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Aug 14 07 6:06 AM

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I am trying to improve the style and overall quality of my writing. I am able to get my points across and every once and a while come across a quality line or two in my book, but I'm getting frustrated by all of the dull, tasteless writing I am coming up with.

My plan as of now is to

Continue writing even though I'm not satisfied(Just get my story across so the story doesn't die)
Start reading more(Books with good writing)
Look at online free writing materials and practice that way


Are there any other resources to improve my writing? To really hone in my skills? Free is great, but I am willing to pay for a service if it works.

Thanks

Steve

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8281220

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#1 [url]

Aug 14 07 6:37 AM

Hi Steve

I'm in a very similar position to you and thinking pretty much along the same lines. What I have started doing is writing a lot of short stories. In few different genre's that aren't to far from the genre of my book.

In short stories, every word counts so you're made to write tighter. Look for competitions, check out the market lists here on Fiction Factor. There are plenty of places to submit short stuff. It helps thicken up your skin to. Rejections are a part of our life, I think.

Critiquing other writers work also helps you recognise what's good and what's not. Critters is good for this as is Absolute Writers.

I'm also looking into courses. Not many free ones that are of any use but depending on where you are, communtiy colleges or TAFE as they are called here in Australia, do some low cost one's that look interesting. I'm also looking at going back to Univercity next year to do a bigger course - more indepth but bigger cost.

One last thing I'm looking at is http://www.thomsoneducationdirect.com.au/index.cfm?id=317

Although aimed at copywriters and proof readers, it still looks at the mechanics of tighter writing.

Above all else, keep writing. Practise is the only thing that will really hone those skills. Reading, courses and critiquing helps but only you can make the changes to go the next step.

Good Luck

BT

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Associate Editor for HorrorScope

Follow me as I progress through the Advanced Diploma of Arts for Professional Writing at my blog:
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#2 [url]

Aug 14 07 10:47 AM

Check your local library for writing books as well.

I really like Noah Lukeman's writing books. He's primarily an agent for literary writers but a lot of what he says can be applied to other genres as well.

The First Five Pages, The Plot Thickens, and A Dash of Style

A Dash of Style is pretty intense punctuation and grammar and might be a bit much for a beginner with weak writing structure, but for someone with a good grasp of the basics it can be very helpful in expanding your writing style.

The Plot Thickens is more about characters and how they affect the plot than about the storyline itself. The First Five Pages is about making your opening shine but what it teaches can be carried throughout the book to improve your overall writing.



Tina


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiction Factor
One of Writer's Digests' 101 Best Websites (multiple years)
http://www.fictionfactor.com

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction
2008 Eppie Winner for non-fiction!

The Fantasy Writer's Companion
The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy

http://www.stygianwritings.com

The Fractured Publisher
A fun and amusing way to browse for books
http://www.fracturedpublisher.com

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#3 [url]

Aug 14 07 2:47 PM

QUOTE
I'm in a very similar position to you and thinking pretty much along the same lines. What I have started doing is writing a lot of short stories. In few different genre's that aren't to far from the genre of my book.

I've found this to be helpful, too. And what I found to be particularly effective is using writing prompts -- and writing the stories in a variety of genre (many times, a writing prompt itself will suggest a genre.)

And, as Tina has suggested, reading books on writing will help -- you'll begin to see the weaknesses in your writing and will have an idea how to fix the problems (like, for instance, getting rid of adverbs, adjectives, and passive voice and cutting "garbage" words, removing redundancies.) You'll begin to see how important it is to make sure the story "moves," that there is sufficient motivation, and that the conflict is continuous and escalating.

I've only been writing just over a year and a half now. I started writing because there was a story I was burning to tell. I recognized that I had no ability to write it, so I first took a couple of online writing classes, one through my local junior college, the other was Robyn Opie's "Show, Don't Tell." Her class made all the difference for me, got me started, and I've continued to learn from every good source I can find.

And don't worry that some of the available information on writing is free -- some of the most valuable tips I've learned have been on sites maintained by writers for the benefit of beginning writers.

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#4 [url]

Aug 14 07 3:11 PM

Another thing I have found that really improves my writing, is that when I come across an awkward sentence - I usually find that I can delete it, rather than revise it.
It's surprising on how often this works, which leads me to believe that the sentence was awkward because it didn't belong there in the first place.

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#5 [url]

Aug 15 07 12:02 AM

QUOTE
And don't worry that some of the available information on writing is free -- some of the most valuable tips I've learned have been on sites maintained by writers for the benefit of beginning writers.



Actually, I'd be more concerned about the sites that charge for the information they provide. There are so many free writing sites that there's little need to pay to read articles on the web. There are some good print magazines that require a subscription, but a many of those offer free articles on the web as well.

One of the reasons Fiction Factor is free is because we wanted to share what we'd learned and to help new writers avoid being scammed by some of the dishonest agents and publishers that lurk in the writing world.


Tina

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiction Factor
One of Writer's Digests' 101 Best Websites (multiple years)
http://www.fictionfactor.com

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction
2008 Eppie Winner for non-fiction!

