Hello

My name is Marc and i've just signed up here to ask a few questions to you real writers, In no way am I a writer but two days I just sat at my laptop and started to write, I have always had an idea in my head for my chatacter for years as he is everything that I have always wanted to be. He is an anti hero as why does the hero in every story I have read or seen have to be some clean cut guy or someone driven by love or some other reason. Why has no'one ever talked about someone who just does not care and fate puts him in situtions where he acts to safe himself and no'one else. I have always day dreamed about who my main protagonist is and where he has come from and how the story is twisting and turning around him. I don't know if this is beginners luck but i have found writing easy, I have over 12,000 words already and my main guy has a begining and i have already worked out what the middle and end of the story will be and how the story will have a main twist. So my questions to you real writers are, I am 32 and have only ever wrote lyrics for my band but i have never done anything like this. My questions are

1.are there rules of writing ?
2. Do i have to follow them ?
3. If there are rules i don't want to follow them as i already have everything in my head and don't want it to be broken by any rule, But will my story suffer i don't follow them ?
4 My spelling and grammer are terrible is there anything i can do to help this about from what is on the mircosoft "spell and grammer" correct ?

Once again i'm not a real writer and have no clue as to what i'm doing but i find it fun, I find that once i sit down i put myself in my story and i just type what i see. I'm not doing this for any reason other than for me.

But any help and advise would be great

Thanks for reading this

Marc

Hi Marc, and welcome to WriteWords.

I have over 12,000 words already and my main guy has a begining and i have already worked out what the middle and end of the story will be and how the story will have a main twist.

This sounds great! These are my answers to your questions, and other WriteWorders will have other answers: rule number one of writing is that all writers are different!

1.are there rules of writing ?

No, but there are very fundamental ways that stories work, and words work, and humans work. It's very difficult to get anyone interested in your story if it doesn't take account of those ways. Some of those ways are sometimes talked of as "rules", but they're not, because you can always find some fantastic writing which "breaks" them.

2. Do i have to follow them ?

If you don't take account of readers, then they won't want to read what you write. That's fine if you really, truly only want to write for yourself. But if you want your stories heard, then you do need to write in a way that works for readers, not just yourself. "What works for readers" is often summarised and simplified and talked of as "rules" but what they really are are tools, guidelines, collective wisdom.

3. If there are rules i don't want to follow them as i already have everything in my head and don't want it to be broken by any rule, But will my story suffer i don't follow them ?

As I was suggesting above, if you don't work in ways that mean readers will get your story, then yes, your story will go unheard. Readers know when the world of the story is vivid and believable, when the characters feel real even though they're invented, when the story's exciting and convincing and makes the reader want to read on. Learning to write is very largely about learning to translate the story you have in your head by using those tools, guidelines, collective wisdom, into a words which will make the reader want to read it, and recreate the story in their head!

4 My spelling and grammer are terrible is there anything i can do to help this about from what is on the mircosoft "spell and grammer" correct ?

I would say, 1) don't worry about it while you're getting your first draft down: concentrate on the story and the characters and making us really care about what happens. Worrying about fiddly corrections at this stage can really distract you from that. On the other hand it does matter in the end because the conventions of spelling and grammar and syntax (word-order of sentences) are what transmit your stories to others!

2) in parallel, separately, try to work on spelling and grammar a bit: every now and again, take a short thing you've written and fine-toothed-comb it for spellings; read it specifically listening for things that don't sound quite right, and then look up what they should be; ask friends or post something on WriteWords to check it, then go and look up what they've corrected. And if you do use a spelling or grammar-checker, don't just accept the corrections: take some time to look up WHY what they've suggested is more correct than you've done. That's the way you actually learn to do this stuff better.

Having said that, grammar-checkers have a HUGE disadvantage for creative writers, because they're set for conventional, correct, business English. We storytellers are always partly trying to work with the way people actually speak and think and write, and that can be very different.
Edited by EmmaD at 11:28:00 on 27 July 2014
Edited by EmmaD at 11:40:00 on 27 July 2014

Hey Emma D

Cheers for some great advise, I will be sure to take it all on

I'm already up to 14,000 words right now and i show no signs of slowing down as the ideas keep coming,

I have a notepad that i've just started to write down my other ideas for stories for, I'm enjoying this writing game.

Marc

 

Once again i'm not a real writer and have no clue as to what i'm doing but i find it fun, I find that once i sit down i put myself in my story and i just type what i see. I'm not doing this for any reason other than for me.

How does this, and 14k words, disqualify you from being a writer?
Some say they are writers but have a 24/7 block, or they endlessly procrastinate, or they think it sounds good, but don't actually write anything.

If you're in the mood, and the creative juices are flowing, then stick at it. You will need help and advice eventually, but for now, plow on. And good luck.
 

S'up Alan

I never understood the whole writers block thing as its so easy to break down,

Cheers for the kind words man but i don't feel like a writer, i just feel like i'm letting out what is in my head,

People who brag about what they are going to do but do nothing also do my head in..

Keep it mental bro
 
Edited by Godzillafight at 16:53:00 on 27 July 2014