The Anti-Guide

How do you try to improve your writing?

I try to avoid old, stupid things.	17.5%	[ 2370 ]
I add new things.	14.7%	[ 1993 ]
A combination of both (if one more than the other, pick it).	67.8%	[ 9169 ]
Total Votes:			[ 13532 ]

[Navean]

1upMushroomCloud

Kyoshoku

He is finding the woman as his "mate for life" and will always be overprotective to the point of making the woman angry.

A man should never want a consistent, lasting, romantic, monogamous relationship more than sex. Real men always cheat. Always. Women never want a man who would be eternally devoted to them and only them anyways. Where's the fun in that? XP

Men always cheat... and women never do.

[1upMushroomCloud]

Navean

1upMushroomCloud

Kyoshoku

He is finding the woman as his "mate for life" and will always be overprotective to the point of making the woman angry.

A man should never want a consistent, lasting, romantic, monogamous relationship more than sex. Real men always cheat. Always. Women never want a man who would be eternally devoted to them and only them anyways. Where's the fun in that? XP

Men always cheat... and women never do.

If a woman cheats on someone, it's not because she's unfaithful, insensitive, heartless or a slut. It's always because she was seduced and didn't really know what she was doing, or that her husband wasn't satisfying her emotionally or sexually and she was forced to look elsewhere.

[1upMushroomCloud]

marshmallowcreampie

Oh, Anti-Guide, I want to create some brand new species to be characters in my story. How should I go about doing so?

You have these options available

A) Take a well known creature, do no research on it and base your knowledge on things you saw in a movie once, and rip it off as your own.

B) Completely make up out of nowhere something totally implausible that is a mishmash of so many other creatures one wonders how it survives.

C) Choose your favorite animal (Something pretty) and give the best features of it to human beings, and have them be exactly like human beings in every respect except for these minor changes to physical appearance and any changes to behavior/societal structure that you think will make them better and more speshul than humans. No matter how similar they are to us, remember that all humans must treat them as some abominable monster which cannot be understood, except for the main character who accepts them and understands them.

[FormerlyCx]

marshmallowcreampie

Oh, Anti-Guide, I want to create some brand new species to be characters in my story. How should I go about doing so?

Try making a magikcal speshul creature that is 1/8 dragon, 3/12 elf, 5/3097ths wolf, 4/2 fairie, and 45743354575ths vampire. Fractions that make sense? Who needs them?

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

cygnus - xp

The Phoenix Rises Again

cygnus - xp

Remember to use clichés!
They've been overdone for a reason.. they work!

((You do know that the anti-guide has several posts (and the WF has several threads and a sticky) about how a cliche is not a trope and that it depends on the WRITER for it to be a cliche, not the trope, right?))

Oops, just did, and thank you for catching me! For the Anti-Guide then...

With making stories about humans and another race, always have a human x other race couple to save the day. Don't forget the jealous betrothed husband, the cruel human leader that dies in the end, and the initials J.S.!

ex -
John Smith from Disney's Pocahontas
Jake Sully from Avatar (2009)

The human is always the girl. Who is younger and always more vulnerable.

[marshmallowcreampie]

Your new fantasy race must be better at humans in EVERYTHING. This includes magic, art, hunting, running, strength, physical skills, architecture, etc. The reader won't wonder why humans are still not only the dominant race, but can opress the other species so easily with little to no resistance from them.

[1upMushroomCloud]

marshmallowcreampie

Your new fantasy race must be better at humans in EVERYTHING. This includes magic, art, hunting, running, strength, physical skills, architecture, etc. The reader won't wonder why humans are still not only the dominant race, but can opress the other species so easily with little to no resistance from them.

Because they're also kinder, more innocent, and don't ever ever wage war. So the nasty, evil humans take advantage of them and oppress them without any thought or care for the morality of their actions.

