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What are some helpful tips you would give to new writers?

Ness

Ness

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We have a similar thread to this in one of the art forums here, thought it would be fun to make a thread similar to it only for fic writing

Here are some tips i have:
  • Only write about things you love. If you are making a short fic (which is what i perfer) lock in an idea first and picture an idea in your head as you sleep.[/*]
  • If you dont know the full lore dont write about it, in addition to this only write about stuff you think people will find fasinating
 
(this also applies to art, videos, etc)
  • you owe your readers nothing. you're sharing things you love free of charge and no strings attached
  • don't rush. you have no deadlines or responsibilities (see previous point)
  • close enough is good enough. your stories don't need to be "good" or "complete," they need you to be happy with them
  • you don't need to improve all the time. it's okay to be happy with where you are
  • learn to let go and move on if you're not happy with a piece. better to take a break (or even cut your losses) than desperately try to fix it (especially that you'll likely have forgotten about it all in like two weeks)
really the key here is happiness (unless you were paid with real money to deliver a product)

on a more "actually writing" note
  • plan out/storyboard/thumbnail your plots, ideas and brainstorming as much as you can. not even so you can improve but so you can remember them, because you will have forgotten about this amazing idea you have right now by the time you get two, three or twelve more ideas afterwards. makes going back to it years later quite hard if you don't!
  • editors and beta readers help but you can be good enough (for yourself, see my first point) without one
  • obsessively reread your story before posting to check for mistakes if that's your thing hehe
  • but it's way easier to correct a story after upload than a picture, so it's not a must
  • don't mix POVs if you're writing Limited Third Person, if you do, scene break to the next character first
edit: fixed Limited First Person to Limited Third person, as intended, how did I not catch this aaaaa
 
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Greninjaman said:
Don't worry about grammer and such the first go. Just write the story, check for grammer mistakes after. This is something I should keep in mind myself.
Click to expand...
as a whole "make it exist first, then make it good" is great advice for all kinds of art

plus stopping to deal with useless (at the moment) details like this can throw a wrench into the momentum you get when you're "in the zone," the inspiration train doesn't like brakes!
 
Establish the scope of your story! Will there be crossover characters? Leaping through space and time?
These plot devices quickly get convoluted.
 
Gather inspiration from your surroundings! Even the most mundane and ordinary things in your everyday life can be that light in the end of the tunnel!

It does wonders, really! Why not some proof? This adorably drawn Pikachu done by Kazuki Minami won the Pokémon Art Contest in 2024! She took inspiration of her yawning cat, thought "Aw... That's cute!" and slapped the franchise's mascot doing the equivalent pose! Instant win!

1774749210774.png
 
I suppose I could weigh in a bit,

  • Planning out a chapter/story is important but can look daunting. Start by knowing where you start and where you end. Then you can find out the middle and other important details and events in between. And before you know it you'll have a detailed sequence of events that make your chapters and/or story structured.
  • If there's specific kinds of characters, settings, tropes etc that you understand well and/or like then go for it. Different writers are good at different things because they like/understand certain things better than others. Find what clicks for you and go for it.
  • Need inspiration for characters/plots etc? Look at ones you like from other works and go from there by putting your own spin on it.
  • Following up on the previous, taking some time to broaden your horizons by watching/reading new things can help a ton.
 
They say to write what you know--but research what you don't. Google and Wikipedia (and Bulbapedia) are your friends.

When researching media, don't just stop with the classics and the good stuff. Sometimes the just okay and bad media have a glimmer of a good idea. Or it can be an entertaining look at what NOT to do.
 
LightningTopaz said:
They say to write what you know--but research what you don't. Google and Wikipedia (and Bulbapedia) are your friends.

When researching media, don't just stop with the classics and the good stuff. Sometimes the just okay and bad media have a glimmer of a good idea. Or it can be an entertaining look at what NOT to do.
Click to expand...

On the note of research and realism, keep in mind that research and realism are not substitutes for an engaging storyline or characters.

Tying in with that, do not be worried if your story is not "100% realistic". Just ensure that everything makes sense and is plausible.
 
Good thread idea + good advice all around! Thinking about this got me kind of nostalgic (golly gosh me as a new writer needed way different advice than I do now lmaooo)

I think I would say in general:
  • If you're looking for advice, figure out who you actually want to listen to. There are so many different ways to make a good dinner; every Pokemon is someone's favorite, sorta thing. If you hate potatoes and you keep taking Gordon Ramsay's advice on how to make the best mashed potatoes, it might take you a while to actually make something you like.
    • Honest to god this person may not be me! I approach writing as a craft and it brings me joy to improve my work. I love editing and I think online review/criticism communities have genuinely improved my life and how I think. This advice is heavily shaped by that perspective and may not be for you and that is, again, okay--it is possible and entirely reasonable that you do not like potatoes.
  • but kint how do i figure out who i want to listen to
  • read
  • just read
  • reading is so good. read anything. read fanfic, read published fic, read whitepapers or magazines or NPR. As long as it is literally human-written text on a page it is good for your writer brain. Eventually, you will find something that makes you wish you had wrote it, and (usually) that person probably is worth listening to if your quest is to make that thing that you liked.
in specific:
  • when you finish a story, you should be able to answer most permutations of "why did X do this?" using only the information provided in the story
  • main characters should leave a story changed from how they entered it
  • good grammar is unfortunately very helpful
  • first chapters/openings and dramatic endings are way easier and cooler to conceptualize than all of the connective tissue between them. unfortunately the connective tissue is very important. for the love of god baby!kint stop putting out really intriguing intro chapters with no runway
 
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