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General writing discussion.

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Comments

  • BobBob
    You can't be so sure of that if you don't know who he is, now can you?
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    His "twist" style seems different than mine. I sometimes pull a WHAM Chapter/Episode, but not always.
  • SchitzoSchitzo
    They're somethin' else.
    Alright. My final advice for the day/night:

    Take criticism with an open mind and a cool head. More often than not, we don't mean any specific harm. If there are any obvious trolls criticizing your work, you already know to ignore them, I hope. Though you have the right whether or not to take a piece of advice, remember that the advice was given for a reason.

    Good luck, Chagen.

    Psst: Critique this, plz Chuggles,
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    Ugh, sometimes I come up with way too many ideas.

    My mind is a veritable gold mine of ideas. I read about a work of fiction, I wanna try my hand at that genre. It gets to the point where I come up with one story idea a day.

    I mean, let me count up all of my stories:

    Full Auto
    Technomage
    T.O.W
    Thæs Engeles Feorh
    V.R
    Assholes Get All the Bitches
    Spare Change
    Redline
    Hellfire Catharsis
    A Blessed Curse
    Brother Complex



    That's not all of them, I'm sure of it.

    Yes, I have so many story ideas I cannot remember all of them.

    This is ridiculous.
  • ViviVivi
    $80+ per session
    What's Redline?

    Because...that's already several things.
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    A story that, depending on my mood, has to do with Street Racing or Pro Racing.

    I created it before I ever heard of the Japanese Animated Film.
  • ViviVivi
    $80+ per session
    I would rename it if I were you.

    Consider there are at least three films with that title about racing.
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    Yeah.

    But I'll probably never make it anyway. Describing racing is difficult in Prose form, and animation has trouble with it--I wouldn't want to use CG, which, as the Japanese Redline showed, is possible.....and also takes an absurd amount of time to make.
  • nohaynicklibrenohaynicklibre
    Kichigai birthday!!
    Specifically SEVEN HAND DRAWN YEARS
  • ForzareForzare
    Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the last Day.
    I figure this is a better place to link my stuff that I'd like critiqued.  Especially Nil.

    http://www.fictionpress.com/u/799492/
  • ClockworkUniverseClockworkUniverse
    OOOooooOoOoOOoo, I'm a ghoOooOooOOOost!
    Haven't had the time to read Nil yet. Liked the other two.
  • MillerCrossMillerCross
    You can change. You can.
    I wrote this a while a go. I didn't like it, but I think it has potential.

    Synopsis:
    Jack Davies was a man who lead the life he yearned for since he was mature enough to understand that he would not be an astronaut or a cowboy. He had a loving wife, one son and one daughter. He just retired from his job as town sheriff and now owns a dinner in town. Which tends to see a lot of clients due to him being well remembered and beloved around his community. 

    However, he had a past as a military officer. He commited some dubious deeds. And they come back to catch up with him via kidnapping his family. He then decides to go on his own and look after them, as well as atone for the things he did and settle past affairs.

    Characters:

    Jack Davies: Loving father, past as a law enforcer and miliary soldier. Is now the owner of a diner in his town. Hasn't shot a man in 17. Is 40 years old. Was honorably discharged. Inherited the dinner from his father before him. Couldn't take an education due to a variety of reasons. Doesn't think it's worthwhile to follow on one now, due to lack of interest. However, he's well read and enjoys reading poetry and literature.

    Laura/Lawrence Reynolds: Boy/girlfriend of the Davies' daughter. Her parents are very accepting of the relationship. S/he doesn't have a past around guns or violence, as her/his parents didn't tolerate violence. However, s/he is still a very well read and learned and knows her way around town and people.
    Theme:

    Above all, the idea is to study grief and to propose as a theme the idea of "moving forward" and "letting go" as well as the fact that problems get solved not if you ignore them, but if you go and solve them.
    Also, as a secondary theme, acceptance. Both of how things come and the people around you, and the fact that you can't change the conditions around you, but you can change yourself (This is all LitCrit speak for pure and utter bullshit)

    Setting:

    This is probably the biggest problem. As I see it, it can be both a western or a story set in recent times. It would be easy to move the plot to either setting, due to the "bareness" and lack of details as of yet.
    It bears mentioning, of course, that I'm not sure of the place, either. So far, I think the story can only happen in the US, but I guess that if I investigate hard enough, I could translate the story to Colombia, in order to write about a place I actually know about.

