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Fundamentals
- Introduction
- This is not a writing lesson in terms of rules regarding grammar and spelling and usage of words. If you want to know about those things you should read the US Army Writing Manual, a really excellent basic guide on how to write. You will not go far wrong if you review the material in the manual on a regular basis to ensure that you´re retaining your basic writing skills in good form and use.
The following material is about the philosophy behind all of those tools, this is what makes these tools of grammar and so on useful. When you understand the following things, you will be able to make good use of the tools of vocabulary, grammar, and your own particular gifts to communicate with your fellow man. If you have questions about the following: let me know.
Note: The material you are about to read has broader application and is not just particular to writing, it also applies to any creative artist who would engage upon the endeavor of providing his fellow man with the riches of applied soul, imagination and intellect.
Writing is a communication. The end result of a communication is an effect upon and within the Reader. If you want to write very well, then you have to have in mind what effect you want to create in the mind of the reader. Every word, sentence, paragraph, page, and chapter contributes to that effect. Any associated artwork contributes to that effect and should be taken into account when you’re writing.
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- Function determines structure and content
- Spend some time considering the Reader's needs, and the effect you want to create with each piece you write. The sum of this consideration is an understanding in your own mind of what it is you're endeavoring to achieve: a Valuable Final Effect; the Resultant Communication; the arrival of useful information in the mind of a person that achieves the goal you set out to achieve when you began writing.
When you know what the Valuable Final Effect is—the end product of creative expression—then you can set about creating it. The Valuable Final Effect is different for each product or project.
You can create good or bad effects upon and within a mind, the responsible artist—the Creative Artist—understands this and seeks to create a good effect upon and within the Reader or Recipient of the communication; and there is a lot to know about responsible communication, but that is another matter entirely and not within the scope of this work at this time.
If you want to know more about this subject then you'll need to visit Allforart.com where material of this nature will appear. Check the NDK Non-fiction Collection at my site when it is finally open to the public. Now that you're subscribed to The Free Articulator you'll be notified when material of this nature comes available as it happens. The Code of a Creative Artist and the Code Point Articles (see links from each point of the Code) may also be useful.
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- Your writing is not for your benefit alone
- It is for others and it has a purpose: To communicate useful information in a memorable way so the Reader can use it to create the world you've imagined in their minds, and have endless hours of fun and entertainment as a result. So the better you write, the easier it is for them to assimilate the data and use it. Remember this when you are writing.
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- What you write has to integrate with the rest of the world you are writing in
- To do this you need to make sure you have all the information and study up on the world itself, if you are writing for someone else's world, or even the real one. If you're writing for your own world, take care not to contradict yourself.
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- The things you create and introduce to the world will have an effect upon other things already written
- You don't want to mess those up. A lot of other people may have already spent time working on these things. Mind you, in your own world you can always go back and change details that no longer serve your purposes.
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- You want your writing to integrate and work with those works already created and integrated with the world
- That said, there are always exceptions. Good fantasy writing depends on research and imagination. The better the research, the more material the imagination has to work with. Again, this is the principle: "Function determines structure and content" at work.
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- Show don't tell
- All the good writers say this: "Don't tell me, show me." By this is meant: give me description. However, don't give so much that you prevent the mind of the reader from doing any work. The reader's mind has to be part of the communication and it's a two–way communication, by which is meant: the Writer provides the communication in the form of written words, the Reader is the receipt point, but the reader must be able to contribute to the communication. In other words you are making the Reader a part of the Formula of Artistic Communication, Expression and Experience.
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- What is a wellinformed reader
- A wellinformed reader is one who not only retains the information, but can use it to good effect. In a world building or computer game world, the best nonfiction writing, or informational writing is Informing the reader so well, that they can remember and utilize the information to play a great game and have fun. The end result of which is: a good/ satisfying/ extraordinary interactive experience, or "a good game."
How good that experience will be is dependent upon your knowledge and application of the craft of writing.
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- Turn on spell checkers and grammar checkers
- There is no excuse for turning in sloppy work full of spelling and grammatical error today.
That said, the most important thing to do is communicate, and your technique is secondary to the importance of the communication itself. This does not mean that knowing and using technique is not important, it just means that the perspective with which you hold them should be in this order: Communication; Technique. The technique should be of sufficient skill to communicate—transfer the idea from one mind to another mind. This means: the fact that you communicate your ideas is more important than the fact that you get it technically correct or not. Once you have communicated, the communication can be polished, corrected, and next time you'll communicate better than you did before.
