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Writing Tips/Techniques

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(More) tips for writing well (Austin Govella at Thinking and Making) Published Wed, Jul 8, 2009 by Austin Govella. Updated Wed, Jul 8, 2009. As an editor, I’ve noticed several recurring bad habits you heathens would do well to disabuse yourselves of immediately. Almost without exception, these bad habits instantiate themselves as a series of stock phrases and constructions that reflect a lack of focus, a lack of fully developed argument, or the kind of intellectual laziness that sets in as you slog through your first draft.

These things happen, That’s ok. 16 things to check when you edit Be vicious when you edit. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. After you edit… The finished piece should be so tight, terse, concise, and clear that it’s boring. Boring. Then sand off the rough edges. Write like you talk. The first 16 recommendations remove fluff and force you to think and communicate. Write Every Day. HOW TO: Write a Novel Using the Web (Mashable) It took five years for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to go from idea to finished manuscript, but the results have very clearly been nothing short of spectacular. Perhaps you also have an idea for a novel kicking around in your head. Maybe it came to you in the shower one morning before work, or maybe it came to you one evening on the commute home. Maybe you're planning to participate in National Novel Writing Month in November. Whatever the case, writing a novel is an ambitious endeavor, but one that the web is making a lot easier to accomplish.

Though you'll still have to do your writing using the old fashioned method — one word at a time — web applications and social media have made the process of writing a novel considerably easier and arguably more enjoyable. 1. One of the most important and perhaps most often overlooked aspects of writing a novel is staying organized. 2. 3.

Once you actually get down to the business of writing, the web can make that easier as well. 4. 10 Productivity Tips for Writers. 80 Journal Writing Prompts | TomSlatin.com - StumbleUpon. 25 Ways To Fuck With Your Characters - StumbleUpon. As storyteller, you are god. And to be frank, you’re not a particularly nice god — at least, not if you want your story to resonate with readers. A good storyteller is a crass and callous deity who treats the characters under his watchful eye like a series of troubled butt-puppets. From this essential conflict — storyteller versus character — a story is born. (After all, that’s what a plot truly is: a character who strives to get above all the shit the storyteller dumps on his fool head.)

Put differently, as a storyteller it’s your job to be a dick. It’s your job to fuck endlessly with the characters twisting beneath your thumb. And here’s 25 ways for you to do just that. 1. Gods have avatars, mortal or semi-mortal beings that exist on earth to embody the deity’s agenda. 2. The audience and the character must know the stakes on the table — “If you don’t win this poker game, your grandmother will lose her beloved pet orangutan, Orange Julius.” 3. 4. 5. 6.

This one? 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Tone/Attitude Words.