posted
Tip #1 If you get hung up during the editing phase, trying to figure out the best way forward, do not stop and play a game of Freecell. It doesn't help... and neither will the next game or the next. In fact go to add/remove windows features and DELETE games completely from your computer as they are the tools of the Devil and were invented with the sole purpose of stopping you from writing.
posted
Well that advice was actually intended for myself.
I'm sure your work is too good for Mr. Cuba to want to dismember it the way he did mine.
Edit: Sorry for thread stealing. I'm just frustrated. I resolved a while back not to write any more short stories, which I'm not good at--and I fell off the wagon, so to speak. Wouldn't you think I'd learn?
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited May 28, 2008).]
posted
Hi Jeanne. My name is Dave and I have a problem. I'm addicted to writing short stories. I've tried to stop, but every time I do, I fall off the wagon.
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Tip #6: The Devil is in the detail--find him, hunt him down and kill him. Then your story should be finished.
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Tip #7 Don't try to write when your children are awake. Neglecting your children isn't good for flow. Or your children.
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If you're writing and you think it's all coming out crap, don't worry about it. First drafts are all pretty much crap. Keep writing, finish the piece, and work out the kinks in a second draft.
Whether writing about writing is real writing may be an interesting academic question, but it doesn't get that story done. Stop being self-referential and write.
Always write at least 1000 words a day... no matter what... even if it’s the same words over and over again like that guy in the Shining... but don’t waste time chasing and killing people... actually, the words should be different if possible as most editors like that better... and "I'm a convicted murderer," looks bad on you resume... so skip what I said about the Shining...1000 words a day though...is my tip.
posted
So does writing "THIS SHORT STORY ISN'T WORKING" 200 times count for 1000 words?
Edit: Macallans -- now THERE is a thought. It's a pity that I don't write better soused.
Not only did the 2nd draft of my short story make it worse instead of better (hence getting mauled), I just decided that I have to scrap almost my entire novel and start over. On the one hand, I'm pushing myself and aiming at things that are more difficult but that means it hurts. Ouch! Ouch!
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited May 28, 2008).]
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Tip # 13 (and the motto for my New World Order): The plural for cannon is cannon! (In some cases cannonade is an acceptable use, too.) And there is no such word as conspiratorial[ly]! It's a conspiring whisper/wink/nod, and conspiringly said/done/hinted. Ugh!
posted
Hmmmm Merriam-Webster lists conspiratorial as a word, IB.
conspiratorial - adjective - of, relating to, or suggestive of a conspiracy
I'm not quite sure why you would say it doesn't exist. I will give you -- you don't like it or think it SHOULD exist. But I'd say if it's in Merriam-Webster it exists.
Edit: Incidentally, Merriam-Webster also gives cannons as an acceptable plural for cannon although cannon is the preferred plural. So I think it's going a bit far to say the cannons form is incorrect.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited May 28, 2008).]
posted
Yeah...and AIN'T is in the dictionary now, too. That doesn't make it right. Even according to my MSWord spellcheck, it gets flagged. And see if you can't replace it with the proper word when you use it, before adopting a new one.
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posted
The last I saw ain't is also flagged as non-standard in the dictionary, IB, but it is certainly a contraction. Neither of the ones you complained about were referred to as non-standard. And you're telling me you go by spellcheck to decide if something is correct or not? I'm willing to bet it says conspiratorial is correct. LOL
So I think I'll use them if they happen to fit. And for that matter I'll use ain't if it fits too in spite of it being non-standard.
Maybe a good writing tip is use them only if you want to.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited May 29, 2008).]
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Tip #14: To understand how short stories work, enter a flash fiction contest.
The 1000 word limit forces you to focus on what makes a short story work, its essence or structure.
By critting several flash pieces that others have written, one learns how their short stories work--and because it's flash, you don't need to invest much time in the writing and the critting. Too, you get several crits of your own piece and hopefully some will be encouraging.
(Later, if the story works, you can expand it into a short story.)
"Ain't" is a contraction in English, but the jury is still out on whether it is a valid one. The difference between "ain't" and other clearly accepted contractions like "isn't" or "doesn't" is that "ain't" is a contraction with no non-contracted counterpart. "Is not" removes the "o" to give us "isn't" and "doesn't" does the same. With "ain't" though, what exactly is it a contraction of? It's used in place of "am not" ("I ain't") and "is not" ("he ain't") and "are not" ("we ain't" or "you ain't"), but the letters in ain't don't come from any of those words. What is "ain't" a contraction of? "ai not?"