    Which leads to the next problem. Which place can bring in more to the story? For one hand, we have Colombia's rich culture per town and its history of violence in each of those. The setting is believable enough for me to create stories in every town they visit.

    However, the US has been a setting for westrns before, not to mention that writing a western-like story (Which this is, regardless of whether this is set on present or past times) demands a setting that has actually seen cowboys and shootouts as constantly as the US has.

    So far, I think that Colombia during present times could work best, if I jump certain ropes and ignore certain rules in the name of history telling, but I'm not one to jump in too quickly.

    Additional Notes:

    * The Davies will find about Jane's death in the middle of the trip. This is meant to be for a variety of reasons, both thematical and plot related.

    ** My idea on how so far involves a videotape, which situates the story in recent times for sure. If it were to be in older times, I'd say that it'd involve her corpse being found out and the family deciding to bring in justice to the perpetrators. Far too unlikely and complicated for me, though. Dunno

    * Not sure on how important would be Jane's SO into the whole thing. In my mind, s/he play as sort of the audience surrogate and learn the lessons the story has to give in order for the audience to learn them, as well as they grow up during the whole ordeal.

    * In my mind, the story ends up with them facing the Jane's murderer and letting him live, while bringing him to justice. Either that or him being shot out of anger by one of the characters and being chastisized for it by the others and then being taken to prison and jury for it.

    * Not sure yet of the motive behind the kidnapper and murderer's action. My current line of thinking involves prostitution. Although I'm also thinking of the murderer and kidnapper being actually Jane's boyfriend on the side, staging her "kidnapping" and disappeareance so she could flee with him and noting she was alive so the possibility of returning was allowed for her. Of course, if I take that course, it all leads as to how would she get murdered and why.

    * Pacing is a problem. Part of me wants to show the Davies' in their natural lives for at least 30 mins before the main plot kicks in, in order to both establish the characters and the relationships between, as well as setting up the emotional punch that would be Jane's leaving for the characters as well as the audience. the other part wants Jane to be just a big mcguffin.

    * Tone is another worry of mine. As it is, I feel that this story is way too silly and schloky for me to take it seriously, but I want to give it some thematical importance and seriousness. Not sure if the alternation between comedical and serious tones would work, or if it would work better to settle for a very silly drama, or a very dramatic comedy.

    * There's also how long this whole story would be. I feel that subplots and stories within the places the Davies visit during their hunt would be as interesting as the main plot. However, this being (probably) a movie, I don't see many of those happening. 

    * Character Focus and POV: Not sure yet who carries it and which would benefit the story for the better.


    Final note:
    It's...3:00 AM at the time of this writing. (It bears mentioning that this was written during the 9/11 anniversary. And it also deserves a mention that this parenthesis note was written about 3 days later) And looking back on some of these notes, I definetly feel that I have something on my hands, however, dunno if that something is either worthwhile or even interesting enough for me to follow on it. Not to mention the time restraints and all that.
    All I know is that it's an idea and it deserves recording. For you IJBMers to judge (Ain't gonna post in Writer's Block)
    EDITED: 14/09/2011. 14:07 P.M (GMT -05:00)
  • ViviVivi
    $80+ per session
    It sounds interesting. Not sure if I like it as a western or modern more.

    Not posting it in Writer's Block is a good idea.
  • AHRAHR
    Seems a bit...cookie cutter to me, but I'm a judgmental bastard.
  • MillerCrossMillerCross
    You can change. You can.
    It's cookie cutter, but that's because it's barely the basics so far. I haven't had time to actually diferentiate it.

    Also, turst me, it was far worse when it was a family road trip in which they avenge the death of their daughter.
  • AHRAHR
    Ok then. :)
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    Can a story be more character-driven than plot-driven?

