hey! sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been focusing on developing my art skills
but dw there's more oneshot content on the way!
I posted this in one of my other books and then thought "hey, my oneshot readers would probably enjoy this too!"
so here's some of my personal dos and donts of writing, it's directly copypasted so some of the wording may be a bit nonsensical or awkward but otherwise *backflips into a chair and breaks my ribs*
DO:
1. use eloquent, diverse language! synonyms are key. if you're using too many of one singular word, use a thesaurus to find more. you will improve, and that's a promise!
example: "he felt good" could be changed to "he felt content" or even "he felt great", etc.
2. Vary sentence length and punctuation. This is an obvious one, or at least it is for me, but I thought I would include it anyway. Punctuation and altering sentence length can make or break a dramatic scene, and improve exposition/descriptive scenes. Short sentences often add suspense. Lengthy, informative sentences help the flow of the story and immerse the reader within the setting; punctuation such as semi colons can be used to stitch two sentences or more together, and keep them rolling as a cohesive narrative if needed.
3. RESEARCH. I cannot express this enough. Even just a few minutes of looking stuff up can benefit you hugely in how your story sounds. My most recent Coinpin story was fuelled by my most recent interest in minecraft UHCs (I've watched hours of them), but that's just an example of a relatively harmless subject. This rule becomes even more important when you're talking about much heavier stuff. When I was writing my Suitloon oneshot I did an hour or so of reading up on schizophrenia to get it just right: not only for a more disturbing and realistic experience that would make for better reading, but to depict the disorder in a way that sufferers would be satisfied with. Avoid romanticising anything bad. Do not mix harm and toxicity with romance where a relationship instantly clears everything up. Healing takes time.
4. This is kind of leading on from my last point, but try your best to write in character for who you're describing. A big part of me displaying Lightbulb for example is her weird-ass way of phrasing things (if you read my full-length fanfiction The Killing Moon or any oneshot I included her in, you'll understand what I mean). You can add in a few non-canon things that they might do, but don't go too overboard.
Example of a good extension of character: Balloon could try to befriend Nickel again and forgive him because Suitcase says it might be a good idea for them all to get along. I can see this happening, but Nickel would probably react with hostility by default, as he's hated Balloon so much for so long that he hasn't seen any other option.
Example of a bad extension of character: Balloon tries to befriend Nickel, and gets angry when he refuses, attacking him. Another example would be Nickel immediately forgiving him after an apology. If Balloon did have an outburst of anger, it wouldn't be very destructive, and he'd instantly be hit with a lot of regret, even if it was Nickel he was hurting. Nickel is very stubborn, the type to hold a grudge for a really long ass time.
5. Colloquialism is key. People in your story often won't talk in the style of how you're describing their actions and surroundings: consider how characters might speak according to the universe, class, time period or age they are at. Kids won't use big words. Adults will, most of the time, act mature. You know, common sense, but something you might lot necessarily pay attention to.
6. Have fun with words! I will admit to sometimes making up words that sound right and real, or using hyphens to string two together in a creative way. You probably seen it if you've read my works. I love me some haphazardly-strung hyphenated fusions.
Also, simile and metaphor are your friends!
7. Label not safe for work content and trigger warnings clearly. What you want to add to your story might not be what others want to see: please be mindful of your readers' welfare.
8. PRACTICE. I've been creating stories for fifteen years. Don't give up.
9. Proofread. This will save you slip-ups, autocorrect issues and misplaced words getting past the filter. Proofreading rn, hehe
DON'T
1. Fetishise things such as mental illness, sexual assault, and so on. The amount of non-consensual stuff here on Wattpad is frankly disgusting, as well as romanticisation of sensitive subjects (self harm, depression, anxiety and suicide are the most common I've seen). If you can't treat certain subjects with accuracy and respect, leave them be.
2. Force yourself to write smut. You have to be in a certain mood to write or draw NSFW content, yet I see a lot of people requesting it. Please don't make yourself trawl through every porn request! It can be exhausting for you. Give yourself a break and stop if you feel like it isn't working for you.
3. Use too many adjectives. This was something I learnt on my writing course a year or two ago - death by adjective is a very common problem among writers with moderate or even high levels of experience. Too many describing words can kill the flow of a piece of writing: if in doubt, take one out! It can make your story sound a lot better. Trust me, I use way too many adjectives.
4. Work yourself to the core! Take breaks, dumbass! You'll need food, water and sleep to make better content. I once thought I could make it through my A Levels on 2 hours sleep nightly whilst writing a novel and I barely scraped a pass on all three of my subjects. Oh yeah, and schoolwork comes first.
5. Never tell yourself you're "bad at writing". If you're constantly telling yourself that the best of your ability is poor quality, then you'll live your life believing you're not capable of producing anything good. You are. And if you don't think you are yet, keep and it and you will. I love 80% of what I write, I'm my own biggest fan, and even though I know there's still room for me to take criticism and improve, I'm so proud of how far I've come!
hope this helps!