Just Me

Writing Tips #1

Hey, it's your girl, EL...!

I decided that maybe it was time I gave a few handy writing tips for you all asking me for advice! And if you just want to know what methods I use for writing, then feel free to give this segment a look.

For now, I'll just touch the technical basics of writing, and some of the problems I see in works here on Wattpad, regardless of genre, fanbase, etc.

First of all...

1): Pacing

jesus, do yoU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I SEE THIS STUFF IN BOOKS AND I JUST WANN CRY INSIDE BECAUSE I WANT TO PHYSICALLY EDIT THE BOOK, AAAAAND I SUCKED AT PACING BEFORE TOO AND I CRINGE WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY PAST WORKS LIKE BOI I WANNA BURN MY PAST SELF.

ahem

Anyway, pacing! Pacing, pacing, pacing.~

It's a very important aspect about a story, if not the ONE aspect that even makes the story in the first place. Sure you can have a general plot-line, characters and dilemma, but all of that will mean jack shit if you can't pace it right.

Pacing is different for different forms of writing. You'll get to the point quicker with a poem, and slower with a short story yet still fast. For full blown novels, its a bit harder, because depending on the kind of story that is within the novel, pacing gains a whole new array of "types".

First and foremost, you have to set up an outline for yourself. You have to come up with your main points in the story that shape it and allow it to progress to the end, and anything more detailed that lies in between those main points. Once you have your outline, you piece it all together in a way that makes sense.

Take for example: Creep (*cough cough* put aside the fact that I need to update it *aggresiVE COUGH*). For the story that it is, with little action and more character development, I usually hit the main points (events) within a relative span of time. It's a story that doesn't have a lot of detail within the main points, but will still be lengthy due to how many main points I have planned out. The pacing in that story is of a walking speed--andante if you wanna get musical about it. Usually that's how novels should be, though there can be some allegro for certain bits. Instances that include allegro could be quick, meaningless transition scenes. You don't want to write a detailed shower scene that has NO RELEVANCE to the plot WHATSOEVER (god damn shower scenes, man).

DO NOT drag out a transition scene, but don't bullshit them either. (Transition scenes are one of the reasons why I always took forever to update--they were the fucking bane of my existence, and I had to make sure they were perfect, or else I couldn't move on. Don't pull a me and just breathe, okay?)

General rule of thumb: don't waste your time on shower scenes, changing scenes, sleep scenes (unless there's a dream sequence), and etc. Mundane tasks you can just breeze through them like nothing and get to the good stuff quicker.

On the note of quick transition scenes: Do not rush a story. Allow it to flow. You can't rush creative thought, or else you'll get nothing out of it. Pacing is what builds plot, and character, and dilemma. Think about this:

You have a character named Bob (don't laugh, this is serious). Bob is a hard-working, passionate, kind man who also hasn't been able to find romantic love. Then there's Papi, who's a guy that doesn't take shit from anyone, blunt, and also pretty passionate. You have your main characters.

Then all of a sudden they meet at a damn cafe and start talking. Well, what the hell led them to the cafe, what led them to talk to each other in the first place?

All of a sudden they start dating. What the FUCK happened in between??

Then Bob and Papi get married--WHEN THE FUCK AND HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? SURELY THERE WERE STRUGGLES ALONG THE WAY BUT NO, YOUR ASS DECIDED TO TELL THE STORY LIKE YOU WAS TELLING SOME GOSSIP. "So you know that bitch, Papi? Well, that ho got himself a mans, and they up and went to Cancun to FUCK." BITCH, TF I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO PAPI IS LIKE WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS WHEN I DON'T CARE--