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The Secret to Paragraphing

Writing DIALOGUE
The SECRET to Proper Paragraphing
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(NOT a punctuation article.)

Once you know what your characters and doing and saying, how do you get all that down on Paper without ending up with a huge confusing mess?

Putting the Story on Paper.
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Everybody knows that when a new speaker speaks they get a new paragraph, right? In other words, you DON'T put two different people talking in the same paragraph. Okay, yeah, so anyone who has written any kind of fiction learns this pretty darned quick, (usually from their readers.)

What nobody seems to get is that the same goes for a new character's ACTIONS. SerThe Secret to Paragraphing3 years ago in Writing

The Subtle STATIC TRAIT

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 neuThe Subtle STATIC TRAIT2 years ago in Writing

Plotting-Murphy's Law Method

Plotting Tricks: The Murphy's Law Method
"What Can go Wrong SHOULD go Wrong."

If you want an easy way to plot out a story that your readers can't guess the end to by the fourth chapter, then THIS is the method for you!

Basically, you begin with a character and something they desire. They go after their desire which immediately sparks complications which become a Problem that your character has to solve.

Once the character applies their chosen Solution to their Problem, Murphy's Law kicks in. The Solution triggers yet another problem.

This pattern continues--Problem > Solution > Problem--so on and so forth until All the problems are solvPlotting-Murphy's Law Method3 years ago in Writing

Plot Devices-Deus Ex Machina?

Plot Devices:
Deus Ex Machina or Chekhov's Gun?

----Original Message----
"What are your thoughts on Good Deus Ex Machinas? I find them hard to pull off realistically in a plot." -- Puzzled Writer
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A Deus Ex Machina is when the Hero doesn't find the solution to the story's problem. The solution is handed to them, or taken care of, by someone or something far more powerful.

From TV Tropes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeusExMachina
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A Deus Ex Machina is an outside force that solves a seemingly unsolvable problem in an extremely unlikely (and, usually, anticlimactic) way. If the secret documentPlot Devices-Deus Ex Machina?3 years ago in Writing

TIPS and TECHNIQUES GUIDE - by4 years ago in General Non-Fiction

The LAYERS of Fiction

------Original Message------
"If you have Action and Dialogue, do you really NEED Description too?
What is the difference?"
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The Layers of Fiction

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Dialogue Only
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"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'llThe LAYERS of Fiction3 years ago in Writing

The Wasteland AKA the MIDDLE

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.
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-----Original Message-----
Middle, middle, middle... It's the Slough of Despond!
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-----Original Message-----
The Middle is where I usually fizzle out.
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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 shoThe Wasteland AKA the MIDDLE3 years ago in Writing

Structure of the GOTHIC Tale

What is the difference between a Gothic tale and a Horror story? Intent. Seriously.

Both Horror stories and Gothic tales delve into the realm of emotional trauma such as revenge, abuse, and hate--including, if not especially, sexual trauma. However, the darkness in a Gothic tale is not expressed or defined by graphically detailed, and gruesome, violence as it is in a Horror. Though violence is often featured in the Gothic, it is NOT the main focus of the story. The drama of Despair is the vehicle of the Gothic where a Horror story is driven by the action of Violence.

In a nutshell...
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Horror = Action story
Gothic = Drama StoStructure of the GOTHIC Tale3 years ago in Writing

Essentials of a Short Story

Essentials of a Short Story
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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:
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To deliver fullest satisfaction, a short story should be structured:

1) ToEssentials of a Short Story3 years ago in Writing

NekoJonez - 10 writing tips #1NekoJonez ~ Writing Tips #1

1) Think about your characters. Introducing filler characters for the sake of one task is foolish. It's better if you use a certain character consistent. Like a Quest Seller, that appears more than once. What I am saying here is… Don't introduce a filler character for the sake of one action.
2) If you have a writer's block… Let your characters make a walk and make them have a look back in what happened. Maybe you have started a plot line somewhere that you can continue now.
3) Make notes, really.. A notebook with as much information as possible is handy. Also when the information seems useless at firstNekoJonez - 10 writing tips #11 year ago in Writing

High Speed STORIES

High-Speed STORIES
When you absolutely, positively, HAVE to get the story done.

The trick to speed-writing is to Plan the story out first, more commonly known as PLOTTING.

"Diabolic" was written in 30 days -- all 15 chapters at 2500 to 3000 words per chapter, adding up to around 80k (thousand) words. A novel is 90k to 100k. I was able to do this because I already knew my main characters really well, (Vincent and Sephiroth of Final Fantasy VII,) and I knew where my story ENDED. Basically, once I knew where I wanted to go, all I had to do was figure out how to get there.

