How to write fiction in 10 steps (Do the Wikihow listed steps really work?)

Take 3

4. WORK OUT DETAILS AND MAIN PLOT:

Yes, yes but no. Stephen King must have mentioned in one of his books[1] that a technical detail makes the difference between make believe and failing at making the reader to think you’re an authority (an author). And it’s true. Most readers don’t care the technical detail itself. They’re interested on how much that technical detail can quiet the small voices in their brains. Remember: there are very but VERY EXPERIENCED readers who are smart alecky asses about plots and twists (my mother…). The only difference between an author and a professional reader is that you write and the professional reader hasn’t taken that path YET. You used to be, basically[2], a professional reader.

Nonetheless, it is not just the details. It is related to how you can manage logic. Every decision taken by characters HAVE TO BE LOGICAL and causal. Otherwise, details won’t convince anyone. This is solved by having a work notebook.

A writer own a work notebook where to jot down EVEEEEERY small stuff, doodles, matches main ideas and whatever that comes out after. Writes down what to research And/or their priority list. The site I’m analyzing from, says you need to question a lot. YES. Make questions. The same kind you would as a reader and more. You need to know more than the reader. The size shoe of the Female Leader or her favourite colour. Even if you never mention it in the writing.

5. DON’T COPY FROM OTHER AUTHORS. BE YOURSELF:

In this blog you have seen… how to copy from others is not exactly a bad idea. So long what you copy is not the way they express themselves or their ideas with a CTRL C + CTRL V.

The way an author has to use structure to take you where she wants to, is something you might have to copy, in the very beginning.

Your unique and irreplaceable way to write is not there yet (if you’re a rookie writer). You’re a baby that can’t even put order into your ideas. Put arrogance aside and copy structures… Only structures.

On the other side, if you’re already an author with their own voice; you might benefit from knowing that Balenciaga would go and buy a Channel, Woodsworth and unsown it apart to know how it was made. Not to copy the design. BUT to improve HIS own designs.

My brain tells me you’re here because you know you need to be yourself but don’t know how, hubble things or you guffaw to my nonsense. You might feel empathy. Or maybe Monday patchwork alleviate the monotonous regularity of the everyday concur. Or… what the heck do I know about why you come here without your comments?

6. DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO WRITE A SHORT STORY OR A NOVEL. HOW MANY WORDS?:

True, there’s a standard out there. But it is not always measured in words. According to the contest or the publishing house and mainly the language, you might have to write 50,000 word or a settled number of pages. And such a thing, at the beginning, shouldn’t be as important. Focus in writing a good plot. Because to fill in 60 000 words of short stories, you need more than a plot. And for a novel, every scene is like a mini-plot. So… why to stress yourself setting a number of words? At least at the beginning. Remember, the best friend of a writer is called Delete, of a drawing person Supr and of a designer or engineer I don’t know what key it might be, but I’m sure you also erase unnecessary stuff.

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[1] I’ve only read two and I can’t remember which ones. So it must have been in one of those… Sorry. I didn’t like the guy.

[2][2] Unpaid… I presume.