Stop saying "Write whatever you want"!

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ThisAdamGuy
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14 Nov 2016, 4:49 pm

Okay, I'm going to go on a bit of a rant here.

I'm part of a few different writing forums, and one thing that I see in every single one of them, and it bugs me to no end, is people saying "write what you want." This is usually in response to some new writer asking if their idea sounds too cliche, or too similar to another author's story, or if it just sounds bad overall. Why does this bug me? Because people should aim to be better than that. Yes, you do have to enjoy what you're writing if you want it to be any good, but there's a very fine line authors have to balance between writing whatever they want, and writing something that's actually worth reading.

Cliches can be used effectively, yes, but let's be honest: very few people do. Try thinking of ways to break the cliches, not excuses to use the exact same idea for the hundred billionth time. It's true that there are no new ideas, but it's still entirely possible to give a fresh spin on old ideas. You can make it feel new. What seems like every freaking fantasy book on the planet has ripped off the "bad guy in a black cloak and hood riding a horse" character from from Lord of the Rings, but hardly any of them have done it in a way that makes it feel like it's not a ripoff.

If you think a book is too similar to another author's story, then why write it at all? Can you, again, give a new spin on the story that gives it it's own identity, or are you just too lazy to come up with your own plot so you're copying that of your favorite authors? You should check out the werewolf section on WattPad-- 90% of those stories copy the exact same formula. "Girl meets boy, boy is alpha werewolf, they are destined mates but the guy is a jerk but they fall in love anyway." "Girl is werewolf, girl joins pack, pack rejects her, she leaves and comes back as a much cooler person that everyone is jealous of." "This is literally Twilight except Team Jacob wins." There is an infinite number of stories to tell, why in heaven or hell would you want to rewrite one that already exists? Or even better, if someone told you they wanted to do this, why would you encourage it by telling them to write whatever they want?

Sorry if I come off as grumpy or condescending here, but writing books is pretty much my life. I can't go to Barnes and Noble without cringing at what I see on the YA shelves, and I don't think this "Just do what makes you happy, everyone gets a trophy, la la la la la!" attitude is helping. We should be encouraging each other to improve and get better, not be satisfied with whatever mediocre garbage you churn out without even trying. Storytelling is art! Be proud of what you create! Don't settle for anything less than your best!

Ugh. Okay, rant over. Thoughts?


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Kraichgauer
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15 Nov 2016, 4:02 am

Those writers who just follow a formula for, say, your example of the Twilightish werewolf stories, will either in time mature into something better, or failing that, will disappear into obscurity.
Sure, people should write what they want, but there's no reason not to be original.


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racheypie666
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15 Nov 2016, 4:25 am

^^^ I agree, just let them get on with it. People write for different reasons and I don't think you can inspire those writing what is essentially Twilight fan fiction to consider greater literary merits- they're not writing for that, they're writing for themselves and others like them, people who want the fantasy of a standard human/monster romance. Some of them will monetise it (50 Shades is apparently Twilight fanfic with the names changed), but mostly it's not going to get picked up by a publisher, and some writers are probably cool with that, especially with the current self-publishing opportunities.

It's true that a 'write whatever you want' attitude is very unhelpful for those with any aspirations in more sophisticated literature; after all you wouldn't want an editor or publisher to give such empty feedback. Find people with similar tastes and intentions on your writing forums, and work with them.

I have unfortunately been made to suffer through each of the twilight films ad nauseum at sleep-overs etc. as a teen. Here is some sample text from the book. Read it, acknowledge that it's appeal is beyond your help and understanding, and move on to something more befitting your tastes and talents :wink: :
Edward: “Besides, friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

Bella: “Drunk?”

Edward: “You’re intoxicated by my very presence.”

Edward: “Are you still faint from the run? Or was it my kissing expertise?”



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15 Nov 2016, 5:36 am

Ah, I'm happy you brought YA into this; it's one of, if not the most amateur-written, generic and over-saturated genres out there.

