Videos about Writing

Here is a list of some fantastic videos about how to write Sci-fi and Fantasy, enjoy!

Brandon Sanderson's Lectures on youtube, from http://writeaboutdragons.com. Brandon's full creative writing class on video.


Brandon Sanderson's Over-the-shoulder Writing Videos (see his writing in progress as he writes).

Dan Wells Presentation on the 7-Step Formula, from S James Nelson's Youtube page. One of the best videos on plot structure I've ever seen.

Science fiction fantasy books Youtube page, with a plethora of great videos from various authors.

A page I recently discovered: http://literacyshed.com, with videos and writing prompts.

And this isn't video, but it is fantastic nonetheless: http://www.writingexcuses.com, a fantastic podcast about writing, featuring Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Mary Robinette Kowal.

There you go! That was short and sweet, hopefully filled with useful writing resources, next time, I will be posting about different resources for making your own fantasy maps, for free!

Peace out writers!

-Thomas Larsen

The Struggles of Plots and subplots

So, I've been brainstorming the next book, currently titled "The Sphere of Ateya" (even though I have NO CLUE what that sphere is), and I've been struggling. See, the main character is a monk trying to find a good master to follow, because he needs a master for his magic to function. Now a major plot element, or at least the most intriguing to me, is the discovery of a type of metal that cancels gravity effects within it and around it. And perhaps using that to make bullets.

Sometimes, especially in my early plotting stages, I feel like what I'm plotting looks something like those plots above. A big headache!

What do I do with this dilemma? Hmm. Maybe I need to tie them together. That's the best thing to do, come up with an intriguing plot, then add in the subplots. Or, if one of the subplots is more interesting, make it the main plot! But, something tells me that this monk's journey to find a good master is the most important storyline in the story, I feel that it is going to be the most resonant. So... I think I know what I must do.

I hope that my little ramble about plot helps you guys with your plot dilemmas! And if you're reading this to know my progress, there you have it! :)
Adios!

-Thomas

Make-believe and Truth

Here are some little tidbits that I wrote several years ago about writing, they still hold true today:

“When you're writing, don't be so serious. Play make-believe as you write. Use your imagination. Don't think "I'm writing a novel" think "I'm playing pretend!" Really use your make-believe to make it come to life. Don't worry about what other people will say when they read it, just let your imagination breath heart and soul into your story. Watch it happen. And watch the magic unfold as you let go of your anxieties and let your natural ability to create (like a child) make a beautiful tale. Then you can put on the grown-up glasses later.”

“Truth is more important than technique. Truth about people and characters. Truth about what happens in the world. Truth about what life is really about and the human condition. What you write must be true in your own imagination.”

There you go! A simple post for this week.

Fan-Fic is NOT a waste of time!

I used to shake my head at myself and at others who wrote in that dreaded medium titled "Fan-fic" where you kidnap characters of other books or movies and write your own stories with them. Gasp! How dare you! Copyright law! Lack of Creativity!

But then, I heard something from Kevin J Anderson when he was a guest on Writing Excuses, the fantastic writing podcast that I listen to. He said that writing Fan-fic is NOT a waste of time, because it teaches you to focus on certain things. LIke what do you say?

• It forces you to focus on developing plot around your character's personality, you wouldn't make Captain Kirk act out of character just to make your fanfiction work would you?
• It allows you to focus on developing your prose
• It forces you to write dialogue according to each character's unique voice
• It teaches you the value of having very strong, unique characters.

So there you have it! Will it ever get published? Eh, probably not. They usually ask you to write in their universes, you don't usually ask them if you can share your great Star Wars novel idea. But it will teach you these things, and writing practice, of course, is one of the most important things of becoming a writer.

Last, but not least, learn how to develop characters that are as strong as these movie characters. Learn to know them so well, that you would never dream of forcing them to act out of character.

There ya have it, KEEP ON WRITING!

-Thomas