Of course, "ain't" is in common usage and everyone knows what it means, so why not use it? Language is fluid, and who is to say every contraction has to have a non-contracted counterpart? Just because that's the way it has always been and it makes logical sense that a shortened word should be a shortened form of SOMETHING, that doesn't mean that's how it has to be. If the English language were going to follow that logic, it would be a much different language than it is today.
So I say use it if you want. Don't use it if you don't want. The arguments on both sides of the debate are valid.
posted
you guys don't spend enough time in the mountains. Ain't is clearly a contraction of "air not!".
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quote:Ain't" is a contraction in English, but the jury is still out on whether it is a valid one.
Not sure what you mean by "valid" here. It's valid in that it's part of the (American) English language and used to communicate effectively. No one, I think, would argue that it's proper English, however.
This piece points out that it's associated with the lower classes (I thought lack of class was one thing that differentiated you lot from us Brits) and that "ain't I" is used instead of the equally illogical but grammatically acceptable "aren't I".
I ain't worryin' no more 'bout it. Pat
[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited May 30, 2008).]
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I had a supervisor for my teaching practice who used 'ain't' regularly. I tend to pronounce it 'in't' but it's much the same thing. I don't know about that strange language they speak to the west of the Atlantic, but over here, it's in use in spoken communication, so why not use it in dialogue?
[This message has been edited by RobertB (edited May 30, 2008).]
[This message has been edited by RobertB (edited May 30, 2008).]
posted
I'd use ain't in dialogue if the character would--and even in narrative at times since I write in limited 3rd and my narrative is frequently in my character's voice rather than mine.
As for the being ripped over at Baen's, yes, I was but in a totally constructive way. I post my short stories there because the ripping ... erm I mean critiques are frequently from Gary Cuba and Edith Maor (both of whom are Baen's Editorial Associates).
Except in cases like that short story which Gary hated the revision on and Edith liked. At that point, I get a headache and am REALLY tempted to go find the Macallen's.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited May 30, 2008).]
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Mentionin' Firefly is akin to mentionin' the Ol' West--as far as dialogue and such goes. Now, might be many of us here have taken a likin' to Firefly--shiny--but that seems to me to be a powerful point agin writin' rules; not for 'em. And that would distract from what this ruttin' thread's about. Now, I'll be on my merry.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited May 31, 2008).]
Shakespeare himself invented words. As long as people understand what you're saying, go ahead and use the word.
Tip 34:
The English language as we know it was formed (in large part) at a time when Norman French was the "official" langauge of England (the Nobility) and when no one cared much about grammar. So as long as your readers understand what you write, go ahead and do it.
Tip 35:
If it's a rule of grammar you don't use in everyday speech, it was probably invented by someone who was trying to conform the English Language to Latin
Tip 36:
There are exceptions to Tip 35. Visit Strunk and White's elements of style. It's online somewhere.
(I started off as an English Major in college, but I quit because I couldn't stand literary analysis. But The English Linguistics course was my favorite class. That and History of the English Language.)
[This message has been edited by Jo1day (edited June 04, 2008).]
posted
A writing tip that I've seen have valuable impact out of proportion to its actual consumption of space in a story is have the characters touch, violently, passionately, casually, incidentally, deliberately, however. Humans are social beings, when they touch in story, a reader makes a strong connection with the touching. Also have them touch objects, too, more on tactile anon.
Another tip that I've incorporated where appropriate is to include weather, environmental scents, ongoing change, food, a brand name, and a maxim or truism.
For that matter, include all five principal senses: aural, visual, gustatory, olfactory, and tactile. I use them in that order of priority and frequency. I use tactile sensations for establishing the feel of a setting. The way salt spray desiccates the skin is a tactile sensation that shows what the weather is like at the seaside. Olfactory is one of the more potent senses for creating reader identification with settings and characters. It's impact is probably due to the association with memory of place that aromas have.
One thing about the William Byrd Diaries that stands out years after I read them is an account of a dance where a guest smelled as though he hadn't bathed in his entire life. The other account I recall is William and Martha Byrd's marital discord playing out on the backs of their personal servants.
