L Writer's Tips
This is a collection of notes and tips to fellow writers of novels and stories. When I started writing fantasy stories I discovered that writing novels was very different from writing essays or stories. It was very hard to get started, the only thing I had to go on being books and novels I had read. Hopefully other young authors will be able to improve their writing with the tips found here.
Note: Not all of the things I refer to are books - some are video games, T.V. shows, the works. But even if they aren't Tolkien, they have captivated millions of fans, so they must be doing something right.
1.) Point of View
There are three different points of view.
One is where you always refer to your main character as "I". It's like first-person view in video games - it allows the reader to feel attached to the character (you) and it allows for the most emotion in the story. But when you do it like that you can't go aside and show what the bad guy is doing or show something from another point of view, which kinda limits your ability as a storyteller. It also prevents readers from being allowed to choose which character they like, which limits you even more. Unless you really lived through it, this isn't a good choice for a fantasy story.
Then there's the "she" and "he" storytelling, which almost all authors use. It's the best way to write, but the best way to write in the side view is the Robert Jordan way - putting all the emotion you would put into an "I" story into the side view and just alternating the point of view (if that make's any sense. If not, try reading my Sora stories or any of Robert Jordan's books).
Finally there's the Tolkien view. It's like the overhead view and I have no idea how to write like that.
2.) Da Bounce
The bounce. This is a great suspense builder - and suspense is something every book needs, especially one aimed towards children (think Harry Potter). It's like when the main character has been striving for this one goal, he's almost there, they think it will solve everything - badabing. A new complication. Dragonball Z is great for this. It's kinda like "and Slugman defeats Frogman and runs toward the crystal to save the world. He almost reaches the crystal when OH NO! HE STEPPED INTO A TIME WARP! HE'S 100 YEARS IN THE PAST! WHAT WILL HE DO NOW??? If you've ever played a video game (especially a Zelda one) it's when you defeat the final boss and run to save the princess, you're almost there and - the main boss regenerates into something even nastier. Yeah, that's da bounce. Just don't bounce it too hard, otherwise the reader will be like "Look - she finished the quest. Just give it up and stop trying to draw it out." If you do a bounce, plan for it from the beginning. It's a very, very hard thing to achieve, but it makes your story all the better if you do it correctly.
3.) Cliff Hangers
Cliff hangers are great for keeping the reader reading. For me, I put them at the end of every chapter not only to keep the reader reading but to prevent the story from getting boring. The only problem with cliff hangers is that they make your story addictive (that's a problem for the reader, not you).
Huh, that's all that I've discovered so far. If you have any tips of your own, e-mail me!