Resources for writers

Have a flair for poetry, stories, or even write songs? Need some advice or looking for a beta-reader? This is the place for you!

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Inkswitch
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Resources for writers

#1

Post by Inkswitch »

Just wanted to share 2 amazing books I've been reading that have helped my writing a whole lot. They're both by the same author, Mark Rosenfelder, and can be found on Amazon in both physical & digital version.

The first is called The Language Construction Kit and, as the name implies, is a guide to creating your own fictional language. It's an amazingly in-depth book and provides tips for all levels. Whether you are simply looking for a way to come up with some character/place namees for your story or you want to create an entire language from scratch, this book will help.
https://www.amazon.com/Language-Constru ... uction+kit

The next one is called The Planet Construction Kit and deals with world-building. I'm still in the middle of reading it at the moment but so far I'm loving every second. Like the LCK, this book works as a guide for writers no matter how in-depth you wish to go. It gives you tips on how to come up with a history of your world, how to establish different cultures, that sort of thing and even gives a breakdown of basic astronomy for those wishing to create scientifically accurate star systems. Hell, there's even a chapter on how to create full 3D models of your world for those looking to go the extra mile.
https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Construct ... uction+kit

I cannot praise these books enough. Seriously, have a look if you want to give your writing that extra "oomph". And for those short on cash, the Language Construction Kit is available for free on the author's website http://www.zompist.com/kit.html
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Contrast
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Re: Resources for writers

#2

Post by Contrast »

I'd like to add Stephen King's "On Writing" to that list.

As a writer myself, I'd also like to share some of my thoughts.
Inkswitch wrote:creating your own fictional language.
I have a very simple, "cheaty" way of doing that. I think about what the character is actually saying, then write it in Afrikaans, then jumble up some of the syllables and add a few strategic spelling errors. Here's an example:

Di vynig brahn jacka sprin ower di lay hund.
Translation: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Maybe not the most sophisticated method, but it does create a semi-believable language, and if you only need to use it a few times during the course of your story, it's more than enough.
Inkswitch wrote:world-building.
Be very careful with that. Going too far overboard with world-building can be a detriment to your story as a whole. If you spend too many words describing the world instead of GETTING ON WITH THE ACTUAL STORY then you're putting the cart before the horse. The world is there to support and enrich the story, not the other way around. Some stories barely need any world-building at all. Take "Misery" for example. It's an excellent novel, and yet the majority takes place in a single room. No world-building required.

The best type of world-building is the type that unfolds together with the story's progression. I'll give an example.

Let's say you have a planet filled with dangerous monsters and man-eating plants. You could write entire chapters about all the different fauna and flora, but even the most stalwart reader will get bored with that, no matter how interesting your creations are. BUT, if you introduce these monsters as hazards to your characters (a family of colonists, perhaps) then all these creatures suddenly have meaning in regards to the ACTUAL STORY.

It's the difference between adding a bit of spice to enhance the flavour of a great meal, and just trying to scarf down a big pile of paprika with a single chip on top.
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Re: Resources for writers

#3

Post by Leeward »

Contrast wrote:I have a very simple, "cheaty" way of doing that. I think about what the character is actually saying, then write it in Afrikaans, then jumble up some of the syllables and add a few strategic spelling errors. Here's an example:

Di vynig brahn jacka sprin ower di lay hund.
Translation: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
That still has a very distinctive Germanic overtone though, so anybody with a bit of linguistic knowledge would know what you did there straight away. :lol:
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Re: Resources for writers

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Post by Contrast »

Leeward wrote:That still has a very distinctive Germanic overtone though, so anybody with a bit of linguistic knowledge would know what you did there straight away. :lol:
That actually did happen once, and the reader was very confused. :lol:
But still, when I'm writing I just want to get on with the story, and this is a great way to save time and avoid getting bogged down with unnecessary details. If my characters constantly spoke in a made-up language (a bad idea, since most readers would just skip over those bits) then I'd put more time and effort into it, but since there have only been about four or five sentences like that in my entire 1 000 000 word manuscript, I feel justified in cutting a tiny corner here and there for the sake of efficiency. :)
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