Yes, that's what this thread is all about. I'd like to share with you some tips that have helped me improve my writing skills. I'm also inviting any and all of you who have advice and tips on writing to please post them here.
Keep in mind before I begin: Please DO NOT go off topic on this thread. It's vital we stay on topic here. This is solely meant to help those who have writer's block, are stuck on how to go about writing a story, or those with other possible issues.
I'm also open to those of you who have questions to ask them here. I can answer them to the best of my ability.
With that said, here is a little blurb on some things you can take with you the next time you want to start a story:
Brainstorm
They've been teaching this in school since as far as I can remember, and the same principle can be applied to writing. There are multiple ways to go about doing this, but one way that I've found to work is to take a piece of paper and a pen, and make a few circles at different ends of the paper. One circle is for characters, one for plot, one for setting (time, place, etc.), and one for theme (assuming there are four circles...you can make as many or as little as you want).
Then, branch out ideas from each circle. So, under the plot, write some ideas that you think will work. Under characters, write out some character names and backgrounds, etc. Keep doing this until you've run out of ideas, then look back and see what you think works and what you think won't work. Heck, you might even find yourself being able to merge ideas!
Character Development
Okay, this is a big one. In my opinion, one of the most key elements in a story is the character. However, an even higher goal I like to set is to make the reader become attached to the character(s). A lot of times, a character can make or break a story, mainly because the reader will ask, "why should I care?" They need somebody they can relate to. What can be done to achieve this? Details!
What kind of accent does your character have? What kind of clothing does he/she wear? What's their background story? Things like this will help build your character.
For instance, I'm currently working on a piece where the main character talks and acts as though he were a knight...even though he's living in the present. Why, do you ask? Because he modeled himself after his favorite character from a book, and experiencing a traumatic event, he actually absorbed himself in the knight. I'm talking the whole shebang here. He talks and acts as though he lived in the days of kings.
Avoiding the Cliches
This is another biggie. I searched far and wide for years and years through the sea of ABDL-related forums and websites to find which stories have been posted, which have worked, and which have not worked. That's how I came up with the idea for "I, Infantilist". I wanted to make it believable and real, while still adding that touch of fiction.
Scope them out if you haven't done so already. Even if you're writing a fan fiction, the chance of you falling into the cliche trap is still applicable. You know, the whole "(insert character here) loved to wear diapers/wears diapers in secret/had an accident. Their parents/significant other/friend who doesn't mind partaking in putting said character into diapers/siblings find out, and begin treating them like a baby. Humiliation and udder embarrassment ensues."
Be wary, writers! This can create some negative vibes! Your story should stick above the rest. The whole "be different" speech you've probably heard a million times? Listen to it. It does pay off and does give you the upper hand when writing.
Spelling/Grammar
Yes, yes. I know. I'm a spelling/grammar Nazi. And I know people will always defend the whole "nobody's perfect" issue. However, if you can pretend for a minute that a piece of writing is being spoken aloud, then this issue begins to make more sense.
I see writing as the silent form of public speaking, if that makes sense. It's being "read" to your brain. Now imagine the misspellings and errors are spoken aloud. Sounds silly, doesn't it? Not to mention it takes away the credibility of the "speaker." The same goes for writing. If you don't make an effort to spell correctly and use proper grammar, your credibility can go down (not to say that it always will).
I know there have been issues with dyslexia/reading/writing, but honestly, this is easily one of the most important parts of writing. Even if a story is considered bad, I can give credit to the writer if they've made it error-free (or mostly error free...nobody's perfect). What you may not understand is that there are people (like myself) who read a lot. Now, when I read a story that is full of errors, each error completely sidetracks my train of thought. I lose my focus on what I was reading, become upset, and generally stop reading the story.
Microsoft Word has a spell checker. Open Office has a spell checker. Notepad does NOT have a spell checker. If you think you might need something spell checked, ask someone on here to read it. Granted, they may not always be willing to help you, but there are some.
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For now, that's all I will share...I want to see how this thread does before I continue
Any questions/feedback, please post them here.
Also, please do NOT post if you're going to disagree/pick apart the tips, or go off topic. These are things that have helped me, but I know there are many, many other tips and techniques that are used by other writers. If you've got some tips to share, however, please DO post them here as well (and pleaaaaaase follow the spelling/grammar tip when doing this)
Remember, collective knowledge/intelligence! It's what makes things better!
