November Updates

   Yay! So NaNoWriMo is over, and I''m super excited because I wrote 50K! My novel that I was writing however, it still not finished. I will continue to write the last 25% and then start the dreaded editing. 

   To my fellow NaNo-ers who made it, CONGRATULATIONS! Go buy yourself some ice cream and sit down on a comfy chair and read your manuscript. 

   If you didn't make it, CONGRATULATIONS! You at least have more words than you did before. Go buy yourself some tea and write some more!

   I just wanted to throw out there that all you young (or not so young) writers are amazing. Writing is hard. It isn't all rainbows and unicorns. A lot of hard work goes into writing a novel. Research, discipline, caffeine, more research, more caffeine... keep doing what you're doing at your own pace. 

   One simple little piece of advice that I've been hearing all over the place is this: Write every day. Even if it's crap. Get some kind of words on paper. This is what separates wannabe writers from actual writers. (Remember you don't have to have published books to be a writer). 

Keep on keeping on! 

-The Bandit

   

Small Details

   

  I didn't think I would write a post in the middle of NaNoWriMo, but I had an idea for one, so I decided to take some time off of writing my novel.

Small details tell the story. Without those details, the story would be bland and lifeless. Like a six year old trying to tell a joke and then totally butchering it. Without the details, the story would be confusing, and boring.

Here is an example without details:

'The emperor watched the gladiators fight.'

That leaves a lot of questions: What did the emperor feel about the gladiator games? Did he approve? Was he watching them through his fingers? How am I supposed to feel while reading this?

Here is an example with details:

'Emperor Nonus watched the gladiators fight to the death with a great amusement. He licked the bits of fruit juice off his fingers, without taking his eyes off the arena.'

Because of this paragraph, we now know that the emperor enjoys the barbaric sport. It also shows that he isn't disturbed in the least by the killing and gore, as we see he is eating while watching.

My point is, if you add detail to the story, it gives it life...and that's what we're all after, isn't it?

That's all for now!

-The Bandit

15 Thoughts Every Writer Has (Especially During NaNoWriMo)

Picture from Google

I saw a post like this a couple of days ago and it made me laugh, so I decided that I would make one of my own!


1. "I am never going to be able to do this."

2. "I need some food."

3. "What am I even doing?"

4. "FOOD."

5. "Must. Find. Inspiration!"

6. "This...this is perfection." 

7."I think I'm going to cry."

8. "Do we have any coffee?"

9. "Writing is my happy place."

10. "I hate writing."

11. "You know, I might actually be able to write 50,000 words!"

12. "Never mind..."

13. "This is all trash."

14. "This is beautiful."

15. "I NEED SLEEP!" 

That's all I have for now! Happy NaNoWriMo!


-The Bandit

NaNoWriMo

So...it's been over two months since I've posted. Geez. Sorry!

NaNoWriMo!
This is going to be my first year doing it, and I am beyond excited...and nervous.

If you don't know what it is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.
It is where thousands of writers around the nation try to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. There is a website HERE where you can create an account, ask for advice about writing from other writers, give advice, find a writing buddy, and get encouragement and support in that very stressful month. It really is wonderful, and I am crazy excited for it!

Well, that's all I'm going to write today.

-The Bandit

Unpopular Opinions Tag

  So, I saw this tag on Annika Smith's blog, (please check out her blog it is really awesome)  and I needed post ideas anyway, so I decided to do it! This seems like it is going to be fun!

                     A Popular Book/Series You Didn't Like

 

I started reading this, and I put it down and never picked it up again. Hazel seemed kind of whiny and I just wasn't appealed to by this book.

Also,

The Finishing School series I didn't like. I started to read the first one, and I actually started to like it, but then they had to get into Werewolves, which I have always hated. Too bad.

A Popular Book/Series Everyone Hates but You Love

I honestly could not think of any other one. But this series is great so far. I'm on the third book, and I love it. I've heard some bad reviews, so that's why I'm putting under this category.

A Love Triangle Where the Protagonist Ended Up With the Person You Didn't Want Them to Be With

You weren't expecting this, were you? Well, I really, really think Jo should have married Laurie. IN my opinion, Amy's age was too far from Laurie's. Totally upsetting.

A Popular Genre You Hardly Read

I honestly can't stand the teenage romance types of books. No, I don't mind romance in a story. But when it is solely about the romance. It is also unrealistic as teenage romances rarely last anyway. So I guess my answer would be YA Romance. 

