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## Help me not be an idiot: writing

Mundane & Pointless Stuff I Must Share: The Off Topic Forum

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Drolyt
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Post by Drolyt » Wed May 29, 2013 8:08 pm

> Finder wrote:

> > FrankTrollman wrote:Don't forget Fear of Spiders.

> "Liberals had more gray matter at least in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that helps people cope with complexity."
> This is good news.
> Man, I knew there was something different about republicans.

Be careful. The psychological processes that cause republicans to believe insane shit can affect any of us. In fact studies show that the more correct your views are in general the harder it is to convince you that you are wrong about the things you actually are wrong about (and trust me, every single one of us is batshit crazy about something, we just don't know it).
Also the democratic party isn't exactly a beacon of reason. You only rarely hear any of them suggesting the kinds of economic reforms that would actually help.
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JigokuBosatsu
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Post by JigokuBosatsu » Fri May 31, 2013 3:18 pm

> Finder wrote:Oh come on, English is my bloody first language. Jesus Christ. Trollman's the only one who made any effort trying to convey what a hook was, so good job to the rest of you. Actively unhelpful.

And you have already failed at your quest. Writing is not for the fragile, unless you stick to fanfiction, or know a publisher willing to put out your thinly veiled fanfiction harrowing tale of being emotionally fragile in a harsh world.
Seriously- you came to this pit of brilliant, horrible cynicism and expect people not to give you shit when you don't show basic knowledge of what you're trying to do? Here's my advice: don't think too much about what you're wanting to write. Just write. If you're brand new to this, as mentioned before, the first things you write will be horrible, but you will think they are great. Stick them in a drawer for nostalgia. Then continue writing, and find some people- writers and non-writers alike- willing to give you feedback. Then write some more. Don't worry about cliches, because they will creep in. There is nothing new under the sun. The important cliches to avoid are the ones at the level of the individual sentence- "fog thick as pea soup," "nothing new under the sun" and the like. So focus on the story- even the most cliche idea can be spun into something good.

> Omegonthesane wrote:a glass armonica which causes a target city to have horrific nightmares that prevent sleep

> JigokuBosatsu wrote:so a regular glass armonica?

You can buy my books, yes you can. Out of print and retired, sorry.
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Maj
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Post by Maj » Fri May 31, 2013 5:33 pm

10,000 hours.
My son makes me laugh. Maybe he'll make you laugh, too.
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Shrapnel
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Post by Shrapnel » Fri May 31, 2013 6:20 pm

I figure, what with the name of the thread an' all, that this would be a good place to ask this.
Okay, so, Jigoku said that if someone is new to writing, then most of their first material is going to be horrible, but that the writer him/her/itself may find it good. For me, that's not true.
I'm not a "new" writer, but I'm not really a veteran, either, 'cos I haven't ever published anything. In fact, I've never even finished anything. I'll start on a story, and then not finish it.
I mean, I know how to write and all, and I really enjoy it, it's just that... well, I freaking hate and loathe with the greatest of passions everything that I write. I am the living embodiment of the old saying, "an artist's harshest critic is himself".
Other's say that I'm good at it, but I can't help but feel that my writing is sub-par and, if I'm being completely honest, so awful that even Uwe Boll wouldn't touch it.
I know that Jigoku also said to find people to give feedback on a person's writing, but I just can't bring myself to show other people my work; I feel that if I think it's bad, so will other people.
So, in short, does anyone know a way of helping me not hate my writing?
Is this wretched demi-bee
Half asleep upon my knee
Some freak from a menagerie?
No! It's Eric, the half a bee
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Ancient History
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Post by Ancient History » Fri May 31, 2013 6:32 pm

Write in a completely different way. One of the most practical exercises for improving your writing ability is to take something you have written previously, and then write the same scene or description or whatever in a different style, voice, or perspective than the one you used.
It forces you to really look at and recognize what you are doing, and then you break through old creative blocks by deliberately doing something different. Even if the result is shit, it gives you a different outlook both on what you have written and how you can write.
I can't guarantee you won't hate your writing, but it will let you hate your writing in new and exciting ways, and that might lead you to writing something you don't hate.
Deep Cuts In A Lovecraftian Vein
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JigokuBosatsu
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Post by JigokuBosatsu » Fri May 31, 2013 6:42 pm

> Shrapnel wrote: In fact, I've never even finished anything. I'll start on a story, and then not finish it.

