Do you want to improve your writing this summer? Are you an ambitious writer who wants to make friends? Perhaps you want to get out on Wattpad and just have some fun?
You've come to the WRITE place ;)
Welcome to Summer Workshop 2017! Registe...
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Hey everyone,
Welcome back! We hope you've taken the time to complete the last task that we had assigned to you. Please be sure to complete it if you haven't!
This is our first session today and we're so excited to get started! We want to thank a number of you for showing your excitement in your previous comments :) Now, let's get started with our first session - the topic is:
The Creative Writing Process
Yes, and as many of you probably know, it can be so hard sometimes to come up with something after you have this amazing story idea. For example, let's say you came up with this great story: a princess saving a dragon in distress. However, you may find that in general, having that story idea isn't enough.
What are your other story elements? Who are the characters? What will take place?
If you've probably learned this by now you're ahead of the game: who, what, where, when, why and how? These elements in a story should be explained - of course, with the exception if you decide to keep something a mystery throughout the book. A book should also have a beginning, middle and end.
But, we all know that.
So what is the TRUE writing process that a writer can use to help themselves out? Well, we have the key for you!
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(with the courtesy of http://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-short-story)
Of course, this doesn't have to be a short story and the timing may vary but we're going to go by this really amazing infographic which writes out the seven steps that you should follow when you're writing a story. It could be a short story or a full length novel, but the principles are the same.
Step 1 - Write the basic story: This usually may take half a page or a page, but the point is that you write down everything that comes to your head and let it flow. This can be on a sheet of paper or on your computer. But the point is, just don't hit the backspace button (unless it's a mistake, of course!). You'll find that when you're letting your thoughts flow, you're getting more out of the writing session. You don't have to include the details - just think of this as the bare bones of the story; no flesh yet.
Step 2 - Figure out who the protagonist is: Who will be telling your story? Is this going to be told from first person perspective? Third person? Use your imagination and find what would fit the best. If you're confused if you should tell something from first person or third person, think of the story and what you're trying to get across to the reader. - First person is told from only ONE person's point of view. - Third person (which has various subsections) but is generally told from many perspectives, almost like there's a 'third' person watching all this happen and is narrating it, but told with various feelings and emotions.
Step 3 - Write the perfect first line: This doesn't have to take long - but if you're super picky, it may take an hour. The point of this is to get you started with the beginning of the story. This is a chance for you to pull up a dictionary or thesaurus and start finding some great adjectives. Or maybe you want to get inspired by other writers and browse some books to see how authors write their first lines. With either options, you'll find yourself successfully writing that first line.
Step 4 - Create your scene list: Where is this story going to take place? Write down all the places you can think of (so far) that the story will take place in. This helps you keep in count of what places you want your story to discover. Also, if you wish, you may write down descriptive features of the place so that you can remember it for future reference while writing.
Step 5 - Research: This, we feel, is a very lengthy yet IMPORTANT process of writing your story. The point of researching is finding out more information so that your story goes in depth. For example, let's say you want to write about a lawyer who's fighting the case of a victim convicted of murder. Some questions you'd want to explore are: - Where is the courthouse going to be? - Under what laws is the criminal charged/can be charged? - What are some similar cases that can help me shape my story? - What are the offenses the criminal can be charged for? This information will not only aid you in your writing but also attract readers as they will gain more knowledge and see that you are detail oriented. Besides, readers love facts!
Step 6 - Write/Edit/Write/Edit...: Okay, this is the longest and most tiresome process you'll go through. It's time to go beyond that one perfect line and create that first chapter (or the short story) and write, write, write. Keep in mind that people have different speeds of writing. Someone may be a fast writer and whip up a chapter in just an hour. Other writers take their time and put their efforts into it. If you plan on writing, try to stick by the rule that helps a lot of writers: Write drunk, edit sober. This means that write out everything that comes to your head even if the scene isn't perfectly what you want; then go back and edit those mistakes, the grammatical errors and those dialogues that didn't seem to fit.
Step 7 - And finally, publish: You might want to start off and have beta readers if you're not confident about your story just yet. You can get a couple friends to read it for you - or family members! Just remember that when you publish it, you're exposing your writing (wherever it may be) to different people who can provide you lots of good feedback. And keep in mind; you're writing because you LOVE to, not because you want the views!
If you want more information, we highly suggest your visit the website we've linked under the image. It's a great resource if you want more advice and tips!
Activity Time!
Here, we've given you the skeleton storyline that we want you to write the perfect first line! Get your tools ready because we're about to see who can write the best perfect first line!
Stephanie Barden, the school's most popular and mean girl, finds out she's diagnosed with leukemia. And that's not all, she only has a month to live. The shock only brings her to change her ways of life drastically. She meets a boy named Walter but isn't convinced that she likes him although it's clear after the time they spend with each other, he likes her - a lot. But in a month, there's a lot she learns: how to be nice to people, how to smile more often, how to enjoy life and how not to judge people.
So write that perfect first line that would go with this vague story. Remember that the creativity is up to you - we'll be picking the TOP THREE winners for this activity in our Session 1 Reflection! THIS ACTIVITY IS DUE THURSDAY, JUNE 15TH, 2017 AT 9PM EST. Later submissions will not be counted towards the contest.
