A Thread for Writers to talk about Writing

[Just Jim]

14 minutes ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

Dontcha just love the spontinaity and crap-I-can't-take-it-back-ness of serially-released fan works? 

Yup...  But there's also a lesson here, I think. 
In a case like this, where you've posted a chapter and then realized you made a mistake, the big thing is not to panic, or just give up.  Lately I've been trying to keep my story as flexible as possible, not because of goof-ups, but because of the updates, and possible changes they might bring.  The monoliths are a great example.  They are an integral part of my story, but suddenly after the last update the KSC monolith is nearly 20 times bigger.   
OK, I thought.... not what I had expected, but how can I use this to my advantage?

Same thing with a writing goof.  Instead of going back and re-writing something I had already posted, I sat back and analyzed the situation, then tried to think of the best, most believable way to make it work to my advantage.  It's challenging, but not at all impossible.

 

[0111narwhalz]

Sometimes I have flashes of insight and realize, "You know, if I just worded that differently, it would open up so much in terms of plot." And though I hate to do it, it's just too much of an opportunity to pass up. I only do those edits when I post a new chapter, though, so the readers will think they remembered it wrong when they read the new chapter. 

[CatastrophicFailure]

11 minutes ago, Kuzzter said:

Honestly I can't believe sometimes I haven't gotten into a LOT more trouble. Fortunately one can often "play it for laughs", "wave one's hands" and escape the situation without the readers calling 'shenanigans' too loudly  

...and then some incredibly astute reader blindsides you with something that wasn't even on your radar. 

9 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Yup...  But there's also a lesson here, I think. 
In a case like this, where you've posted a chapter and then realized you made a mistake, the big thing is not to panic, or just give up.  Lately I've been trying to keep my story as flexible as possible, not because of goof-ups, but because of the updates, and possible changes they might bring.  The monoliths are a great example.  They are an integral part of my story, but suddenly after the last update the KSC monolith is nearly 20 times bigger.   
OK, I thought.... not what I had expected, but how can I use this to my advantage?

Same thing with a writing goof.  Instead of going back and re-writing something I had already posted, I sat back and analyzed the situation, then tried to think of the best, most believable way to make it work to my advantage.  It's challenging, but not at all impossible.

 

Quite so. Or, you can go the sneaky route. I have a small list (that will undoubtedly grow) of things I'll have to retcon when I get around to un-derping Shadows. Hopefully no one will notice. 

or maybe I'll just call it the remastered extended special edition it-was-supposed-to-be-this-way-the-whole-time version...

[Just Jim]

4 minutes ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

 

...and then some incredibly astute reader blindsides you with something that wasn't even on your radar. 

haha, that's when we find out some of the readers seem to know our stories better than we do! 

[adsii1970]

I admit...I post and edit...mainly for clarification. Sometimes I don't catch wording errors until much later...

[Just Jim]

4 hours ago, adsii1970 said:

I admit...I post and edit...mainly for clarification. Sometimes I don't catch wording errors until much later...

I proofread mine three times before posting a chapter, and I still miss stuff a lot. 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Just Jim

[adsii1970]

18 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

I proofread mine three times before posting a chapter, and I still miss stuff a lot. 

I post, then walk away for an hour (this is after proof reading it twice before I post the first time). I will admit, most of what I change is small syntax errors or I will make the sentences less complex. Sometimes, if there is a simpler way to handle an idea or concept, I might rewrite an entire paragraph.  I am sure there are still errors in the stuff I already have posted, but it, for the most part, is there.

[purpleivan]

I post then manically edit for the next few minutes when I realise the state of what I've posted. Mainly the odd typo and grammatical mistake.

But I do that for regular posts too.

[Andem]

[Snipped the images]

 

So I had originally wrote effusus out as a series of gameplay videos and cinematics... Until I realized that that would be mulch. I have such little skill there, I basically have negative cinematic ad filming skill. So, I transferred effusus into a new medium of storytelling! So, I pumped these three out in powerpoint yesterday and, after a few rewrites, these are what I came up with. Hope you like it so far, not sure If I want to add another page or not. Either way, 

Edited August 15, 2016 by Andem

[Mister Dilsby]

1 hour ago, Andem said:

Hope you like it so far, not sure If I want to add another page or not. Either way, 

Good stuff! Don't add it here though, you should start a new Mission Reports thread so we can all follow your ongoing mission  

[SaturnianBlue]

I've posted my new episode of The Asteroid Sentinels, are there any suggestions that might help the story flow better? For example, I wonder if there is too much of telling, and not showing. I'm wondering if my characters seem... Believable. Also, is the story getting somewhat confusing? I also wondering about how my writing style might have changed, but that might take a couple episodes to analyze.

