficult books every now and then as well. You'll build a larger vocabulary, gain a more sophisticated understanding of structure, and simply see how many different ways there are to do this.
There's only one hard and fast rule of writing: Whatever works.
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. Correct grammar is a springboard, not a straitjacket.
