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zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j069pcx | j06gk4w | 1,671,016,132 | 1,671,020,932 | 1 | 8 | I didnt write the first page knowing it will be the first page im starting a novel but im still putting together a plot that will lead to the events i wanna writte about i the story. With this i dont know in what part of the story im making the first book with. Probably when i have a good scene all put together to will all the caracters in it all explained and designed so i know im not chaging anithing later. | Just start it. If you're serious about this thing, you're gonna end up rewriting/editing it anyways, so you may as well just get something on the paper instead of being caught by analysis paralysis. Accept that your first draft of the first thing you've ever written will be pretty bad, smile, and get to work. To actually answer your question, tho, I'd say start with action. | 0 | 4,800 | 8 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j06gk4w | j06aqo4 | 1,671,020,932 | 1,671,016,924 | 8 | 1 | Just start it. If you're serious about this thing, you're gonna end up rewriting/editing it anyways, so you may as well just get something on the paper instead of being caught by analysis paralysis. Accept that your first draft of the first thing you've ever written will be pretty bad, smile, and get to work. To actually answer your question, tho, I'd say start with action. | Who are the characters, relative to who they will be at the end. | 1 | 4,008 | 8 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061xp1 | j060e08 | 1,671,009,565 | 1,671,008,245 | 6 | 2 | I once read someone saying "never start a story talking about the weather". It's both good and bad advice IMO. Weather is not often interesting and you should make your first sentenxe evocative, but weather -can- be evocative or interesting. Personally when I'm starting a short story, I start with a short statement about mindset of a character: "John has to wonder how the hell he keeps getting himself in these situations..." "Jenny was never one to believe in second chances..." "Rainy nights have a way of getting Geoffrey into a deep melancholy..." This sorta clues the reader into the tone very early on | Description can put the reader into the story, so if you want to suck them in, do that first, then an action scene to really hook them. | 1 | 1,320 | 3 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061xp1 | j061gx4 | 1,671,009,565 | 1,671,009,163 | 6 | 0 | I once read someone saying "never start a story talking about the weather". It's both good and bad advice IMO. Weather is not often interesting and you should make your first sentenxe evocative, but weather -can- be evocative or interesting. Personally when I'm starting a short story, I start with a short statement about mindset of a character: "John has to wonder how the hell he keeps getting himself in these situations..." "Jenny was never one to believe in second chances..." "Rainy nights have a way of getting Geoffrey into a deep melancholy..." This sorta clues the reader into the tone very early on | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 402 | 6,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061zfq | j060e08 | 1,671,009,607 | 1,671,008,245 | 3 | 2 | How do your favourite books start? | Description can put the reader into the story, so if you want to suck them in, do that first, then an action scene to really hook them. | 1 | 1,362 | 1.5 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061zfq | j061gx4 | 1,671,009,607 | 1,671,009,163 | 3 | 0 | How do your favourite books start? | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 444 | 3,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j06s2wl | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,026,975 | 0 | 2 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | It doesn't matter, because you can always go back and change the beginning if you feel dissatisfied with it later. Start literally anywhere, with literally anything, and later on, if you get a nagging sense that you started it in the wrong place, listen to that impulse and change the beginning. | 0 | 17,812 | 2,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j06s2wl | j069pcx | 1,671,026,975 | 1,671,016,132 | 2 | 1 | It doesn't matter, because you can always go back and change the beginning if you feel dissatisfied with it later. Start literally anywhere, with literally anything, and later on, if you get a nagging sense that you started it in the wrong place, listen to that impulse and change the beginning. | I didnt write the first page knowing it will be the first page im starting a novel but im still putting together a plot that will lead to the events i wanna writte about i the story. With this i dont know in what part of the story im making the first book with. Probably when i have a good scene all put together to will all the caracters in it all explained and designed so i know im not chaging anithing later. | 1 | 10,843 | 2 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j06aqo4 | j06s2wl | 1,671,016,924 | 1,671,026,975 | 1 | 2 | Who are the characters, relative to who they will be at the end. | It doesn't matter, because you can always go back and change the beginning if you feel dissatisfied with it later. Start literally anywhere, with literally anything, and later on, if you get a nagging sense that you started it in the wrong place, listen to that impulse and change the beginning. | 0 | 10,051 | 2 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j06s2wl | j06noxe | 1,671,026,975 | 1,671,024,928 | 2 | 1 | It doesn't matter, because you can always go back and change the beginning if you feel dissatisfied with it later. Start literally anywhere, with literally anything, and later on, if you get a nagging sense that you started it in the wrong place, listen to that impulse and change the beginning. | I tend to start with a small action that leads to dialogue, since that's what I'm personally best at. It also tends to pull you in as a good hook, and as characters speak you can introduce and describe them. | 1 | 2,047 | 2 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j069pcx | j061gx4 | 1,671,016,132 | 1,671,009,163 | 1 | 0 | I didnt write the first page knowing it will be the first page im starting a novel but im still putting together a plot that will lead to the events i wanna writte about i the story. With this i dont know in what part of the story im making the first book with. Probably when i have a good scene all put together to will all the caracters in it all explained and designed so i know im not chaging anithing later. | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 6,969 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j06aqo4 | j061gx4 | 1,671,016,924 | 1,671,009,163 | 1 | 0 | Who are the characters, relative to who they will be at the end. | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 7,761 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j06noxe | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,024,928 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | I tend to start with a small action that leads to dialogue, since that's what I'm personally best at. It also tends to pull you in as a good hook, and as characters speak you can introduce and describe them. | 0 | 15,765 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j06vys9 | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,028,716 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | It doesn't matter. Flip a coin if you have to. First drafts are usually messy and you'll clean it up much later when you start the revision process. | 0 | 19,553 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j06yzvf | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,030,010 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | put the pen on the paper. It's okay to rewrite. | 0 | 20,847 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j07mcmi | j061gx4 | 1,671,039,183 | 1,671,009,163 | 1 | 0 | Just do it and don’t over think it. You can always change it later. I don’t believe that the first sentence has to be deep or great, It just has to get things rolling. | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 30,020 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j07n9ez | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,039,531 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | Decide on the first chapter once you write the whole story 😅 The first chapter will be extremely important down the road. So, it's better to decide on it later. For know, focus on writing the parts of the story that you're certain about. Write a full first draft. Then you'll be able to check the story, organize it and fix the plotholes 👍 | 0 | 30,368 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j088izh | j061gx4 | 1,671,047,606 | 1,671,009,163 | 1 | 0 | It’s a great idea to start in the middle of action. It can be written in a way that isn’t confusing, and/or can be made less confusing later on in the scene or explained further later scenes. Starting with a description is boring, and won’t capture readers’ attention. Sometimes it might be necessary, like in fantasy world-building, but that is rare. | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 38,443 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j08wy6u | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,056,924 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | I know this might sound unconventional, but just write the ideas you have in your head, like that beginning, and any others. I have begun a story by writing a scene that later takes place about midpoint in the story. So write the scene you've got in your head. Many books do start with an action, with the description or explanation coming later. | 0 | 47,761 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j061gx4 | j09kslz | 1,671,009,163 | 1,671,067,339 | 0 | 1 | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | Your opening lines should draw people in. Either they connect to a character or their reaction, or you show them something important about the scene to catch their eye. Eg. “A nervous bead of sweat dripped down his face, the knife trembling in his hands. Beyond this curtain, over the edge of the balcony, lay a crowd of people who might remember his face afterwards. Between them lay his target, his only ticket home.” In this you’re establishing the tension, the scene, the stakes, the motivation and quite simply the “what’s gonna happen” is exciting! You’re also telling people the character is a murderer or about to be, but does so because of soemthing relatable that they can identify with. He isn’t just a goon, nor is he a flawless assassin judging by the nervousness. Identify what you need your reader to know tk understand the rest of the scene, pick the exciting parts and im sure you’ll do fine. Also as everyone else has said, don’t worry, you can edit later and make it better. Get your ideas down first, no one is going to say anything about shitty versions they aren’t reading. | 0 | 58,176 | 1,000 | ||
