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Let me start off by saying I really hope you see this post so you know how much I appreciate the post. By seeing my post count I don't post much, and most of them are dumb pointless comments to dumb pointless threads.

BUT, and I say BUT, this thread has single handedly made me log back into my account to comment. I would like to thank you for the good read. I have always had so many ideas that I feel I could portray with the feeling they deserve but never have had the motivation or drive to put them to paper.

I really think I may give this a try for real after reading this so I thank you. Hopefully if I ever do get a skeleton of this story down you could give me some pointers or criticism on it.

Another important tip:

SHORTEN YOUR SENTENCES!

If your story is full of uselessly long sentences, you might lose your reader.

Example: The women sitting behind the wheel was driving back to her home town after a hard day of work.
Could be changed into: The driver was heading back home from work.

A text that could count 300 pages can easily be shortened to 200 and yet be just as good, and more interesting for the average reader.

If your first book is 1,000 pages long, chances are there wont be as many people reading it than if it was a 500 pages book.

Just FYI :)

Very informative. As someone who likes to write stories and poetry for fun. I can really use these tips.

Thanks for posting this :)

Hey, if I pay someone to translate my book all you NG users better buy it ! >:(

At 7/14/09 05:10 PM, FBIpolux wrote: SHORTEN YOUR SENTENCES!
If your story is full of uselessly long sentences, you might lose your reader.

Good writers don't give a shit if their sentences take up half a page. Herman Melville, one of the best writers ever to have lived, was notoriously verbose. William Faulkner wrote one sentence in an epilogue for his novel The Sound and the Fury that was literally a few pages long, and is routinely considered one of the best of the twentieth century.

Beginning writers, perhaps, should heed that warning. But I don't think shortening one's sentences can be universally applied to writers of all stripes and creeds to produce a better result.

You don't rewrite until you are done with the fucking story.

Amateur advice ITT.

At 7/15/09 10:06 PM, Bolo wrote: Beginning writers, perhaps, should heed that warning. But I don't think shortening one's sentences can be universally applied to writers of all stripes and creeds to produce a better result.

Yeah, it's mostly a tip for beginners. If your first book doesn't catch attention and bores the reader after the first 2 pages, it won't sell... :l

At 7/15/09 10:18 PM, FBIpolux wrote:
Yeah, it's mostly a tip for beginners. If your first book doesn't catch attention and bores the reader after the first 2 pages, it won't sell... :l

Tip: If you make your story boring enough, it will become interesting.

At 7/15/09 10:23 PM, JackPhantasm wrote:

At 7/15/09 10:18 PM, FBIpolux wrote:
Yeah, it's mostly a tip for beginners. If your first book doesn't catch attention and bores the reader after the first 2 pages, it won't sell... :l

Tip: If you make your story boring enough, it will become interesting.

lol, it depends on the writer.

But I love it when there's a really boring part right before an expected punch. Makes you not want to stop reading even though what you're reading is boring.

To be honest I see no problem in copying styles or themes.

After all, you have to start somewhere and the easiest is to write about something you already have had experience with. In other words, write from experience. Your style will come on its own. Also as long as you expand on previous themes, or put a new twist on them, then it should be allright. Originality isn't exactly about breaking the mold, its about expanding it.

I mean, look at Asimov, a great deal of his books are about the 3 rules of robotics, which he uses as an important plot device and a backdrop for many actions of his characters. So this theme is present in many of his works, yet he's still entertaining to read because he writes from different perspectives of different characters while always expanding on that theme.

I found that in writing, if it's boring, nobody will read it. but if it's emotional, boring, then emotional, it's good.

By emotional, I mean funny, sad, actiony, romantic, scary, happy, puzzling, mysterious, etc, etc.

Better ways to make a sure-fire hit: Cram it full of sex and violence!

Anyway, your novel better not suck.

Very Nice.

At 7/16/09 12:33 AM, TheSovereign wrote: Better ways to make a sure-fire hit: Cram it full of sex and violence!

Anyway, your novel better not suck.

A friend of mine is a successful writer. He started reading what I wrote and said it was really good. I also asked a few friends of mine to read my prologue and they said it was excellent. They wanted to keep reading :P

I just hope the French / English conversion wont suck.

