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Literature tutorials

Tips on Avoiding Word ConfusionWord confusion. You’re and your. To, two, and too. Their, they’re, and there. Effect and affect. Its and it’s. Then and than. Who’s and whose. Get the point? Good. Now learn the difference between these words.

You’re and your.
You’re is a contraction, meaning that humans, being lazy like we are, decided to make two words into one. You’re and you are mean the same thing. Your is possessive, meaning it shows ownership. Replace you’re with you are, then read the sentence again. If it doesn’t make sense, you’re probably looking for your. (Hey, look, a proper use of you’re.) If youTips on Avoiding Word Confusion by ~TheBloodyEpicPumpkin

Writing Lesson: Naming Your CharacterYour character's name is one of the most important decisions you have to make when writing a story. There are tons of resources for naming your characters (baby name websites being my personal favorite) but there are also many things you should take into consideration. Here are some do's and don'ts in no particular order.
Similar names for twins I read an article on names recently that expressly forbid the use of matching or similar twin names because it was "overdone". While yes, naming your twins Jayden and Kayden can be a bit tacky sounding, the truth is that people do it. A lot. I've personally met a pair of identical twins named Kirsten and Kristen. Do I think their parents are crazy? A little, but when you're choosing names for your twins, it's hard not to look for rhyming or alliteration. For writers, my only suggestion is to make them visually different enough that readers can tell them apart. Jace and Jackson are easy twin names to read, butWriting Lesson: Naming Your Character by *Kitsunechann

Writing Lesson: Character TraitsIt's come to my attention as of late that there are a few traits that people give their characters for no other reason than making their character unique. I thought I would just ignore it, but then they started popping up everywhere. I mean everywhere. I looked through the deviations in a group yesterday and saw reoccurring "traits" that make me want to tear my hair out. So this handy guide is here to tell you what's been done to death and when (if ever) it's still okay to use it. I am by no means a professional, but I certainly hope you'll take some of this to heart.
Please keep in mind that these are all just opinions, really. I am not telling you that you can't do these things! (Not that I have the authority to do that anyway). More than anything, these are just things to take into consideration when creating a character for a novel.
Physical Traits
Heterochromia. This is the condition where one's eyes are two different colors.Writing Lesson: Character Traits by *Kitsunechann

10 Easy Tips to Improve Your Writing.These are some very basic things for new writers. If you see somebody that could benefit from this, send them a link!

1. Use correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar everywhere, not just in your writing.
I see a lot of writers that text-talk in conversations, leave out punctuation, don't capitalize words, etc. Even if you're just shooting a message to a friend on Facebook remember those rules! Not only does this create good habits, but I find that it leads to better and more intelligent conversations
2. Learn those tricky rules like "laid/lay" and "effect/affect".
A lot of people slack off on these. Personally, I have to look up things like this all the time because I just don't remember. They're annoying, but learning the differences can help you out in your writing and in real life. Also, the difference between "good" and "well" is a must-know! I hear this used incorrectly every single day.
3. Paragraphs and when to use them.
Obviously your wr10 Easy Tips to Improve Your Writing. by *Kitsunechann

Writers Block and How to Kill ItWith NaNoWriMo coming up soon, I thought I'd finally spit out a writers block help guide. This can be used any time and for any blocks! Let's begin.
Environment
A lot of writers block cases come just from environment. For example, for a long time my computer was a desktop. Not very portable, right? Well, this meant that if I wanted to do any writing, I had to sit down in the same spot every time and write. I had to deal with the same environment, the same clutter, the same chair, the same sitting position, etc. This doesn't help! So consider your environment. (For suggestions that require moving elsewhere, use a laptop or a good old fashioned notebook with a pen or pencil)
Clean up your workspace. Organize it. Rearrange it. Make it different than last time you sat there.Light a candle or incense, or even freshen up your room with an air freshener. Go in another room. SoWriters Block and How to Kill It by *Kitsunechann

Writing Lesson: Writing ConversationsWhile I am not a professional by any means, I have been writing for many years and, more recently, beta-reading as well. In all of my experience, I've noticed that a lot of to-be authors make some really silly, simple mistakes. In an effort to help out, I'm going to be putting up a few "Quick Tips" that might help you improve your writing and get more readers.