zllwcc | writing_train | 0.71 | How do I start a story? Hi! I'm a complete newbie to writing, but I have finally decided to put my Ideas onto paper. My question is: How do I start? I know wich scene I want to play out in the beginning. But I don't know if I should start with a description (surroundings or feelings) or with an action. What do you tend to start with? I feel like a description is too boring but an action might be too confusing. | j0a6j4i | j061gx4 | 1,671,077,286 | 1,671,009,163 | 1 | 0 | According to Stephen King, Brandon Sanderson, and Rust Hills (edited The Esquire’s fiction section for 10 years) you should begin (and end) as close to the middle as possible According to Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club), your beginning is a promise: you introduce a question or curiosity or problem and assure the reader that it will be answered… but not too soon According to Kurt Vonnegut (who advises that a story should end as close to the beginning as possible), while writing, you should use the time of a complete stranger in such a way that they will not feel it was wasted. Your beginning must earn the reader’s trust — convince them that the time they spend on you will be worthwhile. What these perspectives all have in common is an emphasis on tension. Most readers will not willingly give you their time or attention; you must earn it. Whatever your beginning does, and however masterfully it does it, it will fail if it does not convince people to read the second paragraph (nevermind the second chapter). | I’m personally more of a “save action for later” type of guy. Even if I’m writing an action story, I don’t start the book with straight up action. But hey, that’s just me | 1 | 68,123 | 1,000 | ||
yutaof | writing_train | 0.79 | I can’t start a story for the life of me The biggest thing I currently struggle with is making a good hook/introduction to my stories and am looking for some guidance on this. I’ve been practicing for a couple years now and I don’t know if it’s just because I critique myself too hard, but I constantly reread the beginning to my stories and I can’t help but cringe. I would like to one day upload some of these or share them with friends/family but every time I look back, I think the beginning is dumb and thus others will as well. If anyone has good advice to either overcome this or how to make a really fest introduction, I would definitely appreciate it! | iwb5v4i | iwbo6tn | 1,668,418,839 | 1,668,432,261 | 5 | 8 | No one makes you start at page 1. If you know your jump start, then start at page 20. Or 10. Or your mid point. Whatever gets you to the keys to start writing this story, start there. There's no formula. You can always write backwards. You can write forwards. No one will know. Also, I'm a little drunk. I love you. | The beginning of the first draft isn't necessarily the beginning of the final story. Start wherever you start and just go from there. Nothing is set in stone once written and chances are once you get to the end of the draft you'll be able to look back and see where the real starting point is. Get it down then get it right. | 0 | 13,422 | 1.6 | ||
yutaof | writing_train | 0.79 | I can’t start a story for the life of me The biggest thing I currently struggle with is making a good hook/introduction to my stories and am looking for some guidance on this. I’ve been practicing for a couple years now and I don’t know if it’s just because I critique myself too hard, but I constantly reread the beginning to my stories and I can’t help but cringe. I would like to one day upload some of these or share them with friends/family but every time I look back, I think the beginning is dumb and thus others will as well. If anyone has good advice to either overcome this or how to make a really fest introduction, I would definitely appreciate it! | iwbo6tn | iwb4zqh | 1,668,432,261 | 1,668,418,028 | 8 | 2 | The beginning of the first draft isn't necessarily the beginning of the final story. Start wherever you start and just go from there. Nothing is set in stone once written and chances are once you get to the end of the draft you'll be able to look back and see where the real starting point is. Get it down then get it right. | Starting with some action is always good. A bit of setting and an introduction of your character but in the context of something mysterious or exciting can help keep your reader interested. But I think it's good to not get stuck on any part of your story for too long, so if need be you can just skip it and move onto the rest of your story. Then when finished or when inspiration strikes, you can write the first part properly. It might even help to do it later because by then your story and characters are so well known to you that you might find you better understand where you want the reader to begin. | 1 | 14,233 | 4 | ||
yutaof | writing_train | 0.79 | I can’t start a story for the life of me The biggest thing I currently struggle with is making a good hook/introduction to my stories and am looking for some guidance on this. I’ve been practicing for a couple years now and I don’t know if it’s just because I critique myself too hard, but I constantly reread the beginning to my stories and I can’t help but cringe. I would like to one day upload some of these or share them with friends/family but every time I look back, I think the beginning is dumb and thus others will as well. If anyone has good advice to either overcome this or how to make a really fest introduction, I would definitely appreciate it! | iwb4zqh | iwb5v4i | 1,668,418,028 | 1,668,418,839 | 2 | 5 | Starting with some action is always good. A bit of setting and an introduction of your character but in the context of something mysterious or exciting can help keep your reader interested. But I think it's good to not get stuck on any part of your story for too long, so if need be you can just skip it and move onto the rest of your story. Then when finished or when inspiration strikes, you can write the first part properly. It might even help to do it later because by then your story and characters are so well known to you that you might find you better understand where you want the reader to begin. | No one makes you start at page 1. If you know your jump start, then start at page 20. Or 10. Or your mid point. Whatever gets you to the keys to start writing this story, start there. There's no formula. You can always write backwards. You can write forwards. No one will know. Also, I'm a little drunk. I love you. | 0 | 811 | 2.5 | ||
yutaof | writing_train | 0.79 | I can’t start a story for the life of me The biggest thing I currently struggle with is making a good hook/introduction to my stories and am looking for some guidance on this. I’ve been practicing for a couple years now and I don’t know if it’s just because I critique myself too hard, but I constantly reread the beginning to my stories and I can’t help but cringe. I would like to one day upload some of these or share them with friends/family but every time I look back, I think the beginning is dumb and thus others will as well. If anyone has good advice to either overcome this or how to make a really fest introduction, I would definitely appreciate it! | iwc6je6 | iwh2zgp | 1,668,440,740 | 1,668,529,352 | 1 | 2 | This is where the concept of change is useful. Who is the character at the beginning relative to who he will be at the end. | For my first novel, I wrote the ending chapter first and let it draw me on. Of course, everything changed, but it got me started. You can't think in a linear fashion. You have to discover what works for you. In my early novels I collect compelling scenes that almost wrote themselves, then strung them together like beads. You'll find the approach you take will change as you gain experience. For me, it's a lot easier to think what does my MC lose at the end? What sacrifice? What does he gain? How do I want him to change? PS - Writing the "good" scenes and seeing the novel take shape is what inspires me to push through the more difficult to write scenes. | 0 | 88,612 | 2 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3tmh6b | g3tg1ot | 1,599,121,820 | 1,599,115,268 | 6 | 3 | Something I do when my characters don't sound right and this may or may not work for you, is switching perspective and rewriting from the other