A Popular/Beloved Character You Dislike

I know that he is a villain, but I honestly can't see why people like the Joker. He is purely evil and I just can't stand him.

A Popular Author You Can't Seem to Get Into

Everyone really likes John Green. I just don't. His books (or at least the ones I seen) are basically about teenage romance which I said before I dislike. 

A Popular Trope You're Tired of Reading

Unless there is a very, very specific reason for having your character be The Chosen One, it is a cliche that I'm tired of. (That is, unless the book is well written) 

Also,

Vampires and Werewolves. I can't stand those creatures. I guess because they are oversexualized in so many stories and not written as monsters (which they actually are).

A Popular Series You Have No Interest in Reading

  

The Mortal Instrument series and also The Selection series have never appealed to me. I've never read them, and I never intend to.

A Show/Movie Adaptation You Liked Better Than the Book

The Princess Diaries book was terrible, but I just loved the movie. Especially since it had my all-time favorite actress in it: Julie Andrews. 

A Popular Style of Cover That You Can't Stand

I don't know if this counts, but I don't like when the book has a perfectly good cover, and then a movie adaption of it comes out and the cover changes to something from the movie. That totally makes me sad. 

That is all for today! 

-The Bandit

Write Everything for a Reason

   This is a very important thing for writers everywhere. Yes, it is a well-known tip. But it is also important. Every element in your story needs needs to be for a reason. Even the smallest, seemingly stupidest thing such as a mosquito buzzing around your character's head. Why? Because people don't like to read things that have no purpose in the story.                                                                              I love that thrill that I get when I'm reading a story and then something that seemed irrelevant from earlier in the book suddenly has a very deep meaning. It's called a plot twist. Most people enjoy them. 

   

   Now, when I talk about mosquitoes buzzing around, you might think "What meaning could that have?" Very simple answer: you're building the setting. The readers now know that the characters are outdoor in the evening, that it is probably cool and damp, or maybe near a body of water. The reader might not think of all this, but the average person knows that mosquitoes like cool, damp climates and so this information will be in their brain subconsciously. 

   

   Adding events that have no relevance to the story just to meet the word count requirement is a big turnoff. You don't want to do that. Filler books are the worst. Needing to do this comes from lack of plotting. I'm a bit of a pantser myself, but even I push myself to do at least some plotting so that I won't have to write filler scenes which are my arch-nemesis. 

Anyway, just something to think about, my friends! 

-The Bandit

   

Do Or Don't: Grey Area Villain

 
   So, I've been thinking a lot about this, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you all.

   First, I should tell you what a grey area villain is.  (in case you don't know). There are a few of types of these though.

1. The sidekick villains who are working against the Hero, but are sort of uncomfortable about it. They are leaning towards abandoning their 'master'. (E.g. Mirage from The Incredibles)

2. The ones who everyone loves because they feel bad for them. Maybe they had a bad past, or there is hope for redemption for them. (E.g. Smeagol from Lord of the Rings, Bucky from Captain America: The Winter Soldier) When I say Smeagol, it is because by the time you get to The Two Towers, you start to feel bad for him because of what the Ring did to him. Basically, it destroyed him, and he now has no control over himself.

3. The person who starts off good, but wants something badly and is willing to do anything to get it; they turn evil even if their original intent was good. (E.g. Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars)

4. The villain who is still completely evil, but everyone loves them anyway. The reason? Usually it is because they are good-looking or have a lovable quirk (makes sarcastic quips at totally inappropriate times). (E.g. Loki from Thor, Joker from Batman)

5. (This one technically does not count) The one who is supposed to be good, but everyone (reader or viewer-wise) hates anyway (E.g. Jar-Jar Binks from Star Wars)

   One good reason to have this type of antagonist in your story is that it puts more emotion in it. Gives the readers a type of ardor and most of the time, causes them to love the book more.
   One bad reason to have a grey area villain is that it might make the readers love the hero less. Maybe even dislike them for going against the villain. We do not want this to happen unless it is intentional. One of the worst things for a writer is having the reader hate something that you meant for them to love and cherish.
   Another bad reason is confusion. This isn't as likely, though.

   It can be risky (for some) to have this type of character, but in order to determine if this is what you want, look at the original intent for the story. If you want it to be a good old-fashioned, black and white, good and evil story then (obviously) don't use this antagonist.  If you want it to have a more ironic, emotional feeling, yes, you should use this...but with caution.

Until next time!

-The Bandit

Book Review: Forensics and Fiction by D.P.Lyle M.D.

   

   I will start off by saying that this is not a normal book review.

   For awhile, I was looking for an informational book for writers that have very out-of-the-ordinary questions and answers. After searching for a long time with many failures, I found the name of Dr. D.P. Lyle,(Full bio HERE) and saw that he had written many books like what I was looking for. I got out Forensics and Fiction.

   Let's just say I read it through in the first two hours of having it. There are so many questions with easy to understand, thorough answers. 

Here are a few examples of the questions: 

How long might my character survive in a cave with no food or water? 

What are the steps involved in a “Psych Evaluation”?

Is there a drug that paralyzes yet leaves the victim fully awake?

How was diphtheria treated in 1886 in the American Mid-west?

   As you can see, there is a very wide variety of questions that are answered in this book. You can see the full table of contents HERE. 

   I have also gotten out the Forensics for Dummies by the same author. I have not read that through yet, but it is more strictly about forensics (hence the name...). 

   Even though I did not need to know a lot of these questions for my current WIP, it was still incredibly intriguing, and useful information to know (for a writer).  

   I recommend this book to writers of any genre.

-The Bandit

   

Mapping: Why it is a Good Idea

   When you create a world, district, city, or even just a certain building out of nothing, it is a good idea to draw a map. 

   Why? Here, I will present you with five reasons to draw a map when writing fiction.

1. To Get Your Bearings. Even if you never publish the maps along with the book, it is still a very helpful thing so that at least you know what you're talking about when you write the story.                                                           2. Minimizes Contradictions. Contradictions are a big pitfall in fiction. Especially when you make up your own territory. Let me explain: Say that in one part of the book you write that the North side of the mountain is overrun by Trolls. But in another part of it, you forget what you said about that side, so your characters go through, undisturbed. It is an embarrassing error. A map would keep you from making such mistakes.

3. Reference Point for your Readers. Have you ever gotten lost in the many, many kingdoms, territories, districts, or lands that are in a book? The best way to avoid confusion from your reader is including a map. 

Here are a few famous maps from books:

Map of Middle Earth (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)

   

Map of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia Series)

Map of Alagaesia (The Inheritance Cycle Series)

And there you have it!

-The Bandit

The Difference Between a Strong Character and a Cliche Character

   

   With the rise of the feminists, comes the fall of the 'every-girl-needs-her-prince-to-save-her' type of stories.
(Please note: This post is not about my views on feminism, it is about the effects of it on writing).
   
   In centuries past, all the great tales include a brave, dashing prince or knight going off to fight something and then in the end, he saves the swooning princess from the monster and then they get married and live happily ever after.

That is quite different now.

   A lot of writers (especially women) feel that it is their duty to show the world that women can fight for themselves. But you know what happens now? The overly-independent FMC who has a gun on each hip and a snarky attitude has become a cliche! *offended gasp from every YA and NA writer there ever was*. But seriously though, a female character who is like I just described that has a wimpy male sidekick does NOT mean that you have a strong character. It means you have a cliche character. They are getting quite annoying to read about.
   Here are some ways to avert that platitude:

1. Redemption. Maybe the character is like that in the beginning, but as the character goes through certain things, it softens her towards being less cold-hearted.

2. Be Sweet. Seriously though. Believe it or not, there is NOTHING wrong with a female character being sweet! It would be a nice change from the hardness of so many FMCs these days. People like likable.

3. Let the Girl be Saved by the Guy. How odd would this be? The girl actually being saved by the guy! Insane. right? I'm not kidding. It would give the story a nice, vintage feel to it. Especially if the genre is dystopian or post-apocalyptic or something where the mean-girl cliche is strongest. It would give the story an ironic element that would make it interesting.

4. Let there be AWKWARD! So, the cliche is always that the girl is sleek and can throw an amazing punch and owns like, a bajillion guns and has those perfect catsuits. Well, add a twist to the norm by making the sarcastic one have a quirk that feels wrong for her character. Maybe she has a fear of guns, or can't stand any type of clothing except loose jeans and a sweatshirt, or maybe she has a lot of allergies and starts sneezing at the worst possible times.

   Writers, there are so many ways to evade this kind of MC. Let's do it.

-The Bandit

Why We Need To Be More Like Anne

    My goal for this blog is to give writers like myself advice about how to better your writing abilities. This may seem like an odd, unfitting post, but bear with me, as it will make sense in the end.
   Any civilized person knows who Anne of Green Gables is. If you don't, then get your nose out of your post-apocalyptic books and read some of the beautiful classics. I mean no offense to anyone who enjoys YA (I enjoy YA for gosh sakes)!

   Anyway. What words do you think of when you think of Anne? I know that the words I think of are Imaginative, awesome (The true meaning of the word: full of awe), stubborn, passionate, and intelligent. 

   My posts are mainly aimed at young writers, so what do you think of when I say teenager or young adult?
I don't know about you, but this is what I think of:

 

See any patterns? The average teenager checks their phone around 150 times a day. 

That is a lot.

   As a writer, I look for experience in everything I do. Whether it is a walk around the block, a trip to the store, or even just sitting on your front porch. I live off of experience. Anything or anyone I might see that I could use in a story, I drink it up. But you can't do that if you're always looking at your phone (or iPod, iPad, Tablet, or any other device)
   My point is nothing other than urging teenagers these days to get off their devices, and look at the beautiful sky, make eye contact when you talk. As superior as it may seem, it is the little details (like subtle facial expressions or eye movement) that make the conversations in your stories come to life.
   The sense of wonder is almost lost in this generation. We can't let that happen. This is my plea to all writers.
 
Yes, this is a lecture, but it is also a post about how to further your writing abilities.

Open up your eyes and soak up the sights of life. Let's be more like Anne.




-The Bandit

Writing Prompt #2

 

(Here's to short posts)!
Again, this is original:

"What do I have to do to get you to stop singing?"
"Give me the gun."
"But you'll shoot me!"

   I imagined this to be between two people. Where one is pointing the gun at the other, and as a last resource, the one being held up starts singing (badly).
   This isn't my best one, but I thought I should put in a humorous one!



-The Bandit

Retaining Originality

(Picture not mine)

"Who are we?!"
"WRITERS!"
"What do we want?!"
"ORIGINALITY!"

   Seriously though. I can truthfully say that one of many, many things that is equivalent in every writer is that we all want originality. (When you think of it, that sentence is kind of ironic)

I've been thinking a lot about how to retain individuality in a world that is chock-full of other people's ideas. I have made a list that I hope might be helpful to you.

1. AVOID STEREOTYPES. 

This is a very well-known rule for all writers, but I had to include it. Stereotypes can be used for one's advantage, but if it is not in the right way, it can end up being a miserable fail. So if you do attempt cleverly using cliches, do it carefully, and always have a second opinion.  

2. SWITCH UP THE POV.

As we move on with literature, this is beginning to get more common: having more than one perspective in a story. You know, when in one chapter, it is from the FMC's point of view, and the next it is the MMC's. It keeps the story from getting dull and repetitive.

3. THE MAIN CHARACTER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE HERO.

(This one ties in with #2) This is something that I feel very strongly about. Most every book I have ever read, the main character is about the "Hero", the "Different One", the "Chosen One", or the "Person Who Changes Everything". Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you want your story to be a real Fruit Loop in a world of Cheerios, then make the MC a person who is being effected by something that the "Chosen One" is doing, or write it from the villain's POV, or let it be from the perspective of the worried parent of the teenager who is doing all sorts of dangerous things to save the world. There are tons of possibilities, people. Come on, be different!

4. CHECK FOR ACCIDENTAL PLAGIARIZATION. 

There is only one thing that is worse than having a wonderful, awesome idea, and then realizing that it was just your brain recycling something that wasn't actually your idea, (I've done this many times with things like The Hunger games, or Maze Runner. Trust me, it stinks). and that one thing is when you take time and sacrifice and then have someone read it and be like "Hey, this is just like that movie we watched last week!" UGH! The worst. Anyway, this is just a very simple, practical thing that everyone should do. Google the titles of your novels/stories, ask someone to listen to your idea and give their honest opinion if it sounds familiar, and brainstorm yourself for if your "idea" is really not that original.  

That is all for now.

-The Bandit.

 

Male Vs. Female POV

  I have read a lot on this subject, so I won't pretend that I just made some kind of scientific breakthrough. This post really only consists of the best advice on this subject that I have seen.

Ladies first.

This is super easy for me because I am a girl. But for a guy, I can imagine that it might be pretty scary to try to write from a female's POV.

Every girl is different: unique in their own way, just like guys. Remember that when you are writing. so none of these points will apply to every single girl.

1. Girls often tend to over-analyze. "That guy just smiled at me! Does that mean he likes me, or was he just being polite? Or maybe he was smiling at someone else...or maybe he just zoned out and didn't even realize he was looking at me. Or maybe..." Girls will look into someone's words or actions and try to figure out exactly what they meant by it.