This is an innate problem, from my experience. Even the most efficient and productive writers leave a trail of fragments and castoffs. I personally have this problem to a large degree. I've had to be pickier these days about what I follow through on because I have so many things going on. If you're just starting out, it's fine to just take an idea and go with it, even knowing that it may not ever be finished. Practice.

> Shrapnel wrote:I really enjoy it, it's just that... well, I freaking hate and loathe with the greatest of passions everything that I write.

This is not a writing problem, it is a confidence problem. Some people say the same thing about their job counting widgets, or whatever. Personally, I know the feeling, as I am a pretty quiet and timid person by nature, but have had to learn how to compartmentalize that in various areas of my life over the years, and become "cutthroat editor" or "caustic critic" or "charmingly weird author with deer antlers sticking out of his fly singing acappella The Who randomly" or the like. Again, this is not a writing-specific problem, and "how to build confidence" may be a little bit out of the scope of this thread.

> Shrapnel wrote:I know that Jigoku also said to find people to give feedback on a person's writing, but I just can't bring myself to show other people my work; I feel that if I think it's bad, so will other people.

My experience with writing groups, etc. is that there is going to be more gladhanding and dicksucking than scary criticism. In fact, that is a big problem, because if there is something that can be improved with your writing (and there always is) you will not hear about it. If you are resolutely afraid of people's criticism, get feedback privately from people you respect or trust. I am always glad to read stuff and give feedback, and it won't always be nice. Ask Prak.
At some point, though, it's kind of like wanting to go snorkeling but being afraid of the water. You're going to have to get over it somehow. In a way, joining a writer's group can be like just buying your ticket to the islands. Now you have an incentive to get past your fears. In your case, the incentive would be choosing which feels worse- facing up to other people's criticism of your work or being a dirty coward.
EDIT: Ninja'd by AH, who knows a thing or two about this. His Farscape blog is a good example of making a commitment to improve your writing.

> Omegonthesane wrote:a glass armonica which causes a target city to have horrific nightmares that prevent sleep

> JigokuBosatsu wrote:so a regular glass armonica?

You can buy my books, yes you can. Out of print and retired, sorry.
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Ancient History
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Post by Ancient History » Fri May 31, 2013 6:49 pm

<wince> Farcast and The Unpublishable. And I'm not sure if those are commitment to improving my writing as much as commitment to...well, just writing. One of the things I learned as a freelancer writer was that 1) I could write about anything, and 2) I could do it to meet a schedule. Sometimes I've put out stuff I really like, sometimes I put out crap - but I always put something out, because I've made the commitment to do it.
The key component of being a writer is writing. That means you have to be able to write, even if you don't feel like it. It's wonderful to be in a perfect zone of creativity and peace and you write out something brilliant, but far more often you're stuck on a crowded, noisy train for thirty minutes and you need to get something down. The fact is that writing - just writing, just putting the words down - is usually a spur for creativity in and of itself. The part where most people get stuck is at the beginning, just getting started at writing, where they're in epic battle against the blank page. Once you get a sentence down, the paragraph after that is usually pretty easy, and the page not much more difficult.
(Better writing at length involves things like plotting, and is better done a bit beforehand, but just getting something down is always the first major hurdle.)
Deep Cuts In A Lovecraftian Vein
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Whatever
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Post by Whatever » Fri May 31, 2013 7:13 pm

> Shrapnel wrote:So, in short, does anyone know a way of helping me not hate my writing?

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Shrapnel
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Post by Shrapnel » Sat Jun 01, 2013 4:49 am

Thanks, guys. Your advice is great, and certainly something I'm going to try and take to heart. Especially the Ira Glass quote.
Is this wretched demi-bee
Half asleep upon my knee
Some freak from a menagerie?
No! It's Eric, the half a bee
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