An Update

Sorry, this post isn't related to writing. If you don't want to read it, I don't mind C:


Anyway. I'm actually planning on making major renovations on this blog-ads, a better title, better formatting-so don't get scared and freak out thinking that Blogger has switched the urls with another blog.


Just warning you. :)

Story Idea #4

Story Idea #4: Write a journal detailing all the events that happened to you every day. Try to be as descriptive as possible. You may exaggerate the funny events and downplay not-so-interesting events, but don't leave anything out.

Story Idea #3

Story Idea #3: Write fanfiction! (Those are stories set in the world of a published universe [Harry Potter, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc.]) The world is already created for you, and many writers don't have a problem with it. In fact, the writer of Shades of Gray got her start in Twilight fanfiction.
Also, I know a person that has completed a novel-length fanfiction, and she has published two novels: The Ram and The Rook.

Tips 21-30

Tip #21: Draw your characters. It doesn't matter if you're a terrible artist, no one's going to see these anyway. It helps you visualize what your characters look like.

Tip #22: Never leave your manuscript for a long period of time unfinished. It only leads to more procrastination.

Tip #23: Try to be original. It's not always the easiest thing to do, but try, at least.

Tip #24: Don't let anyone read your manuscript until it's finished-their comments will make you want to edit. If you do, write down their suggestions and put them aside.

Tip #25: Keep a pad or Post-Its and a pen with you at all times. Someday, you'll come up with a fantastic idea-and then forget it when you actually can put it into practice. Don't let that happen!

Tip #26: If you're doing nonfiction, never use only one source. It could be biased or incorrect, so use at least 3 sources. 3 is the bare minimum.

Tip #27: ALWAYS, ALWAYS, plan out whatever you're writing before writing. It doesn't matter what you're writing, ALWAYS plan it out. It helps SO MUCH when you need to refer back to something for continuity or something.

Tip #28: If you're writing nonfiction, try to make it interesting-no one will read it if it's really boring, even if it has the most important information in the world. (At least I wouldn't... :P) You can really only get away with making nonfiction boring if it's a school project, and even then you might get docked some points.

Tip #29: Don't always use other people's methods-some methods may work great for some people, but not for others. Find your own methods (but don't always disregard others'!)

Tip #30: This isn't related to writing, but eh. Check out books from the library or borrow them from friends instead of buying them. If you're like me, you'll end up reading them once then throwing them aside, forgotten. :P

Veronica Roth's Five Stages of Writing

Okay, so I'm completely obsessed with the Divergent trilogy right now, so I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the copy of Divergent with all the special stuff tacked on to the end. Since I've been gone for so long, I decided to risk getting sued and post (in my own words) Veronica Roth's tips for writing!
Disclaimer: This is all copyrighted by Veronica Roth, she thought of it, and I have nothing to do with it. I'm only doing this to try to help fellow writers, please don't sue me!

Stage One: Word Vomit. Just write, but don't reread what you've written. If you do so, you'll be tempted to edit, and that'll sidetrack your progress.

Stage Two: Leave it! Reconnect with family and friends you might have ignored during Stage One. Don't think about your manuscript at all.

Stage Three: Edit. Fix any mistakes you've made with continuity. Note down all ginormous plot changes you plan to make.

Stage Four: Chop up your manuscript. No, seriously, save your old copy and make a copy of it, then start chopping up your favorite parts. Get rid of everything you love! :P This will give you a fresh start, but you'll still have your old manuscript to refer to in case you want to bring something back.

Stage Five: Repeat.

Please don't sue.

Apology and Story Idea #2

Apologies for waiting so long to post. I won't make any excuses, only say that it was finals week, which is really stressful. I promise I won't abandon this blog for more than a week again.
Anyway, I actually came up with a few more ideas.

Story Idea #2:

Write about magic items. Not cliche ones like rings and jewels, though. Perhaps a hat, or a dress. Design them, you can even draw pictures of them to help you imagine them better.
Think about what you could have them do. Maybe increased senses, mind control?

Story Idea #1

Don't hate. :P Okay, so feel free to alter these. They're just ideas! No credit needed.

Perhaps you could write about a girl who's different? Maybe in her world, everyone's conforming, and she wants to break apart the fabric of society and expose a threat. She's being hunted down by the police in that world, and she has to try to avoid them and expose the puppet-masters of the threat to humanity...? 

You're welcome, another post today.

Tips 16-20

Tip #16: Try to write in your gender. It's easier to do that because you know how they think. It's not a bad thing to base your character off of yourself, as long as you don't make him/her perfect.

Tip #17: Stay in character! If your character is malicious and rude, you wouldn't write him/her saying, "Oh, I'm sorry, are you hurt?" unless he/she had an ulterior motive. c: Plan this kind of thing carefully, it might come back to bite you in the butt.

Tip #18: Avoid stereotypes whenever possible. You might accidentally alienate half your audience. Maybe you could write a character who's the exact opposite of all the stereotypes?

