Author: DarkATX
Posted: 5/10/2001 7:43:22 PM

Research goes a long way especially something as deep as the Star Wars Universe. Get it right the first time or you'll end up having others (most probably your readers) point out your continuity errors.
Also, it's boring to have your characters not get bumps and bruises along the way. It always nice to read about a character with a slight stutter when excited or possibly another twisting his/her ankle when running from time to time. :)

Author: Liz Skywalker  (signed)
Posted: 5/6/2001 11:55:49 AM

Always make sure not to give two minor/major characters nearly the same name (EX: Calis, Calin. Cole, Colin. Luke, Lune). Double no-no: have them in a scene together. It's plain confusing.

Author: Herman Snerd  (signed)
Posted: 4/27/2001 5:51:58 PM

When writing, do your best to eliminate outside distractions. Turn off the television, send the kids to bed, kick the spouse out of the room and just write. If the real world is making you tense, those creative juices might just refuse to flow.

Once you get started, don't get bogged down by details. If you can't decide what planet a character comes from, let it go for the moment. That's what a second and third read through is for. Just relax, stay in the mood, and keep writing.

Now if you can't get relaxed, you can do what I do. Pop in a classical music CD and just listen for a few minutes. I've written many a chapter with Beethoven playing in the background.

Remember, we're doing this writing for our own enjoyment. If the writing starts to feel like work, perhaps you should take a break and return to it when you feel refreshed.

Author: Clarus
Posted: 4/26/2001 7:29:06 AM

When you write dialogue, say it out loud. This can help you catch
weird phrasings and things that might be out of character. Remember that
there are pauses in a normal person's speech pattern.

Author: Lord Bane  (signed)
Posted: 4/22/2001 6:18:06 PM

It is often suggested to go into the writing with NO plotline, NO idea and only character names. This is the way I write (and I have read, Stephen King does something similar). Make a few characters and let them surprise you as well as the reader.

Don't let a plot stop you from doing a scene or taking a story where you want it to go. Be freeform with your writing; it'll take you great places.

Author: Luke_and_Mara_4ever  (signed)
Posted: 4/20/2001 3:46:34 PM

It helps if you bounce ideas off family members before you start writing--that's sure helped me!

Author: Krytos  (signed)
Posted: 4/19/2001 11:31:36 PM

This may seem like going a wee bit far, but become the character you are writing about. Feel, see, taste, sense everything that you write your character is doing. It reflects on the story a lot and helps bring it that human side to it, not just a hollow character.

Author: Fett
Posted: 4/18/2001 6:40:38 AM

Firstly, I think it helps if you post on the boards at TFN. That way you can get feedback as you post each part of your story. Also I think it is easier to write a lot of short posts to make a large story than a whole large story at once.

In the context of the above, I find it helpful if you lay out an outline of your story before you write it up. Just a brief outline so that you know exactly what each one of your posts will be focusing on. Then you can make changes to your outline as necessary. This helps avoid coming to situations from which you can find no path to continue.

Author: Talon Squad Leader  (signed)
Posted: 4/17/2001 10:54:13 PM

For group fiction, communication is key. Create e-mail lists or other common ways of getting ideas and other plots across. Some of the writers in your group may misunderstand a plot from time to time, but you can prevent this by keeping all lines of communication open. Don't hesitate to express your feelings about someone's ideas or writing. Be constructive and help the author improve on his or her writing, so that your group fiction will improve over time. It is also helpful to have some requirements for posting in large group fictions. Some groups find it easy to require that members keep in touch in some way, so that everyone knows what is going on with the characters in the story. Remember group fiction is a very adaptable way to write; you can have small groups of four or five to large groups of more than 30. Make it fun and never hesitate to try new ideas to keep you and the other writers interested in the story.

Author: Vee  (signed)
Posted: 4/4/2001 6:38:55 PM

Take the character's history into careful consideration when writing dialogue. A highly-educated person will not spout rough slang without a very good reason; likewise, a roughed-up smuggler will only sound like a professor if he's doing an impression of one.

Author: Mr. P  (signed)
Posted: 4/4/2001 7:11:47 AM

Do a lot of reading. A *lot*. When you read, you pick up writing techniques from the author(s), and also perhaps metaphors and similes that you might use. It also gives you a better sense for writing, and as a matter of fact (at least, this is what I've noticed), my writing has made me a *much* better reader than I was before.

I suppose they complement each other.

--Mr. P

Author: FernWithy  (signed)
Posted: 3/27/2001 8:20:23 PM

Use all your senses, not just hearing and eyesight, when you're bringing your settings to life. Give a sense of what things feel like, smell like, and taste like as you write. This isn't just set dressing; it can be used to come up with some new and fresh observations and metaphors.

Author: Anakin's Angel  (signed)
Posted: 3/22/2001 1:32:31 PM

This one may seem like an "oh, duh!" but here it is: NEVER write without using a spell-checker! Spelling mistakes often drag the reader right back into the real-world, when you want them immersed in your story!