For this "Quick Tips" entry, I'm going to focus on conversation and the use of quotations. Here we go :D

Punctuation in Quotations
When a character is speaking, their statement is often followed by, "she said" or, "he mumbled". However, you have to keep in mind that this is still partWriting Lesson: Writing Conversations by *Kitsunechann

Writing Lesson: Your Character's Parents While I am not a professional by any means, I have been writing for many years and, more recently, beta-reading as well. In all of my experience, I've noticed that a lot of to-be authors follow the easy trends and miss out on some great story telling opportunities. Hopefully this guide will help you improve your story and learn that the easy way out isn't always the best! If you would like more writing guides and tutorials, check out the description below.
For this "Quick Tips" entry, I'm going to focus on an important part of back story: parents.
*Please note! I understand that, unfortunately, not everyone reading this has parents. If your parents have passed away or are otherwise absent, please forgive anything written here that might be considered upsetting. These scenarios are for fictional parents only and when I say "dead", I do not mean it to sound nearly as insensitive as itWriting Lesson: Your Character's Parents by *Kitsunechann

Proofreading Tips #1: Redundancies

Have you ever thought about how redundantly we speak in every day conversation? Sometimes this passes into our writing. For graduates especially, we are unfortunately trained to add extra "padding" into our text to reach a desired word count.
Word redundancies (known as pleonasms and sometimes given the nickname of "baby puppies") are one such way. Here is a list highlighting such phrases--avoid using these at all costs:advance warningalter or changeassemble togetherbasic fundamentalscollect togetherconsensus of opinioncontributing factordollar amounteach and everyend resultexactly identicalfew in numberfree and cleargrateful thanksgreat majoProofreading Tips #1: Redundancies by ~GoldCoinComics

I Miss You: Should You Orphan Your Character?

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

Be warned: this is a really sensitive issue. I really hope that this isn't something that is just taken lightly by an author. This discussion may also be a bit too gruesome for some, so viewer discretion is advised.

Some of the best and worst characters ever put to paper have been orphans. But are you writing Batman or jusI Miss You: Should You Orphan Your Character? by ~WonHitWonder

A Pupil's Plea: 5 Things That Ruin Good Tutorials

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

Look, I've only written three tutorials so far. I don't know if they're any good or not and I'm not experienced enough to be an expert by any means. I am, however, an experienced audience member for tutorials. My god, have I read a LOT of tutorials. This list is as much for me as itA Pupil's Plea: 5 Things That Ruin Good Tutorials by ~WonHitWonder

Follow Up: 5 MORE Things That Ruin Good Tutorials

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

All right, so I've been thinking about some great feedback I got from my last tutorial about tutorials (there's a link to it in the description). There are just a lot of things that a tutorial writer can get wrong when trying to educate an audience on a particular topic.

As mainly a writing/art theorieFollow Up: 5 MORE Things That Ruin Good Tutorials by ~WonHitWonder

I'm My #1 Fan: Why Self-Adoration Is Dangerous

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

This may be one of my more controversial tutorials as of yet.

And yet, I'm not here to talk about a traditional writing topic. This is about attitude. Specifically, I want to talk about an author's attitude towards their stories and their talent in general.

I read a lot of amateur stories on dA, and I do mean a LOT. But one thingI'm My #1 Fan: Why Self-Adoration Is Dangerous by ~WonHitWonder

The Cracks Begin to Show: Making Flawed Characters

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

I've run across an odd myth about fictional characters here on good ol' deviantART: If my character isn't a Mary Sue then I've definitely written a good character. Sadly, this is not so. A Mary Sue (see here for more) is just a specific kind of bad character. Not all bad characters are Mary Sues. It would be like saying that sincThe Cracks Begin to Show: Making Flawed Characters by ~WonHitWonder

The Price of Plot TwistsPlot twists. Whether it be mystery novels, an M. Night Shyamalan movie, or the prolific father-son reunion in the Empire Strikes Back, plot twists pop up in every genre and medium of storytelling. With good reason, too. A plot twist surprises you, it makes you rethink everything you thought you knew, and it shatters whatever plot predictions you've racked up for the ride. A good plot twists enriches a story, it complicates it. A great one blows your freaking mind.
I think it's the "blows your freaking mind" variety that have really pumped us all up on the concept of twists. After all, when people talk about, say, The Sixth Sense, what do they always bring up? The heart-warming relationship between Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment? Of course not! It's that reality-shattering twist (which I will not name for the sake of those who haven't seen it yet). Or how about Shutter Island? That one had a bit of a doozy as well.
We've developed a bit of an addiction, I think.The Price of Plot Twists by =Inkfish7

A Rose by Any Other Name: Naming Your Characters

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

First things first; I have a quick, but essential assignment for you. Read the following three sentences below, out loud:

A weird name does not a unique character make.
A weird name does not a memorable character make.
A weird name does not a good character make.

Say it. Say it twice. Say iA Rose by Any Other Name: Naming Your Characters by ~WonHitWonder

I'm Suing You: Why Do We Make Mary Sues?

