What are the habits to avoid as an author

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by Neiri, Feb 16, 2021.

  1. Neiri

    Neiri Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2016
    Messages:
    3,173
    Likes Received:
    2,078
    Reading List:
    Link
    What are the habits?

    For me is not knowing ones capability . It is okay to make another new story but make sure you can make it without abandoning the current stories. The new story must also not be a carbon copy of the first .
    In short finish the current story before starting a new one.

    There is a minor issue of updating the story with only an update. I mainly see this in fanfiction(dot)net where I see updates promising to continue (spoiler alert they mostly don't) their work. It come to a point when I see an old fanfic that recently updated I don't get my hopes up.
     
    primaryweapon likes this.
  2. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2016
    Messages:
    18,546
    Likes Received:
    18,145
    Reading List:
    Link
    have no clear goal~ unless it just for yolo or lol.... wait that is a goal...
    proscanate? darn what it called again? write it later~ this cat swear will write it! later!...true!... maybe.... I think so.... after this cat finnish this cake! or that....

    ei basically similar to other stuff~
     
    Silver Snake likes this.
  3. Sederance

    Sederance Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2016
    Messages:
    82
    Likes Received:
    46
    Reading List:
    Link
    most of the time for fics, if you write it but don't know where you want to go with it/ how you want to go there then you end up dropping it. What works for me is that I do quick summaries of what will happen in the story, and then as i get to the chapter i write/flesh it out, It worked for me as I took a story to about 20 chapters before i ended up dropping it because i didn't like how i was writing a chapter since it didn't really transition into what i thought i was looking for.

    For context, most stories i write tend to go about 2-5 chapters so 20 is definitely an improvement.
     
    Allchemic and Silver Snake like this.
  4. hansora

    hansora Someone Who Seeks Fluff & Heartwarming Stories

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2019
    Messages:
    1,012
    Likes Received:
    1,315
    Reading List:
    Link
    Yes, I put my first book on hiatus because I planned to not rush the ending, so I started my second book. Right now, my second book has almost complete while for the first book, I've just started stockpiling the unreleased chapters :notlikeblob: I do not dare to start the third one without completing the first two books first
     
    Deleted member 348269 likes this.
  5. LivingCorpse

    LivingCorpse Half-dead Neighborhood's Undead

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2015
    Messages:
    3,802
    Likes Received:
    8,380
    Reading List:
    Link
    Relying too much on cliffhanger. Those are the kind of author I hate the most.
     
  6. Silver Snake

    Silver Snake Magician of NUF|Show-off|Awkward|Genius

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2016
    Messages:
    1,324
    Likes Received:
    7,113
    Reading List:
    Link
    Continuity errors and not knowing where the story is going.
     
    aintg likes this.
  7. Fishy_MC_FishMan

    Fishy_MC_FishMan The Fishiest of Fishes

    Joined:
    May 17, 2020
    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    228
    Reading List:
    Link
    I’m sure different things work for different people. Personally, I’ve found that writing, and posting, one chapter at a time online doesn’t work for me. If the story is unpopular I quickly lose motivation, but even when it has been somewhat popular for me it still doesn’t work because I get too nervous about it when people are paying attention, end up stressing too much and getting writer’s block. Anyways I had two stories which were at least a little bit well received, but I got stressed over it, and ended up stopping which I feel bad about. For me at least, it seems to be easier for me to just write the whole story first then share it, but the problem with this is that without feedback I don’t know if the story I’m writing is any good.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2021
    aintg and primaryweapon like this.
  8. Lovelyz

    Lovelyz Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2019
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    6
    Reading List:
    Link
    Be mindful of when the story needs more detail and when it doesn't. Many self-published books either, don't put in any detail about the world or where the character is etc. Or put in too much detail where it is not required, for example, during a conversation.
     
  9. Allchemic

    Allchemic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2016
    Messages:
    496
    Likes Received:
    467
    Reading List:
    Link
    Expecting too much from yourself (placing the threshold too high). And I am not saying you need to lack confidence. But that, oftentimes, the result will not be as good as you wish it was. This is something I am still in the process of learning, though. I don't know how many stories I have dropped and shelved away in the depths of my hard drive because I could not make them perfect.

    It takes writing and seeing how much you suck to really improve. Not everything will be a masterpiece, but not even the greatest authors write masterpieces each and every time.
     
    NU123, aintg and (deleted member) like this.
  10. Praepositus

    Praepositus Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2018
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1
    Reading List:
    Link
    Yeah, this is the issue I am facing right now. I am in the middle of writing the prelude, but keep getting sidetracked on backgrounds for this and that... I have it all pretty clear how it should be in my head, but once I start writing, I keep getting into explanations about any reference that could/should be added later.

    I am thinking about making a complementary "dictonary"/Reference sheat for peoples backstories, places and previous events (Ie. historical events of some importance etc.)
     
  11. Wujigege

    Wujigege *Christian*SIMP*Comedian

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2016
    Messages:
    16,265
    Likes Received:
    15,755
    Reading List:
    Link
    I hate to break it to you but everything goes.
    Even if your story is tentacle rape someone will like it
    Just finish your stories for the love of God!
    Going on hiatus is just annoying.
    You can always rewrite the end later if it does not satisfy you totally
     
  12. OhNoItsRory

    OhNoItsRory New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2021
    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Reading List:
    Link
    In my opinon, ensuring that each week you write is the most important. Not every day or week is going to be a winner, but none the less it's important.
     
