[Skai]

Well, I'm currently writing an original fiction, and I need some tips on what would make the fiction good. What should be contain within the fiction in order to make it a good fiction?

[Andromeda]

It depends of what your story is? Then you can get advice. What ideas do you have right now? And far much do you worked out?

[Skai]

I'm doing a medieval fantasy type of fiction with some bit of futuristic materials in it. Anyone got more tips?

It would also be good if someone include some tips on writing one.

[Senna]

Well, if your writing stuff you need to do some research into everything.
Like, the time period, how life was, shit like that. Then start to explore your characters, like make up small bio's on them. Wghat happend when they were kids etc. Before you start writng know your characters inside and out. Their weaknesses, their stregnth etc. Thatsd my advice. Then usually it just flows.

[fragdemon]

I've seen that question multiple times, and here are some of my answers:

To Jenova Puppet
Try and personalize your action scenes, if there will be some.

I do it by choosing a POV for a single part, and following it. It gives a whole new element to a simple thing. Look at my replies in these two threads for an example:


Read the 8th or 9th post(my name)

Another Example of Action oriented Thoughts See the last post.


Also you can just read other peoples fanfics for an understanding of style my reccomended fanfics writers are Chickenballz and Scabbage, both whose skill easily exceeds my own.



All of the advice is oriented towards action. On romance, I really have no idea, but you can just read around this site for that stuff too.

On Final Fantasy: Worlds Apart
These tips apply to action novels especially-

1: Contrary to popular belief and Bond movies, even warriors have minds.
Sometimes, a fast paced action scene is necessary to keep the flow, but at critical moments, times which change the tone of a battle, one absoulutely has to build up tension.

It gives a character depth. Even in an action scene you would get a glimpse into his/her personality. Nothing can be more important than personality to aid a plot.

Ex:
Lion King: Simba is slipping off of a cliff when Scar reveals to him that it was he who killed Mufasa.

-From 1st or 2nd person view, one should dive into Simba's mind. Trace the mixture of fear and guilt as he slides off.
-After Scar says what he needed to, have the immediate impact on him.
-Follow it up with the flashback Simba has, drawing it out as slowly as it was written when the actual even happened.
-Explain how rage replaced guilt.
-Pick up the pace, the action has started again.

Ex2:
Mission Impossible 2: Ending scene, Hunt has a gun to his back while his girlfriend gets into a helicopter.

-Start out with the feeling of relief that she is safe with the cure thingy.
-Follow it up with the badguy saying what he did.
-Go into Ethan's mind and explain how worried he was.
-Have him notice the gun.
-Subtly hint what his plan was.
-Let the action start.


2:Never be afraid to blow stuff up.
What better grab point in a novel than an instant death, murder, or explosion.
Start off from a minor character's view. This character could be the one killed, or just a bystander observing the entire thing.
Have the character live out a routine day of their life. Act as if nothing is wrong. No foreshadows. End the prologue with destruction.

Doing so has a powerful effect. None or little explanation is given to the reason for these events. Even if the story isn't a mystery, a little mystery does help in pulling the reader in. An explanation could be given within two chapters later, it doesn't really matter, you caught the reasder's attention.

Ex:
Rush Hour 2: Right away, someone just delivers a nonimportant package. As she walks outside, the embassy explodes.

Ex2: Hunt for Red October. Within a short while, the captain kills some political officer on a table, than acts as if it was nothing.

[Andromeda]

I remember this, I guess it is back. Well I wanted to give you more personalized tips based on your story but anyway here is what I have been doing.

Start with the plot think on it write it down, play it out in your mind some of the scenes. Get yourself excited.

Then once you have a general idea, hammer out your character write down everything anything possible. Go as deep into their history and feelings, actions, thoughts as possible. As draw them out if you need a visual idea when write the details out.

Then work out a history for the world and places, think of everything that has happen and important events, things that can find their way into the story. And don't worry about having too much, because then you can play with things.

Also think up phrases and saying, things to make the dialogue more personal to the characters and story rather than standard english and our sayings.

Work on culture and religion, if need be, beliefs that all your people have.

Hope that helps.

[Skai]

Thanks for the tips guy, though more would be even better.