Every blurb seems to be some variation of 'Our protagonist is an (inquisitive/curious/other 'special snowflake' adjective) young girl with an interest in (theme-relevant interest). Now, (the conflict, usually speculative fiction and/or the paranormal) has begun and our young heroine is determined to use her cunningness and strong-willed personality to (engage in the conflict). On the way she'll meet others a part of the cause, some friend, some foe, but with her new (special abilities/weapon/training) she's ready to (engage in conflict).

If you've read enough YA blurbs you might have an idea of what I'm talking about.

Anyway, the rest of your post is absolutely spot-on.



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15 Nov 2016, 5:52 am

racheypie666 wrote:
^^^ I agree, just let them get on with it. People write for different reasons and I don't think you can inspire those writing what is essentially Twilight fan fiction to consider greater literary merits- they're not writing for that, they're writing for themselves and others like them, people who want the fantasy of a standard human/monster romance. Some of them will monetise it (50 Shades is apparently Twilight fanfic with the names changed), but mostly it's not going to get picked up by a publisher, and some writers are probably cool with that, especially with the current self-publishing opportunities.

It's true that a 'write whatever you want' attitude is very unhelpful for those with any aspirations in more sophisticated literature; after all you wouldn't want an editor or publisher to give such empty feedback. Find people with similar tastes and intentions on your writing forums, and work with them.

I have unfortunately been made to suffer through each of the twilight films ad nauseum at sleep-overs etc. as a teen. Here is some sample text from the book. Read it, acknowledge that it's appeal is beyond your help and understanding, and move on to something more befitting your tastes and talents :wink: :
Edward: “Besides, friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

Bella: “Drunk?”

Edward: “You’re intoxicated by my very presence.”

Edward: “Are you still faint from the run? Or was it my kissing expertise?”


That Twilight dialogue... it ought to be a crime! :x


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15 Nov 2016, 8:41 am

racheypie666 wrote:
^^^ I agree, just let them get on with it.[/i]


I admit, it'd be a lot easier to do this if they didn't get so much freaking attention for it. For instance, my own werewolf story, Amber Silverblood, is currently ranked somewhere up in the thousands. Here are some of the blurbs from the top ten rated stories:

The Rejected Mate
"Bree was the in-betweener in school meaning she's not popular nor she is the least popular. But that was just in school, in her pack she was the pack's omega, everyone mistreated her by treating her like a slave, and physically hurt her for a small mistake. When she turned Sixteen she found her mate and got rejected, this is Bree Somers' story and she is The Rejected Mate."

Those Darn Sexy Kidnappers
"OOOOH SNAP! Cassie Claire went to the mall one morning with her bevy of bffs, when she noticed a devastatingly gorgeous guy who manages to make her speechless without even having to talk. He walks up to her and, like in a romance movie, takes her hand and pulls her into his chest. What happened next wasn't as similar to a romance movie. He puts a gun to her head And kidnaps her."

The Alpha's Young Mate
"The Omega's little girl is a 5 year old girl Named Sage. But what happens when the Alpha from the most powerful and strong pack in the werewolf world. Come and looking to find his mate until he meets the Little Sage. It's not Pedophilia! If you think it is well go the f*** away! And don't wast my time! And It's not that at all! the moon goddess chosen those two as mates!"

The Alpha's Ballerina
"The shy, quiet girl who sits in back of class is the last person you would think to be a werewolf right? Well, Abigail Mason is just that. She wants to just blend in and disappear. The only place she is ever truly herself is in the ballet studio where she graces the floor with dances. But as fate would have it the one day she dances out of her comfort zone one foot steps into another packs territory and the Alpha, the most popular guy in the state and one of the most known in the country, just happens to be her mate? This shy quiet girl might let this man dance into her heart. But is she ready to leave the comfort of her own shell to find out?"

You see what I'm getting at? I'm not saying I'm the best writer on WattPad, but it's frustrating when real talent goes unnoticed because this crap is always at the top of the list.


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15 Nov 2016, 9:46 am

^^^ Oh my god those are hilarious :lol:

I don't know what to say other than look for something better than Wattpad. Those blurbs you've quoted are cringe-worthy, but the fact of the matter is, if such stories comprise a large section of the content, then they'll also be a large section of the readership. It's a vicious circle, but yeah, you won't be noticed or respected as much as you want to be if the community is YA/trash-heavy.

