Hey guys, hope you guys are all enjoying NaNoWriMo as much as I am! My story started off very weak and amateurish but it's getting better. However, I really need some advice on introductions. Can anyone give me some good tips on how to make your story more believable? (Please feel free to post about how your story is progressing and ask questions on getting past your writer's block. I want to be able to help all of you just as you're all helping me.)
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Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 19 26
I think my first question would be, what about it don't you find believable? Do you think your plot doesn't make sense, or your characters are flat, or what?
For characters, I try to picture actual people, like someone I know or celebrities or whatever. I play everything out in my head like a movie and try to have them talk how real people talk. I also try to know enough about them to know how they react to certain things, and try to keep that consistent.
For plot, sort of the same thing as with character. I try to figure out how my characters would act and react and thus what actions they would take to achieve their goals. I try to make things consistent and reasonable to the particular character; not everyone is actually logical and reasonable in real life, though, so the character doesn't have to be either. And I make sure that my antagonists have goals that they are working toward as well, so that they don't do stuff just to oppose the hero for no clear reason.
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 17 53
Thanks last. That makes sense. Going by that what I've written so far isn't as bad as I thought. I'll leave it there until I start editing once the month is over.
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
40,180 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 21 29
I'm doing pretty good with the whole thing, it's easier than I would have imagined to just get words down.
As for the story itself, I'm afraid I can't help you.....I'm just winging it....I had a plot all planned, but when it got down to it, and I had to start...it all flew out the window and I had no idea what to do with it or how to start....
So I was just sitting there, not knowing what to do, when all of a sudden, all these characters, and plots starter floating around in my head, and I'm just going with it, you know? Not really thinking too much.
The only thing I can say that might help, is something I read here in Nano: remember that it's just a draft, it's supposed to be bad. ( I was gonna use another word that rhymes with Luck, but I don't know if I can....)
So, my point is, it's a draft, you know? the point is to get it down, it's not gonna be a masterpiece first time around, and no one expects it to be. If you just write and write, and write without really thinking about it, eventually a story will emerge from all the nonsense, and misspellings, and then when you're finished, you can rewrite it and make your masterpiece, polish it, so to say...
ps: "Believable" is whatever you want it to be, it's your world.
41,682 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 06 07
I noticed you were writing fantasy. So am I. I have to admit as I've been writing it it is getting a bit ridiculous. My main characters have just rescued Elvis Presley from a small band of Nazi's in Illinois being protected by a pack of werewolves. Oh, and one of the characters can speak to animals.
So I'm treating it a bit like a Douglas Adams book. It is a bit ridiculous when you think about it, but it's completely normal for the characters. Like the idea that poetry could be so horrendous the listener would rather die by being sucked into the vaccuum of space. That's just silly. But for Ford Prefect, Vogon poetry really is that terrible. It's a fact, no matter how silly it may sound to us mere humans.
So for me, my stories are not "whimsical", they are a retelling of what occurred, no matter how weird it may sound. Well, they didn't actually happen, this is fiction, but I'm just going to forget that until December.
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"If a lover in a story wins his true love, that's the end of the tale, even if World War III is about to begin, and the sky is black with flying saucers." - Kurt Vonnegut
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 16 30
Oh my God Lunavin, I was cracking up while I read your advice! It definitely helped motivate me to keep on writing. Andreinne, thank you for your helpful words especially when you said, "'Beliveable'" is what you want it to be. It's your world." It really helped me realize that you're right. It is just a draft and I have to stop worrying. Thanks so much you two! :)
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 16 30
Oh my God Lunavin, I was cracking up while I read your advice! It definitely helped motivate me to keep on writing. Andreinne, thank you for your helpful words especially when you said, "'Beliveable' is what you want it to be. It's your world." It really helped me realize that you're right. It is just a draft and I have to stop worrying. Thanks so much you two! :)
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
25,090 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 17 55
When questioning your novel's believability (actual word?) just remember-- the truth is ALWAYS stranger than fiction.
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 11 11
Well after not writing anything at all yesterday due to fun and frolic with friends, it's time to get back in action. I'm challenging everyone to write at least THREE THOUSAND words today. That's a little less than double what we would get on a regular day. We can do this! Who's with me?
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
29,100 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 11 13
I AM!
----------42
DFTBA
Morsmordre
RED DAWN!
Live long and prosper
May the Force be with you
44,005 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 13 55
w00t!!!
3,265 today and I'm caught up with the NaNo goal for today!
Off to dinner with friends soon, may try and do more tonight when we get home.
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 16 11
So how did everyone do this weekend? I had over 6,000 words so I'm feeling great!
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 16 31
Ugh, don't ask. Let's just say I've read all the motivational e-mails I've received at least 5 times over.
