Writing Discussion Thread
So this is a thread for people who enjoy writing as a hobby or as a profession. Share stories, talk about writing styles and techniques, and give feedback. I've got a few discussion topics here just to get the ball rolling.
- Writing style (e.g third person and past tense, or first-person and present-tense?)
I've experimented with a bunch of different writing styles. I tend to find it easiest to write in first-person and in present-tense, but I'm able to switch between the different styles when it comes to my different stories.
- Do you plan out your story ahead of time or just do what feels natural while writing?
None of my published works so far have had any real pre-set structure to them, which means some continuity errors occur and some story lines end up getting dropped before they really begin. This really shows in some of my longer stuff. I usually have a vague idea of where my story is going to end, but the stuff in between isn't really fleshed out. It's a habit I'm trying to break.
So if anyone's got anything writing-related that they want to share, then this is the thread for it.
Comments
I have similar issues like yours. I write best when it just comes to me. Just write as I go. I'm really bad at planning and structuring things but I hope to get better at it with practice.
I personally prefer to write in third person.
Something amusing that I'd like to share is that in a story that I've been working there's a certain moment where I feel it's best to kill a certain character off but he's one of my favourites and there's so much more I want to do with him. XD
I kinda have that problem as well. There are times where I know killing off a character is the right choice, but I just don't want to actually kill them.
I do third person a lot, and it's always past tense. I don't do present tense for third person. I do first person usually more for my original stories more than my fanfics, though, and whether or not it's present or past tense really depends. I have one novel in the works now, and it's first-present, but I have multiple short stories that are first-past, and a novella (WIP) that's first-present (though the novella has a lot of flashbacks in first-past). Kind of just depends on what I'm feeling when I start writing it.
I always plan out my stories. For me, I have this issue where I obsess over things. Like, for the novel I mentioned earlier, I think about my plot points non stop. I have a secret Pinterest board devoted to planning it out, too, and talk about it non stop with my best friend. I fly by the seat of my pants for short stories, but I can't do that with novels. I just can't.
I have no clue where my stories lead before I have written them. My characters are "alive" in a sense and they do what they want.
I prefer to write screenplays than I do books or short stories. I guess I just like to get straight to the point rather than focus on the small details. I used to just write as I went along, but I then ended up with a bunch of contrived and/or convoluted stories as a result. So I plan everything out now.
This is a screenplay for a short film I wrote a few months ago. It's my take on a ghost story called, Echo. I wrote it for a class but I never got it made due to time constraints and conflicting schedules. Excuse the somewhat crappy format. I had to copy and paste it from Celtx onto my Figment account. But enjoy and I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thank you.
Echo
A story I was reading on Inkitt the other day. There's a lot of good stuff on that site.
https://www.inkitt.com/stories/thriller/20258?ink_source=reading_lists.show&ink_block=side-browser&ink_page_number=&ink_reading_list_id=23313&ink_followed=false
I like first person and I almost always prefer past tense.
My prefered writing style is first person and informal past-tense. I can explore the emotions of the protagonist a lot more easily, even though it can be hard to write a character that I don't personally relate to! Short stories and screenplays are my favourite ^-^
Whenever I write a story I only have a few clear ideas in my head. I always how to begin and what twists there will be but no idea of what will be inbetween
I have a couple questions to ask everyone;
What's your favourite genre to write?
How long do you often make your stories?
I think I have a very varied writing style, I usually write in third perspective with multiple protagonists, I like to add development for all my characters, even minor ones, if I can.
I also think allot about my stories before I even begin to imagine writing them, I've been thinking about some of the stories I'm just beginning to write for maybe 6 years or slightly longer, I really want to know what my story is about, how it will begin and end and the characters and their roles and personalities before I start writing them down. I like to use the 'Snowflake Method' or go with the flow.
All my stories tend to go the post-apocalyptic route, but usually with some differences just so that it doesn't feel like just another apocalypse story (picture something along the lines of the first Mad Max film, where society is on a downward spiral into chaos). Sometimes I like to mix sci-fi or fantasy elements into it as well.
The lengths of my stories tend to vary. Aside from short stories, my shortest work of fiction was only six chapters, while some others could go on for years.
I've written in both first-person and third-person depending on what I was writing, although recently I've preferred first-person over the other. I find it easier and it seems to suit my style better. Whether it's past-tense or present-tense usually mixes up with each story, determined by whatever comes naturally to me when I first start it. Past-tense has been used more often, though.
Most of my earlier work had no real structure or plan to them, besides the selected idea I wanted to explore. I used to just write what came into my head and roll with it, but nowadays with any idea I have, I choose to try and create an outline of the story's plot, a timeline, it's characters' goals and motivations, etc. Like @mellofox28, I struggle with what actually occurs in-between the story, but I've nearly always known what happens at the beginning and at the end.
EDIT: My favourite genre, both to read and write in, is crime-fiction and some of it's subgenres. The majority of my stories have centred around crime and the violence that often comes with it, but I've also dabbled a bit with horror and the supernatural.
I will offer a question that hasn't quite been addressed in the thread—how do you write what you write?
I am interested on hearing what device you use, or maybe paper, and why you prefer it to other methods. If you use a device, what program you use, the font you implement, whether you italizice occasionally to emphasize dialogue and narration. Also, at what time do you enjoy writing the most and why?
I do third person mainly.
When I first started writing, it was on Fanfiction.net, so all of my stories stayed on the site's document manager. When I started having problems with the Doc Manager, I branched out to other sites. When I started publishing stuff on other sites, I converted each story into it's own Word document just to keep track of it all. I usually do a chapter in Word and then copy it onto my story, sometimes writing several chapters ahead just so I can keep up regular updates.
I'm in the process of planning out my story I'm planning to write soon but it tends to change every now and again. I also tend to go back and forth on which writing style works best for me as both have their strengths and limits.
Some of my work can be found on my Quotev, though I mostly focus on Roleplay. My friends jokingly refer to me as the "God" of Roleplay for some reason.
My question for others on here who write: What inspires you to write? Is it a person, an event, a piece of art, a type of music, etc? This is something that me and my fellow Roleplayers tend to enjoy discussing as I'm often inspired by scenery and music while others may pick a historical event and so on.
Mostly I am a third person writer, but I sometimes do more of a first person view at times. Like one fan fic I did (yet to finish posting) is third person but mainly focuses on following the main character.
I always plan my stories. First I list the characters and locations, then I get down to jotting down the plot in summary follwoed by expanding that to full summaries and finally the final version.
I have a lot of story ideas I like to pursue, but I only got one life span and can't explore them entirely.
I usually write in third person, I've tried writing in first person before but it feels weird for me because I'm so used to giving a character's point of view, how they feel and how they are around others from third person, as well as having stories where it swiches character povs all of the time. When coming to past tense, I write it if it's a flashback or when a character is re telling a story etc. So for the most part I do tend to write in present tense since most of my stories rarely include those.
I have planned them out before, but however I end up changing a lot of my plan whilst writing, so I'm going to go with whatever feels natural. I usually write chapters if a certain event which suddenly comes into my head (or I've been wanting to write for a long time) because it's much for fun and gives me the motivation to continue.
Already begun work on a new story, and it's the most planning I've done so far (currently doing character descriptions, and I've picked a location as well.) Soon I'll start working on a plan for each chapter.
you know when it comes to writing about stories, I like to write about historical stories, or fictional stories that have someone of a happy ending.
For example, I once Drew and wrote this historical Comic about the last 12 hours of Jesus, which I was kind of inspired right after I saw The Passion of the Christ.
and I made it quite gory, particularly the flogging scene comma when Jesus was being discouraged by the Roman soldiers. Now I'm not saying I my art is necessary please suitable for hanging on a gallery wall, but it does paint a picture.
And I used some actual historical quotes that Jesus is said to have said from the gospel accounts. I figured since the Bible is the book that we get the story of Jesus from, that it would only be right to add some of that dialogue into my comic strip.
Admittedly drawing the crucified Jesus, alongside two other criminals on either side of him, was not an easy thing to do, but I managed to pull it off anyway.
if I were to write any other stories it would probably have to be about emotional abuse, as well as alcoholism, and other types of addictions that can plauge a person's life.
That's similar to how I write. I've written stories in the past (most of which are just drafts that have been abandoned), that have a post-apocalyptic style to them, but it's something more along the lines of the original Mad Max, where society has not completely fallen. I prefer my stories, even ones set in a bleak future, to have a glimmer of hope. That's why I'm really glad with the direction that the TWD show is going at the moment, because it adds something fresh to the typical post-apocalyptic format.
I just have to wonder, because we don't know exactly who got killed off on the final episode of season 6 of The Walking Dead, we don't know how that is going to effect Rick and the other group members in season 7.
not to mention, with a fuckwad like Negan hanging around, do you really think the group is going to trying to be better? Or do you think that Rick is going to try to rise above what he has already become, and become more like Morgan for example?
Because from what I can see, Rick has taken on a lot of the Governor's, Joe's, and Neagan's characteristics.
so do you really think that season 7 opening suppose that wake-up call for Rick, as to the kind of person that he has become, and the kind of people that his group has become?