Autor: Merriam A. Grain

Hi! Last time I was about to start nonsense about advice on how to begin writing fiction… Which I’m not very sure to know how anymore since I have an story in a long, long hiatus simply because my main character isn’t human. Whatever. I can still translate my Spanish original criticizing a website. Anyone can criticize, can’t we?

ADVICE ON HOW TO START

Start with known stuff:

Wiki discourages us from writing about things we don’t have idea such as Nordic mythology, historically ambianced romance[1]…. One of the first exercises of the «90 days to your book» by Sarah Domet is to write everything we know about the neighbour, our first partner, first kiss…

Anything that comes as known and takes part in the contents of our safe box of a skull is what you know and should write about.

Patricia Highsmith would recommend having a notebook were to write or draw anything going on in life so we can relive later the same feelings and use them as material. Something akin to investing in treasury and take the money interest out later.

The following image by Big Choma is quite the example of what you can do with your own experiences by manipulating them. It is about… You can truly see what it is about.

 

Create lists of random stuff:

This advice is quite interesting and you can get random ideas using idea generators you can get in yeah, Google store and any other[2]. I won’t tell you names since programmes become apps and apps become obsolete in a sigh.

It is very similar to what Lanzarotearteurbano does in his video. I didn’t know rappers[3] can try following a programme feeding them random words to create stuff by giving the words rhyme and meaning (or so I understood from the video (Quite cool! As a writing/rapping/drawing exercise it is really a good one).

Create some characters:

This runs about giving characters depth either by using a chart generator such as a 10 x10 chart or My own character’s guide so you can cloth your character in details. Some authors use the personal unfolding technique. The features of themselves in combination to invented psychological traits, to make characters a lil bit more someone well known to them and easily manipulable (by dropping the bombs that will move them towards the desired endind). This is quite as if they were psychoanalyzing themselves — don’t take it as if I hold any psychology title because I don’t.

 As an example, Frodo tells Sam some people have to sacrifice something from themselves so the others can go on being happy. As if Tolkien was borrowing Frodo’s voice[4] to tell himself everything wasn’t in vain (going to the war of 1914…)

Yet… Characters can be used as vehicles to take us here and there depending on the plot. Forza plots don’t require very complex characters.  If Jiwoon of Eleceed were that complex, he wouldn’t go and help people getting himself in trouble and there wouldn’t be any fighting. Author might argue he is more complex than that but… tough I love reading the fights, Jiwoon is never going to be unfriendly or dishonest (giving a different dimension to the plot). Which is not a crime and Eleceed is an action manhwa.

Try to create a map:

Like those of the Middle-earth, or the ones of Earth-sea by Ursula K. Leguin. You can do that or rename the very city you live at, as Santa Bárbara or Vigata. For me, this is way easier to do since I’m spatially challenged (my own very way of getting acquainted with places is getting lost). After all… Mexico is loaded with streets called: Revolución, Guerrero, Ferrocarriles Nacionales, CFE, Escuadrón 201, Juárez, Felipe Ángeles, Reforma, Hidalgo, Madero or Colosio. I guess a little in the same fashion Russia must have a Lenin and Stalin street every city. As there must be a Washington or Jefferson street in at least the capitals of each state.

Start a diary or a journal:

It is said that successful people keep diaries. Writers keep work notebooks and a joke about this; is that we won’t get rid of them in fear of throwing away possible stories. These diaries can be filled with feelings in a media other than words about daily events (so don’t rebate and draw). It is like having a saving bank note you will use later.

Have a blog: this is advice from escritores.org (yep, you’re right in Spanish). It keeps you writing and teaches you how to order your ideas. Either with photographs or videos, not just text. Plus, it is a way to remain professional even if you aren’t being published.

Write letters:

In the Twitter, FB and Line era? A line sentence message is something easy. Try to put together a whole page whilst communicating (not just memeing) with another human being just by writing. You’re bound to learn a thing or two on how to entertain. A video or photo in IG will get a like to the most and you will get not that much feedback.

 And the advice is not yet exhausted. I’ll come back with more next Wednesday. Until then, be good, happy and do me a favour: either you like this or you hated it. Comment! (please).

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[1] Real state?

[2] Dan chan told me there is the Snyder app

[3] I don’t like rap. It is one of those rhythms that like regaetton and norteña (country like music) are played top volume in robust buffers by drivers who step on the gas around here. You don’t listen to the music. You hear the vibrations of the woofers in the car’s windows. I’d love to become a torturer  and… make them listen to the 2 meters hight pile of music by Mozart tied to a chair. I mean, reggaeton is great but don’t force others to listen to it! Wow, I got to ramble instead of saying that looking at thus guy just practicing is awesome. He misses one or two words but he keeps going on. My respects, rapping is not easy and watching you practicing makes me feel like I should do more if it too.

[4] I mentioned this in a translation of a lecture about war and art by Margaret Macmillan but since you’re here I don’t think you will read it since it is in Spanish