I absolutely positively love alliteration, I have no idea why. But, when ever I see or hear it I just have to shout "Alliteration!" It's such an over looked writing technique. Does anything have something like that? Where you just have a general soft spot for something in the wonderful writing world?
I love a third person/ first person shift, where the third person describes the action and dialog, the facts, if you will, and the first person describes the (usually) main character refelcting on the facts. I enjoy the use of multiple perspectives in a scene, and some times the "first person" voice over will be two guys talking about during the aftermath of the current "third person" perspective, either to give us a time line of events, or to give a statistic about the event the reader needs to know, but is hard to qualify in the heat of the moment (i.e. in Third Person, a bomb goes off and the MC of the scene will say it was very hot. The first person voice over will quantify this by saying a sensor recorded a peak temp of 4000 degrees.) I also tend to write as if the chapter is one particular episode in a TV series and the book is more of a DVD collection of the series. Each Chapter is really a short story giving a little bit of information for the over all plot of the book. I also relish a good cliff hanger mid action sequence. One of my best ended the book in the hero losing a telekinetic fight in a (still flying, mind you) ripped open airplane cabin.
That's kinda cool, I've heard of that being used sometimes but not a lot. It probably makes writing each chapter a bit easier too because you have a beginning, middle and an end
It works for me because I tend to write Superhero stuff, and this way, I can write an entire Rogues Gallery instead of just one over all bad guy.
This is probably my favorite way to tell a story. I have actually thought of doing something similar for a group of characters I created. While there would be an overall plot, it would be broken up as different stories. One would have them facing against giant Ogres in an attempt of helping a small village. While a different chapter would focus on them exploring some mystery of a cave. (its a high fantasy story) I suppose one of my favorite examples is the season 4 of Doctor Who. Through out the season you have these seperate adventures all the while a common things keep popping up. The Bees and planets disapearing. All leading up to a single event.
When I'm wanting to write a story I like to keep a few personal principles in mind. I believe that through an infinite amount of lies there exists a stronger constant truth that stands more sturdy than any other truth. I believe Everything within the limits of our own unique perception of reality can become an epic tale which is malleable, weavable and believable. The biggist dramas of the Universe exist in the cosmos and incubate within the folds of parallel, alternative realities. Everything in existence is a reflection of the Universe and the telling of a good story relies on the writers perception of these reflections. No Truth is ever constant because in fact, everything changes and takes on a kind of dynamic indifferent symbiosis of energy exchange. I never have writers block when keeping these self taught ideas in the back of my mind.
Hmm, part of that key probably works better when you understand it. You know, I think you have the beginnings of a very sellable self-help guide sitting right there.
I just write stories and wish I had writers block - if anyone knows where the address of the writer's block let me know I wanna move in
It's funny you mention that because I was going to title this thread "A useful Guide to Writing", but I felt it too presumptive seeing as how I'm new to this website, lol. If you need me too elaborate on some of those points I'd be more than happy to explain.
You could always figure out what your muse is allergic to. Mine has an abnormal tolerance for rum, but has a rare sensitivity to cake.
My main is allergic to me writing better looking men, and anything with a swan in it lol but he never huffs for more than a few days and now have a few others that take his place when he flounces off. Joe and Tim seem pretty normal guys by way of characters and don't seem to flounce off the same way. Actually I'd go with this one. I believe anything can be turned into a good story with a bit of tweaking of reality.
Wow, I LOVE this post! Those are amazing principles to live by when writing. Sounds like a great cure for writer's block too!
lLOL pretty ladies do nothing for him either way He likes me to write him some good looking men but he prefers them to be less good looking than himself He objected seriously to my male beauty pageant guy and until I gave him a part in it he didn't like the kids story about swans either. He has accepted it more since he realised I was doing one about peacocks for Nate (Nate's birdform is the peacock) He is not happy with my detectives especially Tim but is living with them.
Some of these statements don't seem to have much actual meaning. "The biggist (sic) dramas of the Universe ..." for example. Also, your first principle says you believe in a "stronger, constant truth", and then your last principle says "No truth is ever constant". Huh?
Haha, when reading the title of this thread I thought it was gonna be about everyone exposing the way they get started with a story. I felt surprised by your post, though, since your technique and writing principles are like spiritual perceptions and almost like a religion that you follow. Very inspiring and poetic. I like it very much. The only bad part is that it's difficult for us to understand them the way you do. xD We all have different methods to write, and I think that even when we can learn from others and use techniques that work for others, we should develope our own techiniques that will always work best for ourselves.
i am guessing that the one stronger constant truth is that no truth is ever constant I could be wrong but I thought it all summed up as - there is a story to be found in almost everything around us.
All of it, really, but it's not going to fix what's wrong with me. I still say you have a commercial opportunity if you can back up the mystic stuff with practical advice.
i'm with minstrel on this... sorry to say much of it seems to have been written more to 'sound pretty' than to make sense to others... i'm sure the intentions were all good, but more clarity/simplicity and less semi-philosophical cant would be more effective, imo...
I have a faithful one but I'll be glad to send him your way! be prepared! Must be me not being a native english speaker, but I had a hard time to understand these principles...
Well actually I only want the address for after Christmas before then some kind of filter would be useful.
Firstly, I just wanted to apologize for any confusion regarding my statements. I didn't mean to start some kind of battle of semantics, my only intention in this thread was to convey writing techniques which have been useful to me in the past. When I spoke of lies, what I actually meant was "misunderstandings", "misbelieves" and "disenchantments". I believe that if you give these lies a chance to be believed in and find ways to believe in them, you can come up with a great story, much like some of your more successful Religious texts for example. That being said, I believe that Truth takes on a kind of non-biological Evolution of sorts and is thus subject to the fluctuation of interpretation. That's why there exists a temporary truth and a longer lasting or a more constant truth. Damn I sound like a nerd in this thread, lol. For the record, I'm not religious and I'm not even exceedingly intelligent but my strong imagination has awarded me a talent in mathematics, metaphysics and story writing. Just be comforted by the fact that any story that I write here will be dynamic and logically sound, I guarantee it. I'm not trying to sound pretty or mystical or even poetic, I'm simply revealing to observers how I personally come to perceive reality, Azeher hit the nail on the head. We all have our own unique way we gain inspiration. I was trying to show people a way to exhibit a different contrast in their work, to be different; just as the planets are, when you look into space, not one of them the same, never a twin.
maybe it was the mathmetician/physicist in me that had a basic idea where you were coming from. Tweak the language a little and it does make sense.
I agree the written dramatization of the mundane, plots based on real human struggle is so very out of style........ The biggest dramas of the Universe exist in the cosmos and incubate within the folds of parallel, alternative realities, who cares about strife in Boston or Baltimore, forget Beaumont and Baton Rouge..
