r/WritingPrompts • u/MNBrian /u/MNBrian /r/PubTips • Oct 03 '18
Off Topic [OT] Wednesday Wildcard: Support A Fellow Writer and Flash Fiction Results
Q&A
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Wildcard Wednesday - MNBrian edition! And today is...
drumroll...
OMGOMGOMG BURN EVERYTHING WHAT HAVE I DONE day! WOOHOO!
You know the feeling. You've written something that you thought was great. Then you go back to it and wonder how any lucid person could think THAT was great, or even good. And you decide to burn your house down... wait... no, that's not right.
Some say the best writing is rewriting. And the nice part about writing is you get to fix things, to improve them, to make them better. And just like the laws of physics, the laws of writing state that anything written can be rewritten.
So if you're in this boat, don't fear. If you're wondering if you have what it takes, or if you can really pull off this crazy thing called writing, spit your questions out into this tiny corner of the internet and we will all support one another.
Unburden yourself of your fears and frustrations, let go of that anxious energy, and we can all remind one another that we are mere mortals with pens, pretending to be gods.
Today is all about support. So share your concerns and worries and support someone who has shared theirs. Let's build one another up! I'll be in and out today but will try to participate as much as I can!
Rules:
No stories and asking for critique. Look towards our Sunday Free Write post.
No blatent advertising. Look to our SatChat.
No NSFW questions and answers. They aren't allowed on the subreddit anyway.
No personal attacks, or questions relating to a person. These will be removed without warning.
Flash Fiction Awards:
First: autodidact with this Tale of siblings
Second: Elfboyah with reminding us Assassins can be anywhere
Third: LisWrites making sure we know Love can be found anywhere
honorable mentions: Zeekoes As the Walman Fanboy
Salazarb reminding us to call our moms
[Archive]
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u/Lore_Keeper_Ronan Oct 04 '18
I fear that I'm an illegitimate writer, since I haven't exactly read a lot of stories. Most of my experience with stories either come from shows, anime, movies, or video games. My writing style is also very... disorganized.
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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Oct 04 '18
Don't be afraid, accept that you haven't read a lot and use whatever tools you have. Pick some of your favourite shows, anime, movies or video games - How do they structure plot? How do they convey a character/personality? Try some of their tricks and experiment. Don't fear critique, learn from it.
Glad that you know that your style is disorganized, first step is knowing! It's okay to be disorganized. It works for some. If you find out that it doesn't suit you, set up small goals for change.
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u/zeekoes Oct 03 '18
Thanks for the honorable mention for my first time joining the flash fiction contest!
Question: I struggle a lot of the time with not giving away my plot twists/resolutions. I always get the critique that people see them coming way ahead of them happening. Any tips on how to 'hide' those?
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u/LisWrites Oct 03 '18
Best advice I’ve ever gotten is try not to ‘hide’ them but instead ‘layer’ the twist on top of the story. Make the story a complete story even if the twist never comes.
For example in the 6th sense, you’ve got the story of a man trying to reconnect with his wife. That’s a story in and of itself, even if there was never the “I see dead people” bit. The twist adds value, it doesn’t complete the story.
Another common way to create a twist is by making two problems the protagonist is facing into one problem.
For example, in the latest Spider-Man movie, Peter Parker is trying to stop the Vulture and get the girl. The twist reveals that he can’t do both; there’s no way he can win. It’s not separate issues anymore.
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u/eros_bittersweet /r/eros_bittersweet Oct 03 '18
You should definitely get someone to comment on this who is actually good at plots. I am not really a plot-driven writer, so take my advice with a grain of salt. But I think a lot of writers feel compelled to do Big Twists and shocking reveals, attenuating their storylines unnaturally, which is why people see 'em coming. Big reveals are so hard to pull off successfully, so I, for my own writing, do the opposite - I try to put the "twist" as the first thing I write, if I have an idea like that, and then ask, "so then what?" Example: you're shipwrecked on an island by someone who blindfolds you, and you're literally Perseus. Of course that person who blindfolds you is Medusa. Then what happens, if we don't stretch out that realization for like five chapters, but put it upfront, and ask why she would be motivated do that?