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
40,180 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 19 07
How many motivational emails are we supposed to have by now? Cuz I got like............two. Heh. One I got yesterday and it starts with something like "it's finally the 1st" or something......heheh.
...I haven't even written anything today, yet. I went to dinner, and now I'm gonna start writing. I'm doing pretty good regardless, though, how 'bout you guys? Is it coming out easier than you thought? (I know there's ton of people with lots more words than me, but at least I'm keeping up with the word goal of the day..... or whatever it's called....)
How are you guys doing? Did you end up writing something completely different than planned? I know I did......
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 19 19
Never mind my comment from before. Those motivational e-mails really helped! I already reached 12,000 and I'm really starting to impress myself! By tomorrow I should have caught back up with the word goal on my stats page. The writing is definitely starting to get easier. I hope you're all doing well!
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
44,005 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 19 40
In spite of an odd day (hub hurt his back, I had to carry on with all the church stuff without him) I managed to reach 14,047. The part I worked on today was fun and it was a good setup for some things to come.
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
2,954 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 19 56
I hate being so young. Since I am a high school student taking both College and AP classes, I get SO MUCH HOMEWORK! Just on my English homework I wrote 3k. ...I am writing more for school than for my own novel cause i dont have time anymore! D: I wrote 1k for my novel last night. I hope I can write more tomorrow.
242 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 01 28
Let's see. The 1st 4 days I wrote ~20 words; that's only 5 a day. The 2nd 4 days I wrote ~200 words (50 a day); still not much, but it's an increase by a factor of 10. So, I project that I the next 4 days I'll write 500 a day and the 4th 4 days, 5000 a day ....
:)
39,720 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 08 29
I think I broke the cardinal rule - I went back yesterday and read everything I'd written up to this point, about 19 pages. And you know? It was pretty okay. Saw a few things here and there I might change (I didn't, just made a mental note for December’s editing), but I was actually rather happy with things. And I gotta tell you, it's given me a big boost of confidence to forge ahead and trust myself.
Don't think I can recommend this for everyone, as your results may vary, but a worry that I've just been spinning in circles has been lifted.
44,005 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 09 31
I re-read mine yesterday too, but it was because I couldn't remember what I had written and needed to know for continuity. LOL
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
39,720 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 09 50
Becky - I so know what you mean!
Turned out I'd gone from winter to summer in one page! Welcome to Medieval France, where seasons last about 20 minutes!
44,862 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 19 11
That's why I've avoided reading back what I've written - I don't want to worry about the inconsistencies that are there!! On Saturday suddenly I decided I needed to change a plot point, and I got worried about going back to fix the stuff that leads into in. In Chris Baty's book he recommends just going forward as if all of those changes in past scenes were made, even when you know they aren't. Better to just keep writing...
I figure I'll have plenty of time to revise and rewrite after all of this is over. But for now I'm having a blast! Like someone posted earlier, all kinds of characters, conversations, and ideas are just coming out of nowhere - not at all what I had originally sort of outlined.
Just remember - the motto for week two is Don't get it right; get it written!
----------No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money
- Samuel Johnson
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 19 48
Great motto... totally stealing that!
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
41,682 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 08 47
My motto it "it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be done." It's from a procrastination book I read once. It really helps me out in a lot of areas of my life too.
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"If a lover in a story wins his true love, that's the end of the tale, even if World War III is about to begin, and the sky is black with flying saucers." - Kurt Vonnegut
40,180 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 13 16
I had to go back a couple of times, but only because I couldn't remember the names or descriptions I kept giving for the characters... XD
I don't even know what my main character looks like...and sometimes I misspell his name....I think that's kinda bad.... heheheheh
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 13 37
I know what my characters look like for the most part but I don't think I've actually described most of them. Whoops! I'll fix that in December...
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 10, 2009 - 16 23
Thanks to your comments I actually realized that I haven't described what my main character looks like. Not even once! Guess he'll just have to wait for December to come so he can get his face written in. Lol
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
43,520 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 13 15
How's it going, people? I assume that the forums have fallen silent because everyone is frantically writing... :-P
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
44,005 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 13 35
Real life attacked with a vengeance, but I was just able to crank out 1,059 words in the last half an hour. I'm only one day behind, so I'm not worried. :-)
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
39,720 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 13 46
I'm being be-deviled by the ghosts of bad book reviews to come, tearing my words apart as I write and giving me only 2 stars at best. Arrrrgh.
On the plus side, I wrote myself into, and then out of, a corner last night; feeling pretty good about that. And I think I'm doing a pretty good job of skating through dialogue that's snappy and energized on one hand, and character-building and informative on the other. I think.
Also about a day behind in word numbers, but I'm not worried. Yet.
40,045 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 16 47
Doing pretty well. Not good enough that I think I can read back without editing something I've already done but good enough to know some people will probably think this book is worth editing after its finished. Still pretty amateur during most parts though. XD
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher