The Writers' Corner

[General_Malor]

How do you write?

 

This can be as mechanical or as philosophical a question as you'd like. Is there a strict process you try to adhere to? Do you type everything? Do you jot down notes as they pop into your head? Do you establish a framework or allow things to organically grow? Do you have to enter a 'writing mode'? Do you sit down and refuse to leave until you've finished a chapter, or do you tackle things in snippets?

 

 

I'm primarily free-flow apparently. All I do is write so when I sit down to actually type I tend to get headaches because no matter how fast I move all of the story wants to get out at once so... it hurts. When I write something I really care about I can get too caught up in the story so it leads me to disassociate with my real life. I call that one method writing. I figure it's due to my method acting. I must become the part to portray the part. Anyway when I disassociate with my life and come back I tend to be quite out of it for a few minutes, then shock, then acceptance.

 

So because I have about four original book series I'm working on, re-writes for two major fictional universes, four pilots that I'm working on, ten or so plays, fifteen screenplays (most of which have sequels), and I won't even get into the poetry and lyrics I write... I tend to jump from series to series. This gives me the freedom I need, but it hinders the progress of my collective works.

 

I'm going to college for writing. I'm looking into careers in writing. I spend most of my time writing in my head. The rest of the time is dedicating everything I do and learn and feel to material for writing.

 

You ask of me my process and I must tell you that I am my process. ^_^

[Nilos]

Alright, so without spending forever on the whole shebang (Which I have done, lol), I wish to be an author and plan to publish my first actual book during my Junior year of highschool (Starts in two months). I posted my story here and on fanfiction.net, but it has not really gotten any reads. Aside from asking my friends to read it, I've come here. I'd like to become somewhat known on the internet before trying to publish it. So maybe you could read it and give me some feedback, maybe refer it to other people if you think it's good. Thanks!

 

Here's the story on this website (Just the first few chapters for now, I will be updating it):

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=495172

 

And here's a MUCH more updated version on fanfiction.net:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7555025/1/Traitors_of_The_Sith#

 

NOTE: Story will undergo heavy revising and editing after I finish it. Almost finished writing it for a second and last time.

Edited July 4, 2012 by Nilos

[iamthehoyden]

I suppose it's time for a new question to discuss.

 

How do you write?

 

This can be as mechanical or as philosophical a question as you'd like. Is there a strict process you try to adhere to? Do you type everything? Do you jot down notes as they pop into your head? Do you establish a framework or allow things to organically grow? Do you have to enter a 'writing mode'? Do you sit down and refuse to leave until you've finished a chapter, or do you tackle things in snippets?

I adore writing because I'm bad at it, lol. It is possibly one of the harder skills I've tried to acquire, and I'm amazed at how much I have to learn about it. So at this point I'm still learning how I write. Someday, I'd like to try my hand at some professional writing, but I need to become more consistent and all-around better before then.

 

My computer is full of worlds I've built (cause I loves the world building) and series I've started, along with a semi-awful full-length novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo . At the moment I feel I'm best at writing dialogue and iterative editing. Given enough time, I will pare a story down to its bare bones.

 

So right now (and I have to thank the Weekly Challenge thread for this), I'm trying out a different writing method where I start with the awesome scenes in my head and then build them out. (Basically, I start with the scenes I love because they tend to be the ones where the characters are clearest and most well defined, and then I flesh out the story from there, going back and forth as I refine the concept.) It's more than a touch chaotic, but orderly start to finish writing hasn't worked all that well so it's worth a try. Besides that, I'm learning to trust the readers - they're better at following my wild jumps from scene to scene than I'd figured - who needs the boring parts anyway

[elliotcat]

I'm always thinking about what I want to write, and so usually before I sit down to write it I'll take some time to do something else while I relax and formulate it. Usually it's:

 

- Go for a long walk

- Clean house

- Calculus (I love math)

 

I like to have tea or coffee when I'm writing. Sometimes I type and other times I write by hand...depends on the project. Usually I type, though, because it goes way way faster.

