# Writing Mentoring



## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

I wanna work on something and finally get a story done.  To do this I could use some help from someone willing to give advice on how I can proceed with my story and be there if I have questions or recommendations on how to advance my characters through the plot.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

Do you have all the basics?

Characters with full descriptive personalities?

Environments, to include details. 

Plot, to include how the story is introduced, is it 1st or 3rd person?  what is the "problem" and "solution" that drives the characters?

It really depends on how you want to tell the story.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

As my dear Sergal said, on a paper create a octopus diagrams (Technician language yes but you can see what I mean) and at middle create a bubble with your charactert's name and create other bubble linked to him to describe your character, this wil permit you to brainstorm all of yours ideas


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

^  Yep, that's a great trick. I use a Herringbone personally to save space.  Name on the middle, descriptors on the external lines.   Keep it mind this can change, depending on if you character has changed positions due to whatever the plot is.   If that's the case, you need a second one with the new traits.

It can also be used for each environment as well.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

The most important things is the brainstorming


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

I think the problem is that I have a lotta focus on the big picture of the overall plot.  As I posted before I kinda got caught up world building.  Now I need to focus in on the characters.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> I think the problem is that I have a lotta focus on the big picture of the overall plot.  As I posted before I kinda got caught up world building.  Now I need to focus in on the characters.


Again the brainstorming help you! What he looks like? His personality? What does he like? (It's seems not but it's useful) and so on


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

Arko90 said:


> Again the brainstorming help you! What he looks like? His personality? What does he like? (It's seems not but it's useful) and so on



Lemme write something up and see if it's a good template.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

It must work, this is HOW you create a character


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> I think the problem is that I have a lotta focus on the big picture of the overall plot.  As I posted before I kinda got caught up world building.  Now I need to focus in on the characters.



If it's a unique world, then that's perfectly fine to spend time on it.  You don't want a reader to feel like they are lost.  You want them in the dark as far as the story, but not unable to picture where they are. 

If it's an existing world, it saves a lot of time due to prior familiarization.  You don't have to detail weird physics, and can kind of run with it easier.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

-..Legacy..- said:


> If it's a unique world, then that's perfectly fine to spend time on it.  You don't want a reader to feel like they are lost.  You want them in the dark as far as the story, but not unable to picture where they are.
> 
> If it's an existing world, it saves a lot of time due to prior familiarization.  You don't have to detail weird physics, and can kind of run with it easier.


Right! I work on a world for my fiction since two weeks now ^^ and I'm far to finish it, take your time, make it good


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

docs.google.com: Untitled document

I wrote up a little something.  Tell me what you think.


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## Arko90 (Nov 24, 2017)

Quite good, continue, describe him, physically


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## Diretooth (Nov 24, 2017)

As a person who's only ever written by the seat of my pants, I find that writing the base of the plot, and then building the world around their actions works for me. For example, my very first book I'd ever written started with a very basic plot. One of the main characters, Tristan, came across a magic amulet that transported him to another world full of vampires, werewolves, and dragon-people called Drakonaeans. Events would occur caused by the villain that would endanger them, which they would have to overcome or die, all because their coming was foretold by a prophecy that would have led to the villain being defeated.
I would suggest, even as just an exercise in characterization, writing a short story where the character is going about their daily life, maybe they're a farmer in a medieval fantasy world, maybe they're a teenager screwing around during summer break, and then they find the macguffin that kicks off the plot. Maybe they accidentally draw a magic sword from a stone, maybe they saved someone's life and are being targeted by their friendly neighborhood mafia. If you come to a point where you don't know where to proceed, just make something up, invoke diabolus ex machina or diabolus ex nihilo to give them a reason to keep moving forward. They're in a safe location, or they feel like they can't go on? Bam, their safe hideout isn't safe anymore because the mafia goons are knocking their door down or an evil wizard who wants the sword sent a demon after them. Take the story in different directions, subvert the typical hero's journey, write how your character would react to the developments. The more you write a character and how they react to the change in the plot's direction, the more you will be able to write a good character who can navigate a well-developed world.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

What's he wear?  What's his height and build? 

You'll probably need a sheet for each parent as well, since you included them in the story.  If they are physically in the story, full sheet.  If just memory, basics can work.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

-..Legacy..- said:


> What's he wear?  What's his height and build?
> 
> You'll probably need a sheet for each parent as well, since you included them in the story.  If they are physically in the story, full sheet.  If just memory, basics can work.



Physical descriptions are the most difficult for me.  Soul rending.  At least for human descriptions.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

Well, is there any part of your story that would require certain aspects?  Tall, skinny, muscular, short?


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

I'll give an example:

Coma has a lot of trials to deal with, one of which is being forced to fight.  Now, I'd have a hard time convincing readers, that some short, skinny, Southern Sergal could handle severe physical combat.  It made sense to start him off as a larger Eastern Sergal, and lower his initial skill levels.   So he stands 6'4", which is average for an Eastern, and has a toned muscular build, which is also a genetic trait.  Silver eyes, black hair, and a white body.  He has no facial expressions during this time, and barely moves his lips to speak.

