/lit/ - Literature / Fanfic / Poetry

Get to the point, man. A word of advice on writing about real experiences: Go the Jack London or Mark Twain route and write about physical things, hardships, ways of life that people want to know about.

Anybody can write a formless miasma nowadays of can't do's, of externalized system blame. I'd say strip all of that out; get to the core of what is really worth sharing. Think of it as a "How to" manual of experience, is it useful for the readers to add this to their minds? An illustration of the symptoms is a start, but it can only go so far.

>>427
Yeah. Twain being the one of those I'm actually fond of, I'd be inclined to agree that going in that direction would be of benefit.

>Think of it as a "How to" manual of experience, is it useful for the readers to add this to their minds?

That doesn't really approach my conception of art too closely; most things I've enjoyed reading haven't really made me more aware of anything the author had deemed "worth sharing", and what is seems largely up to the reader. I'm probably badly misinterpreting you.

>>428

Ah, your mention of art actually provides a fitting synonym. Some would argue that good art is all about stimulating a change in perception. Likewise I think part of the enjoyment of reading can be traced to the question, "Did I learn something new?"

Even the most practiced prose can falter for lack of content; it is something to be aware of as your exercises soak up that refrigerator smell, taking on all those self-conscious qualities of the derived internet– its echo-chamber of the mundane. Do not be afraid to cast off the moorings of smell-absorbent paper to steer your ship onto a more vital course. Do not cling to aspects which are seen– rather focus your efforts upon the unknown qualities which must be transcribed into understanding.

>>431
A lot of times I feel as if my only purpose in writing a given thing is to affect a certain feeling rather than convey certain information, though I desire to do both; I suppose when I attempt both at once it quickly sinks under the weight of the collective meandering bullshit.

I don't quite think I tend to draw on too much outside myself, which is probably my main problem, yet I believe what you and some others (including myself really) think I should do is try and cast off the mundane influence that creeps in probably as a result of my coming to grips with certain views while trying to find something of meaning among what are otherwise trivialities. Or maybe I'm misinterpreting you again.

This experiment has probably been something of a failure, or at least it's as much a failure as any creative exercise can be. Still, I suppose it's a better start than some have had and will have and are likely having.

Writings that aren't fully immersed in my own self-consciousness and lack of assurance seem to be the only things of worth I'm able to produce at this early point in my brief existence, so I hope that at least that in attempting to write actual stories beyond the first couple abominations I can persist to the point of having actual skill at it.

Thank you anon.

>>432
I usually see myself as having absolute absolute disdain for those I see as wasting the energy they could use saying things of worth or bettering themselves or others by going on about their own ordinary lives. The fact that my attempts at outside writing stink of the same kind of self-absorbed journal-y shit kind of pisses me off. Hopefully with that awareness of hypocrisy I won't do worse.

I like books where they start out really easy and then put you in positions where you have to think critically.

I haven't read either of those, but even if they're not so good I doubt they can do anything to dissuade me from the brilliance of this bad boy.

(Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood come close but Wind-Up Bird will forever make my heart sing.)

>>382
Try "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World", i read it two or three times. Such dream-based story.
I don't really like his more realistic stories. I can also reccomend to you his short stories.

>>403
This a thousand times over.

>>403
One of my favorite anime, Haibane Renmei, was actually directly inspired by the scenery of the town in that book. When I found this out, I had already been reading After the Quake, so I went and picked up Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

I really respect a book that makes me keep grasping at different theories the whole time I'm reading it. And the surreal dreamlike imagery had me captured. It's my favorite book in recent memory.

I started 1Q84 a while back but I set it down around chapter 2 and haven't picked it up in a while. It had a crazy twist near the beginning that blew my mind, so I expect good things from it.

I believe that it isn't a lack of creativity but a lack of emotion that you speak of.
I also create in a way very similar to your method and I think that you explained it quite well.

>a hypothetical Apocalypse scenario
Meh!
Here I stopped to read.
Ok, ok, I read OP and I think that's too rought and childish to make monsters of humans (at least of EVERY human), but idea was ok in general.
I think ability of seeng some aura, or mindflows will be better.
And I really don't read this shit-tier fantasy that goes in further.