[TheEpicSquared]

So I would like to start my own career story (mostly for something to do until school starts in August, but also because, why not ) so do you very experienced writers have some tips and/or advice for newbies like me? Thanks  

[KSK]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of writing. "Go to it," it says "and good luck."

OK, on a more serious note, deciding to start is half the battle. Actually starting is the other half. After that, all you need to do is keep going. Try and begin with a 'hook' (more on that in a minute) to bring new readers into the story, then keep the words flowing to keep them interested. Don't be discouraged if you don't get many (or any) comments to start with, this doesn't tend to be a high-comment forum (with one notable exception) for fanfics.  Keep writing and they will come.

For that reason though, make it a story that you want to tell, in a format that you want to work in. Prose, script-with-screenshots, graphic novel, or whatever. It doesn't matter, provided it's something you're comfortable with. For the record, I can point you to excellent examples of pretty much any format on this forum, up to and including epic poem.

That 'hook' that I mentioned is probably the hardest part of the whole thing. There are quite a few career stories on the forum, so starting yours off with some kind of twist will help to make it stand out. I can't tell you what that twist will be - you're the writer after all - but it doesn't have to be a big one. Maybe the main protagonist isn't one of the usual four? Maybe we're seeing your career game from an unusual point of view, possibly not a kerbonaut's point of view?

One last suggestion - if you only have until August, I would suggest keeping the story quite focused. Pick a place you want to get to in your career, pick a starting point, describe the missions that got you from one to the other, then stop. Maybe add an epilogue which hints at what came next.

Hope this helps. 

[steuben]

1 hour ago, TheEpicSquared said:

So I would like to start my own career story (mostly for something to do until school starts in August, but also because, why not ) so do you very experienced writers have some tips and/or advice for newbies like me? Thanks  

Read. Both how to write books, books in the genre, and non-fiction about the setting. I'd have to consult my library for some recommendations. But your local library or mega-bookshop should have a section on it.

Write... and expect your first work to be <Scottish accent>utter crap</Scottish accent>. Well maybe not. Don't expect a master work your first time out. Don't despair if it isn't. I've got my first forays into writing carefully lost on the internets because they were <Scottish accent>crap</Scottish accent>.

Don't ask for critique if you can't take it. Expect ego bruising if you do. Don't let it discourage you. Listen to the advice. If you are going to disregard it know exactly why, because I wrote him that way doesn't count, and do so at your own peril.

TV tropes. Because Tropes Are Tools, but it will ruin your life and eat time that could be spent on more productive things... like playing KSP. TV Tropes offers a good starting point as well, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAFanfic

Edited July 26, 2016 by steuben

[KSK]

All solid advice Steuben but, if you don't mind me saying, quite a lot of it is probably looking a bit too far forward here. If TheEpicSquared gets to the end of August and has caught the writing bug then it all makes a lot of sense. In the meantime, quick tips to get started are required I think, if such actually exist.

Also I think some of your advice makes a lot more sense once you've actually sat down to write something. Maybe it's just the way I work but I'm fairly convinced that I could have read 'how to write' books until I was blue in the face but much of what I was reading wouldn't really have clicked with me without that initial experience of sitting down and banging out some words.

[ZooNamedGames]

Starting isn't that hard for me; it's continuing to make new material after each burst of writing and in my series, I've hit the writers wall finally. I haven't got a clue what to do. What felt like a great idea kind of turned into my worst possible scenario. Ah well, maybe others read it and like it.

[steuben]

Same here, KSK. I started writing a piece, finished it, and thought maybe I can get this published. Which is a bit of a silly thought as I look back at it. So I then had to research publishing which led to editing which led to how to write. It is easier when you've put some ink on paper. But sometimes when you look at the start of the trail it is nice to know what you'll need as you go along. And having a few tools ahead of time isn't a bad thing either.

The grab bag that is TVTropes may have something approaching quick guides, So You Want to....

As I look at a calendar, 4 weeks though <shrugs>. It about the road not the destination.