  13. Scholar of Eclipse

    Scholar of Eclipse Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2020
    Messages:
    36
    Likes Received:
    10
    Reading List:
    Link
    1. Don't be lazy.
    2. Don't be lazy.
    3. Don't be lazy.

    Basically, don't be everything I am
     
  14. Secluded Meditation

    Secluded Meditation Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2017
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    17
    Reading List:
    Link
    Not being drunk while writing.

    Switching tenses. No planning. No clear cut premise for the story. Not having an ending already in mind. Too much introspection and/or descriptive text. You need a nice balance between environment/action and emotion. Using ALL CAPS when they yell. I see this a lot on Webnovel originals even in the first chapter and it makes me immediately drop the story. All caps has it its place but should be used rarely if at all.
     
    demongordon likes this.
  15. primaryweapon

    primaryweapon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2018
    Messages:
    22
    Likes Received:
    23
    Reading List:
    Link
    I mean you sound like me and if I were to recommend an idea to myself about writing a story I would say:

    Develop a guideline/blueprint/self-made wiki with your terms, lore, characters etc.it doesn't have to be every last idea just a basis. Then write your story and plug and play elements from your guideline. Based on feedback on the chapters you written with your plug and play you can curve, adjust or adapt your story to adhere the feedback you found helpful. Yea it's a lot of work but its resourceful, maybe in my eyes only, you can always use that guideline as a basis for another guideline its like creating your template and re-using it making story development and planning easier with each project. (Idk if I helped but I hope you write something amazing and I wouldn't mind reading it especially if it is within the realm of fantasy action)
     
    Deleted member 348269 likes this.
  16. CadmarLegend

    CadmarLegend one and a two and a bing bang boo!

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2020
    Messages:
    701
    Likes Received:
    2,384
    Reading List:
    Link
    Don't go on the internet. Distractions are hard to avoid.... :blobdizzy:
     
    Deleted member 348269 likes this.
  17. wantek

    wantek Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2019
    Messages:
    464
    Likes Received:
    305
    Reading List:
    Link
    if what you mean is the habit when writing novels, some is hard to check by yourself and need the help from reader/other author/friend to point it out, like

    there's this one guy that keeps saying self depreciating comment on his main character on his novel, idk if that's because
    he see part of himself on the character or what, but that happen to every single novel he created.
    i think he tried to fix it after talking to other author but it went back after xxx chapter.

    there is also someone who seems to have foot fetish, he put a very similar scene on his two novel (looks like this is based on his real experience, i can see his passion on it)
     
  18. Saorihirai

    Saorihirai Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2020
    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    569
    Reading List:
    Link
    :blobsweat_2::blobjoy: lol his passion
     
  19. demongordon

    demongordon Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2016
    Messages:
    23
    Likes Received:
    9
    Reading List:
    Link
    1. never stop writting, even if what you wrote that day is a pile of garbage it still advancing something on the plot. - soon you will be able to write ok-ish to well, even if there is no inspiration.
    2. Beware when you "Research", "searching for inspiration", "taking a time off" - and ask yourself if your are avoid writting, being lazy or really doing what you said you did. Spending 3 days browsing pinterest for image of cool dudes in armor may not be very useful for your story.
    3. Beware of the Worldbuilding/magic-craft pit - There is alot of people me included that spend too much time worldbuilding and not writting, and now all this cool concepts without a coherent story to show to the viewer, may be you escaping the need to write stuff.
    4. Think twice before try to write a genious character, because is very easy to make everyone else idiot instead or making the answer so convoluted that you write a caricature of a genious(sherlock holmes movies).
    5. Reapeating trope - there may be themical motif but if the only plot point in each arc is the same( evil young master in all cultivation realms) then you need to stop and think on others problems. That also one of the reason people like the DAO Talk in xianxia novels because it break from the constant fight, the same goes for kingdom building even if in the story it play small to no role.
    6. Rising and dropping too many flags - rise a flag of a possible plot point is great to enrich the plot but if is never delivery is no big problem but if that repeat time and time again people will notice(*cough*abyss domination*)
    7. Consistence in Tone and Promise - the promise and tone should remain mostly consistent throught the novel, unless for comedy effect, and is possible tone shift but the more abrupt more chance of alienate your previous audience. (Great Demon King start super brutal setting, but when the juvenil comedy hit you get out of the loop)
    8. Character development is good but optional - most xianxia the MC never evolve personality wise but is fine because the audience is comfortable with his antics and are there for the action and the plot/world development and not the characters. Ofc the oposite is also true, the world can just be a place to hold if your focus is the character.
    9. Is never the problem of the reader - if your story is not well receive don't blame the reader for not understanding your creative view, and keep writting.
    10. Lack of well define goal - the MC don't need just the main goal of defeating Main Badguy, but also smaller goals that build up to it but is not just wandering around skyrim style as well a good reason why they are doing it instead of taking the easier route. Can be something dumb as pride but need to make sense with the character and situation.
    -
     
  20. Aldnonymous

    Aldnonymous Male Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2016
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    489
    Reading List:
    Link
    Are you lowkey insulting Slice of Life genre?
     
    Uselessdead23 likes this.