Well, if ya look at my first post and look at the time I posted, it goes way back... Heh..

[Mistress Victoria]

Well well, look what I found. Writing a fiction eh? Well, I'm writing one as well and after maybe about one year of working on it, I have perfected it, and by that I mean creating the background of all my characters, creating a whole new species which is my main character. But he dunno that yet until he hits 18yrs old...hahahahaha. anyways, as far as tips go...

I suggest that you take some time and REALLY get into your characters. Just like as Senna said earlier. Know their strengths, weaknesses, appearances, how they speak, their personalities, how they would react to certain situations, weapons they use, history of the weapons, and history of the characters childhood unless you want your character to not know their past....as I have did with my main character....
That's alot isn't it? *sigh*

*inhale* Ok. Now that is the basis on characters. Now we head onto the timezone. Ok. So you have medival times as your setting. You need to research the medieval times, and how everything went on there. You also might need your characters to speak the way of medieval times if you wish. Or not if you dont want to complicate things. lol. sorry if i'm making things sound complicated haha. i dont mean to. i just like going indepth.

Here's a few things I've learned over the years.

Characters:

First. No one's perfect. No one. NO ONE. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE. So, why would a hero be perfect? He wouldn't be. He'd have flaws- they make the person real.

I usually, myself, with characters, create a plot first. Characters are a way to fuel the plot. That's what all writing is about- fueling the plot. So, think up a plot. Then think up who'd be BEST for that role. Cast it like it's a movie. For example: you have a guy who discovers that there is a god.

What'd be the best character for that role ?First off, you might think a person who's a christian/religous person. No, they'd be biased. So, what do you choose? A self acknowledged atheist. It adds a realism to it.

Get into their heads is another thing you have to do. Get inside them, put a little of yourself in them. Not too much, but a little. Think how they'd think, speak how they'd speak. Don't say to the character, "You have to act THIS WAY!" No, let them flow, instead. They'd do what goes with their motivations.

Apperances are superfluous. They don't matter. If they have a distinguishing feature- like bright red hair- name it. But, please, god, DO NOT, fall into the early writers role of having them look in a mirror- it's trite, cliche, and unneeded. For example: I went through an entire short story without describing anything besides limited amounts of my character. Why?

When you describe them, you're telling the reader what they look like. If you show them, by things that happen (maybe you can slip in a little description if, say, they have blood pouring down their face) it's better. And, if you tell them "so-and-so looks like THIS" you're limiting the readers imagination, and insulting them as well.

Writing: Show, don't tell. Don't go into long blurbs of telling the reader something- it's boring. Show us. Show us the world through what happens, rather than info dumps.

Technical Aspects of Writing:

DO NOT, please god, DO NOT, simply do Subject-Verb sentences. Many people do this: "He said" "He walked" "He looked" ad naseum. Instead, spice it up: "As he walked toward the..." or "Walking towards the ..."

This way you spice up the variety of sentence structure, thus keeping people more interested. If you use ALL subject verb sentences, the writing will be bland and boring, no matter how great the plot and characters are.

The World:

This is one of the more important aspects of fantasy. My suggestion would be this:

Map the world. Create the map, first and foremost. From there you'll get ideas of races/cultures of the world: if it's a plains area, and people live there, they'll probably be nomadic, etc.

And, please. No cliche fantasy race. Please no. I've seen- as have most fantasy readers- enough Dwarfs, and Elves, and Dragons (oh my).

If you are going to use another race, create it. You can base it off the archetype of a Elf, but twist it till it's unrecognizable to anyone else as once having been an elf.

Overall, be consistent in your world. I don't care HOW fantastic it is. Realism isn't what matters, suspension of disbelief is. YOu can have a world that rotates in a off axis and has TEN YEAR long summers and winters, or varying summer/winter lengths (maybe a ten year summer, ten year winter, then a two year summer and two year winter (Yes, this is George R.R. Martins world)). Of you can have a planet of such enormous size that it takes four THOUSAND years for a day to pass. But be consistent.

If you want any more advice, I can critique a small piece (I prefer to not do large pieces- the nature of the way I crit makes it... a pain... to say the least, to crit a large piece )
.david