[Magdalane]

Music is my muse, apart from loving my characters. When I'm having trouble putting thoughts into words, I slip on my headset and just let my mind roam. A substantial part of the time, I come up with a solution or at least a way to a solution.

 

I don't really own my stories, they own me in their fashion, presenting themselves subconsciously until I take the threads and weave them together. Not always an easy thing, but enjoyable to complete.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Magdalane

[elliotcat]

Here is a question, 'cause I'm curious:

 

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

So, as you're writing about your characters, have you noticed some similarities between them and you? Do you find it easier to write about someone who is similar to you, or relate to them better? Or do you prefer writing about totally different stuff? Ever feel like friends and family show up in your writing unconsciously (or on purpose? Or, do you include things that are important to you or that you are knowledgable about? I'm curious about this after all the writing I've been doing recently, and I am interested to hear what other folks say.

Edited July 6, 2012 by elliotcat

[iamthehoyden]

Here is a question, 'cause I'm curious:

 

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

So, as you're writing about your characters, have you noticed some similarities between them and you? Do you find it easier to write about someone who is similar to you, or relate to them better? Or do you prefer writing about totally different stuff? Ever feel like friends and family show up in your writing unconsciously (or on purpose? Or, do you include things that are important to you or that you are knowledgable about? I'm curious about this after all the writing I've been doing recently, and I am interested to hear what other folks say.

 

My main girls tend to have a lot of me in them, mostly the smart***** parts. Generally, I have an easier time writing from a female perspective, even if their personalities differ strongly from mine. Men...well, they're an entirely different creature. I have to take a lot more time to get males right because their priorities tend to be ordered differently than what I'm used to. It's really fun to write from a perspective that's not your own though, makes you consider things differently.

[Magdalane]

Men...well, they're an entirely different creature. I have to take a lot more time to get males right because their priorities tend to be ordered differently than what I'm used to

 

I have two sons, so for some reason I do like to write from a male perspective from time to time, depends on how it fits into the storyline, and sometimes I'll tell the same scene from both a male and a female standpoint.

I've always maintained that my Light V calm and rational Jedi sage healer (Magdalane) is who I'd like to be, but my smart mouthed, sassy, headstrong scoundrel (Miirah) is who I really am at heart, and I role play them that way ingame.

[elliotcat]

To answer my own question:

 

I think the major thing that influences my writing is what I've studied in school. School's always been a huge part of my life. I love to study and learn. I do calculus to relax. It's just something I love a lot. I often write about women characters who excel in math and science because being a woman in those fields is hard. Last semester I had a calc class in which I did really well, and I took a lot of crap from the male students. It sucked. It can help a lot to write about other people who face discrimination and how they deal with it.

 

My first degree was in cultural and linguistic anthropology, and I think it shows in my writing. I LOVE worldbuilding. When I get started writing about a culture I CANNOT STOP. Now you know why I kicked off the weekly challenge thread with the prompt "culture shock". My main character is Mirialan and I honestly have a HUGE amount of mental notes about Mirialan culture and language that I 100% made up myself, because there's nothing out there. Eventually I need to write them all down...

Edited July 7, 2012 by elliotcat

[bright_ephemera]

Here is a question, 'cause I'm curious:

 

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

So, as you're writing about your characters, have you noticed some similarities between them and you? Do you find it easier to write about someone who is similar to you, or relate to them better? Or do you prefer writing about totally different stuff? Ever feel like friends and family show up in your writing unconsciously (or on purpose? Or, do you include things that are important to you or that you are knowledgable about? I'm curious about this after all the writing I've been doing recently, and I am interested to hear what other folks say.

 

 

Woo, characters!

 

I love living in Somebody Else's head, but I have to balance that against having the slightest idea what I'm talking about. So I'll write men or women, living any culture or philosophy I can rationalize, even if I don't agree with it; but I have trouble writing someone much smarter or much dumber than I am, much less educated, or much more witty or cunning. I also need my character to have at least one major belief or mental habit that I find likeable. I'm sure I could try sitting in a psychopath's head all day writing, but I wouldn't want to.

