25 Things Every Writer Should Know. An alternate title for this post might be, “Things I Think About Writing,” which is to say, these are random snidbits (snippets + tidbits) of beliefs I hold about what it takes to be a writer. I hesitate to say that any of this is exactly Zen (oh how often we as a culture misuse the term “Zen” — like, “Whoa, that tapestry is so cool, it’s really Zen“), but it certainly favors a sharper, shorter style than the blathering wordsplosions I tend to rely on in my day-to-day writing posts. Anyway. Peruse these. Absorb them into your body. Let your colonic flora digest them and feed them through your bloodstream to the little goblin-man that pilots you. Feel free to disagree with any of these; these are not immutable laws.
Buckle up. 1. The Internet is 55% porn, and 45% writers. 2. A lot of writers try to skip over the basics and leap fully-formed out of their own head-wombs. 3. 4. I have been writing professionally for a lucky-despite-the-number 13 years. 5. Luck matters. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Fundamentals of Fiction: Writers Write! By Marg Gilks "Practice is the best of all instructors. " -- Publilius Syrus, Syrian-born Roman author, c. 100 BC A writer writes. And writes. And writes. Writing is one activity where practice does make perfect -- or at least, better. But what is writing? Well, before you can do anything, you have to have an idea, even a glimmering of an idea. Thinking an idea into a story doesn't have to be conscious work. When you do start jotting things down, you may be surprised to find that the simple act of putting pen to paper seems to act as a conduit -- more and more flows from your mind onto the paper. "Ah," you think then, "the moment of truth.
"But I don't know how to begin the story yet," you protest. Still feeling intimidated? Should you write every day? Okay, so you've written something; you've finished that first draft. Nope. What? An inevitable part of writing is revision. Writing is thinking, writing, and revising. Send it out. Writers write. Part I: "I've Got an Idea! " Writing Dialogue -- Tips on Writing Dialogue.
12 Exercises for Improving Dialog. Dialogue is one of the most difficult aspects of writing to master. There are many pitfalls to avoid. Stilted Language This is dialogue that does not sound like natural speech. Filler Dialogue This is dialogue that does not advance the scene or your understanding of the characters. Expository Dialogue This is dialogue in which the character explains the plot. Naming This occurs when one character uses another character’s name to establish identity. Overuse of Modifiers This is the overuse dialogue modifiers such as shouted, exclaimed, cried, whispered, stammered, opined, insinuated, or hedged. Exercises Write down the things you say over the course of the day.
Articles about Writing Dialogue. Lisa Lippert's page on creative writing exercises. Intro to Playwriting. So, you're going to write a stage play. First, what is a play? Basically, it's a blueprint for a stage production. It's performed by actors and directed, designed, and perhaps choreographed by others. As a collaborative art, a script is the cornerstone of a production from which the actors, designers, and directors all take their cues. You've probably seen a play before, if not on stage then one that's been adapted for TV or film. The curious thing about a play is that it's supposed to appear realistic to the audience (as in, this could be happening) but of course it's a complete creation from the mind of the writer. If you've ever glanced at the text of a play you'll see that it's pretty much all dialogue.
Since a play is intended for performance, it adheres to some "unities" because of length limitations and the confines of the stage. Characters - You're going to want some, or else those actors will be very confused when they arrive for auditions. Do Include: Do Not Include: Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Project. Tips: Growing your audience - Thomas Rogers. (courtesy of Robyn Gallagher.) One of our goals at Open Salon has been to help bloggers find the audiences they deserve. As the site continues to grow, we've been thrilled to see many of you do just that.
Browsing through the most-viewed tabs on the cover, many of your recent posts have attracted thousands -- and tens of thousands -- of readers from around the world. But if you're a blogger still wondering how to grow your audience – or a blogger who simply wants more, more, more! Make your blog more SEO-friendly Much of the traffic to Open Salon comes from search engines like Google or Yahoo, when your posts appear in search results. The easiest way to rank higher in search results is to include in your blog post “keywords," or popular search terms. Give your post a title that tells readers exactly what you're writing about. When you join Reddit, a Karma number and a Comment Karma number appear next to your name on your profile page. . • Get linked: The Writer: Advice and inspiration for today’s writer.