YEAH WRITE!: Archive

I adore your blog :) Tons. I do have a question about prompts, though. Have there ever been submissions where the prompt idea is a sentence/partial sentence, and then you build your story up off of it? Such as, "Traveling down the old, winding path..." and it gives you a jumping off point to write from? The teacher I had for creative writing last semester did this every class to get us all warmed up, and I loved it so much because it gave the prompt and a jumping-off point simultaneously. Then she was fired or something and our new teacher seems to think, "What's your morning routine?" leaves room for creativity :/

From the other day:

http://yeahwriters.tumblr.com/tagged/standing

These are always welcome!

Mar 31, 2011

Are there times when you don't feel like writing? I find that my inspiration dwindles around this time of year, and usually when I'm more depressed it's difficult for me to write. Does this happen to you?

I’ve been writing a ton lately, just because I’ve had a lot of assignments and YW even gets me wanting to write more (sometimes I see prompts- even one that’s I wrote!- days after they’ve been posted and suddenly I want to write about them).

But I do agree with you that it’s hard to write when you’re feeling depressed, because you’re not interested in anything and it’s no fun to write something you’re not interested in (I once had a professor say that if you were bored while writing something, people would be bored while reading it).

I went to a sort of author/English student mixer at the career office at UNC the other day, and one of the young authors I talked to said he wakes up every day at 5 so he can write for 3 hours before work. He said that yeah, sometimes he has writer’s block and everything he writes seems like shit, but then he’ll just writer about that. He said it’s made him a lot more prolific and a better writer in general. He wrote 3 novels before one was published.

I’m not that disciplined yet, nuh-uh no way. But I guess that’s what us writer-blocked-folks should work on starting to do in times like these… womp.

Mar 31, 20118 notes

Personally, I am not necessarily anit-outline, just I have never used one. I focus entirely on characterization and I do unique ways to plan to introduce all aspects of my character. Perhaps I do outline, though it's all in my head. When it comes to the plot, I usually begin writing and figure out what's going on in my mind's eye. Typically, my plot changes a lot anyways. Outlines are entirely a bad idea for me, because I get inspirations that lead me to write, and using an outline, taking the time to organize my thoughts in bubbles and lines and lists takes from the passion I initially had. I don't prewrite, and 95% of the time it doesn't bite me in the ass.

Mar 31, 20115 notes

#advice #outlines

PSA:

As I’m sure you guys submitting stories have started to notice, I’ve been sending a ton of your great work to the #prose feed. However, I was just scrolling through, and I think it would be better if your pieces stood alone and didn’t have something at the top like “I wrote this prompt for Yeah Write.” On the one hand I love that, because it’s advertising for this blog, but the prose feed is supposed to just be original prose work, and I think it looks cleaner that way. YW is already the top editor in prose so I don’t want to be, like, obnoxiously taking over the feed, yknow?

Mar 31, 20116 notes

#housekeeping

When I outline, I focus a lot less on plot -- that's the sort of thing that changes when you actually get down to writing a first draft -- so I instead make a bullet point "John goes to the mall", let's say, and instead of focusing on that, I focus on what needs to be accomplished: "Introduce Mary", "Learn about iPad 2", whatever it is. That way, if while I'm writing, I don't end up going to the mall with John, I can still accomplish what needs to be accomplished.

This is great!

I really like how yesterday the “discussion” was about second person and today it’s about outlines. I think I’m going to start saving certain topical advice asks for the morning each day so that this will keep happening.

Mar 31, 20119 notes

#outlines #advice

In response to 'any advice on how to write outlines.' "EXAMPLE: JK Rowling had huge charts and notebooks FULL of diagrams about HP’s plot, that she started while writing Philosopher’s Stone. Stephenie BARF Meyer, on the other hand, woke up in the middle of the night after her vampire sex dream and wrote the 600 pages of utter crap that is Twilight. Talk about shitting out words. Blugh. /Twilight rant." - I think you'll find that JK Rowling actually just ripped off several other authors to create the outline for Harry Potter. Most notably, the work of Diana Wynn Jones. JK Rowling is a literary mugger. Don't give her the credit of even suggesting she's anything other than a hack who tapped into the base levels of literary taste around the world.

