There’s nothing original in the world. Good writers are always stealing ideas from each other and recycling stories. It’s expected. And it’s natural.
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At The Write Practice, we publish a new article each day designed to help writers tackle one part of their writing journey, from generating ideas to grammar to writing and publishing your first book. Each article has a short practice exercise at the end to help you immediately put your learning to use.
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Four Types of Anti-Villains
I don’t have a very big DVD collection, but one of the discs on my shelf is Catch Me If You Can. I really enjoy this movie, for a few reasons. I love anything that is based on a true story, plus you really can’t go wrong with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Come on now.
By nature of the story content, you have a pair of characters who are on opposite sides of the law, but they’re both painted as sympathetic characters. DiCaprio’s Frank Abagnale, Jr. is clearly meant to be the one whom the audience sympathizes with, but Carl Hanratty, played by Hanks, is the man on the right side of the law. He’s clearly the anti-villain to DiCaprio’s anti-hero.
What other degrees of anti-villains are there?
Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert Writer?
The stereotype goes that writers are introverts – lonely, secluded souls who spend their days exclusively with their words. As much as this holds true for many, it doesn’t cover the whole bunch. Whereas some need to travel away and shut themselves down in order to focus on the project at hand, others thrive in environments full of people, jotting down their thoughts in cafes and bars.
There is, however, a third category for the luckiest of all – those who strike a balance between these two extremes. They call them ambiverts.
Why You Should Put Yourself Into the Uncomfortable Zone
By nature, human beings are creatures of habit. We stick to what we’re good at it and we like to do what we’ve always done.
Habit is defined as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.’”And habits are hard for us to give up. That’s why it’s so difficult for us to make a major lifestyle change—it breaks us out of our comfort zone.
For writers, though, habit can be particularly detrimental.
How to Write Like a Pro
Earlier this week, my dad asked me for feedback on a story he wrote. The story is about a father figure who turned out to be something of a con man. Memoir is often boring, but this story was amazing, stranger than fiction.
You could also tell the story was written by an amateur. My dad is a good storyteller, but telling a story to a few people at a party and writing professionally are two very different things.
What’s the difference between pro and amateur writing? How can you write a story as good as any professional writer?
The Five-Draft Plan
How many times do you edit your novel? I’ve asked several people this question and gotten varied results: three times, seven time, ten times. Some even edit as they write. I edit my novel five times. Every time I use what I call, “The Five-Draft Plan,” I get good results. Every time. What is “The Five-Draft Plan?” Read on and you shall see.
The 2 Types of Villains (And Why Your Story Needs Them)
We've covered heroes and anti-heroes fairly thoroughly in the past couple of weeks, but we wouldn't have any of the shades of heroes without having their counterpart: the villain. A well-written villain can make or break a story, because a hero is only as compelling...
How to Write about a Time of Anticipation
As I write this, I’m one month away from my due date, the estimated arrival of my husband’s and my first child. At many points in life, we are in a state of looking forward. Anticipation of an event—whether it’s a joyous or devastating one—puts everything in a new perspective. It heightens your awareness, incites excitement or anxiety (or both!), and brings up a lot of emotions.
Whether you’re crafting a fictional story or recounting your own experience, how do you write about a time of anticipation in a realistic, compelling way?
California [writing prompt]
PRACTICE
Write about California, your personal experiences with the Golden State or your perceptions of it.
Write for fifteen minutes. When your time is up, post your practice in the comments section. And if you post, be sure to give feedback on a few practices by other writers.
What Makes Beautiful Writing Beautiful?
Personally, I enjoy beautiful writing. A few years ago, I was reading Faulkner on a bus. Liz read one page and said, “Yuck. So confusing. Do you even understand that?”
“Sometimes. He writes so beautifully, though,” I said.
There’s something about beautiful writing that makes us want to read it. Perhaps Faulkner’s not your favorite, but have you ever read something where you just said, “Wow,” and immediately knew you were reading a true master?
What is it about beautiful writing that is beautiful? Is beauty just in the eye of the beholder? In other words, are we culturally conditioned to think some writing is beautiful? Or is there something universal in beautiful writing, something that exists beyond cultural relativity but is inherent in all human perceptions?