Edited July 26, 2016 by steuben

[Just Jim]

20 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Starting isn't that hard for me; it's continuing to make new material after each burst of writing and in my series, I've hit the writers wall finally. I haven't got a clue what to do. What felt like a great idea kind of turned into my worst possible scenario. Ah well, maybe others read it and like it.

 

14 minutes ago, steuben said:

Same here, KSK. I started writing a piece, finished it, and thought maybe I can get this published. Which is a bit of a silly thought as I look back at it. So I then had to research publishing which led to editing which led to how to write. It is easier when you've put some ink on paper. But sometimes when you look at the start of the trail it is nice to know what you'll need as you go along. And having a few tools ahead of time isn't a bad thing either.

I ran into this early on writing Emiko.  But then, maybe 15-20 chapters into it, I stopped and sat down and thought to myself, "How do I want this to eventually end?"  I think this was the turning point for me.  And while I've changed the ending in my head several times, it's always there, like a light at the end of a very complicated tunnel.  I still struggle with chapters, this latest being the hardest yet... I'm just not happy with it.... but I know where I'm eventually going, and I think that's half the battle against these writers walls.

That would be my advice more than anything, besides what's already been suggested.  Whether it's a large or small mission report, or fan-fiction story, think it thru, and imagine how you want it to ultimately end. 

[ZooNamedGames]

1 minute ago, Just Jim said:

 

I ran into this early on writing Emiko.  But then, maybe 15-20 chapters into it, I stopped and sat down and thought to myself, "How do I want this to eventually end?"  I think this was the turning point for me.  And while I've changed the ending in my head several times, it's always there, like a light at the end of a very complicated tunnel.  I still struggle with chapters, this latest being the hardest yet... I'm just not happy with it.... but I know where I'm eventually going, and I think that's half the battle against these writers walls.

That would be my advice more than anything, besides what's already been suggested.  Whether it's a large or small mission report, or fan-fiction story, think it thru, and imagine how you want it to ultimately end. 

Well I know how it's going to end but I haven't thought it out thoroughly due to the fact I want to leave it a surprise to me, not to mention the story will likely go perpendicular to my plans... or at least they do more often than not.

[CatastrophicFailure]

1 hour ago, KSK said:

For the record, I can point you to excellent examples of pretty much any format on this forum, up to and including epic poem.

/threadjack/im the captain now/

Epic poem?? Linky plz?

/asyouwere/

[Just Jim]

35 minutes ago, ZooNamedGames said:

Well I know how it's going to end but I haven't thought it out thoroughly due to the fact I want to leave it a surprise to me, not to mention the story will likely go perpendicular to my plans... or at least they do more often than not.

Oh, I don't think it out thoroughly either, that's not what I meant.  I was just suggesting it might be easier to avoid a wall if you know, more or less, where you're going with it, and not just writing one chapter after the next with no eventual goal.  Like I said, I've changed my ending several times.  Perhaps adjusted is a better word.  The game has thrown me several curveballs that forced me to make adjustments.  But I think that's half the fun.

 

[ZooNamedGames]

4 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Oh, I don't think it out thoroughly either, that's not what I meant.  I was just suggesting it might be easier to avoid a wall if you know, more or less, where you're going with it, and not just writing one chapter after the next with no eventual goal.  Like I said, I've changed my ending several times.  Perhaps adjusted is a better word.  The game has thrown me several curveballs that forced me to make adjustments.  But I think that's half the fun.

 

Hm.. well I do know my ending. I'll put this into my thought processes and see what I can make of it.

[KSK]

10 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

/threadjack/im the captain now/

Epic poem?? Linky plz?

/asyouwere/

Take a peek at the Fanworks Library - there's a section in there on songs and poetry.  The one I had in mind though was this: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/69289-The-Dream-The-Epic-of-Gilgaman-Kerman-as-recorded-on-clay-tablets by AdmiralAndre. One of my favourite fan works actually.

Sorry about the clunky linky - I'm writing this on a small tablet with fat fingers - a precision editing machine it is not.

[Crocket]

I'm toying with the idea of writing a story about an abandoned(?) mining base on the Mun. Thoughts?

[Just Jim]

4 minutes ago, Crocket said:

I'm toying with the idea of writing a story about an abandoned(?) mining base on the Mun. Thoughts?

If this is fan-fiction, which it sounds like, then I have just one word in response:

Haunted...