I want to start writing

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by novadil, Jun 9, 2019.

  1. in_awe

    in_awe [Daisy's Pet][Tilgar's Master][Evil Chaotic Fluff]

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2018
    Messages:
    224
    Likes Received:
    12,041
    Reading List:
    Link
    I would do that to gain more experience. But don't be afraid to explore more, the more you write, the more you'll fall in love with the world you created and it gets easier from there.
     
    novadil likes this.
  2. c3ltic

    c3ltic . . .

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2018
    Messages:
    513
    Likes Received:
    632
    Reading List:
    Link
    Also, don't feel obligated to keep your short stories to your main characters or even the main plotline. Explore the world, make a story of an everyday office worker. On the way home one night (blank) happened. Just make sure that you keep to the rules of the world that you created. It can allow you to get a different perspective on your world.

    One of my favorite authors once released a book of short stories that had none of the main characters in it. I found it fascinating. Because in the main story you were used to all the vampires and whatnot being part of the plot, and the interactions became a common occurrence. But then, there was a story of an ordinary person who hadn't had many interactions with the vampires, etc. and was still prejudiced. It reminded you that not everyone viewed the "monsters" in the same way.
     
    novadil likes this.
  3. Deleted member 155674

    Deleted member 155674 Guest

    Reading List:
    Link
    Let me just say a few things here, my opinion as to why should consider starting with a fanfiction:
    First, you already got a story to build on, not a template and not world building but an already exisitng story with plot and characters thus making it easier for you to get inspiration for your own plot inside the original novel's plot (you are adding and not making events).
    Second, the novel or story you are basing your fanfiction on, already got it's fans so that makes it easier for you to find readers.
    Third, in the fanfiction, you are not going to use the same plot of the original but build on it or take advantage of it to make your own story aka the fanfiction, for example, you can insert your own MC in the original novel's world and describe how that MC perceive that world and how he changed or adapted to that world; ex: the Mc is a human with some other people somehow arrived (insert your plot here) inside an other world, but (an example of catch here) the MC was the only weeb amongst the other people that arrived to that world, and not only that but unlike how they didn't know how to accept the strange logic of that world and found trouble to adapt to it, the MC found no problem as he/she/it not only found no trouble adabting but he/she/it recognized that world as the world of his/her/it favourite anime(for example) and not only that but MC already knows the story of that world and how some villains it (for example) are planning (for example, the anime world of parasyte or gundam or YuGIOH or whatever fantasy/sci-fi/genre you feel you want to write)
    Fourth, you give your MC advantages/powers or disadvantages/restrictions compared to what world they are in, for example MC knows events of the novel so he/she/it stole the source of power in the original novel, or MC struggled in that world with what little knowledge they have of it since they weren't a fan of the show for example :blobsweat_2:
     
    novadil likes this.
  4. novadil

    novadil Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2016
    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    5
    Reading List:
    Link
    I made one for the first prompt. The end is rushed because it's getting late here.

    Alice is a 13-year-old girl. With long black hair falling to her waist, a cute face and an angelic smile, she should have been popular with everyone but, instead, she is being isolated from other kids her age. The reason? Her passion for ghost stories and horror movies. While other girls her ages wanted to play with pretty little princess’s dolls, she wanted to play with a Chucky. While other kids her age were having fun playing in the parc, she was busy looking for the scariest places.

    Ghosts, specters, undeads, demons and other malevolent things filled her eyes with glittering stars and, soon enough, she developed an interest for haunted houses. At first, she managed to bring the few friends she had with her but they rapidly grew terrified by the places she wanted to visit. A house where a man supposedly hanged his whole family after being possessed by a demon, a forsaken slaughterhouse where the cattle was sometimes human, a forest inhabited by a soul-devouring monster…

    Now, she’s doing her spooky tour alone. Her target today: a cursed hotel where resides the ghost of a receptionist mysteriously deceased.


    -Here I am.

    Alice is standing before the door of the derelict hotel, illuminated by the last rays of the sun.

    -They said no one knows why he’s dead and that is ghost is still in the hotel.

    Alice is fascinated by the idea of making a supranatural friend. Wouldn’t it be really cool to have a ghost friend? Plus, she wants to ask them questions about how is the underworld, how do they manage to touch people to scare them even though they’re immaterial, things like that.

    And thus, here she is. What if it is an evil spirit? No worries, she brought a cross (made by sticking two pencils together) and she watched how professionals exorcise evil ghosts in movies.

    -Let’s enter!

    It’s full of anticipation that she opens the old rusted doors.


    **


    Bob is a ghost. He worked in this hotel as a receptionist before dying. The cause of his death? An error on the person. His throat was sliced when he was going to the bathrooms by a furious and drunk man. He lived just long enough to hear something about ‘him having an affair with his wife’ (though with more crude words). Bob never had an affair with anyone so he concluded that the furious man mistook him for someone else. He was able to confirm it after spying on this man as a ghost. It turned out that the man was a big investor of this hotel and that he used his connections to avoid being charged for murder.

    Needless to say, Bob was really pissed. Out of spite (and of boredom to be honest) he decided to scare away anyone entering the hotel. That way, he could take revenge on the investor and do something of his boring afterlife.

    Bob is proud of his skills as a ghost and of the number of people he scared away.

    Since the closing of the hotel, he’s quite free though. But today, someone entered through the front door.

    -Finally, a visitor! I was starting to feel rusty. So, what kind of guy is here?

    He peered through the ceiling and saw a little girl.

    -An easy mark. It’s show time!


    **


    Dirty walls, spider webs in the corners, dust everywhere…

    -This place is awesome!!!

    Alice was more ready than ever

    -Let’s start by the basement!

    Alice started climbing down the stairs when she started hearing a clanking sound from the pipes.

    -Oh! I hope it’s the ghost!

    The lower she went, the more intense were the sounds and when she finally reached the basement, they stopped suddenly.

    -How deep am I?

    She turned around and…


    **

    -Hm, this kid is a though one.

    Seeing that the clanking noise wasn’t enough to scare the brat away, Bob decided to do something more… ghostly.

    -It’s been a while since I made a public apparition. I feel a bit shy.

    Staying invisible, he slowly crawled towards the little girl, took a scary pose behind her and was going to touch her shoulder when she suddenly started to scream.


    **

    -UIIIIIIH!!!!!!!

    Alice let out a scream but managed to stabilize herself without falling

    She stumbled on her shoelaces that weren’t tied properly and screamed of surprise.

    She tied them back before continuing her expedition.


    **

    -W-What the hell was that!?

    He didn’t do anything yet but the girl suddenly started to scream. It was so unexpected that he was scared shitless and immediately ran away towards the bathrooms (it’s become a habit since he’s naturally attracted to the room he died in).

    -How did she know I was here?

    -Urgh, I can’t let things go like that! It won’t be said that I was defeated by a little girl!!

    Bob was hellbent on making her run away of fear and started to use his best tricks.

    Spooky sounds, apparitions, moving objects… Anyone would have been scared of this.

    But it appears that Alice is a really lucky and innocent girl. She interpreted the sounds as the ghost trying to call her, she missed all apparitions just by looking in the wrong place at the wrong time, as for the moving objects… She was so focused on the sounds that she didn’t even realize they were in a different place.


    The results of the day?


    -Uh, I didn’t manage to see the ghost, but I’m sure he’s here!!! The sounds may just have been a coincidence but it’s definitely him who untied my shoelaces! I will keep coming back until I see him!

    She was more determined than ever to find the ‘elusive’ ghost.

    As for Bob?

    His pride badly hurt, he’s quietly sobbing in a corner of the bathrooms.
     
    Zeusomega likes this.
  5. GDLiZy

    GDLiZy Wise Deepsea Mermaid

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2017
    Messages:
    2,915
    Likes Received:
    2,801
    Reading List:
    Link
    You need to stop looking at the internet, or NUF for that matter, and force yourself to write. One of the hardest parts is to start writing, and when you passed that, ideas will come flowing through your mind.

