Best products from r/WritersGroup

We found 23 comments on r/WritersGroup discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 27 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

Top comments mentioning products on r/WritersGroup:

u/legalpothead · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

Well, when we talk about the theme or mood of a novel, it's difficult to be clear. I think you are tackling a very challenging narrative form, and I think you probably don't fully realize the problem.

You're writing about things that aren't real, but you want to convince your reader that they are real within a context that you are presenting. And ordinarily this would be easy, but you are switching between themes or moods or frameworks. And you are asking your reader to just go along with it.

But you can never take your reader's interest for granted. A reader's interest is a fickle resource. You need to develop a positive relationship with your reader. Your reader has to trust you. That's why as a speculative fiction writer, you lay out a set of ground rules about your story at the beginning, and then you stick to them.

What you're after is much harder. You're going to evolve your universe, thereby pulling out the rug from under your reader. So you need to give your reader some other focal point they can rely on for consistency.

Have a look at Radiance by Catherynne Valente. She has also created an alternative reality that cannot exist. She carries it off by adopting a sort of Roaring Twenties or steampunk feeling and by being outlandishly stylish.

And being outlandishly stylish might be the answer for you as well. If you can create a magnetic main character, you can use that as your focal point.

u/chewbaklava · 2 pointsr/WritersGroup

The best way to improve your writing is to read. Honestly. It sounds simple but it's true. If you read and read and read you get better. You see what you like, what you don't. What works for you and what doesn't. Really though, more reading=better writing. Also, write all the time. Constantly write. Even if you this it's shit, just write. Not everything you write has to be good.
Also, these two books have helped immensely and I've read them over and over again. They're good for understanding how "writing" works.

Borges, On Writing

Eudora Welty, On Writing

u/Halo6819 · 3 pointsr/WritersGroup

Three things:

  1. Writing Excuses: 15 min podcast featuring Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Howard Taylor, and Marry Robenette Kowal. They give amazing advice and have awesome guest stars (Pat Rothfus, Brandon Mull, John Scalzi, Dave Wolverton/Farland, off the top of my head)

  2. On Writing: A memoir by Stephen King: First half is his life story (SUPER FASCINATING!) second half some the best writing advice there is.

  3. How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card: Some of the advice is outdated, but most of it is still good.

    of course this is assuming from your use of the word creatively you are looking to do genre fiction. There is two pieces advice that all three sources will repeat endlessly

  4. Read a lot

  5. Write a lot

    Edit: Also see if your favorite author keeps a blog, as they will usually give writing advice in those as well. I know Card, Rothfus, Sanderson, and Wells all do.
u/2hardtry · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

That's pretty good. I like Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell. It's short, $4; you can download it onto your phone and read it in an afternoon. There's a certain point in the middle of a book where the hero takes a good, hard look at himself, then decides what he needs to do. Figure out that point, and the rest of the book falls in place.

I also like How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James Frey.

u/vogeltwosix · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

Start with the characters and their background first. A story isn’t about the plot, it’s about your characters: how they react to external events, and how those events change them internally. A good book has strong characters you can relate to, so if you start with the plot, you’re more likely to create something with little substance.

I’m in the planning phase for my first book, and I’ve found Lisa Cron’s Story Genius to be incredibly helpful. She recommends to first define your “what if” and the point you want your story to make, then create the characters that help you tell that story, and then you can focus on the plot. Since you’ve already defined your main character and their backstory, you’ll breeze through those parts!

In my case, I started with a rough idea of where I want my story to go, but it will become clearer to me once I finish developing the characters.

Hope that helps!

u/kmet0225 · 2 pointsr/WritersGroup

I have a fantastic realism young adult novella that is already published that I have always wanted to see as a graphic novel/comic. To be honest, it hits pretty much all of the things you listed. It involves an alternate dimension that an illustrator could have an absolute field day with. My publisher and I have discussed it before. Someone did a book trailer for me years ago, which is in the link, and might give you an idea of where it could be expanded (trailer isn’t that great though). Here is the amazon link to the description:
In the Storm

u/Cdresden · 2 pointsr/WritersGroup

Sure. But writing is a craft, just like any other craft. Most of it is just learning a complicated set of mechanics. What one person can do, another can do. What makes the difference is drive more than genius.

Read a good, fun book on writing that will get you pumped. Maybe How to Write a Damn good Novel by James Frey, or Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. Or better yet, if you can, take a class in fiction writing, or join a real world fiction writing group in your town.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/WritersGroup

The linked cover is excellent. the alternative front cover is poor. A few suggestions:

  1. Darken the city
  2. Make YEAR and RONIN larger and thicker.
  3. Print it in color. Take it to Barnes and Noble. Put it on the shelf. Now you see why it should be huge.
  4. My favorite cover is this: Typhoon, but it was redone for it's airport debut and its trade paperback edition. (Do a GIS of charles cumming typhoon)
  5. This cover is very familiar, but I can't think of its source ... maybe one of the LA novels. Regardless: it's excellent.
u/fromagewiz · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

Your spelling and usage need a lot of improvement. One error is mildly distracting; a lot of them becomes a serious turn-off.

Read more (different kinds of things) and practice writing more. Do simple writing exercises, and get a few writing books. One of my favorites for practice and developing creative instinct is What If? by Painter and Bernays.

You do have some memorable metaphors and lines here; your poet is showing. Study and practice! Good luck!

u/giselletgazelle · 2 pointsr/WritersGroup

You should invest in a copy of the Writer's Market (though it's probably late enough in the year to look for the 2019 edition so you can stay up to date on competitions. Don't feel like you have to buy it every year, though. Having 1 version of it is enough, but if it's your first time buying it, might as well be as current as possible.)

It's a massive collection of magazines, agents, publishing companies, and competitions, as well as information about each. They have smaller versions that are more specific to poetry, novels & short stories, and probably also non-fiction. You can easily find them on amazon.

u/thtevie · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

Earlier this year I published a volume of short stories, all sci-fi / fantasy, of various lengths. I think The Metamorphoses or Last Contact would be perfect for a comic. If you take a look and want a copy, send me a message and I'll send you one for free.

Predatory Behavior: and Other Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/1790407931/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ske5Cb3HWHXJF

u/EncasedMeats · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

The novel Wolf Hall is an excellent example of this.