Tip #19: If you're writing in a fantasy world, avoid mentioning things relating to our geography, culture, etc. For example, if there's no USA in your world, avoid mentioning things like french fries, fast food, City Hall. Of course, you could have those things, but have them be completely different if that makes any sense at all. (What I mean is, you could have fried potatoes, but make them different from our Earth french fries.)

Tip #20: Name your chapters/sections after you write them. It makes everything easier, because you don't have to control the plot. This goes for your summary and title as well.

Since I didn't post for a long time, I'm posting extra today. 

Tips 11-15

Tip #11: Research your topics-you don't want to sound really stupid. For example, if you were talking about basketball and you said, "I kicked the ball into the goal," readers would be wondering what you were talking about.

Tip #12: Take your time. No one likes to read-or write-a rushed ending. It doesn't matter if you have a deadline or not (well, actually it does, but for the sake of this tip, it doesn't)-take your time and do your best! You'll thank yourself for it later.

Tip #13: Write as yourself. If in real life you're serious, write seriously. If in real life you're snarky, be snarky. Don't try to adopt a personality that's not your own, unless you're writing in first person, it'll seem forced.

Tip #14: Let your story decide what happens next. If your story seems to be progressing to an ending that isn't the one in your plot outline, don't try to fight it. Instead, just go with the flow. If you try to "fix" the ending, it'll seem forced.

Tip #15: Whenever possible, try to live your subject. For example, if your book details an escaped convict living in the wild (kudos to anyone who knows which book I'm talking about!), spend one night living in the wild and see how you feel.

Sorry for not posting sooner.

Tips 6-10

Tip #6: Outline your chapters-tell the events occurring in them, then give details. That way you'll actually have an idea of what to write.

Tip #7: READ! You can learn a LOT from reading popular books-or else why would they have gotten popular? You can edit your manuscripts with things you learn from those books.

Tip #8: Don't multitask. The writing you do while listening to pop songs or checking your e-mail's quality is significantly lower than when you just concentrate on writing.

Tip #9: Set aside a certain time each day to write-that way your brain will get used to stimulating creative juices at that time, and you'll have more ideas.

Tip #10: Do something that relaxes you before or during writing-listen to instrumental music or take a warm bath. This will make you relaxed, and it's easier to write if you're relaxed than if you're tense.

Thanks for reading!

WELCOME (Tips 1-5)

Welcome to The Writer's Online Handbook!

My name is Annie, and I will be your guide in writing your piece-be it a short story, a novel, your homework, or an article, I'll have something for you!

I am currently working on a novel of my own, called Not So Dark. Expect to see posts on that once in a while. I'm hoping to get it published!

Every post will be a collection of tips on how to write, and there will (hopefully) be a post a day. If I'm really tired or busy, there might be one or two tips per post.

This blog is fairly new, so please help it get it's footing in the world by telling your friends if you found this helpful.

Thanks!

Remember, these tips will mainly be for fiction writing, but I'll include some for non-fiction as well. The full collection of tips will be on a separate page (once I get to making it).

If you have any questions, concerns, or tips of your own, email me at anniewang2003@gmail.com.

 

Tip #1: Characterize your characters. Know them like the back of your hand. Even if you don't think you'll need any of the information you put down, put it down anyway-it comes in handy knowing a character's favorite type of dance!

 

Tip #2: Play the character game: look at people you meet on the street, then invent back-stories for them. You never know where you'll get inspiration! Some of my main characters are based on random people I saw walking down my street.

 

Tip #3: Pay attention to nature-take around five minutes each day, usually around early morning, to close your eyes and listen, breathing in the air. Take note of what you see, smell, hear, and feel. This actually stimulates (at least mine) the creative part of your brain.

 

Tip #4: Here's a sample characterization sheet (you may want to add or subtract some categories, depending on what you're writing):

NAME: (include pronounciation if pronounced oddly)
GENDER:
AGE:
DATE OF BIRTH: (mm/dd/yyyy, remember to correspond this date with the setting and time of your piece!)
APPEARANCE:
PERSONALITY:
AFFILIATION: (heroine, hero, "sidekick"; good, bad, neutral)
ALLIES:
ENEMIES:
FAVORITE FOOD:
FAVORITE SPORT:
FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC:
FAVORITE COLOR:
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD:
LEAST FAVORITE SPORT:
LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC:
LEAST FAVORITE COLOR:
HOBBIES:
FAVORITE HOBBY:
TALENTS: (these don't all have to be something your character likes doing! In fact, your character doesn't have to know they have these talents, they could be hidden.)
SECRETS:
FEARS:
FLAWS:
ANNOYING HABITS:
LIKES:
DISLIKES:

Tip #5: You may want to write your characterization sheet in first person and in the personality of your character. For example, if you have a character who's rude and noisy, you could have this:

Name: Jane Doe, idiots!
Gender: FEMALE! My first name's Jane for Pete's sake!

Just an example.