quick poll

[aruan]

Despite reading a lot of good fic in this lovely fandom vast and wide, I blame a combination of journalism and poor nutrition on my inability to feel anything for this story I'm writing and want so desperately to be good.

So, as brief or as detailed as you please, what's the single best writing tip anyone's ever taught you/you've divined/gotten from a fortune cookie? Though maybe not that cookie thing, those aren't usually well-written.

At the moment, I'm going line-by-line and remembering to show, not tell.

Comments

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

Hi, just popped by because you friended me, and here you are talking about one of my favourite things :)

The best thing I've ever figured out about writing: write to make myself squee. You know, those scenes that just make you burn with the yes of it? Like that, for as many scenes as you can in any given story.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

A very good friend of mine has you friended, and I liked the way you wrote about writing, the speed-dating snippet (John's sister totally WOULD) and that you seem to have unabashed affection for Ben Affleck. That last one's almost impossible to reconcile for most people, so I try to like Forces of Nature very quietly.

Mmm, I know the ones you mean. It's sometimes even something small, a single line or gesture, but yeah, even the ones that lead up to what you really want happen need to crackle. Problem here is that this story is mostly angst from beginning to end, with a little guilty-but-necessary sex in the middle, so it's hard to be enthusiastic when I know all I'm going to do is break hearts and not resolve anything. But yes, if you're writing something that you don't want to read, it's a v. good sign that there's a change of scenery necessary.

[cupidsbow.livejournal.com]

unabashed affection for Ben Affleck. That last one's almost impossible to reconcile for most people, so I try to like Forces of Nature very quietly.

Yeah. I don't get the Ben Affleck hate at all. And I share your love of Forces of Nature, but then I'm a sucker for frienship romances.

so it's hard to be enthusiastic when I know all I'm going to do is break hearts and not resolve anything

Oh, but there's nothing like writing a scene that has you sobbing as you type! It hurts so *good* :)