 

My basic writing handles - a snippet of dialogue, a character trait, a situation - maybe 30% of these stem directly from real life. Then I go wandering off. Oftentimes I'll get most of the way through a work and then recognize parallels between what I wrote - even what started as pure fancy - and what I've lived, and that really helps me sort out story themes and possible future directions.

 

I try to avoid writing both my personal expertise and my personally valued issues. I figure the one is too boring for most audiences, and the other is something I couldn't possibly do justice to. There are many marvelous human experiences I can write about without treading too deeply into technobabble or too close to my own sore spots. I will say I often tend toward describing women operating in a man's world - I'm a female engineer - but even there I try not to make it the focus of any given work.

[elliotcat]

i'm a female engineer

 

<33333333333333333! I am SO GLAD I'm not the only one in that situation here. It's nice to feel like you're not alone!

 

I want to be a doctor but if I don't get into medical school I will go work as a nuclear engineer with my dad. I'm studying chemistry.

Edited July 7, 2012 by elliotcat

[bright_ephemera]

<33333333333333333! I am SO GLAD I'm not the only one in that situation here. It's nice to feel like you're not alone!

 

I want to be a doctor but if I don't get into medical school I will go work as a nuclear engineer with my dad. I'm studying chemistry.

 

Ah-ha, a fellow lady engineer of charm and creativity!

 

I'm in digital hardware design, doing the guts of electronics. It's remarkably good for teaching overall analytical habits, and remarkably bad for informing the details of any even slightly interesting kind of creative writing

 

I wonder at times what kind of writing I would be doing if I had gone down the liberal-arts path. Probably "a lot more," for starters, which could be nice, but then I would miss getting my math nerd on.

[elliotcat]

Ah-ha, a fellow lady engineer of charm and creativity!

 

I'm in digital hardware design, doing the guts of electronics. It's remarkably good for teaching overall analytical habits, and remarkably bad for informing the details of any even slightly interesting kind of creative writing

 

I wonder at times what kind of writing I would be doing if I had gone down the liberal-arts path. Probably "a lot more," for starters, which could be nice, but then I would miss getting my math nerd on.

 

I spent my whole life being told I was an artsy creative type, which sucked because I liked science. So when I went to college, I did get a liberal arts degree. It was honestly a huge regret for me. I don't feel like it helped me be more creative at all. Don't get me wrong, I love anthropology, but it didn't engage me the way science did.

 

Since I couldn't find a job, I went back to school to get a 2nd degree, and that's what I'm doing now. I think science and creativity really can go hand in hand and I definitely do feel just as creative as I did before! In science you have to be able to think creatively to be successful. I feel like it's opened up new ways to think about writing and creating, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It bugs me sometimes that people assume you're either analytical or artistic. They complement each other! I feel like engaging the analytical side of myself has made me a much better writer. When I look back at what I wrote in high school, and even when I was getting my first degree, I can see a ton of improvement.

[General_Malor]

Here is a question, 'cause I'm curious:

 

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

So, as you're writing about your characters, have you noticed some similarities between them and you? Do you find it easier to write about someone who is similar to you, or relate to them better? Or do you prefer writing about totally different stuff? Ever feel like friends and family show up in your writing unconsciously (or on purpose? Or, do you include things that are important to you or that you are knowledgable about? I'm curious about this after all the writing I've been doing recently, and I am interested to hear what other folks say.

 

Well for a short answer...

 

You ask of me my process and I must tell you that I am my process. ^_^

 

But for a more in-depth answer I can elaborate.

 

I show up in fragments in each of my characters, my protagonists mainly.

 

For my Trooper Teran Malor he's professional, friendly, dedicated, and honor-centric. He got a great deal of my views on honor which made those parts easier to write. And also explore from a critical standpoint.

