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Reviewer: HeleneJacksonxx Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 09:07 am Title: The Basics

Do you think it would make a difference if I changed Michael's age from 19 to 17? It just bugs me because I have long parts written down. I can't change the storyline because I have everything planned. But I can change Michael's age back to 17, which by the way was his priginal age, and I can change small details throughout the story to make everything fit?...



Author's Response:

No, it'd still be statuatory rape.

Reviewer: HeleneJacksonxx Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 08:50 am Title: The Basics

I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I'm just confused and I'm distraught. I never really thought of this. And I certaintly never meant to offend anyone or break any rules I just never even cincidered that there might be a problem. Now I really don't know what to do because I've spend sooo much time on that story and changing it would take forever. If I offended you or anyone else then I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. Feel free to give suggestions because I feel like I'm drowning right now...



Author's Response:

You don't need to change what's written. What about separating them for a few years? Her having to go to boarding school, her parents forcing them to move back home and raise her like a typical adolescent? Or business separating the two (e.g. she gets a standard gig in NY and they lose contact)?

I think the main things you have to remember are that you are getting reads, which means that despite the huge moral/legal issues around their ages (e.g. she's not of legal age to consent to sex), your writing is good enough for a lot of people to keep following. Where you go from here is your choice.

Reviewer: HeleneJacksonxx Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 06:50 am Title: The Basics

Yes I was talking about that one. I didn't know people were so up tight about that. I know that some people aren't too happy about it but honestly... I won't change anything. Changing ages or the story line would ruin everything for me. Then I really rather delete the whole thing. I guess some people would concider it inappropriate but I honestly don't feel like that's the case. 

Anyway, I don't know what to do about it. Either people will have to live with it or I will have to delete it...



Author's Response:

Uptight? If this were taking place where you have it taking place and sex does happen, that is statuatory rape.  You are a great writer, at the same time, that would get Michael put in jail.  If that's me being uptight, I'll own up to it.  However, okaying it would mean compromising my beliefs and values.

Reviewer: Nat5682 Anonymous [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 06:01 am Title: The Basics

These are really useful! Especially for those like me who just started writing, bascially my main creative outlet is drawing. Sometimes I want to put my brushed to rest and type my ideas away, but I just keep stumble on problems that I could hardly elaborate things in words because I get so used to describing things by drawing them out. You could say that my english skills are not that much advance. 



Author's Response:

I'm glad that you find them useful!  Please let me know if you have any questions that I might address in subsequent chapters

Reviewer: HeleneJacksonxx Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 01:04 am Title: It's the little things that count

I found all of this very useful, but it can be very hard to imporve and get better when you don't get a lot of reviews. I love when people criticize my writing. It's nice to know what's good and what needs improvement. What really bugs me is knowing that many people are reading but not reviewing. When you put a lot of time into something, it's depressing when people won't even take a few seconds to review...



Author's Response:

You got a lot of reviews for (one of my favorite stories) Soulmates. I assume you are talking about His Queen? That's a hard one. TBH that is the one story I'm highly uncomfortable commenting on as she's SO young. I've heard chatter so I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. It violates one of the main rules of this site (#3 to be specific).

Reviewer: HeleneJacksonxx Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 20, 2015 12:54 am Title: It's the little things that count

I ate Michael, hahahahahahah :)



Author's Response:

I had fun. Ones that were also considered but not chosen:

"Michael smothers me..." instead of "Michael, some others, me"

"I found comfort in cooking Michael and the kids" rather than "I found comfort in cooking, Michael, and the kids"

 

 

Reviewer: Kunda Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 19, 2015 03:48 pm Title: The Basics

I am awful with grammar. Always have been and probably always will be.

 What I do struggle with, even more than grammar, is the way my sentences run on. Since the first chapter I ever posted, I've found that I've been taking longer and longer to post. For one, life happens, and then there's whether I feel the writing is adequate or not.

If I feel that the chapter isn't pleasing to me, I have trouble posting it. This post is most helpful. 



Author's Response:

I'm glad it is. On a side note, I always love your updates :)

Reviewer: loyalpyt Signed [Report This]
Date: Jan 19, 2015 03:42 pm Title: The Basics

bad spelling, not today Satan!

Reviewer: TutThreeSevens Signed starstarstarstarstar [Report This]
Date: Jan 19, 2015 03:34 pm Title: It's the little things that count

Grammar is my Achilles heel. Ugh. Mostly punctuation and run on sentences. Also a few homophones get loose sometimes and I don't catch them when I re-read my story. I think so much can be helped if most people read their story to make sure the plot stays in sync and to catch misspelled words. Over all great advice. 

I also think that research is key. When I write Stories that my be AU or semi AU I like to make sure the real things I talk about are accurate if I can help it at all. 



Author's Response:

I don't think I noticed any really glaring errors in your story. To a certain extent, I see grammar as shaped by one's style of writing. In other words, the rules aren't hard and fast in the creative world (e.g. Michael's "2 Bad"). Now, a bunch of sentences that run four lines, lack the appropriate commas, and are confusingly phrased?  Well, then I go into Editor Mode and get distracted from the plot.

Speaking as a reader, thank you for doing your research!

Reviewer: loyalpyt Signed [Report This]
Date: Jan 19, 2015 11:11 am Title: It's the little things that count

thanks this has helped hun!

Reviewer: KerenOlivero Anonymous [Report This]
Date: Jan 19, 2015 11:02 am Title: The Basics

This could help writers a lot. I try my best to apply all you've mentioned here. When I first started writing as a whole my chapters were real puny but the more experienced authors gave me that same advice you detailed which helped my skills to grow over a period of time. As far as word count per chapter goes I usually go for over 3000 but really I end a chapter once it covers whatever I want it to and the length can vary..sometimes my chapters can be 4000+ to 6000, sometimes 7000+. There are rare occasions I can be content with over 3000 words or just under that. For the first time (in one of my non-MJ stuff) I recently wrote a chapter that was well over 9000 words.another 300+ and it would have been 10,000..man was I beat afterwards. 

Oh, and research is also essential for a fic too..



Author's Response:

This is a great example of how content really determines the length of a chapter. The one downside to going very long is that you're likely to feel as though you aren't getting as many comments as you are putting in effort. In such instances, it might be better to do a two-parter, and simply post the second half of the chapter the following day. That way it feels as though you are writing more frequently to the reader.  Then again, a 9,000 word chapter can be a great gift to readers ;)


Research- great point!

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