When you’re on a roll, don’t worry about writing the story chapter by chapter. Just write and then when you edit, break up the story into chapters. Because in real life, things don’t necessarily fall neatly into chapters.
by Mark NicholA paragraph should consist of six to seven sentences. No, it should be no longer than three sentences long. Actually, it should include a topic sentence, several supporting sentences, and possibly a concluding sentence. Sigh. Can I end this paragraph yet
All three of the declarations in the previous paragraph (the first pair of which come, respectively, from sources within Purdue University and Stanford University, two of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the United States), and any similarly quantitative statements, are wrong. The correct answer is that a paragraph has to be long enough to reach its end.
Like this one.
A paragraph can be as long or as short as you want it to be. It can unfold for countless pages or consist of one word — even one letter.
W-
(I meant to write, “Wait!” but was interrupted.)
The determination to make in composing a given paragraph is not the number of sentences or words or letters, but the number of ideas. The rule of thumb — in nonfiction, at least — is that each paragraph should focus on one idea or concept; when you shift to a new idea, shift to a new paragraph. (In fiction, its function is more nebulous: A paragraph is a unit of writing that further develops a story through exposition.)
However, ideas, as we all know, are slippery things, difficult to package and unlikely to remain in their allotted places. How big or small is an idea? What about an idea within an idea?
Ultimately, a paragraph is complete when you decide it is.
Read the full article here
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Giving critique can be just as daunting as receiving critique, but learning how to give feedback teaches writers how to read critically and identify issues and state them poignantly. This helps us look at our own stuff with a more critical eye and become better writers.
thetimetravelersguidetothegalaxy:
Writing is weird.
One minute you are telling a story.
The next minute you are researching the average amount of snowfall Edinburgh gets.
or how to kill someone with a piece of barbed wire and a tomato
Or how much force it takes to dent a human skull with a can of Pepsi.
what the hell are you guys writing?
Porn.
In the real world, not every landscape is beautiful. There are big, muddy, grassy, bland landscapes out there. There are massive dusty cities and, in the past, there were urban areas filled with rivers of horse (and people) manure.
And yet, in many fantasy novels, everything is absolutely gorgeous, from the towering marketplace to the vast mountains of the world beyond.
And to top it all off, not every character will react to every place the same way. One character might think that ugly, dusty marketplace filled with dung is disgusting. Another might think it charming. A Princess who has only seen beautiful places might be entranced by the way it looks (a la Princess Jasmine).
Really think about how you describe things. The settings in your story should have as much variety and interest as your characters.
I’m half-considering writing mini-essays on the various races from my novel’s universe and posting them. Partially so that I’ll know for sure where they are instead of them getting lost in the depths of my computer, partially to maybe get some feedback, and partially because it’s 7:30 am and I haven’t slept.
![[Image: A cartoon titled “The Papers of a Great Writer” depicting various boxes of differing sizes and colours. The panel on the side lists what corresponds to what colour, with the categories as follows: “illegible scribbles,” “unprintable filth,” “doodles,” “sublime genius,” “obscure ramblings,” and “other.” Of the many boxes, only two small-ish ones are yellow.]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/7752b0e189eaf58ef549369627ba8e3b/tumblr_mgt02z6fFV1rnvzfwo1_500.jpg)
[Image: A cartoon titled “The Papers of a Great Writer” depicting various boxes of differing sizes and colours. The panel on the side lists what corresponds to what colour, with the categories as follows: “illegible scribbles,” “unprintable filth,” “doodles,” “sublime genius,” “obscure ramblings,” and “other.” Of the many boxes, only two small-ish ones are yellow.]
- friend: wow you really thought this universe through you have a whole society mapped down to the smallest details that's impressive
- friend: and so what's the plot
- me:
- me: fuck