 

For my Knight Waran S'Tarn he's random, eccentric, intelligent, inquisitive, and unyielding. For Waran I put in a great deal of how I behave. In that I found it easier to let people think I'm not very intelligent than see them get threatened and try to "take me on". For Waran he's had to operate much the same. But he sometimes gives the impression of insanity.

 

For my Smuggler Jak Rishum he's charming, dashing, bumbling, and constantly cool. It's hard to get a reaction from him that is shocking. He's shocked often, but it doesn't show. This character got a lot of my ego.

 

For my other Smuggler Bourne "Jet" Williams he's much more a ladies man... and this might cost him his life. He got a great deal of my romantic side.

 

For my Bounty Hunter Spectre I gave a great deal of my detachment, professionalism, calculating observation and things like that. His cold murderous drive if a variant of my determination. I won't let anything stand in the way of my goals I want to accomplish. So modify that for a contract and you have a rather severe contractor.

 

I found that my supporting cast is drawn from everywhere in my life. All without being people per-say.

[AlyxDinas]

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

Very little. My own life bores me.

[Earthmama]

Here is a question, 'cause I'm curious:

 

How much do you draw from your own life when you write?

 

So, as you're writing about your characters, have you noticed some similarities between them and you? Do you find it easier to write about someone who is similar to you, or relate to them better? Or do you prefer writing about totally different stuff? Ever feel like friends and family show up in your writing unconsciously (or on purpose? Or, do you include things that are important to you or that you are knowledgable about? I'm curious about this after all the writing I've been doing recently, and I am interested to hear what other folks say.

 

 

I leave a little of myself in all of my characters, be it situation of characterization. My own personal life is pretty boring, I'm a stay at home mom, my books, gaming and writing are all I have to keep sane at times, and talking to my characters in my head can sometimes be my only adult interaction before my husband gets home, so they're all very special to me.

 

I've put my wandering, adventure loving Smuggler in a similar life situation to what I live day to day, right down to the two sons. Poor girl, loves and hates it.

 

I've given my agent my grit, and determination, my humor, all the things I used to battle my own mental demons when I suffered from mental health issues when I was a younger woman, (look at me, as if I'm old, not even 30 yet.), after playing through the agent story, I felt a close kinship to her.

 

My Sith Warrior, is the embodiment of those demons.

 

My Sage has my sensitivity, which has always been a blessing and a curse to me.

 

 

I'm still working out and developing my next 4 characters, My Trooper and BH are taking shape, I already recognize where I am in them, especially in my Trooper.

Edited July 9, 2012 by Earthmama

[bright_ephemera]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?

 

I myself do...a lot. My characters are people, sure, but I map them to simplistic stat systems all the time. I'm a sucker for the D&D alignment system, limited though it is, and sooner or later end up trying to place all my characters on it...or trace their journies across it.

 

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg522/bright_ephemera/Misc%20SWTOR/FreshSwtorAlignment-1.png

 

That alignment is the big one for me. In addition I'll usually specify, for any given character, which law system or good/evil scheme they're most dedicated to following. Sometimes, jokingly, I'll draw up old D&D stats, which clearly demonstrates things like the often-noticeable disconnect between INT (book learning, analytical skills) and WIS (common sense, intuition).

[kabeone]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?

 

That's a good question. I like to throw in swtor game mechanics when I think about how a character fights, how they dress, what they should be able to do (then I break all of it and give them things that they shouldn't be able to do to make them "special"), legacy abilities are fun, though every single character I have can kick a person in the crotch, no special parentage required.

 

As to how they behave and make decisions I definitely start out with Good/Neutral/Evil+Chaotic/Lawful D&D archetypes because they are more nuanced than the DS/LS model and some of the allocation of DS/LS in game didn't feel very consistent.

 

I try to go from the perspective of what the character wants to be rather than what I want them to look like to the reader. For instance if a character considers himself to be Lawful Good but he lives by the tenets of the Empire (i.e. order, discipline, chain of command, obedience to the Sith) then his decisions will look neutral because he obeys laws but is rather merciless, or evil because he tries to kill you with robots.