Also:

Quote:
The shy, quiet girl who sits in back of class is the last person you would think to be a werewolf right?
Whereas of course you'd think a louder kid would be a werewolf? That's some poor rhetoric right there :lol:



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15 Nov 2016, 10:04 am

My favorite is "The Alpha's Young Mate." I mean, the writing is just horrible, but she apparently got called out so much for shipping a full grown man with a five year old girl that she felt compelled to tell anyone who thought it was pedophilia (which it apparently isn't is the moon goddess "chosen" you) to get the f*** off her page. I pretty much only use WattPad anymore because it's where the vast majority of my readers are. I mean, I'm still not even in the top 100, but I can't just throw that many of my fans away, can I? :P

I don't mean to self advertise here, but how do you think the blurbs for my two Amber Silverblood books compare?

First book:
"Meet Amber, a teenage girl struggling with the death of her father, an overstressed mother- and lycanthropy. Amber wants nothing more than for things to go back to normal, but a magical corporation has its sights set on her. Six months ago they lost a very important test subject, and they think Amber will be a suitable replacement. If she refuses to go with them, a demonic crime lord has his own plans for her as well. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Amber is forced to find allies in the midst of her enemies while still trying to keep her new wolf-ish nature under control. Only one thing is certain: she can trust nobody but herself."

Second book:
"It has been a month since Amber joined the Silverpack, leaving the ruins of her old pack behind. Now she lives in her alpha's cabin with her mother and the orphaned Kimberly. But just as life is starting to feel normal again, the demonic crime lord Hendricks returns. He has a score to settle with Amber, and he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. As if that wasn't enough, Majestic is still running experiments on Silverbloods, and Amber's freedom will only last until their current specimen dies. Amber's new pack is being threatened from without and within, and she's going to have to find new strength if she wants to keep it from being torn apart like her last one. New strength... and maybe something else."


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15 Nov 2016, 11:14 am

Haha, self-advertise away!

It goes without saying there's no contest between your blurbs and the examples you provided. For starters the English is coherent :lol: , but beyond that the plots/characters are considered and the synopses are compelling. The covers look interesting and professional, too, which really helps. It's a shame there isn't a better site for sharing your work, but if Wattpad's getting people to your site/amazon page then I can see why you're reluctant to abandon it all together. Have you found any other writing sites to your liking? I'm reluctant to share my work at the best of times but if there were a decent outlet I might be tempted, for feedback/encouragement alone.

"The Alpha's Young Mate" is pretty unbelievable lol, though a similar thing happens in Twilight, right, between Jacob and the baby? Creeeeepy!



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15 Nov 2016, 11:35 am

I actually upload to several websites, in addition to my own (THELINKISBELOWCLICKITANDREADITALLLLLLLL). I also use Fictionpress, Amazon WriteOn, JukePop, and Deviantart. Ehh... don't judge me, but I also use SoFurry and Furaffinity. I don't consider myself a furry, but I've long since accepted the fact that, one way or another, most of my stories are marketable to the furry crowd, so... yeah, lol. I have a very modest following on Fictionpress, but that's because they don't have a good way to advertise on there. They've got forums, but those have been taken over by obnoxious preteen roleplayers. I had high hopes for Jukepop, since they have a screening process to keep crappy stories off their site, but all that means is that you've got a website full of authors who want people to read their stuff, but don't want to read anything themselves. WriteOn is just about worthless, I'm considering quitting it after my current book is finished. I have a few followers on Deviantart, but people go there for visual art so I'm not surprised I don't get more readers there.

So yeah, most of my following is on WattPad. What I'm trying to do, with varying degrees of success, to bring them to BolanderBooks is posting one chapter ahead on BB. That means that next week's chapter on WattPad is *this week's chapter on BolanderBooks. Plus, I tell them if they're tired of waiting for weekly updates the entire book is for sale on Amazon. I'm lucky if I sell two books a month, though.


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15 Nov 2016, 12:01 pm

How about posting a few chapters on Wattpad, and then inviting people to read the rest on Bolander Books? That might be a better way of drawing them across to your site, and really that's where you want them to be, because that's where you link to 'support the author'.