At 7/7/09 05:24 PM, bl00db47h wrote: Very awesome. That is a very good tutorial. I can't wait for your novel!

BTW, I actually write things without knowing what's going to happen. That is my writing style, I really hate planning the ending >.< But most people do that, I guess it just depends on your style.

I do that too when I write a short stories (aka the story in my signature). But for my novel, I had everything planned before I really start jumping head first into writing it.

Just helps me not lose track of what I write and since its a huge novel I'm writing I don't want to forget anything important.

Tips are nice, but I like to write in my own way.

Nothing against you, but I'm the type of person who doesn't like being told what to do and doesn't usually follow advice. I feel like writing is a process of discovery and sometimes of failure.

Here's something that I learned, though. One day, I was working on writing a one act play. I ran out of ideas for a scene and then decided to play video games until my mind cleared. While I played video games, I ate cheese cubes from a bag and listened to reggae music. It was in that moment that I realized I had become a writer.

Hey OP, how many books have you had published?

At 7/15/09 10:12 PM, JackPhantasm wrote: You don't rewrite until you are done with the fucking story.

Amateur advice ITT.

Really? I frequently rework entire sections of a story before I am even halfway done.

Then again - I just write for fun.

These are all really good pointers that I, myself, use when writing (look in my profile for my newest book which is unfinished)...but I have major problems with thinking up realistic outcomes for the unreal problems that my characters have seemed to encountered, so I either have to make it really far fetched, or re-vamp everything...two things I don't want to do, so I'm stuck in a rut, hopefully I can finish sometime before college...

At 7/17/09 06:09 PM, TacticalShoe wrote: Here's something that I learned, though. One day, I was working on writing a one act play. I ran out of ideas for a scene and then decided to play video games until my mind cleared. While I played video games, I ate cheese cubes from a bag and listened to reggae music. It was in that moment that I realized I had become a writer.

You successfully made me laugh.

At 7/17/09 06:14 PM, Slinging-Blood wrote: Hey OP, how many books have you had published?

Name's not OP, but FBIpolux. You can call me FBI.

To answer your useless question, if you read the thread, you will find out.

Though, mainly most of my tips I'm freely giving out have been learnt from personal experience advices from professional writers who happen to be friends of mine.

I'm just saying, maybe some professional writer could give me some good advice. Not some scrub online who thinks he's a good writer.

At 7/17/09 07:43 PM, Slinging-Blood wrote: I'm just saying, maybe some professional writer could give me some good advice. Not some scrub online who thinks he's a good writer.

Then you should follow my advice and stop acting like a little dumb ass.

You can consider myself a professional writer, especially since it's what I do as a living. My first published novel should be out around November in English (original language being French). I already have my publisher, and two successful writers from Quebec and Europe told me my first novel was amazing.

But hey, you can go back to eat your Doritos while playing Halo since you're obviously too lazy to take your time and think before judging.

ITS NOT SPELTED GRAMMER LULZ

Hook, Line, and Sinker

At 7/17/09 08:16 PM, Slinging-Blood wrote: Hook, Line, and Sinker

Pudge, Lina Inverse and Dark Seer? I don't get it.

Also, the best insult you can come up with involves halo and doritos? Really? I thought good writers were witty. Enjoy your shitty book sales.

At 7/17/09 08:22 PM, Slinging-Blood wrote: Also, the best insult you can come up with involves halo and doritos? Really? I thought good writers were witty. Enjoy your shitty book sales.

Meh, I thought it described you well enough. That's what you're worth, and my talent shall not be wasted on a waste of oxygen like you.

At 7/17/09 08:22 PM, Piss wrote:

At 7/17/09 08:03 PM, FBIpolux wrote: My first published novel should be out around November in English (original language being French).

I would like to read your novel. I understand French perfectly and would purchase it in that language.

What is the title and where might I find this novel to purchase?

Hell if i know :P Do you have Chapters in the States? XD

The name of my novel (which isn't final) may be Fog Angels.

Double-dy-post.

At 7/17/09 08:26 PM, FBIpolux wrote: Meh, I thought it described you well enough. That's what you're worth, and my talent shall not be wasted on a waste of oxygen like you.

Hahaha, oh wow.