/lit/ - Literature

>>5151625
A phallic, black stick.

For your anus?

>>5151606

Just give up.

Plot is as important as ideas.

And just a headsup so you know that I value my time: I will not reply to you regarding this, if you decide to keep arguing about it.

>>5151563
>>Start with your character going to sleep
>>Then everything happens.
>>Then end with "it was all a dream lol" - and nobody was surprised, ever.

>>5151560
If anyone is unaware, the free freview is opened by clicking on the book cover.

>>5151531
>http://jeremyleejames.com/writers/scrivener-how-to-compile-with-style/

As a sidenote, the author of that compile article is a talented writer and all of his novels are written using the compile workflow (check the free preview):
http://www.amazon.com/Jequon-Part-One-Nephilim-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00JGGMBME/ref=la_B00JXQ8C34_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405112923&sr=1-1

>>5151507
By the way... the most important thing when using Aeon Timeline is to never, ever cram multiple events into a single event entry.


BAD: "Inspector Monroe arrives at the crime scene, finds the burnt cigarette and the bloody knife"

Because when exporting such an event, you will then become stuck with a rigid formatting where that particular sub-document *has to* deal with all 3 subjects. You then completely lose the power to re-order them individually.

Instead, always make sure they are separate events: Arriving at the scene. Finding the cigarette. Finding the knife.

Then you can suddenly decide that it's more dramatic if he finds the knife but no other clues... and then... cigarettes... of a brand that's not from around here...

So you simply drag the cigarette event / document to come after the knife document. You wouldn't have been able to do that if you had jammed multiple events into one.

>>5151507

The Scrivener workflow is fantastic.

It doesn't enforce any rules, and lets you create any folder/document structure you want.

For instance, you could do something like this:


..(Folder for current story Arc) EARLY LIFE
....(Sub-folder for current chapter of Arc) Trouble on the Horizon
......(Sub-sub-folder for current sub-segment of current chapter) All the Time
........(Individual scrivenings with descriptive titles only for your own use/reference) Parents escaped war-ridden Warsaw as refugees
........They found love in each other in a small village
........I was conceived on a stormy night

etc etc

Then, when you compile the document, you can tell Scrivener "Okay, the top-level folder is just for my own reference, so ignore that. Take 2nd-level folders (such as "Trouble on the Horizon") and treat those folder names as chapters for table-of-contents and formatting purposes (outputs a title with the chapter name, page headings, etc). Treat 3rd level folders as sub-chapters (output their titles in a small font inside the chapter, to provide nice, logical sub-chapter breaks). And finall "Treat 4th level scrivenings (documents) as the main story and join them together.


There is complete freedom in how you compile. Here is a perfect tutorial that shows the power of Scrivener's near-unlimited Compile feature:

http://jeremyleejames.com/writers/scrivener-how-to-compile-with-style/

>>5151488

Your post made me happy, since absolutely every part of it rang true.

Writing a great book isn't about cramming it full of every tiny little idea you have; it's about finding out who it's for, what you want to tell them, and keeping only the elements that matter - and then making those elements truly shine.

I've explained a bit about the tools/workflow here: >>5151491

>>5151454
>>5151070

The first two tools (Persona for generating characters and Contour for filling in the 3-arc timeline) are only necessary if you are starting a story from complete scratch, without any ideas already in your head.

If you already know the story you want to tell, you can jump straight into Aeon Timeline and map out all of the events. Use descriptive titles, like 12:45 AM "Inspector Monroe arrives at the crime scene" and 12:50 AM "Monroe finds the burnt cigarette on the ground"

Then, when your entire story is mapped out in Aeon Timeline, do a sync to Scrivener and it will automatically turn all of those event titles into a chronologically ordered list of sub-documents, like this:

"Inspector Monroe arrives at the crime scene"
"Monroe finds the burnt cigarette on the ground"

Next, simply go into each sub-document, chronologically, and write a few paragraphs about each event, ensuring that the ending of one sub-document flows smoothly into the beginning of the next.


This "plan out the core plot, define the events and their chronology, and fill in the blanks in the end" workflow ensures that your story makes complete chronological sense and it even allows you to do things the mind cannot handle, such as juggling an infinite amount of parallel timelines with complete accuracy if you are so inclined.

As you do your writing, you will of course become inspired and realize "Well, this cigarette butt is cool and all, but what if he also found a knife?" - and that's no problem.

Just create a new sub-document (called Scrivening) inside of Scrivener, title it "Monroe finds the bloody knife" (or whatever), and then set its metadata to have a date. Next time you sync, Aeon Timeline will pick up the newly added (from within Scrivener) event.

When it's time to publish, you hit "Compile" in Scrivener and it takes all of the individual sub-documents and builds an ebook, PDF, whatever you want.


Keeping all text split into freely re-arrangeable sub-documents is freedom. It provides perfect overview and you never again have to deal with monolithic monster documents where the whole story is in one file from start to end.

It helps you tell a better story with a clearer overview, and it's surprisingly very, very fast and timesaving once you get into this habit.

>>5151405
Dude...

I'm this motherfucking bitch right here: >>5151070

And I just want to call out your post as fucking excellent shit... SHIT!


Okay, okay, I'll drop the thug language.

Anyway; what you're saying here is exactly what my writing tools are focused on.

The core questions of ANY book are the following two questions:

1. What do I want to say?
2. Who am I writing it for?

Both questions are intricately interlinked.