In other words, get the First Draft out of your head and onto paper or into bit 'n byte. Do not worry about the perfection of the technical aspects until after. The First Draft is the priority. Once you have that out of your head it can be worked on and developed by you and others. So long as it remains trapped in your head, it is no good to anybody. Get it out of your head, out of your intellect and then work on it to bring it up to publishable standards. The ideas and expression of them are what is important; if you don't get them out of your head you have nothing.
The best time to do this is when you have the idea, while it is fresh and exciting, and this I call Tapping the Passion. Passion is creative fuel; it gets one to The End. But you have to tap it and use it, while it is there, alive and bursting with the energy of inspiration in the moment of creation. This is one of the secrets of prolific creativity. It means developing and holding to a perspective on the value of ideas that is not commonly accepted in society at this writing, and giving that idea the value of more permanent existence than it will find inside your head.
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- When you first have the concept or idea of what you want to do
- Write down: the location when the idea struck you and the day/date, and what you were doing. This is important. If you get stuck and bog down (people call it writer's block - I call it Creative Block because according to my research it doesn't only happen to writers but to Creative Artists in any artistic discipline) then this data can help you remember what triggered the idea. Also write down everything you can about the idea when you first have it. If it still won't budge, or find its way to articulate expression, then bring the idea to others you trust, and see if they can't help you break it loose with a few ideas, bearing in mind those points of the Creative Artist's Code that are important.
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- Work on the idea while it is fresh
- If you don't it can go stale and you lose the excitement and charge of inspiration that will fuel the process of making a tangible expression. Then it may never come out. This means you should write it while it is fresh.
That said: sometimes ideas and concepts need to germinate. And germination can take time. How long or short is anybody's guess.
Ideas and concepts don't always come out of one's mind fully formed. Sometimes you have to work on them and occasionally this means you need more information to be able to fully develop an idea and then express it, so that it is complete and can be used for the purpose intended.
I have found that for myself the ratio of input: output is roughly 10:1 and sometimes less. In other words: 10 pages of information in, is 1 page of information out. Often it is a matter of asking oneself the right questions about what it is you are trying to create.
- What does it look like?
- How does it feed? What does it feed on?
- Where does it live?
- What's its age?
- Is it smart, dumb?
- How does it move?
- Etc.
Writers are often told "write what you know about" and that's all very well, up until the point you create something that nobody ever saw or imagined or experienced before. How can you arrive at the place where you can know about something that didn't exist before? Ask questions.
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- Organize the data into logical groups of similar information when/as you write it
- Mating habits and sexual preferences go together, and when you put them together, the data becomes cohesive to the reader. They'll remember it easier. They remember it easier because the ideas are organized in a logical sequence. The principle is: The order of input determines ease of interface and retention. Start with basics and move forward based on those basics introducing more detailed information as you go.
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- Use paragraphs to break up large text blocks into logical subjects
- The general rule is: A new subject/topic = a new paragraph.
For example, if you are writing about the mating habits of a creature, then keep the information in a logical sequence: mating; early growth; maturation; adult behavior—would be a good logical sequence to follow. As opposed to: adult behavior; habitat; early growth; eating habits; mating; fighting; gestation; special abilities; nursing of young; etc. Keep the subjects ordered in a logical sequence for the Reader, as this will help them to remember and retain the information for use without having to refer to the material constantly.
Once again, this is application of the principle "Function determines structure and content."
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- Proofread your own work at least 3 times before you submit it for editing
- This means: read it through at least 3 times. Also read your text aloud a 4th time. You will hear things that are not apparent when you read the copy (copy = the written text in this case). Correct the errors that turn up as you find them. Then re-read them from slightly before the place where the error occurred. It's a double-check. The thing that is most important to remember when doing this is that it is the Effect you want to create that governs this process. "Function determines structure and content."
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- Look up words to see what their correct spelling is
- Don't guess. Check that the definitions you are using are correct. If you have the least bit of uncertainty about if the definition is correct or not—check. A good source for definitions online is Onelook which accesses more than 600 online dictionary databases with a single click, and organizes and provides access to just about any definition you can possibly imagine or need.
