We can't tell if you're a good writer!

Ugh, I just hate these noobs! They put up one chapter of their first fanfiction, then start asking around how good a writer they are, if they should stop or continue. Honestly! You’ve written one darn chapter, not your first novel! How do you think we can answer? Guesswork?!

Other than that, this usually happens in fanfiction and is their very first piece of writing. As an editor, but as a reader as well, what do you want me to tell you? That yes, poppet, you’re a good writer and carry on? You most likely suck. Heck, I sucked when I first started. But I stuck it out and am now much better. You will hopefully improve as well.

We readers aren’t here to hold your hand and lie to you; we’re here to tell you if we like how the story feels ( Editors are there to correct you, but readers also do that. Especially they aren’t there to hold your hand). Stop seeking to boost your low self-esteem as a writer, we can't answer for a long while after you start. We judge by your progress and, after a considerable amount has been made, if you have the innate skill to be called a good author.

In fact, here’s how a writer’s progress most often goes, mainly in fanfiction:

- You start out with your head full of your theories for how the book will go. Good.

- You set about putting up your first chapter/ chapter segment. Of course, since you’ve never written anything before, you most likely suck, but we won’t tell you that. There are a million subtleties to writing that aren’t immediately apparent. Reading a lot helps you see these, but even then, people usually have to punch them into your head for you to get them, never mind apply them.

- Lets suppose you get four readers. Three are the noobie readers themselves, which start congratulating you on your genius. They don’t have to give you too much praise, but your ego exponentially inflates to Siberian proportions. Not good. If you’re lucky, an experienced writer/ reader/ editor will look and take the time to critic on it.

- Usually, the first reaction is to defend your writing (exponentially overinflated ego, anyone?)

Now, you can follow one of two paths:

a) You listen to him/ her and gradually try to apply what he/she is telling you, so that you steadily improve. Your writing will get better and better, and you as a writer will eventually start looking out for your most common mistakes and avoid them. From this point on, as long as you keep your ego down, you can only get better, if you persist.

b) The other route you can take is to get on your high horse and ignore the kind, more-experienced person, and continue on stubbornly. The writer/ reader/ editor type will move on, as he/ she really won’t dash their head bloody to save one newbie writer, and you will carry on as before. Result: your writing doesn’t get any better and stays at the newbie stage, where it most certainly sucks. You lose in the long run, no one else does.

Note that time is that which will eventually show if you get better or not. We all go through the first newbie stage of crap writing, even the best of authors. You can’t expect someone to tell you if you should stop writing or not in the first two pages of your story. Frankly, if they were honest, they’d say you sucked. If they were nice, they’d just lie and give you a nice pat on the head. You want neither, really.

Moral: Don’t start asking big questions when you’re so new. I know many of you want to hear that you’re good writers, to boost your confidence and continue, but it just doesn’t work that way. Writing is a skill you hone, and anyone who starts is bound to be a rookie. Just enjoy yourself; after all, that’s what writing, and especially fanfiction, is about! Having fun! Suck it in and plough on with it, listen to criticism you’re given and eventually, you’ll get the answer to if you’re a good writer or not!

[/end rant]

What Fantasy Needs

When we all set out to write something, especially fantasy, we really do get caught up in the excitement of it all, don’t we? Creating a new world, our monsters, our magic system, there’s so much for us to work out as our hero/es get along that we start to lose track of one basic fact: fantasy, despite being staged in another world, still follows the cosmic rules.

Basically, we forget that there are some standard rules that are at the heart of every society. I’ve seen many authors simply forget these rules and, to the intelligent or perceptive reader, the book seems incomplete without these details. What are they?

1) Money: In a fictitious world, many authors have their hero journeying from one kingdom to another. Something they usually forget is that these kingdoms often have different currency. In case you have an international currency, such as the Euro is now, you should mention it at some point, then not bother with any further reference. If you don’t, you leave a plot hole. Think back to before the Euro (for those in Europe). When visiting each different country, you had to convert your own money into the local currency.

2) Language: This is much easier to see on your own. Again, each kingdom is likely to have its own language (Dwarvish, Elvish, Urgal, Orc etc). Unless you’ve got a ‘common tongue’ and specify that your heroes are using it, adding different languages is essential. Note: you don’t have to create your own languages. Simply stating that ‘They were speaking in a strange tongue unknown to Matt..” is enough. Creating your own language is extremely difficult, and best left to linguists, unless you have a very good grasp of grammar and ample time at your disposal.

3) Religion: having a world of atheism, or a world with a single religion wouldn’t be something I’d count as ‘cool’. Always keep in mind that different religions develop because of certain factors; if you have a rural area that lives off the Earth, it makes sense for them to worship Mother Earth. Creating a religion is a painstaking process, if you want to do it properly, but it would be a good idea to generally have some idea of what the group would believe it, and mention it if it is ever needed.

4) Horses: This is something I literally see abused too much. Horses are animals, not machines. They cannot carry a lump of human lard on their backs and run all day. They get tired, they need large amounts of food and water, and leave around hoof prints and droppings. They are not, I repeat, something that moves indefinitely. Period.