characters point of view. It means I repeat write everything up to that point as they view it and then while in their head space I add their part to the dialog. In the end I end up with the same scene from X different perspectives and then pick the one that works best. This does take a long time to do and you will end up with X - 1 scenes that you won't use. For example it took me 3 days to get a dialog scene with 5 people working this way, but I end up happy with the result usually. Plus point to this is that you get to know your side characters almost as well as your main character. | Character dialogue is a very complex part of the writing process, and it takes a lot of practice before you can make a character sound really realistic. A lot goes into what makes a character sound true to themselves, but two very key factors that I have noticed over the years are personality and a character's exposition. Personality affects speech patterns, phrasing, and what a character will generally say (and what they will keep to themselves). There are two ways that you can approach personality in dialogue. When writing a scene, I always write focusing on personality first and foremost. That way, all of the speech patterns will already be there when I go back to revise, acting as a sort of skeleton. If you leave the skeleton as it is during revisions, a part of your character's personality should stay, and the message that you want them to convey should stay as well. The other way to add personality is to write what you want the character to say, and then to go back and add it in. This way has been harder for me, but if it works for you, go for it. Of course, a great concept to consider when writing dialogue which will also add a lot of personality to your characters is what a character says and doesn't say. Some characters are a lot more open than others. If you have two characters, one that is open, and one that is not, you have a dynamic that very clearly shows the reader a big difference between two characters and their dialogue. The other important part of dialogue is a character's exposition. Or, reaction. Every character has a different backstory that makes up a part of who they are. Naturally, this is going to affect every character in a different way, which will differentiate two characters when they're speaking. Say you have two characters of the same archetype, but one is given a dark backstory while the other is given a light one. If you put both characters in the same situation, their reactions to the situation, depending on what it is, will most likely be different. (This also has a bit to do with personality, but personality partially originates from backstory). Different reactions trigger different patterns in every piece of dialogue. In a situation, maybe character one is scared, but in the same scenario, character two is excited by the opportunity that the situation provides. Both characters react differently, both characters should have different ways of speaking. I hope that that helps a little bit. If you have any more specific questions, don't be afraid to ask! I'd love to help. | 1 | 6,552 | 2 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3tmh6b | g3tj3nu | 1,599,121,820 | 1,599,118,253 | 6 | 1 | Something I do when my characters don't sound right and this may or may not work for you, is switching perspective and rewriting from the other characters point of view. It means I repeat write everything up to that point as they view it and then while in their head space I add their part to the dialog. In the end I end up with the same scene from X different perspectives and then pick the one that works best. This does take a long time to do and you will end up with X - 1 scenes that you won't use. For example it took me 3 days to get a dialog scene with 5 people working this way, but I end up happy with the result usually. Plus point to this is that you get to know your side characters almost as well as your main character. | As someone who strives to practice stoicism, it's not like we don't curse, react or express emotions. The goal is to not let oneself be ruled by emotions. But we're still ourselves! We still have our individual personalities. I suggest you check out /r/Stoicism and read stoic philosophy to understand how someone who practices it might think and what they might talk about. Though I guess you mean "stoic" in the sense of demeanor for your character. Well, there are many ways to style speech even while subduing emotional expression. Think of someone like Yoda, The Mandalorian, Garnet and many other characters with stoic characteristics. That's only one facet of the character, so develop them more. | 1 | 3,567 | 6 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3tj3nu | g3ur6al | 1,599,118,253 | 1,599,145,252 | 1 | 2 | As someone who strives to practice stoicism, it's not like we don't curse, react or express emotions. The goal is to not let oneself be ruled by emotions. But we're still ourselves! We still have our individual personalities. I suggest you check out /r/Stoicism and read stoic philosophy to understand how someone who practices it might think and what they might talk about. Though I guess you mean "stoic" in the sense of demeanor for your character. Well, there are many ways to style speech even while subduing emotional expression. Think of someone like Yoda, The Mandalorian, Garnet and many other characters with stoic characteristics. That's only one facet of the character, so develop them more. | As you mentioned you're more of a visual person, you could try imagining the context where this dialogue/interaction takes place. Closing your eyes after each set of questions to think. Is it a public place, with ambience and hustle? Or is it a quiet place, which also has its own mood and atmosphere? What's the nature of this interaction? Who initiated it first, and what is taking place between the characters during this exchange? What do we know about character's disposition before this event in time? About what they were doing earlier/happened to them previously? What time of the day is it? Does it affect how people act and interact in that space? (e.g. 2pm vs 2am at a small train station) | 0 | 26,999 | 2 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3ts6n7 | g3ur6al | 1,599,128,079 | 1,599,145,252 | 1 | 2 | I tend to use different colours for each characters speech. Write what I want them to say and then come back later and alter it to their 'style'. I'll have a few example styles laid out in my notes to keep me consistent. I can also go back and check in the text. | As you mentioned you're more of a visual person, you could try imagining the context where this dialogue/interaction takes place. Closing your eyes after each set of questions to think. Is it a public place, with ambience and hustle? Or is it a quiet place, which also has its own mood and atmosphere? What's the nature of this interaction? Who initiated it first, and what is taking place between the characters during this exchange? What do we know about character's disposition before this event in time? About what they were doing earlier/happened to them previously? What time of the day is it? Does it affect how people act and interact in that space? (e.g. 2pm vs 2am at a small train station) | 0 | 17,173 | 2 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3tj3nu | g3uxryc | 1,599,118,253 | 1,599,147,395 | 1 | 2 | As someone who strives to practice stoicism, it's not like we don't curse, react or express emotions. The goal is to not let oneself be ruled by emotions. But we're still ourselves! We still have our individual personalities. I suggest you check out /r/Stoicism and read stoic philosophy to understand how someone who practices it might think and what they might talk about. Though I guess you mean "stoic" in the sense of demeanor for your character. Well, there are many ways to style speech even while subduing emotional expression. Think of someone like Yoda, The Mandalorian, Garnet and many other characters with stoic characteristics. That's only one facet of the character, so develop them more. | You could create rules or limits. Some stupid examples: Character A never uses contractions; Character B must use at least one euphemism per every three sentences; Character C never uses passive voice; Character D speaks in sentences of less than 10 words; Character E must use a number or number-homonym in every line (one, won, two, to, too, three, free, four, for, fore...), and so on. In other words, place different restrictions on the characters. | 0 | 29,142 | 2 | ||
ilo5ba | writing_train | 0.89 | I struggle with diverse dialogue, to differentiate character's speaking. How does one improve this? Like, I wanted to rewrite a character to sound more stoic, but I found that in doing so, I stripped away some of the necessary exposition, via how he'd phrase things. And, to keep the important dialogue there as is, wouldn't match up with everything he'd said in my earlier edits. That said, I'm a much more visual person, and so for those skilled with making character's sound unique, examples of how different archetypes might address the same thing, would be greatly appreciated. | g3uxryc | g3ts6n7 | 1,599,147,395 | 1,599,128,079 | 2 | 1 | You could create rules or limits. Some stupid examples: Character A never uses contractions; Character B must use at least one euphemism per every three sentences; Character C never uses passive voice; Character D speaks in sentences of less than 10 words; Character E must use a number or number-homonym in every line (one, won, two, to, too, three, free, four, for, fore...), and so on. In other words, place different restrictions on the characters. | I tend to use different colours for each characters speech. Write what I want them to say and then come back later and alter it to their 'style'. I'll have a few example styles laid out in my notes to keep me consistent. I can also go back and check in the text. | 1 | 19,316 | 2 | ||
