6 Ways to Hook Your Readers
Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books. If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out. Most readers are like me. Most people don’t want to spend the first 50 pages trying to get into a book. Here are a few things I find annoying in the first lines of a story: Dialogue. The last thing you want to do as a writer is annoy or bore people. (N.B. 1. Put a question in your readers’ minds. “Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” 2. By starting at an important moment in the story, your reader is more likely to want to continue so he or she can discover what will happen next. “It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she’d been told.” 3. Description is good when it encourages people to paint a picture in their minds. “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” 4. 5. “They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.” 6.
Creating Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds - Intro
By Michael James Liljenberg Introduction Everybody says, 'My topic is the most important thing you can learn in order to write science fiction and fantasy,' when they write a tutorial for FARP. There are four basic parts of a story: plot, character, setting, and theme. But what sets Fantasy and Science Fiction apart from other genres is the setting. To be a good writer you need to know character, plot, and theme. Nor do you need to create a universe that is totally original or free of those dreaded Fantasy clichés. And that's the key for creating a realistic world for your story, creating the world as a whole. All this is not to say that your worlds have to be completely scientifically realistic. J.R.R. George Lucas's Star Wars universe was never very well developed, especially from a technology standpoint, but it still works. Chapter 1: In the Beginning God - Theology/Spirituality In the Beginning God: what kind of god or gods and other supernatural forces are at work in your world?
Young Adult Novel Guidelines: Tips on Writing for the YA / Teen Market | Suite101.com
Harry Potter in all its iterations means adventure, romance and mystery in a magical setting. On the other hand, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is funny, coming-of-age chick lit, intertwined with a brother’s dark secret. Both are Young Adult books, but YA is as broad as a category can get. YA Ages Young Adult readers are generally 12-18 years. Young Adult Genres and Subjects As a group, YA readers will devour any genre: adventure, romance, humor, mystery, historical, contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. Edgy YA When formerly taboo subjects are handled with an intense perspective, it is considered Edgy YA. Characters The exact age of a YA character isn’t as important as the need for the age to fit the character. Length and Style YA novels generally run 40,000-75,000 words, but you’ll find books on either side of that. There are no vocabulary restrictions for this age group. Advice First, read a large number and wide variety of YA novels, and analyze them.
10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing
Dear Teenage Writers: Hi there. I was once a teenage writer like you (see goofy picture to the right), although that was so long ago that between now and then, I could have been a teenager all over again. Nevertheless, recently I’ve been thinking about offering some thoughts and advice on being a teenage writer, based on my own experiences of being one, and on my experiences of being a teenage writer who kept being a writer when he grew up. I’m going to talk to you about writing as straight as I can; there’s a possibility that some of what I say to you might come off as abrupt and condescending. 1. It’s nothing personal. There are reasons for this. a) You’re really young. Now, if you’re really good, you can fake perspective and wisdom, and with it a voice, which is almost as good as having the real thing. b) You’re besotted by your influences. c) When you’re young, it’s easier to be clever than to be good. So those are some of the reasons your writing sucks right now. 2. Because, look.
Finding Strong Ideas for Teen Fiction
Finding the right idea is the key to beginning your YA novel. So where, exactly, do ideas come from? How can you find ideas that teenagers will enjoy? The answer to this question is both simple and complex. Ideas for your teen novel can come from anywhere. Whether you loved or hated gym class in school, this version of gym will be nothing like what you were used to. A good workout starts out slow, so let’s begin with the easy stuff. Absolutely not. Ideas can come from so many places they’d be impossible to count, and finding ideas for a teen novel is no different than finding ideas for an adult novel. In fact, our world is overflowing with stories. There are also times when a director’s commentary on a DVD has sparked an idea for a book. Books & Magazines I’ve also been inspired by other books. If you’re looking for ideas, watch the world around you and take note of interesting people, places, or events. What’s happening in the world that’s of interest to you? You might also like:
Writing Realistic Injuries
Quick Contents Introduction General remarks What's normal?Reactions to injury - including emotional reactions, fainting and shock. Minor injuries - such as bruises, grazes and sprains Head injuries - from black eyes to severe concussions Broken bones Dislocated jointsCutting and Piercing - for various locations, including blood loss symptoms and figures. Introduction Characters climbing cliffs with broken arms or getting knocked out for an hour or so and then running around like nothing happened, bug me. I’m not any sort of medical expert - research for this article has come from a variety of sources from medical texts to personal experience – (I’m just a teeny bit accident prone…) I do historical reenactment and a large part of information here comes from the ‘traumatic injury’ (or ‘the nasty things that can happen to you in combat’ information we give the public and new members to make them go ‘urggh , I’m glad this isn’t for real’. Back to Quick Contents General Remarks What’s Normal…?
How to Plot and Write a Novel: Plan Your Novel Writing with the Snowflake Method
Many novelists mull over story ideas, letting them ripen and develop over time. When the story is ready to be told, instead of just sitting down and starting to type, try the Snowflake Method. This step-by-step way to write a novel begins with essential elements and becomes more detailed with each step. Essential Elements for Novel Structure Snowflakes have a structure which begins with a simple form and adds more elements to create complex patterns. Novelist and physicist Randy Ingermanson created the Snowflake Method to break novel-writing into steps that build on each other in the same way. 1. 2. 3. The time-saving factor for novelists here is that at this point, a writer knows whether or not the story has problems. Expand on the Beginning Novel-Writing Steps 4. 5. 6. Plot problems will arise and new insights and ideas will appear through these steps. Revise and Expand into Scenes 7. 8. 9. 10. Ingermanson stresses that the Snowflake Method is not to be hurried. Not for All Writers
