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Writers' Notes - Fight ScenesWriters' Notes - Fight Scenes2 years ago in Writing More Like This
I have read enough books to find that fighting scenes can be difficult to write. Some of the novels I have read have had painful fighting scenes so this tutorial is an amalgamation of my thoughts on the best ways to do it.
First, let's break this down into aspects to think about:
Characters
Situation
Genres
Weapons
CHARACTERS
Before writing fight scenes think about the characters involved. What are their skills, what are their ideas of fighting? Why are they doing so? Is it a sense of survival? Is it to show honour like a duel?
For example -
Does a peaceful man watch his brothers murdered in a slaughter by the king's men. Does
Writer Notes- Plot DevelopmentWriter Notes- Plot Development2 years ago in Writing More Like This
Whether you are writing a novel or a short story it is best to have your MAIN PLOT before you get too much written down. The Main Plot is the singular thread that runs through the novel/story. You may have character ideas or scene ideas but eventually you need to think about a plot. Do this sooner rather than later.
The best way to do this is to list your main characters and then decide what are their individual main plots. Are they all on the same quest with the same ideas / goals or do some of them have their own goals?
To help show this, here's an example:
Main Characters
Eric – To become knighted and serve his king
Vivian
Writers Notes - ResearchWriters Notes - Research2 years ago in Writing More Like This
Firstly, my rule – any writer worth their salt who WANTS to be published someday has a LARGE collection of reference books in their home or knows intricately the layout of the reference section in their local library.
If you want to be a professional writer, a published writer then you can't skimp on the research. So, unless you were born with a mass of knowledge on hundreds of subjects then you will need to read up on them. Not to mention things change especially in some subjects where improvements and developments replace original knowledge: for example Medicine, police procedures etc.
Readers
Do not think your readers ar
Writers Notes - Organisation 23 years ago in Writing
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Writers Note - Organisation 13 years ago in Writing
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Writers' Notes - Battles and WarsWriters' Notes - Battles and Wars2 years ago in Writing More Like This
While I have written a tutorial on fight scenes, I felt that it would be prudent to write one regarding wars and battles. After all a war or a battle is not just about how to fight.
LOCATION
When you are writing a war or battle first make sure you plan where it's going to take place. Land can be tricky, and it changes during a battle.
Image two giant armies amassing on a huge field. Infantry and cavalry alike, all decked in battle gear and heavy armour.
The pound of thousands of feet, man and horses alike. How do you think the ground will look? Grass torn and flattened, turned to mud especially if the weather turns and it begins to rai
How Not to write a Mary SueHow Not to write a Mary Sue2 years ago in Writing More Like This
How Not To Write A Mary Sue
So, what is a Mary Sue? It is used as a form of criticism in literature and refers to an idealised and somewhat "perfect" character that appears to have no flaws or if they do they are so limited that all the "perfect" characteristics overwhelm them making the character "flat." Mary sue often refers to a young female protagonist and male "Mary Sues" are often called "Larry Stu".
From my experience most Mary Sues are written in non-published works usually by young writers especially in fan-fiction. However there are a few Mary Sue writers who are actually published (sadly). It shows a deep lacking to create perfec
Writers' Notes - Some BasicsWriters' Notes - Some Basics2 years ago in Writing More Like This
Here are just some basic thoughts for those who wish to be writers.
RULES
Novelists can and do break the rules in grammar, however this should not be done in a blasé manner. There is a difference between breaking rules for artistic value and being ignorant of those rules in the first place.
It's a common misconception that if you send in a badly written story that's really good plot/character wise that a publisher will accept it and have the Editor sort out the grammar / spelling. What is more likely, is it will be sent back to you, possibly not even fully read.
The reason for this is tha
Writers Notes - Tools You Need3 years ago in Writing
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Writers Notes - Writers BlockWriters Notes - Writers Block2 years ago in Writing More Like This
Writers Block is one of the worst feelings a writer can experience. Even the best writers will suffer it at some point or another. Point in fact that I myself am suffering writers block in my novel at this moment.
Some writers use it as an excuse to give up and stop writing completely. This happens more when the writers block lasts for a considerable period. It does not just have to be over days, I have known it to be over weeks and even over two months before now.
Writers block can be for many reasons. Often it can be when you are struggling with a key part of your writing / plot and are not making any headway. If this continues and
Writing Notes - Killing charactersWriting Notes - Killing characters1 year ago in Writing More Like This
Many writers state that they are very connected to their characters. This is not surprising, for writers we build worlds, we create people and animals and imbue them with a form of life. We let them live in our heads and think on them often.
Often I have day-dreamed into my written world, sat on a log watching my characters around the campfire swapping stories. I've seen them laughing, passing around skins of bad wine and spiced meats. I've seen them sink into sorrow at those they have lost, those they couldn't save. Whether any of this gets written is a different matter because it is all designed for me to learn more about my characters, so
Writing HORRORWriting HORROR1 year ago in Writing More Like This
When writing a Horror story, one must begin with a Monster. The most terrifying of course, are the ones you don't notice, or refuse to notice. The ones right next to you.
"The most dangerous werewolves are the ones that are hairy on the inside."
-- A Company of Wolves
Making a MONSTER
Think, who are the people that walk right up to you every day – and you let them?
• Your neighbors
• Your co-workers
• Your friends
• Your lover
• Your parents
• Your siblings
• Your children
Now imagine if one of them was a man-slaughtering or even man-eating Monster?
