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writting a book

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi there,

I'm trying to wright a book but don't know how to do it
the problem is i want my book to be a little like lord of the rings
full of symbolic meanings and courage but how can i do this without
having to use anything from the books? so i don't get in trouble later?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Firstly, you need to learn to use a spell checker.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you have to ask then i don't know if we can help you - you just need to sit down and write and practice a lot - start by writing short stories or a diary or indeed just about anything.

    Some people just write and see where they end up others make a structure and fill in the blanks - you need to find out what works for you. Its worth while realising that loads and loads of people write books each year but only a very small fraction of these get published so make sure your writing for you and not as a way of making money.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ok thank you for the information
    i'll give it a shot
    and no i'm not doing this for the money
    and like you say the chance of my book being published is small
    but you never know

    thanks a lot
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When i write stuff i follow these rules by George Orwell and if you stick to them you will find work very readable:

    1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

    This sounds easy, but in practice is incredibly difficult. Phrases such as toe the line, ride roughshod over, stand shoulder to shoulder with, play into the hands of, an axe to grind, Achilles’ heel, swan song, and hotbed come to mind quickly and feel comforting and melodic.

    For this exact reason they must be avoided. Common phrases have become so comfortable that they create no emotional response. Take the time to invent fresh, powerful images.

    2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

    Long words don’t make you sound intelligent unless used skillfully. In the wrong situation they’ll have the opposite effect, making you sound pretentious and arrogant. They’re also less likely to be understood and more awkward to read.

    When Hemingway was criticized by Faulkner for his limited word choice he replied:

    Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.

    3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

    Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree (Ezra Pound). Accordingly, any words that don’t contribute meaning to a passage dilute its power. Less is always better. Always.

    4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

    This one is frequently broken, probably because many people don’t know the difference between active and passive verbs. I didn’t myself until a few months ago. Here is an example that makes it easy to understand:

    The man was bitten by the dog. (passive)The dog bit the man. (active).The active is better because it’s shorter and more forceful.

    5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

    This is tricky because much of the writing published on the internet is highly technical. If possible, remain accessible to the average reader. If your audience is highly specialized this is a judgment call. You don’t want to drag on with unnecessary explanation, but try to help people understand what you’re writing about. You want your ideas to spread right?

    6. Break any of these rules sooner than saying anything outright barbarous.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also possibly pick up the economists style guide, its pretty good for writing.

    I don't think it's a bad thing to be inspired by other stories either, most stories in some form are just retellings of some older story in a new way with new characters and setting.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ah i see wel thank you for the tips
    i'll make sure i'll keep them in mind
    thank you really maybe at this rate i will be able to make a good story
    for once
    tried before didn't work but now because of you guys i see my mistakes
    thank al of you
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    SnuggleBubbles, are you at uni? I'm just curious because everything you mentioned in your post has come up at some point on my course this year (even down to the quotes.)

    To the OP, I guess the best advice I can give to you is just write. A lot of the time you will end up writing utter shite but occasionally you will write something good or with the potential to be good with some editing.

    I dread to think how many awful stories and poems are saved on my computer. Even the stuff I've written very recently, some of it was good but almost all of it needs to be attacked with a machete still.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've never been to a university ever, not even into the grounds of one :P

    I just like to do things properly so I read things and pay attention to them, points 1-5 were from Orwells essay on writing ^^
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Politics and the English Language?

    I think that's what it's called, I had to do an essay on it in my first semester :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    5 Rules of Effective Writing
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Meh, I'm writing a book at the moment and I'm pretty sure I've broken all of those rules.

    To be honest, if I'm writing a report for work or a piece of academia, then that will be different to creative writing. The clue's in the title ('creative' writing).

    Hell, e e cummings (sic) never used capital letters or punctuation in his poetry and he didn't do too badly.

    Flowery language is a two-way street in my book. If it's used to hide substance, then it's bad. However, using a long and complicated word to avoid having to use several shorter and simpler words for the sake of a handful of ignorant souls is absolutely fine. I've already used words such as punctilious, miscegenation, peripatetic and others. If such words are used to enhance the story rather than detract from it, I see no problem in it. English has the largest lexicon of any other on the planet. It has almost twice as many words as the next highest, which I think is Russian. This should be celebrated in your writing, not scorned.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Writing should always have some of your own personality in it so i agree using obscure and/or complicated words does add some personality to a book, but there is a limit of course :)

    Personally i think the most important part of an book is conveying the plot and making it clear exactly what is happening - after the basic plot is written it can be 'filled out' with details, at least that is the easiest way for me :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My advice would be to dig up some books about the practice of writing. Stephen King has one called 'On Writing' which I'm told is very good (I do have it but fitting it into my ever-expanding to-read list is difficult), even if you don't like his stuff. I'm sure lots of other authors have written similar things.

    And I second g_angel's point about a spell-check. And if you're not 100% sure about the meaning of a word you're using, use a dictionary otherwise you run the risk of sounding like an idiot.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Franki wrote: »
    And I second g_angel's point about a spell-check. And if you're not 100% sure about the meaning of a word you're using, use a dictionary otherwise you run the risk of sounding like an idiot.

    Either that, or employ a good editor.

    *bats eyelashes*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I would recommend is to READ. Lots and lots and lots. Not books about how to write but books by writers and books on things that interest you (especially if in some way relevant to what you want to write about). Also read different genres and random stuff because you can get knowledge from the strangest of places.
    An added benefit is that normally it helps with spelling, vocabulary and sentence structure.

    Good writing doesn't just fall down from the sky, most writers have put a lot of research into their books and many have also travelled in order to get some inspiration. Tolkien was a scholar and his knowledge helped construcing Lord of the Rings a lot.

    It also helps to connect your writing to something you have experience on and know about. It helps you get into the minds of your characters and write so people believe what you're writing.

    Practice lots and try to write something most days.

    Writing is one of my hobbies, I'm not about to whip out a book or anything but I write for myself and participate in online writing guilds. It's a lot of fun, especially when my characters start dictating me how to write them. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good Luck with the book, it's going to be tough... very tough.. I've just finsihed writing my first book..

    Retailing at $47 already ;-)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Think about what you like when you read a book of the genre you are writing for. Try to include those elements. For example, I would like good pace, good characterisation, and a descriptive story.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jaloux wrote: »
    What I would recommend is to READ. Lots and lots and lots. Not books about how to write but books by writers and books on things that interest you (especially if in some way relevant to what you want to write about). Also read different genres and random stuff because you can get knowledge from the strangest of places.
    An added benefit is that normally it helps with spelling, vocabulary and sentence structure.

    Good writing doesn't just fall down from the sky, most writers have put a lot of research into their books and many have also travelled in order to get some inspiration. Tolkien was a scholar and his knowledge helped construcing Lord of the Rings a lot.

    It also helps to connect your writing to something you have experience on and know about. It helps you get into the minds of your characters and write so people believe what you're writing.

    Practice lots and try to write something most days.

    Writing is one of my hobbies, I'm not about to whip out a book or anything but I write for myself and participate in online writing guilds. It's a lot of fun, especially when my characters start dictating me how to write them. :)

    :yes:
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