Fiction Writing: Advice and Discussion

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Mendrian: Jan 6, 2013

General Battuta posted:

Work out.

I jog five days a week and it helps but it's not perfect.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 04:12

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 16:05

Martello: Apr 29, 2012; by XyloJW

lol

stop jogging and lift heavy weights

# ? Jul 2, 2015 04:13

Mendrian: Jan 6, 2013

Martello posted:

lol

stop jogging and lift heavy weights

I jog because I like jogging. Not really looking for advice on my gains, but I suppose any advice is appreciated.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 04:18

Sitting Here: Dec 31, 2007

have you tried lsd

# ? Jul 2, 2015 04:24

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

Mendrian posted:

I jog because I like jogging. Not really looking for advice on my gains, but I suppose any advice is appreciated.

try for a weeks worth of pomodoro (25 min) spent writing, same time each day. If you're lacking inspiration take a photo on your commute and use that as a theme for the following day.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 08:20

SkaAndScreenplays: Dec 11, 2013; by Pragmatica

Squeeze as much music into your day as you can, I highly suggest doing so with wanton disregard for your hearing. Shuts the world out.

LSD is Kids stuff. Real inspiration comes from the Machine Elves, which you can only meet after imbibing the spice-drug DMT.

"Load universe into cannon. Aim at brain. Fire." - PROFESSOR Alan Watts describing his DMT experience.

There's also salvia which is both legal and insane and super fun and interesting while simultaneously being one of the most terrifying and enjoyable experiences all at once.

Not pressuring you into use of psychotropics btw. Not an experience to be taken lightly. They have helped me sort out some poo poo in the past though.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 09:21

Screaming Idiot: Nov 26, 2007; JUST POSTING WHILE JERKIN' MY GHERKIN SITTIN' IN A PERKINS!

BEATS SELLING MERKINS.

Whenever I have writer's block I usually eat a lot of fiber.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 09:53

SkaAndScreenplays: Dec 11, 2013; by Pragmatica

Screaming Idiot posted:

Whenever I have writer's block I usually eat a lot of fiber.

I think you mean whenever you're constipated. Unless you're saying you're writing is full of poo poo :smug:

# ? Jul 2, 2015 10:15

Megazver: Jan 13, 2006

SkaAndScreenplays posted:

I think you mean whenever you're constipated. Unless you're saying you're writing is full of poo poo

# ? Jul 2, 2015 10:19

POOL IS CLOSED: Jul 14, 2011; I'm just exploding with mackerel. This is the aji wo kutta of my discontent.; Pillbug

The real answer here is apitherapy.

But on a serious note, I try to do a lot of free association in the windows of time between lying down and falling asleep, or waking up and getting out of bed, or those gaps in sleep I experience as an insomniac. It can be pretty useful in both generating ideas and motivating oneself to write. Though if you're having a lot of obstructive anxiety, self-care comes first.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 15:26

magnificent7: Sep 22, 2005; THUNDERDOME LOSER

For a long time I went on walks with audiobooks, and then music.

But I've discovered nothing opens your brain like a walk with no headphones for distraction. Suddenly I'm thinking about my book and the to-do lists and playing out the scenes in my stories.

SO THEN, when I get home, I hop right on the computer and ~~write everything down~~ surf the web.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:17

Bobby Deluxe: May 9, 2004

RedTonic posted:

Though if you're having a lot of obstructive anxiety, self-care comes first.

This is my biggest problem right now. I'm not going to get better unless I give myself a break now and then, but when I do take a break I feel like I'm slacking off. So I end up burning out from too much.

Balancing things suuucks.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:39

Szmitten: Apr 26, 2008

magnificent7 posted:

For a long time I went on walks with audiobooks, and then music.

But I've discovered nothing opens your brain like a walk with no headphones for distraction. Suddenly I'm thinking about my book and the to-do lists and playing out the scenes in my stories.

SO THEN, when I get home, I hop right on the computer and ~~write everything down~~ surf the web.

I'm always bewildered by people who can produce while listening to anything. I can't concentrate even though I'd like to not be in a silent void.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:43

blue squares: Sep 28, 2007

Ambient noise has been shown to boost creativity (http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/665048). As for walks, they are amazing. I am writing full-time this summer, and here's my schedule:

9am-noon: write. (edit: and obviously check the forums occasionally, which I wish I could stop doing)
noon to 1pm: Walk and eat a quick lunch. I walk with my notebook and without fail I have amazing realizations about my book. I walk without music.
1pm to 3pm: write more.
3pm to 5pm: read. After this I often keep reading, otherwise I will watch some TV or go out.

blue squares fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Jul 2, 2015

# ? Jul 2, 2015 16:49

Cpt. Mahatma Gandhi: Mar 26, 2005

I have to ask: are you a full-time writer? Because that schedule is basically impossible for anyone with a job and I'll admit I'm jealous as hell.

