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Thread: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

  1. #1
    Tigellinus's Avatar Citizen
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    Default What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Hey all, I'm having to do an English report about what problems or issues people face in a certain profession or area.

    So, I'd like to know what problems you face with writing? What are the issues you have? What do you want to be better at?

    I will note: No usernames will be used or anything such as that. Just need a general idea of what problems people face so I can incorporate that information.

    Thanks in advance,

    Tigellinus
    Last edited by Tigellinus; June 23, 2017 at 07:08 AM.




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  2. #2
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    The boring bits.

    Let's say I'm writing an AAR and the main character of my AAR is in town A. Something exciting has just happened to him - he's survived a difficult fight, say. I know I need to get him to town B (miles and miles away), because I know that's where the next exciting thing is going to happen. Sometimes, in some stories, I can just say "Three weeks later, as he entered town B, he caught sight of a familiar-looking man dressed in black..." But that doesn't always work - sometimes you need things to happen before the exciting event takes place, for one reason or another. And my actual AAR is written in first person, and is supposed to be the carefully-kept journal of the main character, so skipping big chunks of time is tricky*. But it's hard to be enthusiastic about writing something if you start out thinking of it as just "the thing I have to write before I can get to the good bit".

    *Except when it isn't. He has blackouts, which are occasionally very useful.

    Also, I procrastinate horribly. I could be writing chapters now, for instance, instead of replying to your post...






  3. #3

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Adding the slow motion paragraphs in my fast paced writing style .Its also okay if you use my name .Im always ready for advertising .Not many like my stories which are always set in post victorian era .
    Last edited by Owlparrot3; June 21, 2017 at 11:17 AM.
    100% mobile poster so pls forgive grammer

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    Alwyn's Avatar Frothy Goodness
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Good topic, Tigellinus! I recently posted a Critic's Quill article on Dodging Bullets: Overcoming problems with writing AARs. At some point as an AAR writer, I have experienced the first six of the seven problems discussed in that article - feeling discouraged, needing to explain why 'good guys' start wars, a lack of time, writer's block/lack of ideas, enjoying playing the campaign so much that the AAR gets left behind (or is rushed) and corrupted saves.

  5. #5

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Writing in a non-native language kills me. In my native language I can express so many more things, and way better. But if you want to be read by somebody you have to write in English.

  6. #6
    Tigellinus's Avatar Citizen
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Thank you all!

    @Cailagh: That is actually a very interesting point! You can only use so many techniques before you're either repeating yourself, or skipping it. Do you have any other points?

    @Mad Orc: What do you mean slow motion paragraphs in your fast paced story? Like, description and such?

    Also, nah. Don't want to use usernames, I simply feel like it'd be a breach of privacy. Plus, saying "My source, Mad Orc..." Doesn't sound like the most reliable thing XD

    @Alwyn: As always, you are an immense help! I will be checking out that article after this and taking notes! Thanks my friend!

    @EmperorOfNothing: I didn't even consider something like that. Lord. Would you be able to go into more detail about this? Specifics?

    Kind regards and thanks,

    Tigellinus




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  7. #7
    Dude with the Food's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Connotations of words, puns and sometimes even grammar don't usually translate or at least not very well. A friend once tried to say he gave up drugs in a French GCSE piece because they cost him an arm and a leg. He meant they were expensive but ended up with a rather dramatic sob-story. (Disclaimer, he's never had an actual drug problem.)


    There's also the fact that most second/third languages are used exculsively to allow communication and there's a significant difference between the range of vocubulary you might use to converse and to write stories/poetry/anything that isn't journalistic. I assume this is at least part of the issue EmperorOfNothing has because English can be such a huge language, even to native speakers.
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    I am me. You are not me. You are you. If I was you, I wouldn't be me.
    If you were me, I'd be sad.But I wouldn't then be me because you'd be me so you wouldn't be me because I wasn't me because you were me but you couldn't be because I'd be a different me. I'd rather be any kind of bird (apart from a goose) than be you because to be you I'd have to not be me which I couldn't do unless someone else was me but then they would be you aswell so there would still be no me. They would be you because I was you so to restore balance you would have to be me and them meaning all three of us would become one continously the same. That would be very bad.