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- Use a Thesaurus
- (A book of words having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or other words in a language, often including related and contrasting words and antonyms. Antonyms are words having a meaning opposite to that of another word: The word wet is an antonym of the word dry.) to prevent the use of the same word in a fashion that is so repetitive as to sound like a monotone. You can literally put a reader to sleep if you use the same words over and over and over and over and over and over...in the same pattern in your writing.
I call this kind of writing: "Putting the reader into a hypnotic stupor." The reader should enjoy reading what you write. They should not feel dull, bored, uninterested. If they do there is something wrong with the writing, not something wrong with the reader. The reader should be eager to know what comes next, and their mind should be fully engaged in the process. What they read should go easily into their mind and integrate with other data and information they have already been given. And it should be memorable, which is to say: There should be elements to what you write that stick out in the reader's mind and create a memory impression they can easily recall
Now read it again and notice how different visual and audio elements are placed in the copy (text) to help you create a very vivid image in your mind. Look at the words, note what their effect is alone and together. Notice how the scene is set up by the sentences before. Observe the way the words are alliterated. Notice the rhythm. Notice the effect on your gut. The effect can be emotional, intellectual, sensory (physical), visual or any combination thereof. This is a matter of word selection and combination. What words you use and how you put them together are what make the difference.
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- Avoid using the same word
- Avoid using the same word in consecutive sentences, or the same sentences. This is bad form or poor writing craft. Instead use a synonym, by checking a Thesaurus for words of similar meaning.
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- Vary the pace and rhythm of your writing
- Vary the pace and rhythm of your writing to keep it exciting for the reader. This is a matter of sentence length, complexity, punctuation, etc. How you do this, is what makes your writing voice unique, as unique as a signature, though the best writers can imitate another as if they were him.
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- It should flow easily from the paper to the mind that is receiving it
- You accomplish this by selecting your words with care to ensure that you have a rhythm and flow that will work for you and, more importantly, accomplish the intended result. The style of writing is dependent upon the function and purpose of the piece you're writing.
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- Don't start every sentence with a common noun or a Proper Noun
- If you don't know what these are look them up in a dictionary Onelook and find out. Sentence beginnings should not be repetitive in nature; it puts the reader to sleep. You want the Reader to read the entire piece and get all the information they need to immerse themselves in the world of your story, play a game, or escape the reality of the real world.
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- Don't overuse pronouns
- The Reader loses track of what s/he is reading about which defeats the purpose of communicating in the first place, right? Too many pronouns will also introduce hypnotic stupor to the reader's mind. You'll put him or her to sleep. If that's the effect you want to create, well, okay. Just realize a fellow with his eyes closed has a harder time receiving what you've spent hours creating.
Remind the reader what they're reading, by using the Proper Noun, or the common noun.
Too many people today use pronouns even when they're talking. Things have names. Places have names. People have names. Objects and animals and plants have names. Don't write: "Get the thing that's over there, and give it to her, and tell her to pass it to him, and put it with the stuff." It doesn't mean anything and who could do it? What thing? Where is there? Who is her? Who is him? What is stuff? These things have names and those names are common and/or Proper Nouns.
It's okay to use pronouns but use them sparingly, and make sure you mention the Proper Noun and/or common noun a few sentences earlier, and a few sentences later. This makes reading easy to understand, and readers will love you for it. This also makes what you have written easier to remember.
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- Adverbs are the mark of an amateur writer
- Avoid them like the plague. Adverbs make writing passive instead of active.
The best description I've come across, about how the adverb works and why it is wrong when it comes to writing well, is this one by author Gregory E. Gifford: Adverbs are those verb modifiers that often end in -ly. Sometimes they come before the verb, sometimes after, and sometimes they are a word or two removed.
Adverbs are powerful words. They modify verbs cheaply and efficiently, allowing a writer to say more with less. This is what good style is all about, right?
Well, not in this case. If adverbs saturate every page of your manuscript, you might as well wave a flag in an editor's face and scream, "I am an amateur!" Editors loathe adverbs above all other words. Why?
Well, let's take a look at an adverb in action:
"We must leave now!" the man said urgently.
Now, ask yourself this question: is the adverb in the above sentence really necessary? No, because if you remove the adverb, you will not change the meaning of the sentence. The dialogue already conveys the man's sense of urgency. Novice writers often misuse adverbs in this fashion, thinking it important to tell the reader how the dialogue is delivered. In most cases the dialogue can stand alone.
So what do you do if you feel the dialogue does not stand alone?