>>404
>404
Your post is an error.
Your logic is invalid.
It would not be nearly apocalyptic enough if only some people became monsters. It will be fun for everyone, except the ones who get eaten who find themselves on the bottom of the food chain. Even so it would be the ultimate self actualization.

Aristocrats are type of creature that live in small communities with a rigid and highly organized social structure. Lords and Ladies are at the top, followed by Servants, and then Laborers, who are sometimes called Scarecrows.
Aristocrats are very tall and thin but otherwise and have a generally human appearance. What makes an Aristocrat most recognizable is their clothing; it is always very fancy, elaborate, and of the highest quality possible. This goes for the jewelry worn by the Ladies as well. Servants are always dressed in specific uniforms determined by their particular occupation. Although their clothes are clean and nice they are also plain and lacking in jewelry. Laborers typically have little more than tattered rags, and bits of twine holding their bodies together.
The entire aristocracy relies on Laborers for the raw materials that they harvest and refine. Things such as cotton, silk, linen, wool, food, gemstones, precious metals, and every manner of material used in the construction and renovation of their manors. Laborers also serve as cannon fodder, defending the land from any attacking creatures. They're usually armed with little more than rakes and plows, but their numbers can be overwhelming. Laborers are actually constructed out of sticks and mud, held together by bits of string and fabric. They are brought to life simply by being commanded to live by the Lords and Ladies. Because of the simplicity of their construction and the intensity of their work Laborers often fall apart and constantly need to be replaced. The longer a Laborer lives the more likely it is to begin to think and gain self-awareness. As a Laborer does this it's body changes, becoming more and more lifelike. Eventually it may become intelligent enough to be assigned to more complex tasks, and even ascend to the rank of Servant when it looks fully human.
On rare occasions a servant may even become an Aristocrat. This is usually a close personal servant. Because there is always a set number of Lords and Ladies, one must die first. For every one Lord there is one Lady that they consider to be their spouse. In order for a female servant to become a Lady she must seduce her master and convince them to behead his wife. For a male servant to become a Lord he must defeat a Lord in a duel, killing him, and then taking his wife. This usually takes some amount of encouragement on behalf of the Lady, although it's not uncommon for a LordPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

A Wrath Wraith would be classified a demon if it were not for the fact that their physical form is more often ethereal than physical. They manifest themselves before those who are consumed by feelings of hatred and vengeance. Although they feed off of those emotions they are not entirely parasitic they will aid their host in seeking vengeance, ultimately destroying the host. Wrath Wraiths are also known as Spirits of Vengeance, Avengers, and Hate Hounds.
Once manifested they will only be visible to their host. They have the appearance of a tangled mess of tree roots that have been soaked in blood, the roots also seem to squirm and twist themselves about like worms. The whole mess is roughly torso shaped with the human skull embedded where one might expect to see it. Some reports suggest that Wrath Wraiths are capable of creating arm like structures out of their own twisted roots, but this is, by nature, difficult to verify.
Wrath Wraiths will only appear before hosts that are willing to allow their own destruction in order to obliterate their enemies. Not as an act of selfless duty, as a Puritite might, but as an act of blind rage. It is this rage that the Wrath Wraiths feed on. They are also very good at propagating those feelings within their host by means of conversation and inquiry. Wrath Wraiths also have the ability to prevent the feelings of hatred from dying down; the feelings will only build until the host is overwhelmed with emotion, foaming at the mouth and thrashing about. Only then will the Wrath Wraith begin to fuse with its host sinking its roots into its host’s back, wrapping them around vital organs and embedding them into muscles. At this point the Wrath Wraith will become partially visible, especially towards the entry point of the roots, which may also protrude from the host body, especially around the mouth, eyes, nose, and fingertips. The host's body will slowly be deformed and twisted into the likeness of a demon, while still maintaining recognizable traits of their former self. A fully transformed host literally cannot die until it has completed its revenge quest. Once its revenge is complete the Wrath Wraith will become fully visible and will tear it roots out of its host body, killing it instantly, before fading out of detectable existence. Occasionally the host will simply explode, simultaneously destroying itself and its target, this is more often the case of a host that seeks revenge on multiplePost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Why do you not correct all the mistakes your speech recognition program makes? That's just lazy, and I do NOT approve of this practice.