w0p77s | writing_train | 0.75 | Does anyone know any places to get my writing critiqued for free? I've recently finished the first draft of my first book (a 3500 word short story) but I don't really know how good it is so I am looking for a place where I can share it and people can give feedback/advice. I am aware of r/writintcritique but I feel like no one would give feedback to a 3509 words story | igfuhu2 | igfrp0v | 1,658,005,013 | 1,658,003,791 | 9 | 5 | As someone else said Critique Circle and Scribophile are good places. You do need to critique other people's work before you can post your own though. There are even communities on this site that are specific to genres. | You could always join online workshops, such as **Critique Circle** and **Scribophile**, and post your work there. Just be aware that there's no such thing as "free"; you either pay money or you pay with your own time and effort. | 1 | 1,222 | 1.8 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ex7ja | j0ezlow | 1,671,161,230 | 1,671,162,381 | 3 | 39 | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | Consider not making the view point character the subject of every sentence you write. For example: (I walked down the dusty, sunbaked road and glanced up at the sun beating down from cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my luke-warm down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness. Vs. The dusty, sunbaked road hurt my feet as I walked glancing up at the sun that beat down on me from a cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my Luke-warm water down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness.) as a general rule, I try not to start two sentences in a row with the same word. I think it’s fine as long as you don’t repeat two sentences in a row most of the time. You can essentially say the same things by just changing the subject of the sentence. As a helpful reminder, be careful not to turn your sentences into passive ones when you edit them. The subject needs to be the one acting in the sentence if it comes before the action. | 0 | 1,151 | 13 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ezlow | j0ex3uo | 1,671,162,381 | 1,671,161,182 | 39 | 3 | Consider not making the view point character the subject of every sentence you write. For example: (I walked down the dusty, sunbaked road and glanced up at the sun beating down from cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my luke-warm down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness. Vs. The dusty, sunbaked road hurt my feet as I walked glancing up at the sun that beat down on me from a cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my Luke-warm water down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness.) as a general rule, I try not to start two sentences in a row with the same word. I think it’s fine as long as you don’t repeat two sentences in a row most of the time. You can essentially say the same things by just changing the subject of the sentence. As a helpful reminder, be careful not to turn your sentences into passive ones when you edit them. The subject needs to be the one acting in the sentence if it comes before the action. | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | 1 | 1,199 | 13 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ezlow | j0eybrp | 1,671,162,381 | 1,671,161,767 | 39 | 0 | Consider not making the view point character the subject of every sentence you write. For example: (I walked down the dusty, sunbaked road and glanced up at the sun beating down from cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my luke-warm down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness. Vs. The dusty, sunbaked road hurt my feet as I walked glancing up at the sun that beat down on me from a cloudless sky. I poured what remained of my Luke-warm water down the back of my shirt and savored the coolness.) as a general rule, I try not to start two sentences in a row with the same word. I think it’s fine as long as you don’t repeat two sentences in a row most of the time. You can essentially say the same things by just changing the subject of the sentence. As a helpful reminder, be careful not to turn your sentences into passive ones when you edit them. The subject needs to be the one acting in the sentence if it comes before the action. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 614 | 39,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f1bg3 | j0ex7ja | 1,671,163,219 | 1,671,161,230 | 33 | 3 | One thing that could potentially be helpful- you don’t really need to use ‘I’ all the time. For instance, if your character is recalling something, you don’t have to say ‘I remembered what Rob said to Sara’ The character’s thoughts can be directly narrated. So, it can simply be ‘Once, Rob told Sara that…’ Instead of ‘I looked up at the blue sky’, just say ‘The sky was blue’. Instead of ‘i worried that she was going to leave me’ you could say ‘she didn’t act like someone who planned to stick around’ or whatever. By avoiding the constant I thought/I saw/I knew/ I looked/ etc., you can immerse the reader in narrator’s perspective, allow them to experience things more directly. And it’s less clunky, too! | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | 1 | 1,989 | 11 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f1bg3 | j0ex3uo | 1,671,163,219 | 1,671,161,182 | 33 | 3 | One thing that could potentially be helpful- you don’t really need to use ‘I’ all the time. For instance, if your character is recalling something, you don’t have to say ‘I remembered what Rob said to Sara’ The character’s thoughts can be directly narrated. So, it can simply be ‘Once, Rob told Sara that…’ Instead of ‘I looked up at the blue sky’, just say ‘The sky was blue’. Instead of ‘i worried that she was going to leave me’ you could say ‘she didn’t act like someone who planned to stick around’ or whatever. By avoiding the constant I thought/I saw/I knew/ I looked/ etc., you can immerse the reader in narrator’s perspective, allow them to experience things more directly. And it’s less clunky, too! | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | 1 | 2,037 | 11 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f1bg3 | j0f04gj | 1,671,163,219 | 1,671,162,634 | 33 | 1 | One thing that could potentially be helpful- you don’t really need to use ‘I’ all the time. For instance, if your character is recalling something, you don’t have to say ‘I remembered what Rob said to Sara’ The character’s thoughts can be directly narrated. So, it can simply be ‘Once, Rob told Sara that…’ Instead of ‘I looked up at the blue sky’, just say ‘The sky was blue’. Instead of ‘i worried that she was going to leave me’ you could say ‘she didn’t act like someone who planned to stick around’ or whatever. By avoiding the constant I thought/I saw/I knew/ I looked/ etc., you can immerse the reader in narrator’s perspective, allow them to experience things more directly. And it’s less clunky, too! | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | 1 | 585 | 33 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0f1bg3 | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,163,219 | 0 | 33 | Hit me up for help | One thing that could potentially be helpful- you don’t really need to use ‘I’ all the time. For instance, if your character is recalling something, you don’t have to say ‘I remembered what Rob said to Sara’ The character’s thoughts can be directly narrated. So, it can simply be ‘Once, Rob told Sara that…’ Instead of ‘I looked up at the blue sky’, just say ‘The sky was blue’. Instead of ‘i worried that she was going to leave me’ you could say ‘she didn’t act like someone who planned to stick around’ or whatever. By avoiding the constant I thought/I saw/I knew/ I looked/ etc., you can immerse the reader in narrator’s perspective, allow them to experience things more directly. And it’s less clunky, too! | 0 | 1,452 | 33,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gjnrp | j0f4t7n | 1,671,199,841 | 1,671,165,017 | 13 | 4 | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | 1 | 34,824 | 3.25 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gjnrp | j0ex7ja | 1,671,199,841 | 1,671,161,230 | 13 | 3 | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | 1 | 38,611 | 4.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f2ig8 | j0gjnrp | 1,671,163,829 | 1,671,199,841 | 4 | 13 | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | 0 | 36,012 | 3.25 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gjnrp | j0gi7tz | 1,671,199,841 | 1,671,199,173 | 13 | 5 | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | 1 | 668 | 2.6 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ex3uo | j0gjnrp | 1,671,161,182 | 1,671,199,841 | 3 | 13 | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | 0 | 38,659 | 4.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0g5xqs | j0gjnrp | 1,671,192,355 | 1,671,199,841 | 2 | 13 | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | 0 | 7,486 | 6.5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f04gj | j0gjnrp | 1,671,162,634 | 1,671,199,841 | 1 | 13 | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | 0 | 37,207 | 13 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0gjnrp | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,199,841 | 0 | 13 | Hit me up for help | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | 0 | 38,074 | 13,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gjnrp | j0gfe1g | 1,671,199,841 | 1,671,197,799 | 13 | 1 | It is tricky to avoid those "filtering" moments. The temptation is strong to write something like: *I looked across the room and found Jack sipping a martini, wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* when you can just write: *Across the room, Jack sipped a martini. He was wearing his purple leisure suit with a lime-green cravat.