Your writing style

Discussion in 'General Writing' started by sashas, May 23, 2007.

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  1. domenic.p

    domenic.p Banned

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    Well, I'm so happy to be on a forum with the best writer...I'm a fast learner.
     
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  2. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    Excellent point! I believe if he ever did write a historical romance it would be my favorite.

    Great analogy!
     
  3. MilesTro

    MilesTro Senior Member

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    It's fine. Just add a link to let us know.
     
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  4. Chiv

    Chiv Active Member

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    Procrastination and distraction. The silent killers. The boys of the hood. Every year more than 15 people die from procrastination and distraction every year. That's more than deaths by shark attacks (10) and even more than vending machines (14)! Okay, so I made that up. Completely. But still, it's a phantom killer (of time) that plagues us writers constantly (or maybe it's just me?). From Youtube videos to Facebook newsfeeds, the internet has made procrastinating so much easier!
    So does anybody have techniques to combat these vicious time wasters? Because I have absolutely none and am sick of getting distracted while writing.
     
  5. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    Turn off the wireless on your laptop, or go somewhere where your laptop can't connect to the internet at all. If that doesn't work, use a typewriter or a pen and a pad.
     
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  6. sunsplash

    sunsplash Bona fide beach bum

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    Yup, just as @thirdwind said, I disconnect my wifi and will put my phone on the charger in another room. I like some background noise once in a while but music is too distracting for me so during those time I'll put on quietly something I dislike on tv.
     
  7. Maiesk

    Maiesk Member

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    I go here:
    [​IMG]

    It's over the back of a hill with no distracting internet, or even people. It's a mighty trek to get there (especially with the laptop and camping chair) but it's so worth it once I do.
     
  8. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    Turn off the t.v. the internet and make a space that strictly a writing space. I've just started sitting at my desk to write and it helps because it's the only time I sit there. So when I'm sitting there I know it's time to write.

    The reason I haven't been sitting at the desk is because I'm a person who likes to sit cross legged - it's really hard to find a comfortable chair.

    Also, make your writing time specific. That way if you like to play video games or watch t.v. you're not just killing time - there's a time limit. And after a while you'll start pulling away from the distractions to get in more writing time.
     
  9. luisma1972

    luisma1972 New Member

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    I'm just enrolled in a course about "learning how to learn" on an online platform. One of the subjects the instructor aboard is procrastination. There is a tool she suggests, the "Pomodoro technique". It consists in setting up a timer for a relative short period of time, 25 minutes is suggested. You should then turn off all distractions you might control, such as cell phones, TV, wi fi (as previously stated in this thread) and just focus on your work. Once the timer ends give yourself a little reward such as checking facebook or whatever you want to do and then start over.

    I've haven't tried it yet, but sounds like a good alternative to me.
     
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  10. tonguetied

    tonguetied Contributor Contributor

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    I have been trying to write a short story in the 1000 word count category and have a lot of difficulty developing the story in that limited space, my problem obviously, others do it masterfully. Anyway I wrote one that is basically in the style of a newspaper story, so my questions are: what style is that considered?, is that even considered writing on this forum?, and are there reasons to avoid this style?

    Perhaps my opening dialogue will make my questions more clear.

    By Neo Dugetti
    Atlantic Coastal Press

    Many cultures believe the appearance of a comet is a bad omen. Now I understand why.

    It all started when a huge unknown comet approached Earth. It had a very small tail which was the first indication that it was not a normal comet at all. As it approached it became large enough to see easily with binoculars, but it didn't appear like any other comet, the sun light seemed to reflect off it like a huge marble in the sky. Scientists concluded despite its size it had a very low mass.
     
  11. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    This is what's known as an epistolary novel, which is a novel that's written as a series of documents (i.e., letters or newspaper articles). You should avoid this form if you think another form is a better fit for what you're trying to achieve. If you think this form works for you, then go for it.
     
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  12. tonguetied

    tonguetied Contributor Contributor

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    Thank you thirdwind. I didn't make my reason for using this style very clear, but it seems to be an easy way to explain the storyline without character development which helps keep the word count low. It seems difficult for me to write a very short story that fits into the guidelines I was given for posting a story for review, ~1000 words. My intent will be to understand what I am doing right and wrong in general before writing a full novel, but possibly that is a bad plan since the full novel would not be in that form. However I have already written the story, needs another draft before posting, but I would like to gather some critique from the other members of this forum so I plan on posting it soon.
     
  13. Michaelson345

    Michaelson345 New Member

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    Yes, this may be an epistolary novel and yes you should avoid this forum if you think you are not fit in it.
     
  14. daemon

    daemon Contributor Contributor

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    That is not like a news story. A news story is characterized by the inverted pyramid, by an attempt to summarize the information instead of providing unnecessary details, and by a focus on objective over subjective information.

    A "true" news style is not necessarily good or bad for delivering a very short story.

    As was correctly pointed out, both the news style and your style fall under the epistolary category.

    I have a decent first impression of what you wrote. In general, I enjoy reading a character's subjective summary of something that happens. It kills two birds with one stone because I learn what happens and I learn about the character by seeing how he chooses to deliver the story: his word choice, his choice of details to focus on, etc. It is a well-established literary tool and it has been used extremely successfully. It especially appears in novels framed as diaries/journals. Actually, when I replace "By Neo Dugetti / Atlantic Coastal Press" with "Dear Journal," the rest of your excerpt somehow makes more sense to me. (Maybe it is because I have been reading a novel in which each chapter begins with "Dear Journal," and the first sentence in your excerpt is quite similar to how the narrator-protagonist of this novel opens her journal entries.) You would expect someone to be objective and formal in a news article, but subjective and familiar in a journal entry.
     
