All Acceptable And Encouraged Forms Of Fanfiction. Thank You Creators

Writing vs Storytelling Skills: Improving Writing

Though “writing skill” is often used to refer to all aspects of story crafting, it best refers to the actual writing and technical skills that create the written word of a novel. Addressed in the previous post: Writing vs Storytelling Skills (link embedded), now I’m here to tell you how to work on that specific writing skill.

1. Study up on Literary Techniques: English class isn’t just for assigned reading and essays if you’re serious about bettering your writing. While essay writing and creative writing are different, the literary techniques and how they’re used and applied is good knowledge to have. Especially because a lot of them overlap with tropes and tie into storytelling!

2. Read a variety of books. Various authors, various genres, the more you expand your examples the better. Variation of reading means you’ll be exposed to more ideas, more ways of thought, more writing styles, more everything that you can draw ideas from and help develop your own skill. Even take up books you may not like. Give them a chance, and if the writing isn’t working for you then keep tabs on why.

3. Critique the writing of others. What did you like? What didn’t you like? How does the writing style affect how the book reads? When you critique others, you identify what makes and doesn’t make “good writing”. While a writer can only critique at a close level to their skill, the more they critique, the higher skill climbs, and the better they get. To become a better writer, you should get used to tearing other’s, and your own, work apart. It can help to keep a journal or some kind of record of critiques because as you gain more skill you may change your mind on some points. 

4. Tighten up your grammar. It’s fine to make mistakes, especially in a first draft, but if you have consistent grammar errors then it’s time to tackle the issue. Grammar isn’t optional; it exists to help with clarity of communication and a clearer writer is a better writer. It’s true that creative writing allows for the use of semantic grammar or a more fluid approach to sentence structure, but there’s a difference between using purposefully altered grammar for a reason versus just not knowing how to write properly. 

5. Try writing exercises. Many of these exist, from things like The Sprint (link embedded), which can help train you get work done, or The POV Swap (link embedded), which works on distinguishing character voice and perspective. Not all exercises are for everyone because there’s a variation to writing styles, but it never hurts to put in some effort to step outside our comfort zone to see if it could work. Further the benefits of writing exercises by developing a routine of regular use.

6. Read your work out loud. The mind has a tendency to put a haze of glory over some things and one way to help look at your writing realistically is to read it out loud to yourself. Reading out loud helps catch errors, some even grammatical, measure flow, evaluate pacing– it’s an amazing technique that gives the writer a better idea of what they’ve really put down. When reading, don’t be afraid to get into it and put emotion into your voice as long as it’s coming from the flow of the writing itself and isn’t forced.

All that said, there’s no such thing as a “perfect writer”. Brushing up on writing skills isn’t about being perfect, it’s about getting better relative to where you were before (and potentially helping close the gap between writing and storytelling skills).

Keep trying, keep practicing– keep writing.

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked. Also taking donations via Venmo Username: JustAWritingAid

Thank you clexa content creators

I will literally heart any clexa related content that I see on my dash. I love all you clexa fans who keep making gifs, writing fanfic, making art and videos. Thank you!

Ummm, is it just me  but ...

Be warned: Slight spoilers if you haven’t watched S04E12 “The Chosen” yet

... I was surprised that Clarke didn’t say goodbye to Niylah in this episode. Worse, Clarke left Niylah in a room of scarred skaikru. Clarke didn’t even ask Abby to make sure that Niylah was in the lottery - like Emori asked to be. Wow! Clarke, what the hell. I know that people die after sleeping with you but don’t assume that is always the case. Yes, I know that Niylah is not Clarke’s soulmate but at least a, “thanks for the snuggles and being supportive even after I stole the bunker” from Clarke before she headed off in a hazmat suit, would have been nice. Just sayin’

Day fifty

of @the-wip-project‘s challenge.

Q50: What fic/story made you?

A50: it was not so much a fic/story that made me it was more of an experience. When I was a kid my family would take long road trips, e.g., eight hours, to the beach in the summer. Those trips were made pre cassette tapes. On those rides, I could read, fight with my siblings or stare out the window and make up stories. I started writing them down when I was a kid.

What made me think my stories were worthy of sharing or publishing when I was an adult was a wonderful girlfriend who encouraged me to send my stories out to anthologies.

