Hello, everyone! <3

So, not long ago but for a bit of a while, I've been wanting to somehow reach out to other users on here as a way to meet and greet, and fundamentally do my part in assisting their progress with writing, or whatever else is going on. I think I was told once that I give nice advice, though I can't agree or disagree because I have no idea, really. But I like to explain things so people can understand better/more, and from one amateur to another—although there are already so many pieces of advice for writers and all kinds of artist—I wouldn't mind just putting out there some of my own personal writing tips that I (try to always) follow. I'm generally self-taught, but I've always loved reading from a young age, and this is something I'll include with one of the points following. Plus, this'll be reflective for my own sake, too, because I look forward to improving again!

#IDEAS

. What Do or Can I Write? -  Its been a while since I've had the problem of having absolutely nothing to work with, and that's simply because I've saved up practically almost every other idea I've had. I have a folder named 'BOX', and for years I've filled it with ideas, plans and included half-written or full chapters for various plots and genres. So, first advice from me to you guys is to think twice before tossing away an idea, because it may have potential, as it's own work or additional plot/information for another wip.

. But, Sugar-san, I don't have that box of yours, seriously...! (ㆆ_ㆆ) - I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be now without my box, tbh (╥︣﹏᷅╥)...but in this case, I recommend the obvious and often suggested: look around, take in the fresh air, watch the creatures and people go by, see a movie, read a book, play a game, change your scenery. I'm basically saying to find inspiration elsewhere, in the littlest of cracks. 

               * Expansion: The sailing of the ship isn't what I'd carelessly call 'easy', but for some it's either a breeze in the sunshine or rockiness through a storm! No lie, I'm sure you can make a story out of just about anything. Lipstick, aerosol can, band-aid, cat, shoe, cell phone—it's usually, in my perspective, about how these props act as a set-up device in a story, and from there how it all unravels. What happens after one character accidentally knocks the other character's phone in to a fish tank? What happens when one character accidentally hits the other with a tedious weapon (i.e. a spoon) but it causes some real pain? Just play around with some ideas here and there, do a lot of thinking, and something fascinating is bound to pop and surprise you. My fic 'Creepy Cousin' was intentionally set to be a oneshot and end somewhere in the middle of chapter two, and my fic 'Can I Borrow Some Sugar?' was originally pegged to be a two shot. The idea for the latter was spontaenous and I was in the middle of doing my homework at my grandmother's. I'm not saying expansion is always a success, but nothing ventured is nothing gained, and what's gained after is so precious. So see what you can do with your best efforts! <3

#FORMAT

. Which Style Should I Write In? (one-shot, multi-chapter, drabble, 1-sentence, first pov/second pov/third pov, etc.): Whether it's for the purpose of suiting the sort of story you have in mind, or for your own preferences, styles can greatly affect a story's feel/appearance. What I mean is the feeling of a story from start to end might be lost or a little blundered because of how a sentence's length looks on the page, or because of a huge chunky part that's too much or boring to read (or just doesn't sit right where it is). Stories can be told nicely in short doses, and I've read some brilliantly written in such fashion; and there's also pure love in lengthy stories, too, which I admire just as much. Ask yourself, if you have a preference, what it is and why, and why you think a specific style will suit your type of story. If you can understand your attraction to a story the it may help you understand what's needed in your own for it to sail smoothly (I don't know what's up with me and boat terms in this).
. Genres: I strongly believe in my personal mantra "how you write depends on what you write", and I think it makes plenty of sense. A story of one particular genre will probably have it's own pace and layout in comparison to another genre. To elaborate, if you read under the genres of dark mystery, thriller, suspense, you're likely to notice it feels and is written differently to romance, comedy, action, family, slice of life. I've noticed and I've read online that (for example), action story sentences are quick and short to keep up with the sense of events happening fast. And I guess suspense will be have long sentences to keep you hanging(?). I'm not really the person to ask about story pace because I'm not so good with writing action, but if I know the necessities required, I can do my best. So it helps to know the essentials for what you want to work with.
. Pace: Length of paragraphs and sentences set this. I read fast anyway, but if your intention is for slow progress then try not to rush through the descriptions/narrations, and let the story unfold steadily. This, too, is something to think about when deciding on a genre. It really depends on how much of the story you want to tell at a time. Do you want the romance of your characters to spread over chapters, or use time-skips and cleverly input changes to characters' behavior and such as proof of the story's progress.
. Point of View (1st/2nd/3rd): Perhaps all three can suit many genres and craft many possibilites, so the hardest part is easy to overcome. Deciding on which pov to write in is about preference and how you think it will help set the story. I personally prefer to write and read in third person because it's easy/easier for every character's expressions and emotions to be equally exhibited without being biased. When in a book store, once, I overheard a girl saying to another while browsing how she favours first person because she likes that it makes her feel as if she's in the story herself (which I, personally, am not a fan of); if you want to pass this on to readers and have them embrace your work in such a way that makes them feel as if they're within the story, then I recommend writing in first person. Second person, now, ah...it's a bit tricky, and not all that common (I think), but I think it's used for the same purposes as writing in first person—only, with second pov, I believe the reader is the protagonist character. That seems weird to me. But again, it's about preference, and how the writer wants their work to be consumed. So think a decent amount about this. Is your story with multiple protagonists coming across too selfish or enclosed by focusing on one character's perceptions? Is third person really the correct way to express one particular character's motives? Do you want to use second pov and have your reader feel as lonely or sick or evil as the character being portrayed?