5) Food: You already know your characters need to eat, and probably always have some with you. However, how do you get the food? You need to buy supplies, remember, and especially things that won’t spoil; dried meat, bread, dried fruit. In short, trail rations. You can buy these at shops, or even along the way from farmers.

6) Ablutions: Whatever your hero is, he/she has some things they absolutely have to do once in a while, like bathing, grooming, going to the loo. You can't simply ignore this. Now, I'm not saying you should go ahead and give us details or a daily schedule, but your character can't have been riding for a week with no stops and smell like daisies. He can't have been sleeping on the ground and not be cramped , with ruffled hair. Pay attention to details, always!

(Elsetor's point)
7) Tolls: Usually in a piece of writing, you have a set amount of time, which vastly limits what you can tell. Your hero rarely has time to get stronger gradually, as is the norm, but instead makes huge leaps in strength from Apprentice to Master in no time at all. You really should avoid this whenever possible, since it defies the laws of nature; we all need time to learn. No one is Just That Special. Also, try and refrain from giving him uber super powers that no one else has, especially if he suddenly discovers them. And last but not least, hiking and riding take their toll on you; they're not a walk in the park! Imagine walking all day; your feet'll have blisters on their blisters, same as your bum when you ride all day. Keep reality portrayed in your world, and the story will be far more realistic and enjoyable!

This brings me back round to money again; your character has to spend it, actually use the coins he has. You should never simply make him have money; give us a hint where it’s from! Is it pocket money, does he rob people, do a trade? Money is never a given, and shouldn’t be trated as such.

If anyone can think of anything else, feel free to add. XD Fantasy would be so much better if writers made a conscious effort to create a realistic world and paid attention to details. Writing, after all, is a form of art, and art isn’t art if it isn’t beautiful and realistic.b

Writer's Block

I know, I know. We’ve all faced it at some point or another, be it in our fanfiction, our original stories, or our essays for school. We’ve all tussled with the frustration of it all, maybe even giving up our hopes of prevailing. But how many of us actually know what it is, how to avoid it? One could considering getting out of it a skill people can hone, but we all have to start somewhere, and even experienced writers can pick up ideas. ‘Experienced’ doesn’t mean ‘perfect’.

What is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s Block, to be concise, is when a writer finds himself unable to continue writing, either because he’s run out of ideas, or because he can’t put his ideas to paper. Contrary to a belief I’ve recently seen and which led to this article, writer’s block is nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to every writer at some point during his production, not once, but many, many times. It’s not something that one could be blamed for, and doesn’t imply incapability or unoriginality.

Writing is a creative process and, like all such processes, it puts a strain on the mind. Just as in math research, the writer has to spend some time away from his work, with his mind focused elsewhere, to rejuvenate himself and his creativity so that he can then return to his work refreshed and ready. It’s crucial to give the mind this recreational rest, because otherwise, we tire the mind by focusing it solely and intently on one goal, which leads to fatigue and, therefore, lack of creative ability. If, when trying to write something, you feel unable to continue, it’s better to let it rest for a few days, while thinking occasionally on the matter, then return to tackle it when you feel ready. Chances are you’ll do much better than you had on your last try/

How do I deal with Writer’s Block?

Sorry to disappoint, but there are no concrete methods of facing it. All anyone can do is offer suggestions and hope that writers will find them useful, Each writer, especially the more seasoned ones, has his own ways of dealing with Writer’s Block, but there are some general ideas that can help a person. Not all will apply to a person, but hopefully, you’ll find some of these useful:

1) As mentioned before, taking a slight break is recommended. Easing the stress and pressure of the work in question might relax the mind enough to jog the creative process. If you think of creative thought like a soft pipe, with flowing water, stressing slowly clenches the pipe until it’s blocked. If you ease the tension, water will start running again, and the blockage will be fixed. This idea works on similar bases, with less guarantee.

2) Another thing that might help is talking to someone about your dilemma, mostly if your problem has more to do with the plot than the actual phrasing of the words. Usually, it’s good and refreshing, listening to others’ ideas and opinions. In fact, I’ve personally solved several such problems by brainstorming together with a volunteer editor. It doesn’t necessarily have to be their ideas that spur you on, though they may help; sometimes, just hearing your own ideas spoken out loud, trying loosely to put them in some order allows for leaps in ideas, which can produce some amazing results.

If you’re serious about your work, the Internet is also there for you, as well as your local community. You can always access groups and specialists either through their sites or through their offices, and hopefully arrange a talk in the specialist’s free time, or discuss your theme via e-mail. A specialist opinion might clarify things up for you, give you extra pointers and ideas, even correct something you miswrote. If you were writing a book on the blind, per se, communicating with the Blind Union would certainly help.

3) Another source of information could be the Internet. Are you writing about wolves? You’ve probably already done your research on the subject, but there’s always more. Looking into old and far-away legends might just trigger a leap in idea and solve your problem. However, try to adapt the idea you based your own off to the general story you’re writing, to avoid a direct copy and clash with your existing world. Example; don’t add some story about an Indian wolverine to a story based on Mars.