The less commonly perceived human sensory experiences can be powerful in small doses: proprioception, thermoception, nociception, equilbrioception, epigastric, vascular, gagging, swallowing, excretory. Proprioception is awareness of stimuli within an organism, like where an extremity is placed or how an organ feels. Projecting sensory awareness, too, like imagining one's relaxing on a warm sandy beach and the feeling of warmth bathes the feet. Thermoception is, of course, perception of temperature. Nociception is awareness of or responding to pain. Equilbrioception is awareness of equilbrium. Vertigo is one example of an equilbrioception perception.
I haven't used the excretory sense in a story yet, nor do any instances immediately come to mind in stories I've read--oh, in genuine disaster survivor stories--however, I can see that it might have a high impact and not be too disgusting if applied effectively. I've attempted the others to varying effects.
Just to complete known sensory experiences, non-human sensory experiences include electroception, echolocation, magnetoception, and pressure detection. I've considered those as imaginative premises for characterizing alien or fantasy species. I've also pondered other imaginative sensory capabalities for aliens. Color as a perception of temperature is one sense that blacksmiths and photographers use in their trades. What about abnormal or paranormal abilities to sense the presence of magic, life, death, water, treasure, or otherwise undetectable harmful circumstances?
Maundering a bit, I needed to take a break from a very boring copyediting job, 80 pages of debate over definitions from a legislative code revision committee.
posted
I'm inclined to invent words myself, both for science-fictiony purposes as well as a few aggluglinating things thrown together to make a specific word with a specific meaning. But the weenies who programmed my spell checker keep prompting me to try to correct them when I do.
On they other hand, they tell me my own name is misspelled when I type that it, too. Who am I going to believe? Me, or them?
(Oh, yeah. I'm trying to not clutter up the files by inserting words and such. I know I can but I'm choosing not to do so for anything but the most extreme cases.)
posted
“If it's a rule of grammar you don't use in everyday speech, it was probably invented by someone who was trying to conform the English Language to Latin”
What is wrong with Latin?
Tip 37
Writing helps with PTSD (most of the time) the rest of the time it makes it worse.
There's just no reason why English should be forced to behave like Latin.
There were a bunch of "experts" who thought that English SHOULD be more like Latin that came up with a bunch of rules, like not "splitting infinitives" and not ending a sentence with a preposition.
In Latin, doing either of those things is impossible.
posted
Jeanne T said above As for the being ripped over at Baen's, yes, I was but in a totally constructive way. I post my short stories there because the ripping ... erm I mean critiques are frequently from Gary Cuba and Edith Maor (both of whom are Baen's Editorial Associates).
Ummm..I haven't heard of this service by Baen. Could you elucidate, please?
quote:Ummm..I haven't heard of this service by Baen. Could you elucidate, please?
Ok well, let me ask the essential question. Are you acquainted with Jim Baen's Universe ? It is one of the highest paying and is becoming one of the most prestigeous of speculative periodicals for anyone who isn't.
Baen's also runs a forum known as Baen's Bar. There are several "slush" forums there. The one I was referring to is the Baen's Universe Slush which is a methof of submitting to JBU--so putting a story up there is in fact a submission to JBU. It is the ONLY way to submit for the two "Introducing" slots they reserve in every publication for new (that is non-SFWA eligible) writers. It is password protected to protect First Publication Rights.
How it works, you post something on the Slush and then ask for comments in the Slush Comments forum. You'll get the usual range of comments from other writers mostly--some productive some not. But three of Baen's editorial staff -- Sam Hidaka, Gary Cuba and Edith Maor -- regularly comment on the stories on how to improve them.
In the case I was referring to, I honestly think Gary's comments were longer than the story. Edith tends to be a bit terser and Sam is the one who comments the least often.
The BIG advantage to sumitted through this is that once you have comments, you can submit a REVISED version that repaces your original version so you can improve it and still be considered for publication. If they think the story is good they will try to prod you into making it good enough to buy. Mind you, they are keeping in mind the preferences of JBU which don't match every publication in existance, but they're good at spotting weaknesses in a story or in your writing. If you decide you want it to go somewhere else for submission or you're not getting comments which happens occasionally, you just post saying you're withdrawing it and they're fine with that.
If they think your story is good enough they will ask you to send an rtf file which is forward to Mick Resnick and Eric Flint for a final decision about publicaiton in JBU.
So that's what I was talking about.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited June 06, 2008).]