For example; if you are writing a memoir for the love of your life that explains your road through life and how everything changed when you met her - then by all means show details from your earlier life and give your past life and 3-dimensionality. But *don't* *ever* go on unnecessary detours.

It's about remembering WHAT you want to say and WHO you are saying it for. When you know the target reader, you know *exactly* what parts of the story matter to them, and should craft *everything* around that core story.

Sure, this may mean that you have to PAINFULLY let go of details that are *incredible*, simply because they have NOTHING to do with the core story and just lead the reader on an irrelevant detour that slows down the story and makes them lose interest.

In the interest of great stories, do exactly what Artistotle said. It is also something that I've realized independently: The greatest stories focus on a single subject and never, ever lose sight of the goal. They get from A to B and have the DISCIPLINE to limit the story to what *truly* matters for the intended reader.

You'll be doing them a disservice if you, like a lot of modern (shit) authors, blend in a ton of digressions. It just makes for a dragging, awful, disjointed, unfocused read in the end...

So just drown your precious detour/distraction babies (no matter how good the anecdotes/ideas are) and keep only the elements that actually *truly*, *deeply* matter to the core story.

>>5151254
>don't know how I skimmed over it like a fool...

Haha, I couldn't believe it either. Every time I scrolled back to that sentence, I started laughing, because it's just so unbelievably awful and shitbrained and out of place. But I am sure some people actually think that would be a great improvement for literature. I suspect those same people would also overlap with the Lady Gaga fans on a Venn diagram.

>>5151240
The way to do it is to avoid clichés and flowery language, and just speak from the heart without using any similes (shit like "your hair is like the blowing wind lol hope it doesn't blow away" is cliché and awkward if you aren't very careful).


Here's an example of ending a letter in an emotional way that really says it all in as few words as possible, through simple sincerity:

[main text]

Sophia... I love you.

You are all my reasons.

>>5151184
Haha you fell for it hook, line and sinker.

I was just trolling all of the smiley haters.

It started with this post: >>5150872
>also, what is it with the :)XD*'')xxxx on lit today?

I find it hilarious when people get angry at smileys, so I then gave a stupid example meant to infuriate:
>>5150895
>"The man, now unchained, opened his mouth to express his gratitude -- 'Thanks :-)'"

Then I suggested that I might even write my whole book that way:
>>5150937
>Inspired me to figure out some way to use smileys tastefully in my book.

I have to say, 10/10 troll judging by your anger. Good discussion, too. You gave great examples of why smileys have no place in books, and why they even cheapen "I love you" in texts.

I am on your side, you just didn't know it. xD

>>5151130

This happens. But his beta-shield repelled her and won out in the end.

>>5151126

Do you honestly believe that a normal woman these days *wouldn't* be creeped out by the over-the-top flowery language?

Saying they're beautiful like the simile simile simile simile simile just sounds trite and fucking overdone by this point. Men used to do that in the overly formal 1800s.

Give me an example of a non-creepy, contemporary way of adding emotion to the dry "I love you." without going into over the top similes.

>>5151094

Imagine that you're writing a letter to a loved one and you want to end it with a sweet, smiling, sincere "I love you."

Option 1 (dry): I love you.

Option 2 (tries to use flowery language by explaing how *much* you love her, just makes it creepy): I love you like the blabla simile simile ohh the angels bla bla.

Option 3 (sweet and smiling, the way you intended it): I love you. :-)

>>5149615

1. Step 1: Develop a set of characters and motivations, friends and enemies, goals, etc. https://marinersoftware.com/products/persona/
2. Step 2: Map those goals into the overall arc of the story. https://marinersoftware.com/products/contour/
3. Step 3: Convert the entire story arc into an Aeon Timeline with individual events for every story event http://www.scribblecode.com/
4. Step 4: Synchronize Aeon Timeline with Scrivener to convert all story events into individually named Scrivenings (documents) and begin filling in all of the writings now that you have your event sequences, characters and event titles to go by. http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

This is how to do it in the 21st century. 20th century writers need not apply.

>>5151002
>"If you feel your symbols cover the depth of the grimace as well as words, you're wrong" - Anon 2014

>"I often think that it is necessary to come up with a typographic symbol denoting a smile – some flourish or leaning closing bracket, which I could use to accompany my answers to your questions." - Vladimir Nabokov, 1969

>>5151002

Well, do you know who disagrees with you? [Appeal to authority]
Vladimir Nabokov among many others.

View the video: >>5150937

>>5150949
That would be fucking awesome.

>>5150961
Compare:
You shithead.
You shithead. ;-P

The first would make you mad, the second wouldn't.

>>5150895

Found this now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tWZ2JmFpx0

Inspired me to figure out some way to use smileys tastefully in my book.


What is 4chan's gripe with smileys? Did it start as a "cool kids don't express emotions" thing? xD :D >:) :> :D ~``o_-``~

>>5150872

Smileys add something which language was lacking. A better way to convey emotion.

How long will it be before all books contain smileys?

"The man, now unchained, opened his mouth to express his gratitude -- 'Thanks :-)'"

>>5150858

Imagine dating. You're standing next to a woman; she thinks "Omigod he's hot" - so you just kiss her. No words or doubt needed. Awesome.

Or... in the case of the average 4channer, she barfs mentally.

I'm for it! Telepathy Für Alles.

>>5150817

Haha, yeah I thought you were laughing at me.

I was *intending* to make a joke with the completely deadpan telepathy advocacy after the verbose shit about regular language.