Day Thirty

of @the-wip-project‘s challenge

Q30: Did your main characters change as you wrote them? Was that the plan or did they surprise you?

A30: Yes, some of it was planned but there were details that did surprise me.

100 Days of Writing

Recently, I noticed my writing friends dropping away. They don’t talk about their stories anymore, they aren’t posting snippets anymore, they don’t talk about this great idea they just had under the shower. And somehow they don’t seem to write as much anymore.

And I get it, you know? We’re all busy. Life doesn’t wait for the muse to come around and we all got some sort of pandemic trauma. But there’s a thing I noticed recently in that I write more if I talk about writing and when I don’t talk about it, I kind of lose the drive. Does that make sense?

So here’s what I’m proposing for one hundred days, starting on June the 1st.

We write. Duh, of course. But I don’t want us to get stuck on wordcounts. Writing is not just about the amount of words we throw on the page, writing is also about developing the story further, the characters, worldbuilding, themes, and all these intangible things.

For 100 days, every day, you write about something that pertains to your stories. It can be about what you wrote of course, maybe a snippet you really liked. But it can also be about a song that fits so well, a faceclaim, a worldbuilding idea you had. It doesn’t have to be long, but it has to be every day.

Yes, I’m dialing up the pressure! I want you to think “oh, I can write about this today on my 100daysofwriting post!” or maybe “oh shit, I need to find something to show for my 100daysofwriting post!”.

Every day. For one hundred days. Write about your writing.

I’m basing this event around this tumblr. Mention this blog (the-wip-project) and use the tag #100daysofwriting so that I and everyone else can see it.

You can make your posts anywhere, of course, I just find it easier to interact with posts here. If you post on a blog or on twitter or anywhere else, maybe you can make tumblr post to link to it? This event is mostly for yourself and if you want to write in your personal journal you are not obligated to share that with anyone. Maybe you see me in a chat somewhere and rather want to write there, that’s fine too.

I hope that talking/chatting/posting about writing will be its own fountain of inspiration.

100daysofwriting, starting on 01. June 2021.

If you register here in this [form], I might chat with you or nag you sometimes about your posts. Let's write!

Gillian Anderson is the best!

THEY WENT THERE I’M HOWLING

Day sixty (60/100)

I’m skipping a series of @the-wip-project‘s prompts to land on this one:

Q60: How do you start your chapters? Do you start with dialogue? Why or why not?

A60: I’ve not really thought about this before but, on reviewing the two wips on currently focusing on, I rarely start chapters with dialogue. In the chapters I do, I use it to startle the reader as a character is being startled by whomever has just started talking to them.

Day eighty (80/100)

of @the-wip-project‘s challenge

Q80: How do you feel about your old works? And bonus homework: say something nice about past-writer-you.

A80: Some are really good others not so great.

Bonus: Past writer me was prolific. Too bad I didn’t finish some of those stories!

What are your fave clexa fics and why

Oh boy. That’s just too much pressure. I’ll do it for multi chapter fics:

First off my favorite fic ever is probably More Women than Warriors by @steklir

My (close) second favorite is in love and war and politics by @centuriesofexistence

My favorite fics right now (that will easily enter my top-10/20) are maybe a crown seldom enjoyed by @onemilliongoldstars and you are in my head (and the prequel) by @mopeytropey

Fics that will forever feature in my top-10/15: in the shallows by @blindwire , the white queen running (and the sequel) by KL_Morgan (@entirelytookeen on Tumblr) , what heart’s ease must queens neglect by thrace, black ribbons by CareyElizabeth, open windows, open hearts by Sheisme, when love becomes the reason by @clarkesquad, blood rush in the hazy glow by firetestsgold, the fight me series by @fairytaleslayer, and the whores’ queen by @clarkethewanheda .

EDIT: I knew I was forgetting two fics! They’re Grand Slam Thank You, Ma'am by faithtastic (@femininenachos on Tumblr) and This Is Heaven In Hiding by @orangeyouglad8 (I’m so torn between this one and the Pirate AU)

There are probably more but these are the ones I remembered off the top of my head. Also, everything by the authors I mentioned is great. And there are so many other authors I love (like @commanderlexaofthegrounders , @paintthebrain , eternaleponine, raspberytree, AnonBeMe, AphroditesLaw, Teroe, etc) but I really tried to keep this list as short as possible.