A lot of writing advice that people give are often repeated. Stay consistent, take breaks, plan ahead but I want to know a little more niche stuff that isn’t as widely talked about
Did you know that short chapters (700 to 1.5k words) are preferred over long chapters (>2k words) for a new novel? It's best to post short chapters to gain visibility in the beginning. Long chapters will only be read if you already have a large reader base.
Voice act your scenes. It helps me distinguish character voices and make my dialogue more "human" and flow better. I know it's embarrassing, but I think it helps... ?
Did you know that short chapters (700 to 1.5k words) are preferred over long chapters (>2k words) for a new novel? It's best to post short chapters to gain visibility in the beginning. Long chapters will only be read if you already have a large reader base.
Well... I write everything in Portuguese and then translate it into English, which already reduces the number of words considerably.
But even so, the first two chapters are between 1,700 and 1,900 words long, and the third is 2,000 words long.
It's difficult to reduce the length without losing the meaning of the interactions. And
Well... I write everything in Portuguese and then translate it into English, which already reduces the number of words considerably.
But even so, the first two chapters are between 1,700 and 1,900 words long, and the third is 2,000 words long.
It's difficult to reduce the length without losing the meaning of the interactions. And
Voice act your scenes. It helps me distinguish character voices and make my dialogue more "human" and flow better. I know it's embarrassing, but I think it helps... ?
Voice act your scenes. It helps me distinguish character voices and make my dialogue more "human" and flow better. I know it's embarrassing, but I think it helps... ?
Well... I write everything in Portuguese and then translate it into English, which already reduces the number of words considerably.
But even so, the first two chapters are between 1,700 and 1,900 words long, and the third is 2,000 words long.
It's difficult to reduce the length without losing the meaning of the interactions. And
To make matters worse, I have some lines in other languages that need to be translated directly so as not to lose the focus of the story.
Reading your story out loud will help with your prose. Definitely try that.
A small tip I would give is watching out for the adverb "very" in your sentences. In almost every situation that you may use "very" you can almost always replace it and the word it was modifying with a more specific and intense word.
"He was very tall" becomes "He was huge" or "He was titanic".
Doing so will give your writing more variety. In fact, I recommend getting comfortable using a thesaurus when writing, as you will want to avoid repeating the same descriptive words too closely together. Readers will notice, even if only subconsciously, and they can grow frustrated and bored with simplistic and repetitive word choices.
When you edit, start from the end of your draft, then go back down from the beginning. when the prose and mechanics feel natural when read both backwards and forwards you can be sure that the most basic of issues have been mitigated.
Did you know that short chapters (700 to 1.5k words) are preferred over long chapters (>2k words) for a new novel? It's best to post short chapters to gain visibility in the beginning. Long chapters will only be read if you already have a large reader base.
I agree with you. Short chapters tend to sell only on SH. Other platforms (like Inkitt, purrfiction, and WN) generally standardize a minimum of 1.5k words per chapter to be worthy of release.
If you plan on writing a sex scene and really want it to be spicy, do it when you're feeling in the mood for it yourself :p bonus points if you're freaky/kinky.
If you plan on writing a sex scene and really want it to be spicy, do it when you're feeling in the mood for it yourself :p bonus points if you're freaky/kinky.
Become friends with your characters.
talk to them in your head (or out loud if you're feeling brave i guess?) whenever you're thinking about random nonsense.
Ex: You go to an ice cream shop, what kind of ice cream would they like?
You're watching a movie, what kind of movie would they choose and why? would they flinch at a gory scene, or revel in it because of the artistry or simply enjoy the thrill of the horror? would they cringe at a lovey-dovey scene, or AWW at how cute and romantic it is?
Do they prefer a certain side of the bed when going to sleep? foot under the blankets, or hanging? Do they ball themselves into a nest of blankets? why?
These things might not ever actually come up in the story, but I think it brings them to life in your head, and you get more of a sense of how they'd truly react when you're writing about them in certain scenes.
Honestly, sometimes my characters make me laugh out loud, and I know they're not real, but its just all in good fun. Sometimes they even make me sad thinking about what they would say/ do in harsh times.
Write your heart out first. Worry about fine-tuning later. A lot of people will tell you to make everything perfect as you go, but I’ve learned it’s better to just let your mind run wild. Jot down random scenes, bits of dialogue with nothing between them, whatever comes to you. Then go back and shape it. Again and again, until it becomes the finished product. The more time I spend perfecting each sentence as I write it, the less I actually get done LOL.
Well... I write everything in Portuguese and then translate it into English, which already reduces the number of words considerably.
But even so, the first two chapters are between 1,700 and 1,900 words long, and the third is 2,000 words long.
It's difficult to reduce the length without losing the meaning of the interactions.
Really the "ideal" length for online stories seems to be "greater than 1000, less than 2000, absolute limits at 750 minimum, 2500 max."
Then again, PocketFM insists chapters be between 1000 and 5000 words, with the "sweet spot" the 1250-2500 range so the rules are not that hard-and-fast.
Stop being a shut in and talk to people. If you still don't want to, place yourself into a scene of a show and go word for word how you would interact. Then put others you have knowledge about their personalities (even if fake) in the same situations. Analyze people like a psychopath at that point to be able to write anything but yourself for all characters.
Get a small course or a dedicated video series (short; no need for massive length to procrastinate) that goes over the fundamentals of grammar. Not writing. Grammar. You need to figure out the glue first and then how to frankenstein a new work with it. It has probably been years since you've thought of the basics anyways.
Yes you can read and get inspired by a favorite work. But you kind of need to analyze it and figure out the WHY it got you hooked. You need specifics. And if you can't even write a proper review, that would be a surface level analysis, then you should study the work more thoroughly.
Everyone can write. Everyone should write. Not everyone should lie to themselves about the reception and process of writing. Especially when purposefully placing it in full view of the world. Is it work or a hobby? Does that question even matter to you specifically? Are you lovable and want to simply share a part of yourself with others? Do you want recognition more than the latter? How do you feel about others and their expectations? Any expectation in fact.
Sleep, a good meal (avoid carbs), alcohol right before writing a draft does wonders for the creative process.
I didn't say anything about getting blind drunk. What? Did you really need a warning in parenthesis?
"Just write" is too vague?
-write because it is a skill and nobody is born with it. Just like how nobody was born with the ability to wipe their own ass or construct a coherent thought
-write because you got faults that have ingrained themselves over years of not thinking about how to project a work for an audience
-write to understand your own limits. Be it physical, mental, emotional, you name it. It is something that you will do repeatedly. Rarely does a repetitive action cease the negative effect of said repetitive action.
-write because you will find better and more efficient ways in how you want to invoke what is trapped within your creativity
-write because the act of writing grows. You'll find new inspirations and new methodologies.
-write because writing isn't a simple art but a collection of issues of thought. "Just write" is supposed to be vague because you are supposed to think about it.
Fuck I'm a shitposter and started get a bit serious there. Uhmmm...
If you write something popular, it will be an instant winner, money starts falling from the sky, and people will slide into your DMs with cat pictures.
Heard it all, and no, they are, at best, half-truths. Will your book get more eyes if you write in a genre that is trending? Of course! Will it be successful? Nope. Want to get people's eyes on your work? Then, pick a genre that currently draws the most views collectively. But don't expect to rocket jump to the top of the list at once!
You are still a newbie, and only one thing is certain: Your story will be sub-par.
Write it. Write it. And... Write it. Take all those creative juices in your head, squeeze them out through your fingers onto a chapter, and publish it. Don't be afraid of doing so; don't go looking up a bazillion tricks and tips videos, how to play the system, or whatever.