No judgement on the furries, I don't get it but then I don't get a lot of normal/conventional stuff either, so it doesn't faze me lol. I can certainly understand you wanting to appeal to as many consumer bases as possible. It's very cool that you have a following, even a modest one; think how much content there is out there, it's fantastic that people are drawn to yours. Clearly you're very aware of your internet presence as a writer, and that can only be a good thing. I hope you find a way to really monetise your writing :) .

Thank you for the reviews of other sites, Jukepop had caught my eye in the past but the problem it creates (authors not wanting to read others' work) is quite predictable really. Decent peer reviews (with an eye to improvement, not flattery) are clearly hard to come by.

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15 Nov 2016, 12:14 pm

racheypie666 wrote:
How about posting a few chapters on Wattpad, and then inviting people to read the rest on Bolander Books?


I considered that, but decided against it after I ran the idea past some of my WattPad followers. Most people use the app on their phones to read it, and BB doesn't work nearly as well for that purpose. I mean, I *do* have a mobile setting, but it's not nearly as efficient as just using WattPad. And since a lot of my followers are high school students (what are ya gonna do?), they like to get on WattPad on school computers during study hall and stuff, but for whatever reason BolanderBooks tends to be blocked. It's the same at my workplace, I can't access my own website from company computers! And others still just aren't interested enough to migrate over to a new website-- especially when that new website only features me, and they have thousands if not millions of other authors to replace me with right where they are. So yeah, for the time being my best option is to keep uploading to other websites.


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22 Nov 2016, 9:34 am

ThisAdamGuy wrote:
This is usually in response to some new writer asking if their idea sounds too cliche, or too similar to another author's story, or if it just sounds bad overall. Why does this bug me? Because people should aim to be better than that.


Context is important here- if someone's asking if their hackneyed idea is too hackneyed, the others aren't really doing them a favour by dodging the question like this! Of course, outright destroying their pet story is unhelpful in other ways. Crush not, lest ye be crushed...

Maybe a better approach is to point out that it's similar to something already out there, and to encourage them to find a new spin on the subject? Tell them they need an "elevator pitch" with at least one intriguing new element to distinguish it from the pack. Let's face it, most authors are in the business of remixing old ideas in an entertaining way. Someone writing dodgy Twilight knock-offs isn't going to become James Joyce overnight, but they may yet be persuaded to write a more original, worthwhile vampire story.


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22 Nov 2016, 1:33 pm

PhosphorusDecree wrote:
Context is important here- if someone's asking if their hackneyed idea is too hackneyed, the others aren't really doing them a favour by dodging the question like this! Of course, outright destroying their pet story is unhelpful in other ways. Crush not, lest ye be crushed...


Agreed. If that's how it went, then I'd be fine. But like I said, most of the responses I see to questions like this is to just do whatever makes the author happy, and that's the part that drives me up the wall. Originality, quality, and any sort of effort be screwed! They'll get a trophy just for showing up.


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22 Nov 2016, 6:46 pm

I feel like nobody wants to be a Mentor anymore or that everyone is now expected to teach themselves everything. It gets really annoying because people know what they're trying to achieve has been done by others and they would like to benefit from that experience.

I also think this applies to many fields other than writing.



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25 Nov 2016, 8:36 am

ThisAdamGuy wrote:
They'll get a trophy just for showing up.

I'm always happy to give out the "Just Showed Up" badge to absolute beginners- after all, it IS an achievement for them. After that, though... they're gonna have to do more than that for the other 99 badges. You can't keep waving your Just Showed Up around forever.

I'm in a songwriter's circle (like a writer's group, for music). A new member came along 2 years ago and stumbled through a rendition of her first ever song, which wasn't that great. The rest of us were very diplomatic and encouraging. As time went on, we'd suggest fixes for bits that didn't work and techniques for her to learn. She's not that confident, so none of us went all Maoist Truth and Criticism Session on her. But she wanted to improve and we were willing to give actual solid advice. Two years on, she can write and perform songs that send shivers down your spine.


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