4) If you have to go from A to B, then C and are lucky enough to know A and C, but not B, a good solution would be writing those two parts, then trying to figure out B as a logical sequence. You have two events needing to be linked, so a link between them might be easier to come up with. Reversely, you might write yourself into a corner, but this seems less likely. In fact, generalizing, if you have no will to continue your current plot thread, feel free to skip ahead to a scene you know will happen as such and interests you. You capture and hold your interest, and at the same time can continue to write, without actually defeating your Block, just bypassing it. Instead of exploring that particular corridor, you take a detour to the end of it.

5) There are very few ways with which you can solve a problem with putting ideas to paper. The best solution presentable seems to me to be writing what you want until you get the desired results. Using a writing program on the computer helps. Begin writing what you want to phrase, then when you reach a point you discover you don’t like the outcome, leave a few lines blank and start again. Highlighting the phrases and sentences you liked in the previous paragraphs helps you finally put together a collage of all of the passages, which is most to your liking.

6) Last but not least, I've recently been shown a delightful little book called How Not To Write A Novel. By suggestion, I agree that it might help you, though generally it moves in other places.

Keep in mind that many times, we procrastinate before continuing our work. If you’re having trouble, getting started again might just be one of them. Personally, the thrill of rediscovering the creative process eventually takes over. However, if this doesn’t happen, a good idea would be to set yourself a schedule not too demanding, which you adhere to. This way, you force yourself to attempt to solve the problems you encounter.

Something that may seem beneficial in such cases is reading other books to absorb different forms of language and ideas, but I advise you against it. It’s very easy, after having read a book, to copy its ideas willingly or not. The result might solve your problem, but you sacrifice your own personal ideas, your personal stamp in the process. If you read a book that influences you, postponing your writing seems a good idea, to avoid appropriating ideas from that very book. The same goes if you’re stuck on how to phrase your ideas; you may just end up sounding not like your usual style and that part of your work will stand out compared to the others. Generally speaking, if you don’t plan on publishing your work, like in the case of fanfiction, it doesn’t seem so bad, but nevertheless, I’d suggest you avoid it.

Something important is to remember to never panic. Yes, you might be stuck, but you’ll work your way around it, if only you try. Writing and everything creative needs personal effort, a willingness to work and hopefully, a creative mind. Never forget there are others around you who would love to offer you help, however they can, even if they might not have a crystalline idea of what your problem is. The above ideas are only a suggestion and, if you have your own ways of overcoming Writer’s Block, feel free to share!

Stormy sky

I hope I didn't much this up too much. XD

EDIT: oops

[img=http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3554/stormyskyv.th.png]

Posting a theory

Alright guys, I know you all love Inheritance to bits and like nothing more than dreaming up impossible plot twists or blowing up small details into huge catches, but this has gone on long enough. By all means, post as many theories as you want, but don’t post them unless you have even the teeniest shred of evidence! Don’t waste other people’s time reading your theory when all you’re basing it off is fantastical fancy, or some sort of wish-fullfillment.

In short, don’t post a theory if:

1) All you’re basing it off is a ‘wouldn’t it be cool if…?’. If you do, you’re either going to get some newbies who like or dislike your theory passionately or some more sensible people who actually want proof. Either way, any discussion is pointless. You can’t prove or disprove such theories, so don’t bother posting something just to show us you have some imagination for thinking up the most improbably thing in the Cycle.

2) Even if the theory turns out to be true, supposedly, the only effect it has on the book is a ‘wow, that’s cool! Look at me, I’ve made a little cool thing here!’ sort of effect. As fun as these theories seem to be, they have absolutely no effect on the story, therefore, they are redundant. Think about it; most authors don’t bother to create some miniscule little theory out of nothing, unless it is for teasing purposes. Otherwise, they focus on keeping your focus on what really matters.

Alternatively, do post a theory if:

1) You have evidence to support your theory. Evidence would include things as interview snippets and book extracts that relate to your topic, or even some minor hypothesis based on book[interview extract. If you do have such evidence, a creative discussion can take place where people weigh up the possibilities. In other words, no one will directly discard your theory as nonsense and might take the time to debate on whether it’s true or not. Isn’t that what we all want?

2) It is somewhat linked to the main plot. This is always somewhat of a safeguard, because it makes your theory seem more plausible. Think about it; theories surrounding main characters are bound to be more frequent and accurate, since we have much more info about them to draw upon (e.g. Brom/ Eragon theory), and more tolerable, since they’re linked to the plot and what could, based on previous evidence, happen next. Generally, theories that deal with minor side-plots, especially when those are fulfilled, or with characters who are long dead and minor ones at that usually prove redundant.

While some theory might ‘qualify’ to be a good one without fitting into the above chances, I’d suggest you try to be as realistic as possible when posting theories and try not to get swept away by a ‘what if?’ moment. It’s so much easier on other members and mods, who see such topics way more than I do.

Thanks.