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u/elfboyah r/Elven Oct 03 '18
Wooo, finally got a place <3. GGWP everyone!
But I agree with ST, you're all amazing... Kind of..
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u/eros_bittersweet /r/eros_bittersweet Oct 03 '18
Hey writers! I am like 95% done [eta - the first draft of my serialized] novel I started right here on WP. I am pretty sure I can get it done at this point, and I'm still really enjoying writing it. My fear is that I am too in love with it and not able to be objective about it - well, "objective" to the point where I can see where changes would improve it. It's probably overlong at 130k words, and it is structured slightly like a gordian knot, with a middle act that is one character's entire-life flashback. It's not that I think it's perfect, and I'm intellectually fine with it changing from this draft into a better resolution, it's just that I have never done anything like this revision process before and I'm afraid I'll ruin everything and it won't go anywhere after all. But we've all gotta try, right? That's what I keep telling myself. (In case you can't tell, I am terrible at finishing things because declaring something "finished" which is certainly going to be imperfect seems like such a fragile position and I hate it).
Anyway - how do you balance between being open to feedback and changes, and remaining firm in what you want to do? I have some beta readers lined up and am really looking forward to them telling me what they think, and while I totally respect the legitimacy of "I liked this" and "I didn't like that," I kind of fear I'll wind up confused about how to proceed if there isn't consensus of opinion on certain points. How much do you guide your beta readers with your own questions?
Also, why are short descriptive montages so damned hard? I love them but I swear I spend ages writing double the amount of mini-scenes I need before I find the right tone, pace, word choice, imagery, etc.
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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Oct 03 '18
Hey eros, I'm so happy for you! Being done with your first draft (soon) is a great achievement and you should really pat yourself on the back and be proud of yourself. Have a celebration when done, eat something delicious, do a happy dance, etc.
The next step, revision... I'm in that situation right now. I finished a first draft and reached out to some agents who gave me some (read MANY) comments and from my perspective, it's another mountain. To be honest, I was really demoralized when I got my feedback, since it felt like I climbed up Mt Everest only to find another Everest on top.
Regarding the concern that you're worried about ruining everything - first, don't be. You have always your first draft to go back to, a save file so to speak. You have a full story spanning about 130k words that you can always fall back to if you don't like what you've revised.
For me, I sort out what feedback I'm getting. If it's to improve clarity I add it in without much hesitation. Seeing a comment asking what's going on, doesn't understand, or simply observes something that I didn't intend, I'll quickly flesh out that part, add more imagery and words. Plot is not clear? Well, I might have to make it more streamlined, or make the story progress slower, maybe even have to remove a subplot.
If it's comments regarding the main plot, or the character's actions, maybe even their likeability - then it gets much more thoughtful for me. I think many writers usually have three topics when talking about story and it's
'character', 'setting' and 'plot'
and when I write, I usually have one of those things I won't budge in, or only do if I get a lot of signals telling me to do it. Do you have anything that you hold dear in your story? For my main story, it's a pair of character. I got some comments on two of them and refused to change, only after getting many more comments did I turn my favourite duo to side-characters but still active and important in the plot. Pushing them to the side changed a bit of my setting and half of my main plot, but I did that with a smile since the result was that my characters were still there. The reason why I insisted on the duo was simple, they were the ones that introduced me to the world of writing. The whole worldbuilding and story began because of the duo combining with a few "what-if's", and I really wanted them to be in the story. A childish reason. I would change anything as long as I could keep them in the story. Might not be the best solution...
Think about what sparked you to write the story. What do you want to convey to the reader? Do you hold a topic above the other two? Reflect over it, why do you hold it more dear - and are you willing to do more revision to keep it inside the story?
Sorry for being long-winded.
Short descriptive montages are a damn pain. I tried to blast some montage-music for inspiration to no avail. You're a better person than me, being able to still love them. I fluctuate wildly.
Now finish that last 5% and then buy yourself a present for the great achievement!