His armor is black, much like carbon fiber.  It covers the top of his head, his ears, and has linked plates down the back of his neck. His chest piece is 3 pieces, and only covers down to his rib cage. The shoulders are crested, and meet the neck guard with a blade ring (stops blades from hitting the neck directly). The back is a series of linked plates that start wide, then narrow to the width of his tail armoring. 


The test of a good description?

You know exactly how he looks right now.


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## Diretooth (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> Physical descriptions are the most difficult for me. Soul rending. At least for human descriptions.


First Person Perspective: 'I looked at myself in the mirror, which hung just slightly higher than I was, and combed my long, wavy black hair back before bunching it up and putting a hair-tie on it. My eyes, a pale blue, stared back at me as I combed my fingers through my short beard. I'd chosen to wear my favorite outfit, a faded pair of blue jeans with a black shirt that had a half-silhouetted wolf head staring out on it, with the ever present sapphire ring my grandfather gave me on my right hand.'
Third-person Perspective: 'John pushed himself up, brushing the debris off of his brown leather jerkin, which had probably done more to protect him from the sharp jagged rocks than his green wool tunic. His long hair, brown, was now unkempt, and only after he saw that he was ultimately uninjured did he brush them out of his equally brown eyes. His breeches had a tear along his leg, and one of his leather boots was missing. He panicked for a moment and felt his neck, then relaxed. the copper pendant that had belonged to his mother was still present.'
Some advice for writing a character description: Look in a mirror and take note of certain features you have. Eye color, hair color and length, clothing, distinguishing marks like scars or injuries, jewelry... Take people you know, or random strangers, and describe them to yourself as though you're describing them to a blind person. Much like everything else in life, practice will make it easier.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

I wrote up another main character in the same document.


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## -..Legacy..- (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> I wrote up another main character in the same document.



What kind of hawk?  Colorations?   Hawks have large eyes, what color are they?

This stuff helps when you're writing.  "He glared at him through steel grey eyes, and demanded he be released."


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> docs.google.com: Untitled document
> 
> I wrote up a little something.  Tell me what you think.



Some people find this helpful. For me, it just gets in the way of the creative process. Certainly we need to have an idea in mind of what our characters look like, and their background, and so this can be helpful for that. But the problem is, I find it kind of clinical. For me, writing is an organic process. I'm also a complete panster (fly-by-the-seat-of-you-pants writer), and so mostly make it up as I go. The character, in a story, has to be discovered through the writing, and modern readers don't like info dumps.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 24, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> Some people find this helpful. For me, it just gets in the way of the creative process. Certainly we need to have an idea in mind of what our characters look like, and their background, and so this can be helpful for that. But the problem is, I find it kind of clinical. For me, writing is an organic process. I'm also a complete panster (fly-by-the-seat-of-you-pants writer), and so mostly make it up as I go. The character, in a story, has to be discovered through the writing, and modern readers don't like info dumps.



I don't do info dumps.  I guess I'm kinda the same kind of writer but I want to consciously avoid some writing clichès if possible and mold my writing more than just winging it.  I think it deserves more time than that with all due respect.

And it isn't an info dump, it's mostly to help myself.


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## BahgDaddy (Nov 24, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> I don't do info dumps.  I guess I'm kinda the same kind of writer but I want to consciously avoid some writing clichès if possible and mold my writing more than just winging it.  I think it deserves more time than that with all due respect.
> 
> And it isn't an info dump, it's mostly to help myself.



I didn't say it was an info dump. Why are you defensive?


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## ResolutionBlaze (Nov 25, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I didn't say it was an info dump. Why are you defensive?



I'm not being defensive I was trying to correct.


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## Diretooth (Nov 27, 2017)

Cliches exist because they worked at the time they were written. You can take a cliche and twist it into something fun. Don't worry too much about it.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Dec 4, 2017)

I have six major factions right now.

I want to start focusing in and putting effort into smaller factions or subfactions within factions.


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## -..Legacy..- (Dec 4, 2017)

Do you have a general idea of plot yet?  Now would be the time, so you can custom tailor your factions to suit all needs.


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## Pypedreams (Dec 4, 2017)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> I wanna work on something and finally get a story done.  To do this I could use some help from someone willing to give advice on how I can proceed with my story and be there if I have questions or recommendations on how to advance my characters through the plot.



Greetings. I'm actually an indie author myself, an editor and beta reader. If you would like I'd be more than happy to assist. Shoot me a pm if you like.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Dec 4, 2017)

-..Legacy..- said:


> Do you have a general idea of plot yet?  Now would be the time, so you can custom tailor your factions to suit all needs.



I do.  Now I'm getting nitty gritty.  Working on deeper motivations and more alien creatures rather than just anthros.


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## Zehlua (Jan 29, 2018)

I would also like someone to help me write, or just hold me accountable and keep me motivated X3


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## amethystskyes (Jan 29, 2018)

Zehlua said:


> I would also like someone to help me write, or just hold me accountable and keep me motivated X3


Amen to that. Message me if you’re willing to move somewhere else for someone to challenge you to write. I like Discord right now but I can use other stuff too. I just always forget to check back here because my phone reads the layout weird.


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