Anyway, I read your work about a week ago (cringing every 30 seconds or so at the spelling), so my memory is kinda hazy, but I remember I wanted to write something here.

This work feels like an oversimplification of the world, where every person has one less dimension compared to real life. I don't like it when things are so simple. I kinda made up my own names for your castes/factions as I read your posts based just on your names and maybe the first couple of words in the posts, and for the most part I was amused by how accurate my names were. It went something like this:

Herdsmen - normalfags
Hunters - furries
Titans - Übermenschen
Tormenters - Dormilia: Act I
Collectors - OCD people
Hellfires - Dormilia: Act II
Archivers - wizards
Wanderers - otherkin
Purities - Space Marines
Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>327
The whole book can be downloaded from somewhere.

Well, I said "fuggit" and did an inter-library loan, haha. I got, like, at least three library memberships and found one that would do it for free, and would provide a decent amount of time to borrow it. So soon I shall be reading it.

>>326
Oh, well no, don't misunderstand me. I have no intention or interest in *pursuing* the lifestyle of a hikikomori. I'm just utterly fascinated by the phenomena. No, no. Though when I shut myself away to work on writing and freelance work, I sometimes feel like a hermit, I never let that drag on. I have friends. I go out. I fool around. I carouse and drink. I very much am a connoisseur of life's experiences. It's why I like writing. To illuminate the different dusty corners of life. That is why people on the edges of normal social structure fascinate me.

>>329
Well to his credit, at least, he has a long career with Asia (Korea and Japan chiefly), so he's not completely ignorant. A grain of salt will for sure be taken, though.

>>331
Sure, I'd love to hear your thoughts. At this point I will be reading it soon anyway, but I'd love to have some discussion about it regardless.

>>332
Fuck that, I'd rather curl up in my chair and read it. I don't do that Kindle buwellsheet and I stare at a computer enough as it is already, haha.

>>333
Yeah I know that feel. I'd often rather just not read a book if I have to do it online. manga is a different story though.

Well, I checked my holds at one of my local libraries and it's in! Probably gonna go pick it up sometime this weekend and will probably jump right in to reading it. In the past couple of days I hit on a hikikomori-inspired story idea that finally stuck, so this shall be my research/inspiration. I shall report back.

>>331
How's it coming along with you?

OP back. I just finished "Shutting Out the Sun" today, right before I had to return it. It was honestly a little bit of a chore to read, as it focused on the economic causes of hikikomori and went really deep into Japan's political history. I was kind of hoping to delve into the psychology of it all to inspire my story, but nevertheless it was really interesting. And it makes one take a look at the self-proclaimed shut-ins and NEETs in America, who don't actually share the same traits of hikikomori and are in fact quite different. Certainly we aren't that much better off than Japan, and America and the rest of the modern world have a problem of losing a sense of community. That's kind of what I'm gonna be digging into the next couple months as I plan my story.

Either way, interesting read with unexpected focus. Anyone else actually read it?

well it depends on what you'd find educational. a friend of mine got a 95% on their english midterm most likely because of our roleplaying, while reading fics and some original stories also tend to teach a thing or two.

try writing something every day, like a tidbit about your life or writing about a fictional character. be it your own character or headcanons about your favorite character from a show or book you like.

reading and writing are the two key ways to get better at writing yourself.

ya just gotta believe

Being a storyteller is something you discover on your own, not something that can be taught from handbooks and tutorials…
The easiest, simplest way to is to write, write, write every day and keep at it. Whether it's journal entries, letters, or just forum/imageboard posts. In time, you will get a feel of what feels natural to you - that is, the flow of words, the way you string them together, your preference in explaining or describing, and so on.