(( sweatdrop Hehe, guilty of this one))

[marshmallowcreampie]

1upMushroomCloud

marshmallowcreampie

Your new fantasy race must be better at humans in EVERYTHING. This includes magic, art, hunting, running, strength, physical skills, architecture, etc. The reader won't wonder why humans are still not only the dominant race, but can opress the other species so easily with little to no resistance from them.

Because they're also kinder, more innocent, and don't ever ever wage war. So the nasty, evil humans take advantage of them and oppress them without any thought or care for the morality of their actions.

(( sweatdrop Hehe, guilty of this one))

Ya! I mean, why would anyone ever have reason for dispute, other than bloodlust? It's not like people ever have a REASON for war, like land or resources! talk2hand

[I_Write_Ivre]

No one in war thinks anyone on the other side is a living, breathing, human(oid) individual with a mortal life.

Except, of course someone young and pretty who falls for someone else young and pretty. People always listen to those people.

[1upMushroomCloud]

I_Write_Ivre

No one in war thinks anyone on the other side is a living, breathing, human(oid) individual with a mortal life.

Except, of course someone young and pretty who falls for someone else young and pretty. People always listen to those people.

The side in a war that has the moral high ground always wins.

[I_Write_Ivre]

1upMushroomCloud

I_Write_Ivre

No one in war thinks anyone on the other side is a living, breathing, human(oid) individual with a mortal life.

Except, of course someone young and pretty who falls for someone else young and pretty. People always listen to those people.

The side in a war that has the moral high ground always wins.

Because there always is one in every war.

[deleted_Accnt9102]

1upMushroomCloud

Navean

1upMushroomCloud

Kyoshoku

He is finding the woman as his "mate for life" and will always be overprotective to the point of making the woman angry.

A man should never want a consistent, lasting, romantic, monogamous relationship more than sex. Real men always cheat. Always. Women never want a man who would be eternally devoted to them and only them anyways. Where's the fun in that? XP

Men always cheat... and women never do.

If a woman cheats on someone, it's not because she's unfaithful, insensitive, heartless or a slut. It's always because she was seduced and didn't really know what she was doing, or that her husband wasn't satisfying her emotionally or sexually and she was forced to look elsewhere.

Or, she IS an unfaithful, insensitive, heartless, slutty b***h that cheats and is only there for the first few chapters to help the reader see how s**t the MC's life is. She'll cheat and break his heart/leave him for the other guy just in time for Main Love Interest to show up, before the MC and MLI go off on a world-saving adventure.

[1upMushroomCloud]

chinese dragon princess

1upMushroomCloud

Navean

1upMushroomCloud

Kyoshoku

He is finding the woman as his "mate for life" and will always be overprotective to the point of making the woman angry.

A man should never want a consistent, lasting, romantic, monogamous relationship more than sex. Real men always cheat. Always. Women never want a man who would be eternally devoted to them and only them anyways. Where's the fun in that? XP

Men always cheat... and women never do.

If a woman cheats on someone, it's not because she's unfaithful, insensitive, heartless or a slut. It's always because she was seduced and didn't really know what she was doing, or that her husband wasn't satisfying her emotionally or sexually and she was forced to look elsewhere.

Or, she IS an unfaithful, insensitive, heartless, slutty b***h that cheats and is only there for the first few chapters to help the reader see how s**t the MC's life is. She'll cheat and break his heart/leave him for the other guy just in time for Main Love Interest to show up, before the MC and MLI go off on a world-saving adventure.

In which case the MC should be totally oblivious to her faults, even if she is one of the most despicable human beings imaginable.

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

Remember, it's not how you write, it's what you write. Never experiment, push boundaries, or evoke thought.

[Misuki Marishima]

And definitely write author's notes at the beginning, middle, and end of your story. As a matter of fact, make entire chapters' worth of author's notes.

Also, talk about the story a whole lot, but don't get around to putting the words in a word processing window or on paper. ( I am SO GUILTY OF THIS ONE HERE. D: )