* There's so much temptation to put unnecessary "I \[verb\]" into first-person sentences, when the filtration doesn't need to be there at all. | Particularly at the start of the story, your narrator's voice should be distinct and constant. Your audience will recognize your narrator's style right away if you have a distinct, compelling voice that your narrative is being told through. | 1 | 2,042 | 13 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f4t7n | j0h3hvt | 1,671,165,017 | 1,671,207,950 | 4 | 7 | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | 0 | 42,933 | 1.75 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ex7ja | j0h3hvt | 1,671,161,230 | 1,671,207,950 | 3 | 7 | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | 0 | 46,720 | 2.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f2ig8 | j0h3hvt | 1,671,163,829 | 1,671,207,950 | 4 | 7 | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | 0 | 44,121 | 1.75 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gi7tz | j0h3hvt | 1,671,199,173 | 1,671,207,950 | 5 | 7 | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | 0 | 8,777 | 1.4 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h3hvt | j0ex3uo | 1,671,207,950 | 1,671,161,182 | 7 | 3 | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | 1 | 46,768 | 2.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h3hvt | j0g5xqs | 1,671,207,950 | 1,671,192,355 | 7 | 2 | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | 1 | 15,595 | 3.5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f04gj | j0h3hvt | 1,671,162,634 | 1,671,207,950 | 1 | 7 | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | 0 | 45,316 | 7 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h3hvt | j0eybrp | 1,671,207,950 | 1,671,161,767 | 7 | 0 | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 46,183 | 7,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h3hvt | j0gfe1g | 1,671,207,950 | 1,671,197,799 | 7 | 1 | Pay attention to *tense*. First person *present* (such as Hunger Games) is VERY different from first person *past* (such as The Handmaiden's Tale). And, when you pick a tense ***STAY WITH IT*****.** Pay careful attention to this as it will have more impact on your work than you realize. | Particularly at the start of the story, your narrator's voice should be distinct and constant. Your audience will recognize your narrator's style right away if you have a distinct, compelling voice that your narrative is being told through. | 1 | 10,151 | 7 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f4t7n | j0ex7ja | 1,671,165,017 | 1,671,161,230 | 4 | 3 | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | 1 | 3,787 | 1.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gi7tz | j0f4t7n | 1,671,199,173 | 1,671,165,017 | 5 | 4 | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | 1 | 34,156 | 1.25 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f4t7n | j0ex3uo | 1,671,165,017 | 1,671,161,182 | 4 | 3 | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | 1 | 3,835 | 1.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f4t7n | j0f04gj | 1,671,165,017 | 1,671,162,634 | 4 | 1 | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | 1 | 2,383 | 4 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0f4t7n | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,165,017 | 0 | 4 | Hit me up for help | Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a master class in first person writing for all sorts of reasons. Highly recommended if you're interested in the craft of information flow and the first person POV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murder_of_Roger_Ackroyd | 0 | 3,250 | 4,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f2ig8 | j0ex7ja | 1,671,163,829 | 1,671,161,230 | 4 | 3 | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | 1 | 2,599 | 1.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ex7ja | j0gi7tz | 1,671,161,230 | 1,671,199,173 | 3 | 5 | I light the match to taste the heat. If done right, you burn down a building. If done wrong, you burn yourself and fry in the deepest pits of hell. | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | 0 | 37,943 | 1.666667 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f2ig8 | j0gi7tz | 1,671,163,829 | 1,671,199,173 | 4 | 5 | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | 0 | 35,344 | 1.25 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f2ig8 | j0ex3uo | 1,671,163,829 | 1,671,161,182 | 4 | 3 | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | 1 | 2,647 | 1.333333 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f04gj | j0f2ig8 | 1,671,162,634 | 1,671,163,829 | 1 | 4 | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | 0 | 1,195 | 4 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0f2ig8 | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,163,829 | 0 | 4 | Hit me up for help | When I wrote in first person and shared it with my friends, they said the one complaint was it was too confusing because I didn't say who's perspective it was from. My one friend said that she would always read halfway through a section thinking "I" was someone, and then a different character would call "I" a different name. :/ (even though some transitions are supposed to be ambiguous, whatever) So my tip would be, if you're switching perspectives, say who is speaking, and also, write it how the character would speak. I always thinks that adds a lot of personality to your writing, because when it comes down to it, it's the character's thoughts, not the narrarator's. So a lot of the time I'll have lines where I'll just say "oh my gosh" or "oh heck no", not in dialogue but in the actual story because it's the character talking! Besides, if your character is sarcastic (like mine) then you get all the funny quips without having to do thoughts or dialogue. Just my opinions tho lol I might be totally wrong and insane | 0 | 2,062 | 4,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0ex3uo | j0gi7tz | 1,671,161,182 | 1,671,199,173 | 3 | 5 | First person writing tends to be more i oriented. It does not have to be exactly I went or I stood but more interpersonal: “I waited by the station for a hour; glancing on my wrist is my watch which was the last present she gave me before she passed, I have an tingle in my spine every time I think about it. I wanted to leave the platform but, I knew I can not miss this train. I guess there something for me to work on.” There is a big way in writing first person; choosing to write i sentences is part but having those inner most thoughts and exploring the characters way of thinking brings more moments of writing more grandeur. Sorry if this post is long and hopefully this answers your question. | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | 0 | 37,991 | 1.666667 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gi7tz | j0g5xqs | 1,671,199,173 | 1,671,192,355 | 5 | 2 | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | 1 | 6,818 | 2.5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gi7tz | j0f04gj | 1,671,199,173 | 1,671,162,634 | 5 | 1 | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | 1 | 36,539 | 5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0gi7tz | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,199,173 | 0 | 5 | Hit me up for help | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | 0 | 37,406 | 5,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gi7tz | j0gfe1g | 1,671,199,173 | 1,671,197,799 | 5 | 1 | If you're writing in first person, the reader will expect a certain number of 'I's, and will not notice them unless they are misused. Just be careful your protagonist isn't merely saying what she's doing. When I'm crossing the room, I'm not thinking: "Hey, here I am walking across the room." I'm probably thinking: "Jayzusgod, I know I came in here for something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is." | Particularly at the start of the story, your narrator's voice should be distinct and constant. Your audience will recognize your narrator's style right away if you have a distinct, compelling voice that your narrative is being told through. | 1 | 1,374 | 5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h581e | j0g5xqs | 1,671,208,609 | 1,671,192,355 | 3 | 2 | If writing in present tense, consider the narration to be the character's thoughts. Because of that, you won't need italics, or an "I thought" when your character is having a thought. You can just write, This party sucks without needing to indicate that your character is thinking that, because it's already understood that you character is in-scene, thinking those words. | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | 1 | 16,254 | 1.5 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h581e | j0f04gj | 1,671,208,609 | 1,671,162,634 | 3 | 1 | If writing in present tense, consider the narration to be the character's thoughts. Because of that, you won't need italics, or an "I thought" when your character is having a thought. You can just write, This party sucks without needing to indicate that your character is thinking that, because it's already understood that you character is in-scene, thinking those words. | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | 1 | 45,975 | 3 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0h581e | j0eybrp | 1,671,208,609 | 1,671,161,767 | 3 | 0 | If writing in present tense, consider the narration to be the character's thoughts. Because of that, you won't need italics, or an "I thought" when your character is having a thought. You can just write, This party sucks without needing to indicate that your character is thinking that, because it's already understood that you character is in-scene, thinking those words. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 46,842 | 3,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0gfe1g | j0h581e | 1,671,197,799 | 1,671,208,609 | 1 | 3 | Particularly at the start of the story, your narrator's voice should be distinct and constant. Your audience will recognize your narrator's style right away if you have a distinct, compelling voice that your narrative is being told through. | If writing in present tense, consider the narration to be the character's thoughts. Because of that, you won't need italics, or an "I thought" when your character is having a thought. You can just write, This party sucks without needing to indicate that your character is thinking that, because it's already understood that you character is in-scene, thinking those words. | 0 | 10,810 | 3 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f04gj | j0g5xqs | 1,671,162,634 | 1,671,192,355 | 1 | 2 | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | 0 | 29,721 | 2 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0g5xqs | j0eybrp | 1,671,192,355 | 1,671,161,767 | 2 | 0 | Write a 1st Person PoV draft as YOU telling the story. Revisions are to add or change the missing details and your language. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 30,588 | 2,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0f04gj | j0eybrp | 1,671,162,634 | 1,671,161,767 | 1 | 0 | Experiment with the first person form a little. Maybe use the present tense. For example: I hate him, he’s going down. Mark my words. The gun is heavy in my hand. Let’s do this. Walk with me. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 867 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0gfe1g | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,197,799 | 0 | 1 | Hit me up for help | Particularly at the start of the story, your narrator's voice should be distinct and constant. Your audience will recognize your narrator's style right away if you have a distinct, compelling voice that your narrative is being told through. | 0 | 36,032 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0hrgaq | j0eybrp | 1,671,217,274 | 1,671,161,767 | 1 | 0 | Have a review at https://uvotutors.com/ | Hit me up for help | 1 | 55,507 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0i6n6p | j0eybrp | 1,671,223,438 | 1,671,161,767 | 1 | 0 | Other than stating what the narrator is doing, you can also describe the experience itself. For example: with "I stood," you can follow it or replace it with a description of what the narrator is seeing, feeling, thinking, etc while standing up. "Standing up, the idea of him being with someone else flooded me: them touching each other, sharing their lives with each other. I couldn't stand it." That way, the narration is rich and isn't repetitive. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 61,671 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0i7587 | j0eybrp | 1,671,223,643 | 1,671,161,767 | 1 | 0 | Read it! Seeing it done over a lot of reading made it easier to get into for me. If you enjoy fantasy, I suggest Steven Brust’s Taltos series. It’s fun light reading about an assassin with piles of sarcasm and said assassin’s little dragon-like equally sarcastic friend. Almost all the books are very good examples of first person writing. Good luck! | Hit me up for help | 1 | 61,876 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0jak9e | j0eybrp | 1,671,241,480 | 1,671,161,767 | 1 | 0 | just because it is first person doesn't mean that's the only perspective there is. There are other characters and they have things to do. | Hit me up for help | 1 | 79,713 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0eybrp | j0jgiu1 | 1,671,161,767 | 1,671,244,473 | 0 | 1 | Hit me up for help | When writing in the first person, I like to think on what the character notices and, rather than adding the "I notice in that moment that the book I'm reading," "I look over and see," etc... I write it as an internal monologue. Like, "A quick glance at the page I'm on..." "She popped up out of the corner of my eye and my heart fluttered." I use Third POV for fanfiction and First POV for Original fiction and showing I find showing is more important than ever in first... the idea behind my statement is this: You only notice what's important to you, unlike the reader who is trying to pry the mysterious plot from the viewpoint's head. Write the first draft as an "I" riddled story, the go back and edit the second draft to show more, rather than tell. Tell will most usually break immersion and you don't find yourself noticing things in a telling sort of way. After all, your IRL self is telling the story of an author telling a new story from a different perspective. If you were to write it down, you would write, "My fingers flew across the keyboard as the ideas flowed onto the screen." Not, "I moved each finger over the keys as quickly as I could, lest the ideas fade and I missed some piece of this story begging to be written." | 0 | 82,706 | 1,000 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0i6n6p | j0i0zwu | 1,671,223,438 | 1,671,221,137 | 1 | -1 | Other than stating what the narrator is doing, you can also describe the experience itself. For example: with "I stood," you can follow it or replace it with a description of what the narrator is seeing, feeling, thinking, etc while standing up. "Standing up, the idea of him being with someone else flooded me: them touching each other, sharing their lives with each other. I couldn't stand it." That way, the narration is rich and isn't repetitive. | My suggestion is don’t do it unless you absolutely have to. It’s OK for a very short story but there’s a reason why there are very few novels written in first person it’s extremely limited. | 1 | 2,301 | -1 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0i7587 | j0i0zwu | 1,671,223,643 | 1,671,221,137 | 1 | -1 | Read it! Seeing it done over a lot of reading made it easier to get into for me. If you enjoy fantasy, I suggest Steven Brust’s Taltos series. It’s fun light reading about an assassin with piles of sarcasm and said assassin’s little dragon-like equally sarcastic friend. Almost all the books are very good examples of first person writing. Good luck! | My suggestion is don’t do it unless you absolutely have to. It’s OK for a very short story but there’s a reason why there are very few novels written in first person it’s extremely limited. | 1 | 2,506 | -1 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0i0zwu | j0jak9e | 1,671,221,137 | 1,671,241,480 | -1 | 1 | My suggestion is don’t do it unless you absolutely have to. It’s OK for a very short story but there’s a reason why there are very few novels written in first person it’s extremely limited. | just because it is first person doesn't mean that's the only perspective there is. There are other characters and they have things to do. | 0 | 20,343 | -1 | ||
zn4ppn | writing_train | 0.94 | Anyone have tips on writing in first person? I struggle with first person writing, it all just seems like, “I walked” or “I stood up.” Anyone have any advice that could help me? | j0jgiu1 | j0i0zwu | 1,671,244,473 | 1,671,221,137 | 1 | -1 | When writing in the first person, I like to think on what the character notices and, rather than adding the "I notice in that moment that the book I'm reading," "I look over and see," etc... I write it as an internal monologue. Like, "A quick glance at the page I'm on..." "She popped up out of the corner of my eye and my heart fluttered." I use Third POV for fanfiction and First POV for Original fiction and showing I find showing is more important than ever in first... the idea behind my statement is this: You only notice what's important to you, unlike the reader who is trying to pry the mysterious plot from the viewpoint's head. Write the first draft as an "I" riddled story, the go back and edit the second draft to show more, rather than tell. Tell will most usually break immersion and you don't find yourself noticing things in a telling sort of way. After all, your IRL self is telling the story of an author telling a new story from a different perspective. If you were to write it down, you would write, "My fingers flew across the keyboard as the ideas flowed onto the screen." Not, "I moved each finger over the keys as quickly as I could, lest the ideas fade and I missed some piece of this story begging to be written." | My suggestion is don’t do it unless you absolutely have to. It’s OK for a very short story but there’s a reason why there are very few novels written in first person it’s extremely limited. | 1 | 23,336 | -1 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz653ql | hz7oo0q | 1,646,306,557 | 1,646,331,628 | 3 | 5 | Keep a notebook beside you. Make a note of the change you want to make, but don't go back to make it. Just keep writing & if you think of more changes you want to make, put them in the notebook, but don't go back to edit until you've got a full first draft complete. | You're procrastinating. Don't let the perfect be an enemy of the good. If you realize you need to make a change that affects a previous chapter, make a note of it and keep writing as if the change has already been made. Finish the draft. If writing a book is a marathon, you're running 60 feet, and then returning to the starting line because you got thirsty, or your shoe was