  8. #8

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Personally I find most difficult to translate my way of writing into another language. A language is completely another thing from another language, it requires different approaches. Just like you have to use your mouth differently to speak it, it's different to write in English or Italian. Therefore what you can express and how is different. Something can't simply be translated, and it's usually that part that comes with "feeling" a language rather than knowing it. I use a polished vocabulary in my native language, not because I'm some sort of hipster but because I know how language works and I need to be the most exact possible. I also use convoluted expressions, workarounds... this is impossible to translate with a basic or even high language knowledge. Ultimately all of this takes out something from the writing and it's usually the most important part of my writings.

    Also, "being of" another language means that you have to constantly translate what you think/feel/whatever and it produces in the end a subproduct of the original, not to say how mentally draining of an effort it is.

  9. #9
    Boriak's Avatar Senator
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Right now, editting the shait out of the smallest detail that most readers won't even notice but make all the difference between a good book and a great book.

  10. #10
    Hitai de Bodemloze's Avatar 避世絕俗
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    The issue of writing in a foreign language is an interesting one. I wrote a novel in a foreign language two years ago and naturally it wasn't as good as something I could write in English. But what worked for me was to stop comparing my foreign language (Chinese) writing to my native English writing. I stopped trying to adapt my English style to Chinese and instead I tried to do the best I could with my relatively limited Chinese ability. So I stopped trying to translate every word I didn't know and just tried to use my existing vocabulary to explain things as best I could. I found that I wrote a lot better, faster and more confidently when I stopped comparing it to my English writing and started judging it on its own merits. It's a different style and a different kind of writing, but it's also a different language, so I think that's only to be expected sometimes.

  11. #11

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Writing natural-sounding dialogues has always been a challenge, even more so if you combine it with seaching for your characters' voices. I usually find myself converging towards a limited set of voices that I find engaging and natural-sounding, making it hard to diversify. I regularly use naive, fanatic, fatherly/motherly, witty, theratening, etc. It's easier if you're dealing with two very different characters - a kind monk speaking to a drunk sellsword. It's harder if you have two kind monks or drunk sellswords talking to each other. The key seems to be finding nuance by making use of personality and personal backgroud, but it's challenging for not-so-developed secondary characters or even main characters with similarities.

    @The language discussion: A language's aesthetic is a pretty interesting variant. It may be a question of habit, but I find that some fit genres better than others.

  12. #12

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Most of what Alwyn wrote in his piece I've experienced at some point or another (curse you technology!). I've never been discouraged when writing AAR's though. Its something I love doing and have written stories about games for years, starting with Championship Manager and the "hilarious" tale of an Australian layabout who one day woke up in Russia and found himself as the manager of a second division football team..."Vladivostok Was FINE! Thanks For Asking" (its related to a commercial about chocolate biscuits, two women, a genie with three wishes and a boyfriend ending up in Russia...)

    Writers block would probably be the biggest. Sometimes I have those moments where everything just pours out and I write chapter after chapter but those moments where you cannot for the life of yourself think of what to write, how to present a golden opportunity in game in story form etc are always a pain to deal with for me. Usually taking time off, playing an unrelated game, listening to a historical podcast (oh how I love thee, History of Rome!) or something utterly unrelated will suddenly switch the light bulb on but writers block is sometimes the reason why my AAR's go dormant for extended periods. My main problem now is how to include a new story arc as one character who mostly appears in the middle part of what I've written about so far, as a supporting character, is developing some interesting (and possibly catastrophic...for the main characters in any case) traits in game. I am just stuck right now on how I would introduce it without it seeming like a rehash of the the introduction of one of the main characters. I do have some vague ideas but its a bit of a sticking point currently.
    'The Last Pagan Emperor'- An Invasio Barbarorum Somnium Apostatae Juliani AAR
    MAARC L 1st Place
    MAARC LXXI 1st Place

    'Immortal Persia' A Civilization III AAR

    Prepare to imbibe the medicine of rebuke!

  13. #13

    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    .
    Last edited by RodentDung; July 11, 2017 at 01:53 AM. Reason: ya

  14. #14
    Tigellinus's Avatar Citizen
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    Default Re: What Problems Do You Face With Writing?

    Wow! I never expected this to get such a response!

    Thank you very much for your input, my friends! I have to say that I find this very interesting, many of us have different issues with writing, and a few of us have the same. It is interesting!

    Thanks,

    Tigellinus




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