Edit

blue squares posted:

I am writing full-time this summer,

Hah comprehend reading I no do good

Cpt. Mahatma Gandhi fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Jul 2, 2015

# ? Jul 2, 2015 17:33

flerp: Feb 25, 2014

Szmitten posted:

I'm always bewildered by people who can produce while listening to anything. I can't concentrate even though I'd like to not be in a silent void.

I listen to music while I write or do homework or whatever, but I listen to video game music which has a tendency to feel more like background music so it kind of falls in the back of my mind. I like it though, it makes something id normally consider tedious or boring into something more enjoyable thanks to how much I love my music. It's more about the person, I think, because it's hard for me to stay concentrated and not get bored of something before it's finished, so music definitely helps in that regard.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 20:16

Szmitten: Apr 26, 2008

Broenheim posted:

I listen to music while I write or do homework or whatever, but I listen to video game music which has a tendency to feel more like background music so it kind of falls in the back of my mind. I like it though, it makes something id normally consider tedious or boring into something more enjoyable thanks to how much I love my music. It's more about the person, I think, because it's hard for me to stay concentrated and not get bored of something before it's finished, so music definitely helps in that regard.

I actually have some but I like the music too much and jam instead. Or game dialogue enters my head.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 21:47

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

I have a long mix that I listen to when I want to crank some words out in a hurry.

I think always listening to the same thing helps my brain know OK SERIOUS TIME

# ? Jul 2, 2015 21:50

blue squares: Sep 28, 2007

Getting paid $600 to help run a creative writing summer camp, booyah

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:23

General Battuta: Feb 7, 2011; This is how you communicate with a fellow intelligence: you hurt it, you keep on hurting it, until you can distinguish the posts from the screams.

Bobby Deluxe posted:

This is my biggest problem right now. I'm not going to get better unless I give myself a break now and then, but when I do take a break I feel like I'm slacking off. So I end up burning out from too much.

Balancing things suuucks.

Yeah, it's really hard. I've been through it, came out the other side, and I don't know if I learned anything about handling it beyond 'get better.'

I guess taking vitamins and killing late-night blue lights helped. Though I started those right around springtime, so maybe it was the light...

blue squares posted:

Ambient noise has been shown to boost creativity (http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/665048). As for walks, they are amazing. I am writing full-time this summer, and here's my schedule:

9am-noon: write. (edit: and obviously check the forums occasionally, which I wish I could stop doing)
noon to 1pm: Walk and eat a quick lunch. I walk with my notebook and without fail I have amazing realizations about my book. I walk without music.
1pm to 3pm: write more.
3pm to 5pm: read. After this I often keep reading, otherwise I will watch some TV or go out.

Walks are pro, so is noise.

I'm writing full time and here's my schedule

ROLL 1D6

6: Write 5000 words, go home wishing you could keep going all night and forever because you're so high. Realize you have had so much caffeine you will never sleep. Thrash and suffer.
5: Write 2000 words. They're okay. Defer your crushing anxiety about your book's structure and marketability to another day.
3-4: Dribble out a thousand words of interminably slack bullshit. Resolve to tear them down tomorrow and replace them. Hold your head in your hands. Sigh. Realize you are wearing headphones and everyone around you is probably fed up with your sad sack bullshit.
1-2: Stare at your screen for four hours. Order pastries. Think about the weather, your recent dietary choices, last night's sleep, last week's sleep, your vitamins, whether or not the cute barista is on shift, the font you're using, and ~~your editor's last text message~~ whether or not namedropping 'my editor' makes you intolerable to everyone around you. Choose something to blame for your total block. Resolve to be more constructive about the problem. Wail at the thought of doing anything constructive to solve anything. Gnaw at the amount of time you're wasting on this onanistic self-degradation when you could be writing. Complain on social media. Delete the post. Nothing will ever be okay again.

