The Dink Network

After me and some other members had a discussion about story writing techniques in a thread that had nothing to do with story writing, i thought maybe it would be worth making a thread for debating story writing techniques. Who knows we all may just learn something. After all sharing of knowledge, experience and opinions can often lead to the gaining of new knowledge.

Planning. Plan your stories to make sure they have the main recipies needed to have written a 'story'.

Though you fail to mention your own views? Are you waiting for someone to disagree with? Anyway...

I think you are using "writing technique" to say how I should write, and if I don't write that way then I am a n00b, idiot, etc. I completey disagree with this, There is only so far that my writing emulates your writing, and that is how it should be. Writing (when it pertains to narratives, which I think you are implying) is a form of expression and I think should be free from conformity.

Now I may of totally missed the topic you mentioned. but oh well...

I typically write stories using the English language.

Obvious, but highly true. Planning is one of the most important parts, right up there with structure (see MegaMan's Hello! post my opinions on that).

You have it totally wrong, Vortex. this is a debate thread, not a conformity thread. My best friend and I both want to be writers, but we have very different writing styles and techniques. Does this mean I like his style any less than mine? Or that I try to tell him how to write? No. It simply means that I use a different style than him. Both of our styles are just as valid. My style does not invalidate his and his does not invalidate mine. In fact we both think our styles, though different, would compliment each others, since I am better than him in some areas and he is better than me in some areas. I admit there is no "ultimately correct" method. I just believe that some things "should" be in all methods and to some degree that is evidently true 9I mean no one would try to write a story without there being a main character(s) after all). No one else's style is invalid simply because it is different to anyone elses. I mean I write in a different way than my favourite authors (Terry Goodkind, David Eddings, Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind). Does that mean my method is invalid? Of course not. In fact my method is highly original, it is unlike any other. Does that make it any less valid. No. In short this thread is a thread for discussing and debating opinions on writing, with the intent of people (myself included) learning some things from it. I'm sorry if I came acroos as an arrogant "my way or the highway", I didn't intend that since I don't think that way and in fact hate that concept.

As for my lack ofmentioning anything: i already have (see MegaMan's Hello! for my opinions on the neccesity of story structure). Also I just wasn't sure which of my opinions to put first, but rest assured I will soon.

I know this is obvious, but character development. The personality of the characters need to develop as the story advances. What do you think?

As I mentioned in MagaMan's Hello thread, story structure is a must as I see it. You shouldn't go putting the end of the story in the middle and go back to the middle or jump around in time too often. A little bit of jumping can work, but not too much.

I don't think I'd classify that as a part of your technique, but if you want to classify it as such, well, it makes no difference to me.

Why do you need 5 separate posts?

Responding to different posts and I think each opinion should have it's own post, isnce they are sort of different topics.

But there were only three posts...and you posted five times...

I see your point, I hate it when people try to put expression into "rules and guidelines" I was always the kid in class arguing with the teacher about the meaning of poems, the mechanics of writing, and the validity of pretty much everything they teach. But oh well...

Well, I see your point, but certain "rules and guidelines" are valid, such as the "rules and guidelines" of spelling and grammer. But I don't like that they tried to teach us "rules and guidelines" for the creative process. That is just a contradiction really and I hate contradictions.