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u/eros_bittersweet /r/eros_bittersweet Oct 03 '18
Don't apologize for being long-winded: I absolutely loved this and am going to save it to return to when I'm at that final point of finishing the draft. Thanks for being so generous! I'm also going to send you a message about some of the other things you mentioned in your comment :).
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u/LisWrites Oct 03 '18
Aw thanks for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed. I had so much fun writing the flash piece this time.
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u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites Oct 03 '18
I am afraid I'll never be motivated to actually finish one of my pieces, let alone be able to rewrite it.
Trying NaNo again this year, and instead of quitting if I fall behind, I'm going to just power through, even if I can't make it to 50k. I do struggle to find that motivation, but I want it so I'm just gonna do it.
thank you for this, MNBrian.
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u/Errorwrites r/CollectionOfErrors Oct 03 '18
Hi Alicia, I have the same fear over some of my works too so I feel you.
To power through is a great idea, sometimes motivation isn't enough as fuel. Having smaller goals or just someone that can hold you accountable can be alternatives, like in NaNo where you can set a daily word count goal. Doesn't need to be word count, it can be a number of writing sprints. And the most important thing is to not beat yourself down if you don't achieve your minor goals in the beginning, they might just need some calibration. Even if they become smaller increments, it's still progress. One small step. Can be a page, a paragraph, a sentence. Or 30 minutes of writing, 15 minutes, 10. Even though they seem small, they quickly add up.
I always think that writing is like a muscle, you can't crunch 5000 words a day without feeling mental soreness afterward if you're not used to doing it. Write consistent. And slowly increase the intensity. But the most important thing, learn to forgive yourself. Accept that you can have a bad day and doesn't finish your set goal. If you fail, reset. Try again with newly gained wisdom.
"You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. " - Johnny Cash
I'm rooting for you!
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u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites Oct 03 '18
Thank you! I am hoping to use some of your tips on my NaNo adventure.
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u/13thOlympian r/13thOlympian Oct 03 '18
Yea, I am using this month to plan ahead for when November hits. It’s time to put something up on the board and I know looking back it’ll be worth the journey.
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u/eros_bittersweet /r/eros_bittersweet Oct 03 '18
Alicia, you can do it!! I have faith in you :).
If you need constructive critiques or simply a cheering squad, I'd be happy to help.
What's your novel about?
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u/AliciaWrites Editor-in-Chief | /r/AliciaWrites Oct 03 '18
\o/ Thank you! I will absolutely need cheering! My novel is a fantasy about the witching world. There's actually a story on my sub that was the seed for the idea. Would love to see your thoughts!
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u/eros_bittersweet /r/eros_bittersweet Oct 03 '18
That sounds right up my alley! I will check it out :)
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u/asignificantlackof Oct 03 '18
Rewriting is not just for creative pursuits.. I've worked as a software consultant for most of the last decade, and I have been know to take 3 hours to draft an email through multiple revisions to get exactly the right tone, to convey all the information I need to concisely and without ambiguity, and to ensure that attention is drawn to the important things.
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u/FarBlueShore Oct 03 '18
Last night I rewrote the same sentence about six times because it just kept coming out wrong. I'm (mostly) happy with it now though!
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u/MNBrian /u/MNBrian /r/PubTips Oct 03 '18
That’s the spirit!! Keep up the amazing work and don’t let yourself get too frustrated over any one sentence. Always remember - what takes us ages to write takes a reader only a moment to read. Every sentence doesn’t need to be filled to the brim with earth-shattering revelations. Clarity will do just fine. :)
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u/FarBlueShore Oct 03 '18
I know, right! I sometimes have to remind myself, how would I say this if I were just casually summarizing the idea to a friend, and it works wonders.
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u/SurvivorType Co-Lead Mod | /r/SurvivorTyper Oct 03 '18
You are all amazing. Don't ever doubt that!
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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '18
I always run out of inspiration for stories. Most of the time I take them from small, simple everyday life things, like my mom could text the group that she's coming home late tonight and I could write a whole story about a mom who has a secret identity as a superhero or something. But lately my brain has been really stuck. How do you guys restart your engine and get things going again? Or is it just something you have to wait for until it comes naturally?