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Question: I'm 13 and I'm writing a book, but having trouble!. Do you have any tips for me!?
I'm writing a teen fantasy novel and I'm having trouble though!. Any tips for me would probably help!. ex: character development tips, writing styles, etc!. Thank you!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Oh! Good luck! :D

I've got quite a few instructive websites under my belt after many years attempting this!. You can take a look at them all and pick and choose if you want!.

When it comes to comparing your work with others, I personally would recommend adultfanfiction!.net!. I know it's an adult site but there's nothing explicit there except some of the writings (no dirty pictures or porn, just a lot of erotica)!. I find it easier than in fanfiction!.net to sift out the bad from the good and see how stories were written!. A lot of the writers there know how to create interesting proses and styles, and can put the pace in the plot the right way!.
Again, I will stress that I am NOT pushing you into a porn site(it's not!)!. You can ignore this piece of advice whatever you like, I'm just speaking from experience!.

Okay, I will now post some weblinks which I've found useful:

http://www!.monstrous!.com/
A site made by fans of monsters, myths and legends!.

http://www!.behindthename!.com/
An incredible site for picking names, even if you're in a hurry!.

http://www!.lowchensaustralia!.com/names/f!.!.!.

Thousands of Fantasy Names:
Link portal intended really to naming your pets!. also has name games for time-wasting amusement!. Alot of these links are superb in seeking out the unusual and the meaningful!.

Writing in general:

http://www!.writing-world!.com/romance/ind!.!.!.

They have more on other genres there,

http://ficbitches!.livejournal!.com/

Slap to the Head Fanfiction Reviews
Read the bitchings about peoples' past mistakes for help on what to stay away from in writing!. also a good shortcut in motivating yourself to get writing, cause there's always someone worse than you!. :)

http://storymind!.com/articles/2003-08-31!.!.!.

Articles on Writing!. Find your intended subject there and just read!.

http://www!.crimelibrary!.com/
Ooodles and oodles and oodles of real crime stories!. It's good for writing of gritty, no-nonsense literature!.

http://www!.nlm!.nih!.gov/medlineplus/encyc!.!.!.
MEdical encyclopedia: if you have to describe a tragedy, a sickness, or terrible accident, this is good to research on!.

http://www!.darkerotica!.net/EroticQuills!.!.!.!.
This site is a lifesaver to the Stephen-king-wannabe like myself!. It has a fantastic article on the reality of the vampire bites, in a realistic and medical perspective!.

http://animals!.howstuffworks!.com/mammals!.!.!.

I had to use this when I wrote a sleepy hollow fic!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Tip #1: READ!. At thirteen, the number of books you have read is probably pretty low!. BUlk up with a TON of good reading, in and out of the genre!. Read great fiction and read terrible fiction!. Both will teach you things!. Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do!.

Tip#2: WRITE!. Write all the time!. Write in a journal!. Write letters to friends!. Write almost constantly!. Practice putting words together, seeing what works and what doesn't!.

Tip#3: JOIN!. Join a writers' group!. It could be a state organization, national organization or something like a local writers' group in your neighborhood bookstore!. But you HAVE to have other, more seasoned writers looking over your work, critiquing it!. Another eye is ALWAYS good, so long as they are writers you, yourself, would read!. Don't ever go down the food chain for answers!.

Tip#4: SUBMIT: Submit your work, especially short stories, to magazines!. Local, national, doesn't matter!. Almost no one is going to publish a first-time author without any credentials!. You build those credentials by getting published in small prints and presses!. Then you move on to larger and larger houses until you're with a huge one, like TOR!.

Tip #5: Never Quit!. Your writing, more than likely, sucks!. Everyone's does at first!. But you have to keep plugging away!. Remember, every book ever written was written the same way, one word at a time!.

Tip#6: STEAL!. Yep, you read right!. Steal!. Read your favorite authors and keep a notepad handy!. Ask yourself: how did _______ introduce this character!? Am I seeing different types of dialogue here!? How does s/he handle the 100 page hurdle!? How do they move time forward without saying, "An Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat!.!.!."!? How do they build tension in a scene!? How do they end their scenes with leads into the next scene!?

And so on!. I'm not saying plagerize!. Look at how this person's tricks and mimic those tricks with your own prose!. The greats are great for a reason!.

Oh, and try reading an "On Writing" type book!. Nearly every author has piblished one!. I, personally, am a big fan of Stephen King so I read his!. Helped me a lot!.

Oh, and don't be afraid to read above your level!. R!. Scott Bakker's "The Darkness that Comes Before" blew my mind!.

Turn off you tv!. It kills brain cells!. Seriously!. Take it outside, kick in the screen, hollow it out, and put a nice flower pot inside of it!. You'll get more from that flower than any program on the main networks: NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'd recommend checking out/joining www!.fantasy-writers!.org It's an active and friendly writing and critiquing group that focuses on the fantasy genre (as the name implies)!. People on the site can ask each other for writing advice on the forums, from world building to grammar, and can post their own writings for other members to review!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am also 13 and love writing books!.
I have trouble all the time!.
I just keep writing them and ask my family what they think of it!.
You shouldnt have a problem!.
I have been writing fantasy novels!. I am crazy about vampires!. So I just write what i think the story should be!!!

http://answers!.yahoo!.com/question/index!?!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You must be in your forties to write a "teen fantasy novel!." If you're 13, you'll have to write either teen fantasy nonfiction or adult reality fiction!.

Www@QuestionHome@Com

go jump off a cliff !.!.!. then write about all the injuries you've hadWww@QuestionHome@Com