 

I don't know if I'm simply unimaginative but I cannot portray anyone who wants to be purely Lawful-Good as anything other than a fanatic and anyone who is Chaotic-Evil as anything other than a psycho. I have to work on my nuance.

 

I've always been a little troubled by the INT vs WIS thing because I couldn't imagine how you could have high WIS without high INT. High INT without WIS sure, but the other way, eh.

 

INT without WIS: This water from the sky is rain. Fascinating. (get's really wet, possibly catches cold)

WIS (with INT): I should get out of the rain.

WIS without INT: What is this thing falling from the sky? My clothes are becoming damp from this thing that is falling on me. I feel cold, I should get to shelter..... WHERE DO I LIVE?!!??

 

It was probably just my teenage self arguing I should get bonuses to INT for having high WIS.

[elliotcat]

This is gonna show you all how geeky I am, but...the only thing in that vein that I do is that sometimes, just for fun, I imagine which House my characters would be in if they went to Hogwarts.

 

Meenah Ferula - Slytherin

Vriska Alyssum - Hufflepuff

Meyali Cardani - Ravenclaw, maybe Gryffindor

Ayang Cardani - Gryffindor

Kanaya Ixera - Hufflepuff

Aranea Senecio - Gryffindor

 

I need to make more Slytherins...

[iamthehoyden]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?

 

I regularly use in-game abilties in fight scenes. Sometimes I'll add one that I know they know even if it's not technically part of their ability list (Scourge knows how to force choke someone, I think that's a given). I sometimes use crafting skills to add some flavor. Light/Dark is problematic. Even though my characters usually end up mostly Light-sided, decisions are situational. If there's a game mechanic that fits in well...trying to think of an example...oh, like the fact that pets follow you anywhere you go in this game, even into a Senate briefing room...then I'll use that as a part of a story.

 

I do use the D&D alignment system somewhat, to get a clearer idea in my head of why they do what they do. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I tend to think of their core character as some combo of lawful/chaotic/good/evil. I need to make more lawful characters, simply because I have trouble getting in their heads. I also use the DISC personality system, again, to get a clearer idea on who they are and why they do what they do. If you're familiar with it, Sana, for example, is a high D personality, while Esma is much more I. All of which is secondary to other personality quirks, like Sana's eternal disgust with politicians and beaurocrats, Esma's insistance on trusting people she has no reason to, and Skari's wariness of emotional ties.

[SveinEternity]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?).

 

For the most part I try to make my alignment in game the same or close to my characters personality. In fan five it differs because sometimes Svein can force push (he's a marauder) or Azra often carries a rifle. The personalities and alignment of my hat actors are defitnetly something I use in game because I love how they did the bar of dark and light. I try to keep my characters within their personalities and that bar helps me do that. Mostly though, strip away the game and you still have my character. I try to make sure the game isn't the focal point for who they are be cause those aren't the only parts of their lives.

 

Just my two cents.

[kalenath]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?

 

 

My characters run the gamut. Of course, I have a FEW of them. But my main character is an odd one to say the least.

 

For one, Will is twice the age of a normal player character (I figure @20, so he is 40). He is SERIOUSLY good at what he does, which is survive. He has used : stealth field generators, land mines, flashbangs, knives, thermal detonators, pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, assault cannon, missile launchers, and even a light saber once (Although that was in a dream/vision thing) but at his core, he is still a vanguard tank class character.

 

Then again, I have another character who is a pure DPS Jedi guardian type. Single saber and BAD news with it.

 

Of course I have my Bladeborn who are just...weird...

Edited August 20, 2012 by kalenath

[Osetto]

Can I throw out a question? Can I? Can I?

 

The Character in Summary: Do you borrow gaming mechanics such as alignment, stats, or other pithy mechanical summaries of your characters? Do you use these mappings to get a grip on who your character is?