2. Not every girl is into clothing and makeup. Try to get away from that cliche.

3. Females tend to fight more with their emotions. Some are physically-oriented, but most will try to cut another down with  a mean word or look. They usually won't have a fistfight and then everything is resolved. They can also hold grudges.

4. Girls don't like being alone. Ever wonder why there is always a big group just to go to the bathroom?They need their friends around them. It's their pack, their posse.

5. Sometimes, they can get mad for (seemingly) no reason. BUT! Remember, that there usually always some reason for it, even if it is not immediately visible.

And now for the men!

I have brothers, I have guy-friends, and I've heard a lot of different advice from guys, about guys. I can't ensure that all of this is 100% accurate, but just like the girls, these won't apply to every boy out there.

1. Men are more physically oriented. Unlike girls, they are not inclined toward the heart-to-heart. They would rather a thump on the back with a quick, encouraging word...not a hand-written letter telling all you love about him.

2. They will not turn down a challenge. Especially if a girl is around, or if it tests their physical abilities.

3. They can be blind to others feelings sometimes. Just like girls can sometimes over-analyze, guys can sometimes under-analyze. So they might come across calloused, even if they really aren't.

4. Guys don't think poetically. Seriously though. I heard this from a guy on YouTube, (I tried to find the video, but I couldn't) and it makes SO much sense. When a guy sees a girl, his mind won't start reciting how perfect her facial features are. Most likely, the only thing that will be going through his head is "Dude. What?" 

5. They feel the need to be the 'Strong One'. When in a hard situation, the guy will try to protect the others. He will do anything to keep them safe.

THAT'S IT! But trust me, there is waaayy more to males and females than there is in here, but at least this is a start!

--The Bandit

How To Make Characters Seem Realistic

 

One of a writer's many goals and responsibilities is to make their characters seem real. In my earlier writing days creating characters to look, act, and feel real was a giant challenge. It took me quite a few mess-up, backspaces, and crumpled up works in the garbage until it finally hit me. It is really quite simple: To make characters seem life-like, look at life itself! 

Here are five ways that might help with development:

1. Everybody's got a story.

In real life, every single person has their own story. Think about it. Every single person. What's more, is everyone's story is different. Do the same with your characters, even if their back story is never revealed to the readers. If you make up an entire background for them, the way the character acts and talks will be different than if you just made a character whose life started only when the story started. 

2. If you're writing from the perspective of a character of the opposite gender, get advice.

Say you are a female writer, and you need to write dialogue or perspective from a male character; but since you are a girl, you don't know how a guy thinks, or would respond to certain situations. Talk to a male friend, or show him what you have written. Most likely, he'll know if it looks or sounds like something that a guy would actually say or do.

3. Add proper effects to traumatic situations

This is a huge pit that many writers fall into. If a character goes through something traumatic, chances are, they won't come out of it the same way that they were before. It is unrealistic for someone to go through something life-changing, and come out and continue living as they always have. 

4. Everybody has limits

This piggybacks on #3. Everybody has limits to everything. Emotional, physical, mental, and so on. This is something very important to look into before writing a scene. For instance, you couldn't have a character jump into 15 degree water, and swim around for ten minutes and then get out and be fine. Okay, so that was pushing it a little, but you get the idea.

5. No such thing as a perfect relationship

When writing about any type of relationship, there will always be problems! There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, whether it is a family relationship, romantic, or friendship. Show the conflicts in different relationships, and how they work through them. This also works great for character development throughout your story.

I hope that these five points will help with some of your writing!

-The Bandit

Writing Prompt #1

   I promised I would do things like writing prompts, and so today, I will do my first one. Let me begin by explaining exactly what a writing prompt is!

Writing prompt (noun) : a small segment of a story meant to help others think of stories of their own. 

This is completely from my own mind, so you don't have to worry about copyright or anything. 

"I'm sure you're wondering why I made an appointment... I'm having a bit of computer trouble."
The psychologist looked confused. "Computer trouble? Don't you think you should see a--" 
"No," I interrupted. "It isn't that kind of trouble." I paused, realizing that I might sound slightly deluded. "You see, it has been...reflecting my emotions." The doctor just stared at me. 

That's it! Feel free to use it with developing a story, or just to get your imagination spinning. The same goes for all my original writing prompts, unless I say otherwise on a specific one. 

Enjoy your weekend! Write hard!

-The Bandit