    Remember, your story will suck at first, but you will learn from it, and make the next better. The harsher the criticism, the faster you will learn.
     
    novadil likes this.
  6. Vanidor

    Vanidor Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2015
    Messages:
    1,357
    Likes Received:
    1,541
    Reading List:
    Link
    A lot of good suggestions above, the only one I'll add is maybe try writing short stories set in your universe.

    You mentioned having ideas about character and a world building idea but were not sure if it should be sci-fi or fantasy. Maybe try writing short stories in both a fantasy and a sci-fi version of the world with minor characters. Set them in the worlds past or on other continents. It fleshes out your world, helps you decide if it should be fantasy or sci-fi, and maybe later can be reedited to be a bonus story.
     
    strayCat0 and novadil like this.
  7. novadil

    novadil Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2016
    Messages:
    17
    Likes Received:
    5
    Reading List:
    Link
    It sounds like the best thing for me at the moment, so I will probably do that.

    Also, thanks everyone for your opinions.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 11, 2019
  8. Ram5

    Ram5 [Noodle Stealer]

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2018
    Messages:
    789
    Likes Received:
    1,088
    Reading List:
    Link
    1.Read a lot, got a sense of writing from other author, or if you want more simple, read which type of author that match with your taste, you like J.K Rowling style? then read harry potter, try to sense and catch her style, then later you can try to imitate her, or much better, get the better of her.

    2. Read a novel that really piss you off, then swore you are going to create something better than it. If you have a purpose, it easier to accomplish thing

    3.just write.
     
  9. Ai chan

    Ai chan Queen of Yuri, Devourer of Traps, Thrusted Witch

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2015
    Messages:
    11,278
    Likes Received:
    24,346
    Reading List:
    Link
    Write short stories first. Train with limited stuff, such as short story of 500-2000 words first. If you're done with that and is confident you can do more. Pick a theme and start the standard story frame, you know: Introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and conclusion.

    Ai-chan would suggest this first normally. But since you just want to start, it's best to just write first and see the direction of your work. Are you better with romance, sci fi, fantasy or mystery? Your short stories will tell you, once you've written enough short stories.
     
    novadil likes this.
  10. Ram5

    Ram5 [Noodle Stealer]

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2018
    Messages:
    789
    Likes Received:
    1,088
    Reading List:
    Link
    psst, by she mean enough is more than a hundred short stories :sweating_profusely:
     
    novadil likes this.
  11. ebonykun

    ebonykun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2019
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    92
    Reading List:
    Link
    Just do it.
    Writing's your passion, so just do it - rules, tips, conventions be damned.
    One thing, though: preserve.

    Don't stop if your works aren't popular or aren't getting reviews, or whatnot.
    Just write, man. Write until your arm drops. Write, and preserve. Keep at it. On the way, you'll maybe learn a few things here and there and grow. But don't stop writing.
     
    novadil and UDI like this.
  12. UDI

    UDI Writer / Emcee / Lime Blood

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2017
    Messages:
    309
    Likes Received:
    288
    Reading List:
    Link
    Do it. Write. Do it now. Not later, now.
     
    LowerTierDragon and novadil like this.
  13. kaizerrolls

    kaizerrolls Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2019
    Messages:
    9
    Likes Received:
    24
    Reading List:
    Link
    I think you just have to do it. If your original story is what you're most interested in, then you should write that. Even if it takes you a hundred drafts and you don't end up using 90% of what you wrote. You'll get your practice and it'd be from working on something you're passionate about.

    To help you flesh out your world building/think of what to write from here, I recommend listening to a podcast episode called 'I build a world with fantasy master N.K. Jemisin' from the The Ezra Klein Show. Unfortunately, I can’t add a link, but you can just google it. you really don’t have to pick between fantasy and sci-fi. You could right a story that’s both! I think what’s important is that you build a world that’s true to the people you want living in it. This will make more sense after you’ve listened to the podcast.
     
    novadil likes this.