Note: If you're interested, DIABOLIC can be found at Media Miner. The High Speed STORIES3 years ago in Writing

So You Want to Write FanficSo You Want to Write Fanfiction

"Good writing is like good plumbing; it's there when you need it, but nobody really appreciates it except those who made it." - Anonymous

So you want to be a good writer of fan fiction. The first question you should ask yourself is why.
Fanfic writers aren't the ones that get the sexy babes or the hot studs.
Fanfic writers aren't the ones that get tons of money.
Fanfic writers aren't the ones that are admired by everyone else.
The stereotype of a fanfic writer these days is some fat, ugly person (usually somewhere between the ages of 9-25) hunched over a computer endlessly typing. While there are a few pSo You Want to Write Fanfic4 years ago in Writing

Manga - kissing tips 1 year ago in Drawings

Such a Unique Meme3 years ago in Memes

8 tips about how to write a good storyBe it an original story or a fanfiction, a good story (one that attracts lots of readers), needs to have a few things. Throughout the years I have been on deviantArt I had people asking me for help. So now I decided to provide you with some knowledge I have been gathering ever since I started writing stories myself.

First off, writing isn't something you're good at from the beginning. It grows while you work on your story. And I'm not just talking about grammar or spelling, I'm also referring as to how you write and describe your story. When I started writing I was at the age of 13. Believe me, the same story is still in my head YET there is8 tips about how to write a good story7 months ago in Other

Keep in Shape While Writing

There are many ways to get into shape or stay in shape while writing, here are just a few:

1. Switch your computer chair for an exercise ball for a while. It helps your spine, helps balance, makes you change positions(good for circulation and your body), promotes ab strength, burns calories and more.

2. Punish yourself. Tell yourself that if you do not write a chapter before a deadline, that you will make yourself do push ups or go for a run.

3. Reward Yourself: On the flip side, if you actually like working out, give yourself the treat of going for a run every time you finish a chapter.

4. Switch to a healthy snack. Some people get so inKeep in Shape While Writing2 years ago in Writing

74. Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

"Coin in the cup." she said in a flat tone. He blinked at her, put off guard by the sudden appearance of the girl as well as her sudden statement. She rattled her cup at him; it had two other coins already in there.

"Excuse me?" he questioned. What did she want with a coin? Was she a beggar? He glanced her over, saw she was decently dressed, and decided she wasn't really in dire need of money.

"Coin." she repeated in the same flat, dull tone, eyes now narrowing slightly at him, "In the cup."

"But... why?" he echoed, confused.

"Never mind." she growled and moved on to the next person, "Coin in the cup." He stayed put, watc74. Tips and Tricks3 years ago in Flash Fiction & Vignettes

So You Want to Join an RP Group

So You Want to Join an RP Group

A Guide to Creating and Playing Original Group RP Characters

Disclaimer: People have different styles of roleplaying. This centers around the style that I and my friends use. When reading instructional manuals for creative endeavors, always take suggestions with the knowledge that everyone likes different things.

Introduction

RP groups are a lot of fun. After having exclusively done single one on one roleplays for the last nine or ten years, I only recently discovered the world of the deviantArt RP group. Many -- sometimes even hundreds! -- people gather in one location, all interested in the same base concSo You Want to Join an RP Group1 year ago in Writing

STUCK on a Short Story?

10 Second Tip:
Stuck on a SHORT Story?

Stuck on what to put in your story?
-- This is the list of things I check off when I create a story:

Do you have a Setting in mind?
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- Sci-fi
- Historical
- Modern day
- Fantasy

Do you have ONE big main event for the story to focus on?
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- A battle
- An escape
- A love scene
- An act of revenge
- A sacrifice
- A treasure to claim
- A magic spell
- A transformation

Do you know what you want to SAY with your story?
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- Love sucks.
- Friendship is forever.
- No good deed goes unpunished.
- A snake can only ever be a snake.
- Sometimes STUCK on a Short Story?3 years ago in Writing

Pesky Literary Tips and TricksRachael's Bad Writing Tips!

Got a story you don't think is up to par? Here's some stinky advice from a 13 year old! So first you establish the basics: the setting and the character. Once you know those two things then the rest can sorta fall into the place. Here's the example I'll use.

Setting: Medieval type city square, a festival. Cold and cloudy out.

Character: A bored and whiny city guard girl named Minx.

Sound good? Okay! Onto the rest of the thingamabobber. What is the character doing in the scene? How are they interacting with other characters or devices in the story?
*If this is a series story, then you should have more of an idePesky Literary Tips and Tricks2 years ago in Articles & Interviews

Tips from a Writer III

Hey guys, it's me again! I'm back with more tips from a writer! I've accumulated a bit of things since the last time, so let's jump right in!

The difference between "thought" and "taught."
I've noticed this mistake quite some bit, and it's a relatively easy mistake to make if you're not careful. "Thought" means that someone came up with an idea in the past: I thought of a design for a hover car. Or it can also mean that the idea was misleading, such as: I thought I saw a cat on the sidewalk, but it was a skunk.
"Taught" is the past tense of teach. I taught Middle School students before I went back to college for a PhD.

The truth behind thTips from a Writer III10 months ago in Reviews & Guides

Writing Tips and Tricks5 years ago in Scraps

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