goldfish_lovin
Thank you!
Your blog is incredible, if I may say so. I'm an avid reader, and I happened to have read Leviathan last year. Your post was pretty much spot on. I completely agree that it lacked climax and characterization (I had no motivation to pick up the next in the series when I found out it was released). Truthfully after falling in love with some of Scott Westerfeld's other work, it was kind of a let down. The only critique I'd have to say would be to shorten posts a bit if you want people to read the whole thing. I was hooked in the beginning but as it continued to go on I found my mind drifting to the pictures, because this is the internet, and the internet holds many distractions ;D
I would follow, but I don't really plan on getting a tumblr anytime soon xD It would completely diminish all of my motivation to do actual work.
I'm also extremely interested in creative writing, but I'm a bit earlier in my career track than you are. I'm going to be a high school senior this year, but I just love writing. It's incredible. Any advice for somebody just starting out?
Yeah, I know they're long, but I don't see them getting much shorter than 1000 words each. I'll find a balance soon, I know it. I'm just starting out and haven't found my rhythm yet. I
am also on Blogspot, but I need to edit my Leviathan post and post my Eon review. Thank you for your interest and feedback, though. I love feedback; feedback is cool.
Advice... Read. Read everything. Well, everything you can. You know what genres you like, and if your writing reflects that love of genre, go for it. Ideas spread through their own medium best, I think. But, don't discount other media. I've been just as influenced by
To Kill A Mockingbird's movie shots and shadows as I have been the (slightly boring) Finch family characterization monologues. I adore graphic novels and I'm hoping to get into video games with my future Digital Arts degree.
Don't be afraid to let others read your work, especially first drafts. That's how you get even better second, third, fourth, etc. drafts. Now, it'll be hard to take suggestions. Your stories are, after all, your babies. And if you're in a CW class of twenty people, trying to incorporate even three seems like a terrible punishment. Don't stress. Don't ignore their suggestions, either, but know when to say "No thank you, I prefer my way better." If they and/or the teacher insist on a change, it really might be time to change it.
Ever heard of the saying, "Kill your babies?" It's a writing joke meaning "Yes, those are some cute lines, characters and plot points, but they serve no purpose. Cut it. Now." Don't be shy with the red pen.
Find your style and adapt people's suggestions to it. However, try as hard as you can to remain objective and technical when critiquing another's piece. Bias is always going to be a problem, but if you go into a critique thinking, "What techniques would work better for this type of writing?" versus "What would I do in this story?" you'll find that people might appreciate your critique better. Make it about the story, not about yourself. (My column is partly about myself, yes, but that's because I have to keep it interesting. Ebert, Roeper, and many other reviewers have the same shtick because it's funny.
wink )
Also:
Don't worry about Mary-Sues. I'm part of the camp that believes in them, or at least believes in their elements. If someone tells you you're writing a Mary-Sue, politely nod, thank them, and don't touch the damn character until the next draft! While it is important to make sure you have a believable character, plot and motive, it'll be worse to try and fix everything the moment someone tells you one of them isn't believable. Write a draft, let it sit, mark it up, rewrite, repeat. It's okay to get feedback on chapters between drafts (I actually got some feed back on
this not an hour ago), don't go back and rewrite any of it until the entire draft is finished. Otherwise, you'll never get anywhere.
Last but not least, have loads of patience. Pay attention to everything. Eavesdrop. Write down all of your ideas as they come so you have a record of them. Keep a notepad by your bed either to record your dreams or for those nights you just wake up with a brainstorm.
Most importantly: Just write. If you don't, you can't call yourself a writer. Much luck!
(EDIT:
Link to other blog!)