untied, or you needed to stretch a little more. And you're doing it again and again. But you still have 26 miles to run (or whatever a marathon length is). Your first 60 feet don't need to be perfect, they just have to get you to the next 60 feet. | 0 | 25,071 | 1.666667 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz7oo0q | hz6lye6 | 1,646,331,628 | 1,646,316,199 | 5 | 3 | You're procrastinating. Don't let the perfect be an enemy of the good. If you realize you need to make a change that affects a previous chapter, make a note of it and keep writing as if the change has already been made. Finish the draft. If writing a book is a marathon, you're running 60 feet, and then returning to the starting line because you got thirsty, or your shoe was untied, or you needed to stretch a little more. And you're doing it again and again. But you still have 26 miles to run (or whatever a marathon length is). Your first 60 feet don't need to be perfect, they just have to get you to the next 60 feet. | My brain does this when it's still pondering where to go next. Typically when I write a novel, I get about 30-50 pages in without any problem. I have an idea (a daydream, actually) and my brain is pretty certain how it begins and where my story's progressing in the immediate future. So I write until that particular daydream ends—usually plopping my characters in the middle of a cerebral desert somewhere, with nowhere to turn—and they're not sure what to do next. So I begin to outline my options. Many writers hate the idea of outlining. But I've found it essential in situations like this. In the simplest way possible, you're jotting down brief notes to yourself as to the most likely way(s) to proceed. And if you make a mistake or lose interest in where you're going, try out another idea. You're scratching out a few lines of notes, not shredding 50 or 100 pages. It's far less painful. Most often I'm not outlining my entirety of my remaining plot. I'll outline a few chapters ahead and then begin to write again, when my enthusiasm returns. Usually, at this point, I have some idea of the ending, so I'll skip ahead and outline that as well. Once I have an ending in mind, that frees up a lot of confusion and concern, because now I'm simply connecting the dots between *here* and *there*. So those 'tween chapters are easier to produce because every chapter from now on is heading toward that preconceived conclusion. Rewriting in bits and pieces is often just a form of procrastination. (You feel as if you're being productive, but you're really just killing time until your brain catches up.) Most of us do it—at least I do—but sooner or later I realize that I'm not getting any younger, and that's when I begin to outline. Another consideration: Perhaps you're a short story or novella writer? Perhaps your daydreams conclude after 5000 +/- words. If you feel that you have a suitable landing pad—a final destination for your story—after 5000 or 10,000 words, maybe that's all you're supposed to write? Collections do sell (if you're thinking of publishing your work)...so there's that possibility! My suggestion is: Give yourself a break, sufficient room to breathe, when you feel yourself stalling out. Allow yourself a *guilt-free* few days or weeks of not writing. (Guilt just stifles creativity, I do believe.) But our brains, being problem-solvers after all, are usually still writing even if our fingers aren't, and when your brain catches up, it will let you know when it's time to grab the pen again. | 1 | 15,429 | 1.666667 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz7at8l | hz7oo0q | 1,646,326,372 | 1,646,331,628 | 3 | 5 | If it is a minor change why are you re-writing everything? Just change the small thing that needs changing and carry on writing the book. | You're procrastinating. Don't let the perfect be an enemy of the good. If you realize you need to make a change that affects a previous chapter, make a note of it and keep writing as if the change has already been made. Finish the draft. If writing a book is a marathon, you're running 60 feet, and then returning to the starting line because you got thirsty, or your shoe was untied, or you needed to stretch a little more. And you're doing it again and again. But you still have 26 miles to run (or whatever a marathon length is). Your first 60 feet don't need to be perfect, they just have to get you to the next 60 feet. | 0 | 5,256 | 1.666667 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz7oo0q | hz6jcko | 1,646,331,628 | 1,646,314,959 | 5 | 2 | You're procrastinating. Don't let the perfect be an enemy of the good. If you realize you need to make a change that affects a previous chapter, make a note of it and keep writing as if the change has already been made. Finish the draft. If writing a book is a marathon, you're running 60 feet, and then returning to the starting line because you got thirsty, or your shoe was untied, or you needed to stretch a little more. And you're doing it again and again. But you still have 26 miles to run (or whatever a marathon length is). Your first 60 feet don't need to be perfect, they just have to get you to the next 60 feet. | Interesting. I write by hand to stop over editing. You should at least try to transfer your work after a writing session into a typed document because you’ll end up having to do it later en mass. Try to stop yourself from editing and move on. Keeping notes on what you want to change for revision is a great idea. Alternatively some phones/apps can translate a picture to editable text. Also, have you tried blue light blocking glasses? Or using a dark reader extension where the text is white, background black? Makes the screen easier on the eyes. | 1 | 16,669 | 2.5 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz6jcko | hz6lye6 | 1,646,314,959 | 1,646,316,199 | 2 | 3 | Interesting. I write by hand to stop over editing. You should at least try to transfer your work after a writing session into a typed document because you’ll end up having to do it later en mass. Try to stop yourself from editing and move on. Keeping notes on what you want to change for revision is a great idea. Alternatively some phones/apps can translate a picture to editable text. Also, have you tried blue light blocking glasses? Or using a dark reader extension where the text is white, background black? Makes the screen easier on the eyes. | My brain does this when it's still pondering where to go next. Typically when I write a novel, I get about 30-50 pages in without any problem. I have an idea (a daydream, actually) and my brain is pretty certain how it begins and where my story's progressing in the immediate future. So I write until that particular daydream ends—usually plopping my characters in the middle of a cerebral desert somewhere, with nowhere to turn—and they're not sure what to do next. So I begin to outline my options. Many writers hate the idea of outlining. But I've found it essential in situations like this. In the simplest way possible, you're jotting down brief notes to yourself as to the most likely way(s) to proceed. And if you make a mistake or lose interest in where you're going, try out another idea. You're scratching out a few lines of notes, not shredding 50 or 100 pages. It's far less painful. Most often I'm not outlining my entirety of my remaining plot. I'll outline a few chapters ahead and then begin to write again, when my enthusiasm returns. Usually, at this point, I have some idea of the ending, so I'll skip ahead and outline that as well. Once I have an ending in mind, that frees up a lot of confusion and concern, because now I'm simply connecting the dots between *here* and *there*. So those 'tween chapters are easier to produce because every chapter from now on is heading toward that preconceived conclusion. Rewriting in bits and pieces is often just a form of procrastination. (You feel as if you're being productive, but you're really just killing time until your brain catches up.) Most of us do it—at least I do—but sooner or later I realize that I'm not getting any younger, and that's when I begin to outline. Another consideration: Perhaps you're a short story or novella writer? Perhaps your daydreams conclude after 5000 +/- words. If you feel that you have a suitable landing pad—a final destination for your story—after 5000 or 10,000 words, maybe that's all you're supposed to write? Collections do sell (if you're thinking of publishing your work)...so there's that possibility! My suggestion is: Give yourself a break, sufficient room to breathe, when you feel yourself stalling out. Allow yourself a *guilt-free* few days or weeks of not writing. (Guilt just stifles creativity, I do believe.) But our brains, being problem-solvers after all, are usually still writing even if our fingers aren't, and when your brain catches up, it will let you know when it's time to grab the pen again. | 0 | 1,240 | 1.5 | ||
t5p9g0 | writing_train | 0.69 | So I always stop my story before even starting my 3rd chapter and start rewriting, just because I have to do a minor change in it. It's just because I'm using pen and paper and am too sensitive to screens. What do I do? I've never ever reached more than half of the story. | hz6jcko | hz7at8l | 1,646,314,959 | 1,646,326,372 | 2 | 3 | Interesting. I write by hand to stop over editing. You should at least try to transfer your work after a writing session into a typed document because you’ll end up having to do it later en mass. Try to stop yourself from editing and move on. Keeping notes on what you want to change for revision is a great idea. Alternatively some phones/apps can translate a picture to editable text. Also, have you tried blue light blocking glasses? Or using a dark reader extension where the text is white, background black? Makes the screen easier on the eyes. | If it is a minor change why are you re-writing everything? Just change the small thing that needs changing and carry on writing the book. | 0 | 11,413 | 1.5 | ||