Well, instead of writing this . . .
"I will see that your sister gets the letter," the general said tenderly.
. . . you could write this: The general took the soldier's blood-covered hand and held it. "I will see that your sister gets the letter." Whenever possible, replace adverbs with actions or gestures. Yes, it adds to the word count, but your writing will be much more vivid and poignant.
—Gregory E. Clifford, Author, USA (Quoted with the permission of the author)
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- Let it sit for a couple of days,
- Before you send your writing in for Group Review let it sit for a couple of days, even a week. Then read it again. If you're happy with it, send it. If not, fix it.
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Brainstorming
- What is brainstorming
- Brainstorming in a creative discussion is pretty undisciplined, and
it should be if it is to be at its most effective but there are some
guidelines all should be aware of. Before we get into those though,
let's take a look at the definition.
What is brainstorming? The American Heritage Dictionary defines brainstorming as: A method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously contribute ideas. A similar process undertaken by a person to solve a problem by rapidly generating a variety of possible solutions.
This is one of the key activities collaborators are engaged in. Some of the best ideas have come out of brainstorming sessions that help to remove any blocks or barriers one may run into when one tries "to go it alone." Whether you're a writer, an illustrator, a cartographer, or astrologer brainstorming can help you break an idea loose that's going nowhere. Here are some guidelines.
Leave the brainstorming sessions loose and let imagination have free reign.
Just toss the ideas back and forth and examine them for context, workability and originality. Context is the relevancy to the project; an idea either fits in the world, or it doesn't.
One of the most workable things to understand about this is that there is somebody who is the source of the idea—one person, and it is only one person—and that person is the one who has final say-so regarding that idea. It's up to them to see the sense of what you or another is communicating and apply it or not to the development of that idea.
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- Workability
- Workability, when it comes to
idea, is all about how the idea works
within the context of the world. There
are a lot of factors involved here, far
too many to list.
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- Originality
- Originality is to do with the idea being fresh, new and not ordinary.
To get Context right you have to know something about the world you're writing in. See Fundamentals section.
Weigh the resulting ideas against the context and purpose of the group, and the particular project you're working on so that they will work. If it is any good you've now got a Concept.
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- Concept definition
- 1. A general idea derived or inferred from specific
instances or occurrences. 2.
Something formed in the mind; a
thought or notion.
Usage Note: In fields such as
entertainment and advertising, concept is often used loosely to mean " a
scheme, plan, " as in The studio liked the
concept for the new game show and decided
to put it into development. Perhaps this usage
sounds most at home in these industries.
(American Heritage Dictionary)
A Concept is nothing until it has
detail. It is the detail that makes it reality.
The details have to work together and they
have to make sense to you and others within
the world you're working in.
Warning: Too much detail and you miss
engaging the mind of the reader. Make the
reader's mind do some of the work.
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- Ideas fall into roughly two classes: constructive and destructive
- One is
workable and the other is unworkable. One
resolves problems and the other creates
them. The type of idea we need are the
workable ideas. Workable ideas, well
communicated, create a reality in the mind
of the recipient of the communication.
Unworkable ideas are rejected by a mind
that is not otherwise impaired.
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- You don't have to agree with an idea you are presented with
- A
bad idea is a bad idea, show why, don't just
state a conclusion without any reasoning—
because without reasoning and/or statement
of fact it's just opinion, and that's anybody's
guess.
If your idea is "attacked" realize
this: it's not you who is being attacked; but
your idea that is being challenged. You are
not your ideas. Your ideas are not you.
Creative people are usually smart; they
know this, they don't think "you're an idea" or
likely they would have already written you into
the story or edited you out. Listen
and learn how to craft your ideas
so that they are better formulated
and presented. A good (constructive) crit will help you and you'll feel
helped. Learn to be your own best critic.
A criticism that has validity and is well-reasoned and supported by
observation and fact is constructive criticism. There is a difference
between opinion and conclusion. Opinion may or may not be supported
by fact—more often an opinion is the latter, not the former. Conclusion,
another order of opinion entirely, is supported by facts and/or reasoning.
So when you're brainstorming pay attention to how an idea is supported
or not by facts, observations, reasoning and conclusions.
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A note on Plagiarism
- A note on Plagiarism
- Creativity is characterized by originality and expressive communication.
