What is the best writing advice you’ve ever come across and take it to heart?

[SakeVision]

Wait, you don’t reread your story at all at least one time? That’s hardcore! ?

I reread it, but sometimes there are grammatical mistakes neither I nor Grammarly catch

 

[BlackKnightX]

I reread it, but sometimes there are grammatical mistakes neither I nor Grammarly catch

That’s where your readers come in~

I'm not sure if I can contribute anything that hasn't been said already. I haven't actually had a lot of writer friends, too, so I don't really get advice personally. I think the best one that I learned is that dialogue and character lines should ideally bring out personality or even a character's worldviews/perspectives on their own without the need for you to tell them to the reader. Not that I know how to apply it in my own work, since I struggle with dialogue and general creativity.

I think that's extremely valuable because in the stuff that I've read, one statement can be said in way different wordings depending on the character, and their personalities really shine depending on how they go about with it. That's something I really want to learn.

Although if I were to give advice to someone, I would also go with my own (probably not original but still) offshoot of the common "write for yourself" advice. For me, it's more of "write for learning and enjoyment," especially if you're new to the whole writing thing. A lot of people come in, write their stuff, get set to make the next big thing, then realize that only few people "win" before getting so bitter and hung up over it. If you come into writing with the goal of just learning the ropes and improving, you'll have a much easier time being satisfied.

I'd be more than willing to give you your participation prize if that's what will encourage you and prevent you from turning into one of those edgy critics, but you got to accept that not everyone "makes it" to the top and that it's ok not to be there.

Learning to cope with it is better than whining about why some things are popular. You'd probably expect me to pivot this to anime again, but I've seen the same in media of all sorts. Music, Hollywood blockbusters, even book series. At least, that way, you'd learn to settle and accept that something is popular instead of whining and talking shit about those "undeservingly popular genres."

Yeah, and I get that it's absolutely awful advice for people who actually want to write to be popular or make money or what, but I'm barely a competitive person irl, so that's the advice I can give you with all sincerity.

Thanks for the advice. I completely agree with you.

Though, I‘ve never whined about the story popularity and stuff like that since I pretty much always enjoy those stories.

I’m a goal-oriented person so I write with objective in mind. If something bad happens outside of my objective, then I couldn’t care less.

I never believe in luck, I believe in cause and effect, and reasoning. Everything has a reason why it is what it is.

Popular story becomes popular for a reason. Whatever it is, if you know that reason and apply it to your story and see some good result, then you’re succeeded. You’ve discovered a secret formula of the game.

Well, that’s what I believe.

 

[LostLibrarian]

Well, that’s what I believe.

That's what big publishing does.

That's the reason we have genre conventions and obligatory scenes. Those will help you write a story that on a fundamental level will work. Something with a beginning, a middle, and an end where all the needed notes are hit and the reader will - without deeply thinking about it - enjoy the story movements.

If you also use the theory of scene writing, you'll have a book that most people will be able to read and a good portion will enjoy. The remaining work is to innovate and make the story your own.

Honestly, there isn't that much of a secret anymore with all the work done and all the theory found. The problem shifted towards using those tools to make your story better and to use your creativity to innovate. That takes a lot of time and hard work.


Writing a book that can be popular isn't that complex in itself. The remaining thing is mostly luck and advertisement.

The problems begin when you don't want a popular story, but one with staying power. Because those - more often than not - break those conventions and go their own way...

 

[BlackKnightX]

That's what big publishing does.

That's the reason we have genre conventions and obligatory scenes. Those will help you write a story that on a fundamental level will work. Something with a beginning, a middle, and an end where all the needed notes are hit and the reader will - without deeply thinking about it - enjoy the story movements.

If you also use the theory of scene writing, you'll have a book that most people will be able to read and a good portion will enjoy. The remaining work is to innovate and make the story your own.

Honestly, there isn't that much of a secret anymore with all the work done and all the theory found. The problem shifted towards using those tools to make your story better and to use your creativity to innovate. That takes a lot of time and hard work.


Writing a book that can be popular isn't that complex in itself. The remaining thing is mostly luck and advertisement.

The problems begin when you don't want a popular story, but one with staying power. Because those - more often than not - break those conventions and go their own way...

Well, people are scared of darkness, but as long as there’s someone they can trust alongside them, they’ll feel save enough to venture.

 

[Vicky]

I’m a goal-oriented person so I write with objective in mind. If something bad happens outside of my objective, then I couldn’t care less.

I never believe in luck, I believe in cause and effect, and reasoning. Everything has a reason why it is what it is.

Popular story becomes popular for a reason. Whatever it is, if you know that reason and apply it to your story and see some good result, then you’re succeeded. You’ve discovered a secret formula of the game.

Well, that’s what I believe.

Just write loli demon/vampire/monster-girl with gender bender, harem, girl's love and smut/fluff


All the whinny losers in the forum complaining about lack of readers, and yet, the formula for readers has always been out there

 

[EternalSunset0]

Just write loli demon/vampire/monster-girl with gender bender, harem, girl's love and smut/fluff


All the whinny losers in the forum complaining about lack of readers, and yet, the formula for readers has always been out there

Seconded.

Kinda reminds me of the meta/tier list idea in video games. Those genres really are at the top and the easiest track to success in terms of readership.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Just write loli demon/vampire/monster-girl with gender bender, harem, girl's love and smut/fluff


All the whinny losers in the forum complaining about lack of readers, and yet, the formula for readers has always been out there

Exactly~ ?

Like I said, all this genres become popular for a reason. It‘s because people love it!
We want to read the same thing over and over but with a different takes.

 

[EternalSunset0]

@BlackKnightX It's likely my card game experience coming into play, I guess. Every competitive game has a "top tier" and if you want success, you should either

a. Play it,
b. Incorporate some of it in your own brew, or
c. Learn how to counterplay it.

C is obviously not possible in writing (you don't even get to face off against those genres in a more literal sense, and those genres have lots of actual fans), and that's what so many people are trying to do and leads to their frustration.

Which leads back to my advice that it's better to just find your niche if you refuse to do A or B. As a card gamer who almost exclusively does B or C, (and not have big tourney success) I know it's a matter of pride or the want to be "out of the ordinary" but that's how it works.

Start writing for the learning experience or tell yourself you're "writing for yourself" or anything. Find a way to just deal with it. That way you spare yourself the frustrations and won't get to getting mad and venting in the forums.

 

[BlackKnightX]

@BlackKnightX It's likely my card game experience coming into play, I guess. Every competitive game has a "top tier" and if you want success, you should either

a. Play it,
b. Incorporate some of it in your own brew, or
c. Learn how to counterplay it.

C is obviously not possible in writing (you don't even get to face off with those genres, and those genres have lots of actual fans), and that's what so many people are trying to do and leads to their frustration.

Which leads back to my advice that it's better to just find your niche if you refuse to do A or B. As a card gamer who almost exclusively does B or C, (and not have big tourney success) I know it's a matter of pride or the want to be "out of the ordinary" but that's how it works.

Start writing for the learning experience or tell yourself you're "writing for yourself" or anything. Find a way to just deal with it. That way you spare yourself the frustrations and won't get to getting mad and venting in the forums.

Guess I’m quite lucky that what I enjoy is always in trend.

 

[Yati]

Write for yourself not for your readers.