In reality, it happens all the tim
The Subtle STATIC TRAITThe Subtle STATIC TRAIT2 years ago in Writing More Like This
The Subtle STATIC TRAIT
Secret Weapon of the Clever Writer
The Static Trait is the small personal HABIT an individual character displays which reveals their personal Neurosis, their driving NEED, especially in stressful situations. This habitual or even ritual behavior acts as both their greatest source of trouble and the linchpin to their success. It's the individual character's "Accident Waiting to Happen".
The most obvious place to find visible Static Traits is in both Comedies and Tragedies. These stories (and movies) RELY on their characters' Static Traits to linchpin the plot.
What made Laurel and Hardy so funny, were the little neu
Essentials of a Short StoryEssentials of a Short Story3 years ago in Writing More Like This
Essentials of a Short Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quotes raped from a critique of Nathanial Hawthorn's Twice Told Tales by
Edgar Allen Poe - 1837
Edgar Allen Poe, celebrated as one of the finest short fiction writers of all time, was also a literary critic. These are bits of his wisdom on writing short stories, gleaned from one of his critiques.
"The true critic will but demand that that the (story's) design intended be accomplished, to the fullest extent, by the means most advantageously applicable…" -- Poe
Poe's Prerequisites -- in a Nutshell:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To deliver fullest satisfaction, a short story should be structured:
1) To
Basic PLOTTINGBasic PLOTTING3 years ago in Writing More Like This
Basic Plotting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A plot is the pattern a story follows, the most common being:
-- Beginning
-- Middle
-- End
All successful (read: popular) stories have patterns. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's complex, but all of the stories read or told often enough to remain in the popular mind of any culture have a pattern, a plot.
Here are some examples of simple plot patterns…
Traditional:
• He came.
• He saw.
• He conquered.
American Dream Version:
• He came.
• He conquered.
• He became very rich.
The Heroic version:
• He conquered.
• He became the leader of
When the Hero is NOT a HeroWhen the Hero is NOT a Hero2 years ago in Writing More Like This
Protagonist & Antagonist ~ A Different Definition
There are Three Essential Characters in Every Story. There may be any number of side characters, but in traditional Adventures, and Romances of every stripe the main conflict is usually, if not always, a triangle of complimentary opposites.
Translation: You could tell the WHOLE story with ONLY these Three Characters; perhaps not with any real detail, but you could still do the entire basic plotline. (Yes I know, I've said some of this before. Bear with me.)
THREE Characters?
Yep. I'm sure you're familiar with: Hero – Villain – Heroine (or Sidekick) already. Those are pretty darn
The Wasteland AKA the MIDDLEThe Wasteland AKA the MIDDLE3 years ago in Writing More Like This
The Trackless Wasteland known as: The MIDDLE
-----Original Message-----
The middle (of a story) KILLS me. I freeze when I have to decide which way things are going to go, and how, and that happens during the middle for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----Original Message-----
Middle, middle, middle... It's the Slough of Despond!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----Original Message-----
The Middle is where I usually fizzle out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The middle is DANGEROUS territory.
Why? Because the Middle of a story is where you have a million-and-one options, a million-and-one directions to choose from, and a million-and-one ways to really sho
Interior MonologuesInterior Monologues3 years ago in Writing More Like This
"I was just wondering what you think about interior monologues, long passages of reflection?" -- Curious Kitty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A note on:
-- Interior Monologues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether you are considering adding a lengthy monologue to a story, or intend the monologue to be the story itself where the focus of the entire story is on one character's thoughts and feelings with very little action -- from my observations and experimentation, the readers either love them or hate them. There's no in-between.
However, it is notable that the internal monologue stories that are sought out most frequently tend to focus on a profound emotion of so
Character Tips 3 - ClothingCharacter Creation – ClothingCharacter Tips 3 - Clothing2 years ago in Other More Like This
So, your character has a body, a life and a personality. The thing is, they're still naked! Well, this should solve their problem.
Basics
Before we decide on their clothes, we need to figure out what they actually do for a living. This is important because, apart from their personality, this will decide the type of clothing your character will wear. For example, a princess will wear a lot of fine dresses and have a lot of jewellery whereas a peasant will have patched up clothes and little to no jewellery. A business man will wear a suit to work whereas a person working on a construction site will wear jea
ACTION Sequences - Plug+PlayACTION Sequences - Plug+Play3 years ago in Writing More Like This
Writing ACTION Sequences
The Plug & Play Method
Lets begin with a Review...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The flash of pain exploded in my cheek from the slap her hand lashed out at me.
-- WRONG!
Why is this wrong?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you were watching this scene as a movie, that sentence is NOT how you would have seen it happen.
Actual Sequence of events:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) Her hand lashed out at me in a slap.
2) A flash of pain exploded in my cheek
ACTION Sequences = Chronological Order
REALITY = something happens to you and then…you react.
Action > Reaction > Action > Reaction = Chronological order
FICTION = the Plot happens to
The LAYERS of FictionThe LAYERS of Fiction3 years ago in Writing More Like This
------Original Message------
"If you have Action and Dialogue, do you really NEED Description too?
What is the difference?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Layers of Fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dialogue Only
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Himawari-chan, I have your lunch!"
"Ah, Watanuki-kun!"
"Here you go Himawari-chan!"
"Thank you, Watanuki-kun!"
"You are very welcome, Himawari-chan."
"I see. Of course. Thank you, Yuuko-san. Do I need to tell you what she said?"
"No! No, you don't, and I don't want to hear it! I don't need a freaking baby-sitter!"
"Yuuko thinks you do."
"That's her! Not me!"
"Are you a fortune-teller?"
"No! Of course not!"
"I'll
Sta.sh