yfhafp | writing_train | 0.93 | When to know your description of a character is bad For some context, the story I'm writing is heavily inspired by fairytales. In many fairytales, descriptions of characters are often one of the first things we learn about a character before any major plot points or plot setup. For example, three paragraphs into the story of Snow White we learn, "...the queen gave birth to a daughter whose skin was as white as snow, whose cheeks were as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony." What I'm confused about is when a character's description is considered bad writing. I hear so many criticisms that say I is an overall negative to just come out and tell the reader what a character looks like without blending it into other things (like character interactions, observations, actions.) But here in Snow White it is considered to be fine. If anyone can help me out with this, please let me know! Thanks :) | iu3li8e | iu3l0cy | 1,666,947,154 | 1,666,946,719 | 21 | 12 | >But here in Snow White it is considered to be fine. You are referring to a century-old literary work that was published way back in 1812. Obviously that style of description won't work in 2022. Things need to be new, fresh and updated. You can describe your character in one paragraph completely (you can pull this off if you're writing middle-grade) or you can sprinkle in bits along the way. But these days we don't describe every single detail but to only highlight outstanding (or weird) features. You can mention your character's sharp cheekbones, thick eyebrows and protruding ears. And that's it, that's enough. If you wish to mention skin tone, don't use food reference. If it's brown, just say brown. Don't say chocolate or coffee, it's cringey. | it's bad when they look in a mirror and describe everything about them, this happens a lot in first person novice writing. it can be clunky, like if you have 8 characters and need to describe each one, takes a while. other then that, I don't agree with describing so vaguely that reader me needs to fill in everything, it's terrible. I want descriptions. | 1 | 435 | 1.75 | ||
yfhafp | writing_train | 0.93 | When to know your description of a character is bad For some context, the story I'm writing is heavily inspired by fairytales. In many fairytales, descriptions of characters are often one of the first things we learn about a character before any major plot points or plot setup. For example, three paragraphs into the story of Snow White we learn, "...the queen gave birth to a daughter whose skin was as white as snow, whose cheeks were as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony." What I'm confused about is when a character's description is considered bad writing. I hear so many criticisms that say I is an overall negative to just come out and tell the reader what a character looks like without blending it into other things (like character interactions, observations, actions.) But here in Snow White it is considered to be fine. If anyone can help me out with this, please let me know! Thanks :) | iu3m23w | iu486gb | 1,666,947,644 | 1,666,962,344 | 1 | 7 | It depends on the story really. If a character's description has a purpose, that's fine. A fight would be more impressive if you know there's a tiny guy fighting a large man for example, and it also matters if either of them is ripped, bulky, fat etc. To focus on female characters, if it's a romance then it is kinda important (not necessarily though) to be able to imagine something more as a reader besides "her name is Anna, she's 20, and has red hair". Even basic details are important of course, but a short description like that would not explain why a character immediately falls for her, for example. Or why it's so easy for a guy to be a womaniser if you don't tell the readers that he's actually good looking. And the more you insist on the description (i.e. the more detailed it is and the more you mention those details throughout the story), the easier it is for the readers to believe it. | The problem is when people over-describe their characters. The depiction of snow white definitely does not meet that criteria. It's one sentence, vivid with color, and paints an image of the character with a single brush stroke. I've seen way, way too many people introducing a character and going on and on about their crinkling brown eyes, their freckles, their swooping curls of hair, lips the color of blood, and dumping it all out at one time like a pile of poop in the middle of the page. Less is always more. Info dumps are boring, whether it's character description or scene description. The frustrating thing is I still occasionally see this with popular authors. I'm like... bro, you should know better than that. | 0 | 14,700 | 7 | ||
yfhafp | writing_train | 0.93 | When to know your description of a character is bad For some context, the story I'm writing is heavily inspired by fairytales. In many fairytales, descriptions of characters are often one of the first things we learn about a character before any major plot points or plot setup. For example, three paragraphs into the story of Snow White we learn, "...the queen gave birth to a daughter whose skin was as white as snow, whose cheeks were as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony." What I'm confused about is when a character's description is considered bad writing. I hear so many criticisms that say I is an overall negative to just come out and tell the reader what a character looks like without blending it into other things (like character interactions, observations, actions.) But here in Snow White it is considered to be fine. If anyone can help me out with this, please let me know! Thanks :) | iu486gb | iu3orc1 | 1,666,962,344 | 1,666,949,982 | 7 | 0 | The problem is when people over-describe their characters. The depiction of snow white definitely does not meet that criteria. It's one sentence, vivid with color, and paints an image of the character with a single brush stroke. I've seen way, way too many people introducing a character and going on and on about their crinkling brown eyes, their freckles, their swooping curls of hair, lips the color of blood, and dumping it all out at one time like a pile of poop in the middle of the page. Less is always more. Info dumps are boring, whether it's character description or scene description. The frustrating thing is I still occasionally see this with popular authors. I'm like... bro, you should know better than that. | That's not snow white, it's Marilyn Manson. I don't think fairytales are considered good writing. They're old fashioned, simple tales. Also, you're talking about characters defined by their appearance. Snow White, Goldilocks. Other characters aren't described at all. Beginning with descriptions are bad because it's an info dump and probably tell not show. However, if you're writing stuff heavily inspired by fairytales mimicking things like that may be worthwhile. | 1 | 12,362 | 7,000 | ||
yfhafp | writing_train | 0.93 | When to know your description of a character is bad For some context, the story I'm writing is heavily inspired by fairytales. In many fairytales, descriptions of characters are often one of the first things we learn about a character before any major plot points or plot setup. For example, three paragraphs into the story of Snow White we learn, "...the queen gave birth to a daughter whose skin was as white as snow, whose cheeks were as red as blood, and whose hair was as black as ebony." What I'm confused about is when a character's description is considered bad writing. I hear so many criticisms that say I is an overall negative to just come out and tell the reader what a character looks like without blending it into other things (like character interactions, observations, actions.) But here in Snow White it is considered to be fine. If anyone can help me out with this, please let me know! Thanks :) | iu3p8r9 | iu486gb | 1,666,950,377 | 1,666,962,344 | 1 | 7 | Well Snow White is a fairy tale which is essentially a short story. You can get away with that in short stories. It’s different for novels. However the people telling you what needs to be done a certain way are also parrots. They most likely never published anything and are just repeating things they heard from an ambiguous source on Reddit or Youtube. You won’t actually know if your descriptions or approach to descriptions are bad until you get to the beta reader phase. Then you can find out what’s right and wrong with what you did and make changes. Not something ya gotta worry about in your first rough draft. Write it how you think it makes sense in the story you’re telling and then change things later on. | The problem is when people over-describe their characters. The depiction of snow white definitely does not meet that criteria. It's one sentence, vivid with color, and paints an image of the character with a single brush stroke. I've seen way, way too many people introducing a character and going on and on about their crinkling brown eyes, their freckles, their swooping curls of hair, lips the color of blood, and dumping it all out at one time like a pile of poop in the middle of the page. Less is always more. Info dumps are boring, whether it's character description or scene description. The frustrating thing is I still occasionally see this with popular authors. I'm like... bro, you should know better than that. | 0 | 11,967 | 7 |
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