#CHARACTER(S)
 

  vs 

I think I'm only equipped enough, really, to approach one issue for this part, and that's with dialogue (even with this, I feel nervous to suggest things to you guys!). I'm always fighting against this because of my urge to use properly literacy, but in this day and age not everyone speaks correctly and use full words. Different characters bring different accents and preferences, which bring different deliveries of expression and dialogue. Aha! For this, I can present examples! ٩(◠‿◠)/.

Imagine two characters: one weas a very clean suit and glasses and they're serious with a tendency to be cold or cunningly, and the other is fresh-faced, enthusiastic and likes to tease:

"Good evening. Oh, you're a little late. Wow...I was about to message you, too. Was there something to be done at the last minute, perhaps? Though I can't imagine an importance greater at this time than our date. Well, it cannot be helped any longer. Just keep in mind that if waiting for you looks to be a habit, then I'll induce a punishment next time, ___-chan/kun/san." <- Italics also work great for emphasizing a strong probability and words that can have more than one meaning behind them. Is this punishment dangerous, or is it ? Or is he yander%^%$%^&*()*ERRORERRORERRORBEEP!

"Goooood Evenin'! Hey, you're a lil' late, y'know. But it's cool. I was gonna message you 'cause I thought somethin' might've happened, but I'm glad you're alright! Try to be aware next time though, 'cause you ne~ver know~! Maybe I'll decide to punish you!" <- Notice how this character is using shortened words: "I'm" instead of "I am", and casually losing the 'g' on 'Evening'. Also, exclamation marks show a higher volume in speaking.

If you can tell which character says which line then I think you understand. But without diving in to these characters properly, don't they stereotypical? A great twist on a story can be unexpected traits or habits of a cliche-ish character. Maybe the blonde, buff and tall guy isn't a delinquent but is actually sweet or a dork (e.g., Kanji Tatsumi of Persona 4). Maybe the smart glasses person is actually not a condescending jerk but just a big, cute, dork? (e.g. Rei Ryugazaki of Free!). Cliches can be boring, so what if the roles of the example lines were reversed?

"Ah, you're here, at last! Good evening! I was so worried. Something must have kept you back a little unexpectedly... Dear me, you will worry me to death one day, ___-chan/kun/san. Please let me know in future if you run a tad late, otherwise I will....erm, I will--yes! I will implement a punishment of sorts! But, seriously, I nearly was about to call out for a search par--uh, I-I, no, I was not going to...aahhh, that's extreme, I know! My apologies! I did not mean I would alert the whole town, I swear! I-I just--uh...s-shall w-we go?!!" <- the serious and cold-ish character this time is nervous and desperate.