The Fantasy Writer's Companion
The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy

http://www.stygianwritings.com

The Fractured Publisher
A fun and amusing way to browse for books
http://www.fracturedpublisher.com

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8281220

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#6 [url]

Aug 16 07 8:07 AM

QUOTE (CelticMemories @ August 14, 2007 02:47 pm)
you'll begin to see the weaknesses in your writing and will have an idea how to fix the problems (like, for instance, getting rid of adverbs, adjectives, and passive voice and cutting "garbage" words, removing redundancies.) You'll begin to see how important it is to make sure the story "moves," that there is sufficient motivation, and that the conflict is continuous and escalating.

Have you been reading my first drafts Celtic?

Sorry, I short changed this subject really, didn't I?

Books, courses, online free sites, conventions, FictionFactor, crit groups and lots of practise will all help improve your writing. Don't forget reading - books, mags, newsletters and other published and unpublished works.

Thanks for the book tips Tina. I will be ordering them soon. I cant borrow from libriaries - always need to own them for some reason.

Celtic, can you post a link to the online courses you recommended, please.

Yesterday I submitted my application for a Diploma in Professional Writing starting next year. Four years of part time study coming up. Scary fictionfactor/scream.gif

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Associate Editor for HorrorScope

Follow me as I progress through the Advanced Diploma of Arts for Professional Writing at my blog:
Musings Of An Aussie Writer

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8281220

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#7 [url]

Aug 16 07 9:01 AM

Hey Tina

One book you forgot

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction

Due out sometime around now isnt it?

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Associate Editor for HorrorScope

Follow me as I progress through the Advanced Diploma of Arts for Professional Writing at my blog:
Musings Of An Aussie Writer

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#8 [url]

Aug 16 07 2:09 PM

QUOTE
Hey Tina
One book you forgot

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction
Due out sometime around now isnt it?


It's out now, though there has been a delay with the printer. fictionfactor/evil.gif It's available for order from Amazon along with the Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy and The Fantasy Writer's Companion.



Tina


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.fictionfactor.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fiction Factor
One of Writer's Digests' 101 Best Websites (multiple years)
http://www.fictionfactor.com

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction
2008 Eppie Winner for non-fiction!

The Fantasy Writer's Companion
The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy

http://www.stygianwritings.com

The Fractured Publisher
A fun and amusing way to browse for books
http://www.fracturedpublisher.com

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fiction

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Posts: 808

#9 [url]

Aug 17 07 10:27 AM

Tina wrote:

QUOTE
Actually, I'd be more concerned about the sites that charge for the information they provide. There are so many free writing sites that there's little need to pay to read articles on the web. There are some good print magazines that require a subscription, but a many of those offer free articles on the web as well.

One of the reasons Fiction Factor is free is because we wanted to share what we'd learned and to help new writers avoid being scammed by some of the dishonest agents and publishers that lurk in the writing world.


Tina's right. I'd also be more concerned about some of the sites that charge exorbitant amounts for providing information that canot be verified as being written by someone who knows what they're talking about.

I could mention a couple of different sites (and their owners) personally who claim to be experts and charge like wounded bulls - and yet have never had a single thing professionally published before. But I won't give names. I don't work that way.

Paying for information does not always mean you're getting quality.

However - there are quite a lot of free information sites around run by writers specifically for writers. Fiction factor is just one of many such sites around at the moment.

Lee

=====================
Fiction Factor - http://www.fictionfactor.com
The online magazine for fiction writers
=====================

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#10 [url]

Aug 17 07 2:38 PM

QUOTE
Celtic, can you post a link to the online courses you recommended, please.


I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting this link -- the moderators can remove my post if it is in violation of the rules. But since I learned of Robyn Opie's course on Fiction Factor, and since she is moderator of one of the forums here, I'm assuming it is ok to post this:

http://www.robynopie.com/showdonttellstudypack.html

That link takes you to the study pack. However, the course I took equates to the mentored course that is mentioned at the very bottom of the page -- Robyn gave feedback, constructive criticism, etc. She SHOWED me "Show, Don't Tell" by her critiques of my writing. I think the mentoring is what made the difference, helped me "get it."

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8281220

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#11 [url]

Aug 20 07 1:30 AM

QUOTE (CelticMemories @ August 17, 2007 02:38 pm)

http://www.robynopie.com/showdonttellstudypack.html

Sorry Celtic

My mistake - I thought the online writing courses, you mentioned, were free.

I have no intention of paying for a course of any type unless I get a nationally recognised certification on the end of it. I understand that this course helped you and that's great, but I'm a firm believer of the mantra "money flows to the author."

I've been burnt a couple of times and now refuse to fork out my hard earned unless I can prove it's bonefide. That would require me to meet and greet ordinarily and that's hard to do with most online stuff.

No offence meant Robyn - once bitten, twice shy.

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." - Stephen King

Associate Editor for HorrorScope

Follow me as I progress through the Advanced Diploma of Arts for Professional Writing at my blog:
Musings Of An Aussie Writer

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#12 [url]

Aug 21 07 2:12 AM

QUOTE
My mistake - I thought the online writing courses, you mentioned, were free.

No, neither course was free (colleges don't usually offer free courses, lol)

When I mentioned free material, I was referring to the myriad websites maintained by writers like Holly Lisle who have tons of free info for writers on their sites. And like Fiction Factor, which always has lots of good info.

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