 

Absolutely. Generally with my writings, you'll find much more references and allusions to games and their mechanics than anything approaching classical literary references. I think of characters as just that, characters. Just as a game requires player balance, I believe stories require some modicum of narrative balance. Definitions, relationships, actions, and events all flourish when unbounded creativity is given natural structure. I love tabletop RPG mechanics and elements and use them to a great degree in my thought processes.

 

With "Acolyte Ascension", I knew I was dealing with Sith. Fledgling Sith, but Sith none the less. And everyone surrounding them were Sith. Good and evil and lawfulness tend to play out differently in the realm of that story, so instead I made a system of dueling traits for each of the acolytes. Temperament (Warm vs. Cool) and Relationships (Selfless vs. Selfish).

 

For example:

Lorrik: Warm Selfless. Jresh: Cool Selfless

Arlia: Warm Selfish. Isorr: Cool Selfish.

Ryloh: Cool Selfless. Kar'ai: Warm Selfless.

Vurt: Cold Selfish. Nesk: Warm Selfish.

 

With these pairings, I have created an even dynamic of similar and opposing mirrors when comparing between any two pairs. Recently I've added a designator of Ideology (Freedom vs. Control) that is split amongst the acolytes 50/50, adding another element of foils and similarities. With these 'alignments' I have a better understanding of my characters. And just like any good roleplayer should know, structure = good, rigidity = bad. They've a set of traits, but in the moment, they are certainly capable of breaking convention.

 

With "The Seven", I had given myself seven nameless, faceless characters, defined utterly through their thoughts and actions in the present. As such, I thought it reasonable that they should each embody something, at least. With KotOR and D&D in mind, I assigned them each a prime ability stat.

 

Aurek: Charisma. He's not the best shot, swordsman, or soldier, but he keeps the squad functioning.

 

Besh: Intelligence. Sniper. If he needed information, it has to come directly from his head.

 

Cresh: Luck. The stat nobody puts points into or thinks they can rely on, until it ultimately proves them wrong.

 

Dorn: Wisdom. He'll process whatever data you give him, or find the set of tools to do so.

 

Esk: Constitution. The man can't die. Ever.

 

Forn: Dexterity. Dual-wielding ex-Mandalorian who managed to sneak around in heavy armor.

 

Grek: Strength. You try telling the two-meter-tall-mute-wrapped-in-million-credit-powered-armor that he's weak.

 

Overall, I believe the systems that we create aren't without cause or merit. Sure we might look upon rule sets and mechanics as burdening constrictors of an open mind, but I find my imagination is peaked when forced to work within a structure. Limits can offer more freedom than one might think.

[Osetto]

I suppose enough time has passed for a new topic of discussion. We've discussed generating fiction from life, but how about fiction from fiction.

 

Do you draw on other mediums for creativity?

 

Books, films, video games, music, they all possess similarities and differences when it comes to artistic flow and execution. How we react to the written word is different from a visual presentation, or an interactive medium. Or is it? Is it all just creative manifestations of thought shined through the same lens at different angles? This being a place for ST:TOR fan fiction, we obviously draw on that as a base. But does watching a certain movie ever spur you to write? Playing a different game? Reading another book?

 

I myself find music to be a great instigator for writing. I write along, not only watching a scene unfold in my head, but accompanying it with a tune. This aids in consolidating my thoughts. It gives me a rhythm to work along to. It helps me keep a consistency, a direction, and a continuance up with my work.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Osetto

[mustardcheese]

I suppose enough time has passed for a new topic of discussion. We've discussed generating fiction from life, but how about fiction from fiction.

 

Do you draw on other mediums for creativity?

 

Well, I'm new here so I figured I might as well just start.

 

I do, quite a bit. I always get inspiration from the things I do. Usually gaming, though I'll find inspiration in movies as well sometimes. I always draw from gaming because it's something I'm passionate about, and because it's something I get. I'm a sucker for games with good story, and I'll always think of ways I could incorporate something really cool that I saw in a game into my writings.