I'd also recommend just picking up random novels and studying the writing styles of these people. Note their use of language, their approach on telling a story. If you like a style, try emulating it and see how it feels.

Annddd, as >>339 mentioned, roleplaying is a *really* good way to improve your writing. Since it is essentially nothing more but an extended form of storytelling, you will become more and more fluid at getting across what you mean, having your imagination run wild and, at the same time, develop your style.

Just keep at it, OP

Read all sorts of different stuff. Obviously any sort of fiction or non-fiction, but also things like newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries, product manuals, etc. Hell, even food packages will sometimes have short blurbs about the product or the company that made them. Reading stuff from a wide variety of sources will give you an idea of the many different ways words can come together, whether to describe a vacation spot, explain what the gear settings on your car are for, tell the story of a British spy, and so on.

I Googled "writing ideas" and found this site with a lot of writing prompts: http://thewritesource.com/writing_topics/
Yeah, you're obviously past first grade, but if your writing skills are in need of some work then it might help to pick some of the easier prompts. Do some searches of your own for more writing ideas or tips for good writing.

Buy a composition notebook (the ones with the marbled, thick-ish covers and the pages that aren't perforated for tearing out) and use it to write in; they're fairly durable and can be written on your lap if there isn't a table nearby. Write in your living room, write while you're taking a shit, go to a park or a library or a restaurant or anywhere you can sit, and write there. Maybe jot down some writing prompts to write about while you're out, or make up a story about the place you're in or some people you see. You could even just describe your surroundings.

Say you're at a restaurant. Describe the various sounds and smells. Look at the people at other tables; what are they wearing? Do they look happy, frustrated, bored, etc.? If you've been there before, do you have any memories of previous visits? Write down what you order and describe it when you get it: how it looks, how it smells, what it tastes like, what you do/don't like about it. What kind of mood is your server in? If they're upset, trying writing out some ideas why they're upset; they don't have to be right, just whatever you think of.

Most imortantly, do not get discouraged if you don't like what you're writing. I would consider myself a pretty good writer, and I write stuff that I look at later and just go "that was fucking terrible" all the time. It takes practice and a lot of trial-and-error, but if you keep at it then you'll slowly but surely improve.

If you write something you don't like, thiPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

One of the best ways to improve your proficiency would be to attend any sort of creative writing workshop, over a period of years. I used to despise grammar and mechanics, but once I got heavy into writing my own short stories and poetry–all that junk came back to become useful in a lot of little ways.

Even if you cannot attend real world workshops, there's always online creative writing boards. Get yourself exposed to enough criticism and writing resources and you WILL eventually get better.

Practice your writing as you would an instrument. You cannot play unless you listen, and you cannot write unless you read. An ability is not born of empty inspirations.

>>269
this

also ask your teachers for constructive criticism, talk to them on a more one-on-one basis.
join a writing club.

also, write every day. for ever.

>>270
To build on my response:

Find a starting point. What kind of writing do you like? even better, what forms of writing are you aware of?
Start exploring the different forms of writing there are. Then explore different favorite authors / "classic"/famous pieces. see what other people are doing. Find a more populated literature/writing board (and make sure to cross-post here so we can get more activity too. or redirect us there.) Start messing around.

But most importantly, write every day.

The best thing you can do right now is customize a space/program in your computer for writing, or going out and buying yourself a sexy journal.

just because they're teachers doesn't mean you can't gauge their criticism. Its actually rather true that teachers are dealing with students who try hard to pass their assignment or whatever, and for that reason, write a good paper. By that nature, the teacher will tell many people the did a "great job!" So if you were told you did well, you probably did.

>>266

Active Ether Tornado Rifle

holy shit wind magic bulletswarm

FART

far atmosphere reaching teleportation

gtrd

>>289

Guardian Tyrannosaurus Rex Dive

GKYD

>>295

Gay King of Yore's Dicking

WGFW

>>296
"World Gravitational Flux Weapon"

Don't pull the trigger while you're still on the planet.


MSCN