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  15. Androxine Vortex

    Androxine Vortex Member

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    My style of writing is not what you would say is the popular form of style used today. I draw my inspiration from books such as the Silmarilion, Iliad, etc. The way i write is more of an epic styled narration. Think of the intro scene of Fellowship of the Ring where Galadriel is narrating. This reminds me of my writing style. I know the general rule is to show don't tell, but my writing is very telly.

    I'm questioning if this style would ever have a chance of being published. Most authors focus on creating likable characters and while i do try to flesh them out, I've always been more fascinated with good plots. My stories are very "epic" in scale, spanning multiple worlds and in some, entire centuries.

    Everytime i try to write like "modern"authors do, i never like what i write because it just feels foreign to me. Now, i don't write every sentence with thou and thy, no. I don't make it confusing to the reader.

    So do you think something in this sort of style has a chance of being published? I understand there's hundreds of variables in that question. And again the only orher works i could compare it to would be the Silmarilion mainly.




    And a part two of my thread, i created a very detailed and immersive world that was originally designed for role-playing games like D&D. I'm really interested in getting these ideas published so I'm thinking of making each book a collection of short stories about different characters from this universe. I don't know if that's a good idea or not. If it became popular enough i would love to create a sort of omnibus for it, sort of how wiki sites are set up but for all characters, races, gods, factions, etc. I wonder if a sort of encyclopedia style book is possible too?


    Sorry for the long thread i just haven't been able to write recently with these dilemmas...
     
  16. Androxine Vortex

    Androxine Vortex Member

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    Bump...
     
  17. stevesh

    stevesh Banned Contributor

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    I don't remember if the forum rules address bumping, but it's considered bad form.

    Edit: From the Rules - Thread bumping is not allowed.

    I'm not sure anyone can answer your questions. Certainly, fantasy novels of the kind I think you're describing have been, and are being, published. You could take a look at what's out there and compare it to your stuff to get some idea about your chances of being published, but the only real way to know is to write and submit.

    As for part two, I think you're getting way ahead of yourself. You've created the world. Write one short story, submit it to some publication that uses that sort of work and see if they like it. If so, write another, and then another. If the series catches on, then you can start thinking about omnibi and encyclopedias.
     
  18. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    You also have to consider that if you start writing some other way - way you don't like it so much - it is more possible that you will make mistakes, because you will not be in your comfortable zone, also your motivation may drop (it happened with me when I was writing a story for children (I loved the plot, didn't like style of writing). Of course at some point I'm sure you'll have to use different narrattion in your writing, but when you reach that point, you'll know it has to be done and you'll be ok with it.
    So if you force yourself now to write in some other style that you don't enjoy that much, it's possible that your writing can be felt by readers as insincere, maybe also dull.
    And I also think that books are being published with your styleof narration. If I understand you correctly, The Hobbit is like that, isn't it? Ok, it was published 60 years ago, but still... :)

    Also I think show don't tell is a flexible rule... In some narration styles it's more needed than the others. I think close third narration will have more showing than omniscient third. :)
     
  19. Chinspinner

    Chinspinner Contributor Contributor

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    Game of Thrones springs to mind.
     
  20. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    Yes, I think I didn't understand correctly what OP meant. In The Hobbit Tolkien is literally a narrator telling his readers the story with his own remarks from time to time.
     
  21. Hwaigon

    Hwaigon Senior Member

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    "The Hobbit is like that, isn't it? Ok, it was published 60 years ago, but still... :)"

    Nah, not at all. There's a difference between the fairy-tale, nicely linear style of The Hobbit depicting relatively few events, and an
    almost matter-of-fact style of Silmarillion covering hundreds of years, tens of heroes who stand out by one or two acts and are no more
    important for the plot, or else appear in another story as much as unimportant. The guy knows why he's referring to Silmarillion; LOTR is nearer to what you mean but is still pretty focused on the MCs. If I'm getting right what Androxine wants to say, his prose doesn't really depict the heroes but rather what they did and what happened on a really huge scale.
    And that...I hink, only Tolkien could afford; firstly, because he had an amazing breadth of knowledge as a base for such style and second, because he was the first to come up with something like that.
     
  22. Chinspinner

    Chinspinner Contributor Contributor

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    In that case, one of the greatest trilogies ever written is broadly similar- Foundation.
     
  23. Hwaigon

    Hwaigon Senior Member

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    Asimov, I hear.
     
  24. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Does it have a chance of being published? Sure, if it's awesome enough.

    But will it be easy to find a publisher for it? Nope, I don't think so. It's hard enough for people to find publishers for books that are written in the modern tradition. Finding a publisher for a book that seems to leave out characterization, traditionally considered one of the main building blocks of fiction? That's going to be harder, for sure.
     
  25. Androxine Vortex

    Androxine Vortex Member

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    Thanks for that replies and i apologize for that bump, won't do it again.

    But yes, things happening on a grand scale would be a better way to explain my prose. And its not to say that i never single in on characters, it's just there might not be a main or central character. Its like I'm explaining the history of my world on a large scale. Maybe there would be nations at war but part of the story would focus on a hero rising from the conflict to fight against the cruel tyrants. Then after that the perspective might shift to a neighboring country who sees this opportunity to invade while there is war and the story would focus on characters of that perspective for a time.

    I see it as explaining the history of my world and not everything happens in one country, or or perspective or character.
    However in a separate work i am writing, the timeline spans over centuries and focuses around one central character but he has found ways to keep himself alive without actually becoming immortal per say.
     

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