Last night I was at a Kelly Link reading and she said 'being a writer means never being okay with yourself again' :unsmith:

I do think that forgiving yourself and doing some self-care is pretty important.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:32

newtestleper: Oct 30, 2003

blue squares posted:

Getting paid $600 to help run a creative writing summer camp, booyah

That's awesome! Sounds like a lot of fun, actually.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:33

General Battuta: Feb 7, 2011; This is how you communicate with a fellow intelligence: you hurt it, you keep on hurting it, until you can distinguish the posts from the screams.

Oh and turn off the internet. It helps. You gotta hit that flow state.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 22:34

blue squares: Sep 28, 2007

Thought on not waiting to begin editing after finishing the draft? My novel manuscript is in a drawer waiting for me to take it out on August 1st. But that gives me only a month before school and work begin again. I really want to start working on it now. I already know many things I want to add and improve, and I don't think I am "too close" the work to be able to spot the flaws.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 23:19

sebmojo: Oct 23, 2010; Legit Cyberpunk

blue squares posted:

Thought on not waiting to begin editing after finishing the draft? My novel manuscript is in a drawer waiting for me to take it out on August 1st. But that gives me only a month before school and work begin again. I really want to start working on it now. I already know many things I want to add and improve, and I don't think I am "too close" the work to be able to spot the flaws.

Just do it, imo.

# ? Jul 2, 2015 23:40

Megazver: Jan 13, 2006

blue squares posted:

Thought on not waiting to begin editing after finishing the draft? My novel manuscript is in a drawer waiting for me to take it out on August 1st. But that gives me only a month before school and work begin again. I really want to start working on it now. I already know many things I want to add and improve, and I don't think I am "too close" the work to be able to spot the flaws.

http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/122693055511/hello-i-was-wondering-all-the-tips-i-ever-find

# ? Jul 2, 2015 23:42

Bobby Deluxe: May 9, 2004

General Battuta posted:

Yeah, it's really hard. I've been through it, came out the other side, and I don't know if I learned anything about handling it beyond 'get better.'

I feel like I'm getting on top of it more and more recently, like the last month or so especially. Got my routine down and am more able to concentrate. Heatwave has knocked me down a little this week but the important thing is I'm getting back up quicker and learning from my mistakes.

Szmitten posted:

I'm always bewildered by people who can produce while listening to anything. I can't concentrate even though I'd like to not be in a silent void.

In my case it's more about drowning out every other fucker around me. Sister-in-law moving round the house. Neighbour chatting in his front garden. Some fucker always having something renovated out in the street. At first I let it get me down, but I have recently been using an ambient noise generator to drown poo poo out.

Generally anything with vocals fucks me up so I've been building a good instrumental playlist.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 00:35

Stuporstar: May 5, 2008; Where do fists come from?

General Battuta posted:

Yeah, it's really hard. I've been through it, came out the other side, and I don't know if I learned anything about handling it beyond 'get better.'

I guess taking vitamins and killing late-night blue lights helped. Though I started those right around springtime, so maybe it was the light...

Walks are pro, so is noise.

I'm writing full time and here's my schedule

ROLL 1D6

6: Write 5000 words, go home wishing you could keep going all night and forever because you're so high. Realize you have had so much caffeine you will never sleep. Thrash and suffer.
5: Write 2000 words. They're okay. Defer your crushing anxiety about your book's structure and marketability to another day.
3-4: Dribble out a thousand words of interminably slack bullshit. Resolve to tear them down tomorrow and replace them. Hold your head in your hands. Sigh. Realize you are wearing headphones and everyone around you is probably fed up with your sad sack bullshit.
1-2: Stare at your screen for four hours. Order pastries. Think about the weather, your recent dietary choices, last night's sleep, last week's sleep, your vitamins, whether or not the cute barista is on shift, the font you're using, and ~~your editor's last text message~~ whether or not namedropping 'my editor' makes you intolerable to everyone around you. Choose something to blame for your total block. Resolve to be more constructive about the problem. Wail at the thought of doing anything constructive to solve anything. Gnaw at the amount of time you're wasting on this onanistic self-degradation when you could be writing. Complain on social media. Delete the post. Nothing will ever be okay again.

Last night I was at a Kelly Link reading and she said 'being a writer means never being okay with yourself again'

I do think that forgiving yourself and doing some self-care is pretty important.

Think I need to trade in my 1D4.

Bobby Deluxe posted:

I feel like I'm getting on top of it more and more recently, like the last month or so especially. Got my routine down and am more able to concentrate. Heatwave has knocked me down a little this week but the important thing is I'm getting back up quicker and learning from my mistakes.