"So you're finally here, huh. Oi, you're late... Whatever, saves me from wasting a text. But, y'know...you seem fine. What the heck? Makin' me wait all this time...tch. Geez, did your crawl on your hands and knees? Let's go. If you make me wait for you again, ___-chan/kun/san, I'll punish you."

#OBSTACLES

. Direction - In the beginning of deciding to expand Creepy Cousin in to a multi-chapter story, I think I was preparing myself to involve , which, still to this day, I can't and don't feel comfortable writing, but I was going to try my best for the sake of the story—or I'd go to the next chapter and write in a way that would enable readers to perceive what happened prior. However, not only would that have been uous, it wouldn't have gotten the closure I think it has now, justified (and legal). So, when stuck on where to take your story next, think about as many possibilities as there can be and what the consequences and/or advantages of said outcomes can or will be. Also, before pleasing your audience, you must first be sure you're pleased, if not satisfied.
. Distraction, writer's block, plot holes - I have experiences these so often. Unfortunately, it's been around for a period of months this year. I'm sure this will be tackled differently by everyone but I decided this time to give my mind a break, to let it settle. Overworking is just as bad as it can be an advantage. These problems come to even the mightiest of writers, to anyone. As for plot holes (something I'm not too familiar with, a result from thorough planning) I have only one remedy besides persistence in thoughts, and it's the possibility of combining two separate but similar ideas or stories. Maybe it's not the greatest idea, but it actually has worked for me before. Besides, so often the stories I come up with seem similar to another. Oh my gosh, is that bad?! (◑_◑).

#REVIEW

. Reception - I've seen it around on aff, authors demanding specifics of their readers or dismissing their opinions and attempts to help, or becoming enraged at constructive criticism. Don't do this. It's silly and unnecessary; it sounds like you aren't willing to improve at the expense of your own pride. What you lack, someone might be able to help you get. What you miss, someone else might find. In a story I wrote where someone didn't agree with the unconventional character I'd given the teacher, I was irked a bit, but they weren't wrong because it's their opinion, so it's okay, and I politely conversed over it. Bestselling stories today, even, have their fair share of hate or disagreements (maybe even awful jokes, too). Which comes to another piece of advice about the sort of people you're writing for. Not everyone is a fan of a single thing, whether it's same gender romance, or happy endings. You can pick your target audience or you can write for yourself and hope other people enjoy it along the way, but you can't please everyone. Pleasing one person's always bound to upset another, it's unfortunately how life is. You can hope for otherwise, but I think you should be comfortable with your work the most (while considerate when necessary, too).

. Self-reflection - Be it past or present, re-reading your own works (and all the (now) embarrassment and typos) is essential, I think, to determining and properly seeing your growth. I'm vembarrassed by the stories I wrote in the past—rather, the lengthy a/n's where I interact with the characters. But they're still there; I've kept the stories up (but with plans to revise but not fully change) as proof of my improvement (...and because they have precious reviews, people's kind words). If you're cringing at your own work and wishing you could burn it away from existence, that's good; it means you can see the areas you work better in now than back then. And, hey, it's only a matter of time before this happens again: you'll improve and look back on how you wrote today <3 Also, doing this quentionnaire I did ages ago might also give you guidance, I think it's really good.

. Inspiration, Motivation - When you revisit the inspirations of your works, films or books or scenery, I think you try to recapture what it is exactly that you love/admire about them. What did what amazingly and why or where? Why did this elicit these feelings from it's audience? I'm sure you've come across the advice of comparing your own work to someone else's, and while it can be useful, it can very much so put you down and have you doubt your works and your own capabilities. Jealousy is such a heated and unfair emotion, but it lets you know you have a lot to work on. When you like someone's work and think it beats yours in spades, know three things: a) that work is likely the fruits of perseverance over time, b) something good to one person is flawed to another, meaning that everyone likes different things in what they consume, c) you'll still improve, and it can be you someday.

       * Sprucing-up: The habits you unconsciously cling to that don't do yourself or your work any good. Discarding them might be hard, so tackle it steadily, and keep in mind the reasons for letting them go. Things like not proof-reading, or not catering to slang of your character's accent, and others I'm probably unaware of.

This conclude's writing advice from me, Sugar...one amateur to another ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ<3.