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

Let me get this out of the way: I only write tutorials if I feel that I have something to add to the topic or if I feel like it's one that few people touch on. So then why on Earth am I writing about Mary Sues? Everyone's written about them! And it's true; this topic has been well-explored in countless places that it seemsI'm Suing You: Why Do We Make Mary Sues? by ~WonHitWonder

Describing your CharactersDescribing your Characters
When it comes to characters, we writers have a certain goal: to bring these people to life in the readers' imaginations. But for this to work, two things need to happen.
1) The character needs personality.
2) The readers need to be able to visualize the character as they read.
The first is achieved through characterization, while the second is traditionally thought to be achieved through physical description. What I’d like to discuss in this journal entry, however, is how physical description also needs to contribute to a character’s personality, and how it’s actually characterization, more than anything, that helps the readers visualize a character.
Character Description:
Take a look at the following example.
1) When I entered Mr. Jed's office, he stood and smiled at me. He had a big nose and short, brown hair. He wore a dark suit. I shook his hand.
What do you know about Mr. Jed from this brDescribing your Characters by =Inkfish7

The Drafting ProcessAmong the countless number of writers in this world, each of us writes according to his or her own process. It's a routine we settle into, a habit we develop. That being said, there are good and bad habits out there, and to produce the best work we can, we need to adopt the very best of these habits while discarding the rest.
In this guide, I'd like to introduce one such habit: a basic (though incredibly effective) seven-step writing process that I've read being thrown around by a few authors (Stephen King in particular). From my own experiences, it has proven indispensable, and I highly recommend it. Not as your absolute process, mind you (although following it to the letter would still be effective), but as a base to work off of, making your own additions here and there to make it your own.
Step 1: Write the first draft.
The writer that creates something perfect on his first try is an incredibly rare specimen (although, so I've heard, not completely noThe Drafting Process by =Inkfish7

Run the Gamut: A Way to Flesh Out Your Character

First of all, I freely admit that what I say isn't gospel. I am a total amateur at art and writing. I've learned everything that I know via the internet and a few drawing books. It's just that I appreciate all of the tutorials here on dA that have helped me out, and I want to put a little bit of my own methods back in.

Is your character feeling a little bit stilted? Do you want to find a way to flesh him out a bit so that he'll be more three-dimensional? Well, here's an activity to get you started on the right path.

I call this activity Running the Gamut .

Everyone feels the same feelings. Everyone feels happy, sad, angry, afraid, inRun the Gamut: A Way to Flesh Out Your Character by ~WonHitWonder

An Argument against All-CapsThe problem:

As a writer you have certain obligations to your reader, obligations that if left unmet are grounds for the reader to set your work down for good. One such obligation is to do all you can to make your piece readable. This involves ridding your work of typos, smoothing out awkward phrasings and transitions, and otherwise. If there is anything you can do to make the reading process easier, you should make it happen.
Thus, we come to the issue at hand. In writing, it isn't uncommon for both professional and novice writers to stress words or sentences by capitalizing every letter. It often expresses shouting. For example:
Janette pushed him away and said, "DON'T touch me!"
Leonidas shouted, "TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!"
This type of emphasis has been criticized throughout the years foAn Argument against All-Caps by =Inkfish7

How To Write Good Fanfiction

!Rules to follow if you want better stories!

AU stories: When writing an AU, that doesn't mean that you can just write yourself or your friends in and use the characters' names to make it an AU so that you'll get more views than you would on fictionpress. Make the characters In character, AU is just an alternate universe, not alternate characters. Don't try to make the characters musical if they aren't musical in the books. Especially if you want to make them singers when they say specifically in the book that they can't sing cough Max from MR cough.

M rated stories: Do NOT make the characters sluts at fourteen or whatever age they are in tHow To Write Good Fanfiction by ~AnikaandAj

DISCLAIMER#1 (OR HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL) by ~Evil-Nj

deviation in storage by *meryvamp

An Argument for "Said"Preface:
Before reading this argument, I want to explain that the following principle applies primarily to writings of the English language. Although it may apply to others as well, I have learned through the comments below that at least in German and Russian this principle is reversed. Therefore, this is a principle of culture and linguistics, and unless you are planning to write in English, you should look to writers of your own language before making any decisions on the matter. That being said, on to the argument.
An Argument for "Said:"
When writing dialogue, one of the necessary elements is the use of "dialogue tags," which identify who is speaking (hence their other name, "identifiers"). They're pretty easy to recognize, but just so we're clear, here are a few examples with the tags in bold:
"It's quite sunny today," she said.
"Release her, you fiend!" he roared.
An Argument for "Said" by =Inkfish7

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