In my case it's more about drowning out every other fucker around me. Sister-in-law moving round the house. Neighbour chatting in his front garden. Some fucker always having something renovated out in the street. At first I let it get me down, but I have recently been using an ambient noise generator to drown poo poo out.

Generally anything with vocals fucks me up so I've been building a good instrumental playlist.

You need something like this: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/29/brian-eno-scope/

I use that one. It's pretty cool.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 01:56

Cpt. Mahatma Gandhi: Mar 26, 2005

Megazver posted:

http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/122693055511/hello-i-was-wondering-all-the-tips-i-ever-find

This is great. Thank you for sharing.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 06:17

Martello: Apr 29, 2012; by XyloJW

I always listen to music when writing. Depends on my mood and what I'm writing but it could be anything from viking metal to Shadowrun Returns soundtrack to Armenian string music.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 15:33

docbeard: Jul 19, 2011

For me, instrumental music (usually something like general fuzz) goes best with writing. Silence is too distracting, and lyrics tend to get in the way of my brain's ability to make words.

As for editing immediately after writing a draft, I can't do it unless it's a short piece, because I usually come to irrationally loathe anything I've been working on for any length of time, and any sort of editing I would end up doing would look more like something people get hauled before war crimes tribunals for.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 16:11

painted bird: Oct 18, 2013; by Lowtax

I listen to music to get into the right "mood" for writing a particular piece and I have playlists set up for my main project for that purpose. :blush:

RE: editing. I edit as I go along. It's me, I'm the sinner against all that is good and right with writing.

EDIT: Also, I have a question: POV characters. What's "too many". Like, is five "too many".

painted bird fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Jul 3, 2015

# ? Jul 3, 2015 17:22

quite the fucker: Apr 13, 2014; 01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 01100101 01110010

I don't care why it's always night. I don't care why I had to park in a junkyard. I don't care why the foreigner hates me. I don't care why I feel sleepy and injured. I just care if she really works here.

When I ask the people, they say yes. But they're sarcastic, or winking, or ironic, or lying. The desk no one uses is supposed to be hers. But no one uses it.

The head of Human Resources, Deborah, is next to a gymnasium. Deborah's work space is covered in office toys, knick knacks, photos. I ask Deborah about her. Deborah searches Deborah's computer, prints out a page, then slides it to me across Deborah's desk.

It has all the official information. But it doesn't feel right. At the bottom, it says she quit seven days ago. I haven't felt this empty since the last time.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 18:47

Sitting Here: Dec 31, 2007

quite the fucker posted:

I don't care why it's always night. Good hook, we already know the protag is free-wheeling and fancy free, I like it I don't care why I had to park in a junkyard. Lots of provocative questions being set up here--why is there a junk yard? Does this guy have a lot of junk? Maybe he should have a garage sale? I don't care why the foreigner hates me. Good characterization, we know that there is a foreign, and they hate. I don't care why I feel sleepy and injured. wow this guy really has no cares, must be nice I just care if she really works here. this is a really great subversion of all the I don't cares, and the introduction of the female element and the mysterious "here" is really whetting my whistle for the next para

When I ask the people, they say yes. now you're throwing characters at me too fast. I mean, first you have the protag. then the foreigner. then the female. but now people? and they're saying yes? you're no Pynchon, bud, slow down a lil. But they're sarcastic, or winking, or ironic, or lying. good flow, it reads like rap music but evokes melancholy and alienation The desk no one uses is supposed to be hers. But no one uses it. wow you're Hemingwaying it up in here, that's some "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." type poo poo right there

The head of Human Resources, Deborah, is next to a gymnasium. Deborah's work space is covered in office toys, knick knacks, photos. I ask Deborah about her. Deborah searches Deborah's computer, prints out a page, then slides it to me across Deborah's desk. I hate Deborah. you have to be really good to pull off a Deborah in flash fiction imo.

It has all the official information. I have a problem with this because I don't know the narrator's relation to the Female or Debroah so I don't know if this is an illegal disclosure of employee informations But it doesn't feel right. oh see, you almost lost me for a sec but it's like you knew that and brought me right bac by empathizing with my concerns At the bottom, it says she quit seven days ago. I haven't felt this empty since the last time. wtf man cliffhanger

glad to see your back in CC again friend

keep writin'

# ? Jul 3, 2015 19:27

quite the fucker: Apr 13, 2014; 01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 01100101 01110010

Sitting Here posted:

glad to see your back in CC again friend keep writin'

lol

# ? Jul 3, 2015 19:48

flerp: Feb 25, 2014

painted bird posted:

I listen to music to get into the right "mood" for writing a particular piece and I have playlists set up for my main project for that purpose.