Wow, I really disagree with this. I mean, all literature builds upon other literature. I will give you that HP contains many themes and creatures that have been used in literature before. Fantasy is a fairly “incestuous” genre, as there are only so many different ways that one can write about wizards, witches, giants, elves, dwarves, vampires, werewolves, etc. I mean, all fantasy is “ripped off” from other fantasy, because someone had to have originally conceived all of those creatures that don’t actually exist, and they are repeatedly employed in fantasy works. So fine, you can say that JK Rowling ripped off other writers, but then you have to expand that argument to all fantasy stories. It is true that Harry Potter contains a lot of the themes that are in most great novels: the battle of good versus evil, the power of love and friendship, growing up, prejudice. But if using those themes is being “a literary mugger”, then no one should ever be able to write about good vs. evil, love, friendship, etc. ever again for your argument to be valid.

Mar 31, 201125 notes

Thanks to wevegotplanstomakeplans for sending in this link!

Mar 31, 201138 notes

#advice #link

Mar 31, 201133 notes

#gender 2 #prompt #prose

Mar 31, 201149 notes

#DRESS #prompt #prose

Outlines: I find it easiest to use index cards (6x4) and jot down any ideas on them. Start with scenes you feel sure about, then add scenes you know you'll need but aren't sure what happens exactly (John escapes from the tower - somehow). It isn’t important to have lots of details (no point choosing the wallpaper if you end up knocking down the wall) you just need to get from start to finish, although not necessarily in that order. Be prepared to chop and change and go off on ‘what if?’ tangents even if they end up going nowhere and you end up back where you started. The advantage of cards is that you can switch the order easily, take out scenes (although don't throw them away, you never know...) and keep things fluid until you have a more solid grasp of the basic structure. There’s also some software that has virtual cards you can switch around on your computer if you’re that way inclined.

LOVE this idea! Especially because I’m a huge index-card whore.

Mar 31, 201123 notes

#advice #outlines

Mar 31, 201141 notes

#bookgasm #interior design #livia's future attic library

About writing outlines. When I write my stories, or even anything extensive, I start off by focusing on one aspect and hashing out everything from beginning to end in point form. If I wanted to emphasize something, I highlight it by bolding or some kind of other format. I always make sure that it stands out, so that when I look at that page, it's the first thing that pops out and the image stick. Also, speaking of images, if you are imagining it in your head, draw it. I always leave space for me to doodle. It doesn't matter if you don't draw very well. What matters is that you have the details clear and clean on hard copy in front of you, instead of having it float around in your brain. That way, your brain can look like one of those awesome bookshelves that are shaped funky, but is still well-organized. So yes, focus on one thing and organize it from beginning to end. After you're done, things she could easier and stem smoother from this initial outline. It'll probably end up having branches and numerous iterations, but that's the beauty of creating. It just keeps going.

Mar 31, 20117 notes

#advice #outlines

Mar 31, 2011168 notes

#bookgasm #interior design

It may sound bizarre, but I use a tree-style outline (-theme, --sub-theme, etc). It comes from my experience writing research-based pieces, like essays and articles. I know people who use a bubble outline (like what brainstorming might look like on paper). Because the outline is so important, you'll need to play around and see which style is most inspiring for you.

That’s just the metaphor I used for the girl who asked!

Great minds think alike.

(^Cliche, ew.)

Mar 31, 20112 notes

#advice #outlines

Mar 31, 2011128 notes

#bookgasm #library #livia's bookgasm fantasies #baum chicka bau baaaau

I wrote an outline once.. first I thought of the message of my story and how I want it to end. does the character win? die? barely? forget? learn? next was the setting. Is it a different world? a dark alley? a yellow brick road? or just across the street? (I go across the street) next my characters depends on the style. short and silly? detailed and powerful? mysterious and whimsical? (I go short and silly) next are the details about your character. I focused on personality with little appearance and name. (I take some characteristics of my own since they're the easiest to write about) sometimes I do research about details. (like a new place or how to plant a rose) from there I let them live a life of their own but leads them to the ending. sometimes I just barf out rainbows. just remember, dont force yourself to write. hope this helps..

Mar 31, 2011

#advice #outlines

Mar 31, 2011327 notes

#bookgasm #library #livia's life goals

When it comes to doing outlines the best advice I can give is do a couple of "brainstorming exercises" Brainstorm is the first with your sequence of events (or topics) write down anything that jumps out at you and from those write a couple of descriptions (or support topics). That is the easy way to do a chart outline. If it is a story of narrative intentions then I suggest getting a quiet place and listening to music. write down characters, ideas, happenings, backstory ideas, and any premise you think of and then how you want it to end. For me I love knowing how I want something to end because getting there is the battle between my keyboard and I.

Mar 31, 2011

#advice #outlines

Mar 31, 201138 notes

#bookgasm #interior design

Mar 31, 201148 notes

#bookgasm #cat

YEAH WRITE!

April 2011

March 2011