    Because Assholes Get All The Bitches has mellowed into a High-School Slice-Of-Life, but I want Its characters and my own personal humor style to run the show, not the plot (of which there is one, but it's really more personal issues each character has than a big over-arching one).

    Is this possible?
  • SchitzoSchitzo
    edited 2011-09-18 12:26:03
    They're somethin' else.
    I like the idea. Sounds like Taken with a much more realistic (as realistic as you can get in a western) approach.

    Hey, but why is it a bad idea to post this in Writer's Block? I mean I agree and all, but why?

    ^Of course. Just write all the character interaction first, and sort the plot out later.
  • AHRAHR
    edited 2011-09-18 12:26:57
    I think a good example of character driven is LOST.

    It's why I honestly can't take the criticisms of "no answers" too seriously at the moment (I'm at the second season) because it just seems like the big thing is the characters, not the plot.

    Schitzo: There is some drama in WB, like every forum. It's not great, but it's not BAD. Sure, there are some tropers who are a tad deluded there, but once again, every forum.
  • ViviVivi
    $80+ per session
    Besides a few exceptions like AHR, Writer's Block is home to a bunch of people who feign modesty and just LOVE to talk about their crap. Also those "Favorite Lines From Your Writing", "Memes Your Writing Will Produce" threads. Blah.
  • AHRAHR
    edited 2011-09-18 12:27:56
    Oh. That. That too. I usually ignore those threads, so I forget that they exist.

    >///>

    I feel complimented.

  • MillerCrossMillerCross
    edited 2011-09-18 12:30:25
    You can change. You can.
    Hey, but why is it a bad idea to post this in Writer's Block? I mean I agree and all, but why?

    I feel that Writer's Block tends to simplify writing to troping, not to mention that many times, there are barely any suggestions on how to do things when it comes to plot structure and al that.

    Not to mention that I don't feel particularly comforotable there.

    I am thinking of making a couple of threads based on plot structure theory and character arc theory stuff I just learned, but I don't see them taking off. 

    Also what Vivi and AHR said. 

    It's why I honestly can't take the criticisms of "no answers" too seriously at the moment (I'm at the second season) because it just seems like the big thing is the characters, not the plot.

    I don't care if you don't like, you're my new best friend. <3
  • ViviVivi
    $80+ per session
    Also, it's not active enough for my liking.

    I would love the concept of some of those threads, and being able to do things like make a thread on certain topics. But I would get like no posts.
  • AHRAHR
    edited 2011-09-18 12:31:55
    JC: Well, the whole "troping" thing is highly discouraged. 

    Take this thread: 


    But yeah, from my experiences, the theoretical stuff is never really popular. Or post-happy.

    Also, an offshoot of everyone talking about their own works is that, naturally, if you post your own work, you're probably not going to get many posts.

    Unless you're Zolnier.
  • gentlemanorcusgentlemanorcus
    edited 2011-09-18 12:32:12
    ^^^^^ "Memes Your Writing Will Produce" is a thread? Really? Wow.

    I tend to not go to Writer's Block because there's only a small list of people who's criticism I trust. Tropers are not on that list.
  • MillerCrossMillerCross
    You can change. You can.
    Well, the whole "troping" thing is highly discouraged.

    Yeah, I heard that before, but I still see one too many times those suggestions for me to actually go in.

    Also, most of the crew there makes me feel uncomfortable >.>
  • ChagenChagen
    [tɕagɛn]
    ....>_>

    /likes coming up with the dumbass memes his writing could create
  • AHRAHR
    edited 2011-09-18 12:34:29
    ^^Fair enough. I would ask who makes you uncomfortably specifically, so we could gossip like two old ladies, but that is probably not appropriate. 

    ^Egotism is fun to indulge in privately, it's just not something that's good to tell the world, without anything to back it up.

    @Gentlemanorcus: Even those who do trust tropers have whole hierarchies in criticism. I've gotten into fights before because of criticism style. Ain't pretty.
  • SchitzoSchitzo
    They're somethin' else.
    Yeah. I almost never feel comfortable writing there. It's just so cliquey, as much as I hate saying that.
  • CounterclockCounterclock
    Belief
    Me too!

    I feel comfortable here, This place is nice and offers me waffles.
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