RE: editing. I edit as I go along. It's me, I'm the sinner against all that is good and right with writing.

EDIT: Also, I have a question: POV characters. What's "too many". Like, is five "too many".

I think if you have five PoV characters it'll confuse your reader. There's no hard rule on how many PoVs you can have, but I'd keep it as low as possible unless you have a good reason to move PoVs around. I don't know the length of what your writing, but I feel like switching between five different PoVs will start to become annoying for the reader no matter the length. PoV switches need to be heavily justified but if your story really does call for 5 PoVs and you think that's right, then try it out and see how it works. To me (based on no information on what your writing about), unless you are writing an extremely lengthy novel, five will get confusing and annoying to read. That's just me though and you should be open to experiment and see if it works.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 19:49

Megazver: Jan 13, 2006

Read Red Knight, don't do that.

# ? Jul 3, 2015 20:22

blue squares: Sep 28, 2007

Daily walks come through again! I read my novel this morning, and I discovered that The middle was really boring. One hour into my downtown walk and I found my huge middle kaboom incident! Seriously, it is a HUGE relief. If you are ever stuck, get off your rear end and loving walk around!!

# ? Jul 3, 2015 22:06

SkaAndScreenplays: Dec 11, 2013; by Pragmatica

General Battuta posted:

Walks are pro, so is noise.

Noise has a music scene where I'm from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TF9Rv-tMDs
I've had some great ideas come to me at noise shows.

blue squares posted:

Thought on not waiting to begin editing after finishing the draft? My novel manuscript is in a drawer waiting for me to take it out on August 1st. But that gives me only a month before school and work begin again. I really want to start working on it now. I already know many things I want to add and improve, and I don't think I am "too close" the work to be able to spot the flaws.

If you're worried about overlooking things because your brain fills in the holes because you've been looking at things too often change the font, margins, and orientation before printing it out. Helped me catch a lot of errors in the proofreading/revision stage of the first screenplay I wrote.

Martello posted:

I always listen to music when writing. Depends on my mood and what I'm writing but it could be anything from viking metal to Shadowrun Returns soundtrack to Armenian string music.

I for the longest time have wanted to develop a word processor that has plugins for youtube/spotify/itunes/streaming services. Having the music there is a necessity for a lot of people, having the web browser open is a focus-crusher distraction.

If any of you goons are programmers let me know, let's work on this together.

blue squares posted:

Daily walks come through again! I read my novel this morning, and I discovered that The middle was really boring. One hour into my downtown walk and I found my huge middle kaboom incident! Seriously, it is a HUGE relief. If you are ever stuck, get off your rear end and loving walk around!!

Read it on your phone while you walk around pumping the tunes! It's the combination of everything mentioned above.

SA:CC:FWAD - Getting poo poo done.

Broenheim posted:

I think if you have five PoV characters it'll confuse your reader. There's no hard rule on how many PoVs you can have, but I'd keep it as low as possible unless you have a good reason to move PoVs around. I don't know the length of what your writing, but I feel like switching between five different PoVs will start to become annoying for the reader no matter the length. PoV switches need to be heavily justified but if your story really does call for 5 PoVs and you think that's right, then try it out and see how it works. To me (based on no information on what your writing about), unless you are writing an extremely lengthy novel, five will get confusing and annoying to read. That's just me though and you should be open to experiment and see if it works.

I feel like high-numbers of POV characters work best in large stories or long-running serials. It slows down storytelling too much for me otherwise. It works in GOT because there is so much going on and so many forces at play that without them half of the poo poo that happens would be like 'how'.

Personally I think the biggest risk of going multi-POV is loose ends. Each new perspective runs the risk of veering off course from the central plot.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 08:24

Megazver: Jan 13, 2006

SkaAndScreenplays posted:

I for the longest time have wanted to develop a word processor that has plugins for youtube/spotify/itunes/streaming services. Having the music there is a necessity for a lot of people, having the web browser open is a focus-crusher distraction.

If any of you goons are programmers let me know, let's work on this together.

You can just install a second, different browser and install a blocker that only allows Spotify and Google Docs 24/7.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 11:48

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 16:05

SkaAndScreenplays: Dec 11, 2013; by Pragmatica

True, but switching between tabs/windows is what usually kills me.

# ? Jul 4, 2015 12:01

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > Fiction Writing: Advice and Discussion

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