Plagiarism is defined as:
1. v. tr. 1. To use and pass off as one's own (the ideas or writings of another). 2. To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from (another). v. intr. 1. To put forth as original to oneself the ideas or words of another. (American Heritage Dictionary).
Obtained, resulting, or adapted from an original source:
- derivational
- secondhand
- derivative
- parroted
- imitative
- indirect
- apish
- mimetic
- plagiaristic
- secondary
- original (antonym)
2. (v.) To steal and use the intellectual property of another:
Creativity then is not the utilization of an idea that already exists as it exists. It is important to understand this: Under the intellectual property laws of the United States of America and many other countries ideas cannot be copyrighted or otherwise protected. Can you imagine what would happen if they were?
To copy the expressions of another's ideas and use them with minor alteration, or even substantial rewrite is to crib from the work of another, to steal it. One can take an idea, add other ideas and begin to completely make of it an entirely new idea, and then express it as one's new idea. By the time you have finished working on that original idea, it will no longer be what it was. It will be new. Ideas beget ideas. That is their nature. I am not advocating making a derivation, I am simply saying, in the privacy of your own mind you can take an idea, add to it other ideas, combine them to form new ideas and ultimately express them as these resultant new ideas. This is entirely different from violating copyright.
People who violate copyright are committing criminal acts. By all means work on ideas in the privacy of your mind, but when you decide to move them from that universe, into this universe—the one where we all work and play—then do not introduce them as other than fully worked out new ideas, your own ideas.
What you do in the universe of your mind is your own business, what you do in this universe is everybody's business.
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Advanced Tips
- The Intensifier
- An intensifier is a word, term, phrase or sentence that is utilized and employed to intensify the effect of another word, sentence,phrase or section. It enhances the Effect on the reader intensifying the interface between the material being consumed and the reader's intellect and physiology. Example: "obscene orchestra of noisome suck" has the effect of creating an audio-visual obscenity for the reader. They read this and they hear the ghastly sounds in their mind. More than this they may even feel their gut roil in disgust and threaten to release their last repast in a fit of revulsion. Intensifiers help the reader be there.
"You must find some way to elevate your act of writing... Usually this means giving the reader an enjoyable surprise. Any number of methods will do the job: humor, anecdote, an unexpected quotation, a powerful fact, an outlandish detail, a circuitous approach, an elegant arrangement of words." William Zinsser, On Writing Well
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- Use Humor
- Use Humor Occasionally. The Talmud, one of the famous religious books of the Jewish Faith (no, I'm not Jewish, just widely read) says, "A lesson taught with humor is a lesson learned," and that's very true. Humor, used judiciously, also adds a little levity for the reader. A little reward if you like for reading so much. Do not lay it on thick. For then it will only be funny the first time. And be clever in your humor. It doesn't need to be something people have already done a thousand times before you (cliches) . That only bores them. People like their humor fresh and original. Humor is perhaps the hardest thing to write, particularly if it is to be funny long after it is written. So if you're confident with writing humor, go for it. If not, then stick to good craft until you're ready to try it out.
"A lesson taught with humor is a lesson learned." The Talmud
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- Using Potentially (And Very Likely) Unfamiliar Words
- When you use a word that a reader may not be familiar with, find a way within a sentence to explain its use, thus defining the word for the reader. This is part of caring for the reader.
Example: Their heads are protected with a full basinet helmet and gorget to protect their throat.
If in doubt, expand upon the use of the word. This is a judgment call. It is not something to be excessive about. If you're excessive in defining words you'll upset some readers because they'll find you patronizing and insulting of their intelligence.
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- Put Certainty In The Reader's Mind/Remove Uncertainties
- When I say "Put certainty in the reader's mind" and/or "Remove uncertainties from the reader's mind" I mean: phrases such as "somewhat of a" and any other phrase that introduces an uncertainty for the reader. You can't tell convincing lies (it's what writers do ::grin:: and thus get a reader to suspend disbelief when you introduce uncertainties in your writing. You must introduce *certainty* to the world you are building, that makes it more real. So, as a general rule: eliminate uncertainties from your writing.
Example:
Uncertainty: Eldun is somewhat of a bibliophile.
Certainty: Eldun is a bibliophile.
The difference is, in the first situation you introduce an uncertainty into the one place that you don't want it: the Reader's mind. In the second instance you introduce a certainty into the Reader's mind. When you do this, what happens is you give the Reader solid, certain, building blocks. Upon these your world becomes believable or not.
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