Hello :D

So I decided to do something useful during my hiatus. I often get praises for being a good writer and I just thought,since so many of my readers are writers themselves,that I'll just drop a few tips on how to write well. I mean,these are all the things that Ive learned from my creative writing classes and they really help me when I write. So if anyone is interested then feel free to read through this. Also...if you have any questions you can always ask me. This hiatus of mine seems to be settling in so it'll be a while [maybe a month] before I update or write a new story. During that time I'll just keep posting blogs and throw myself into reading so that I can learn and gain inspiration again ^^ Thankyou everyone who has left me supportive comments ^^

Lets start with something basic.

Point Of View.

First Person:

This is basically using "I" or telling the story from the viewpoint of the main character. It presents a biased view of situations because the character's own feelings come into play. It tends to be personal and confiding being exposed to emotions of the main character. Its pretty common. I generally have trouble  using this one because I prefer to be detached from the story so that I can develop all the characters separately. Its actually difficult to use this viewpoint because you can only show character growth in the lead of the story and not so much with the other characters. When I used it in Scent of a Woman,the whole reason for it was to depict Hana's feelings. I read a few comments where the readers couldnt place themselves in Hana's shoes..neither could I. That I would call a drawback of this point of view because since the character is already the one narrating her experiences,the readers take more of a listener role rather than a relator-role. I dont think its possible for anyone to have put themselves in Hana's place because her reality was so much different from ours. What Im trying to say it,its alot easier to relate to a character if the story is in third person. Not so much if its in the first person. Ive read a few stories in first person and I really have trouble visualizing myself as the character because the narrator is too closely attached and too deeply involved in the situations. To really connect with the character,you need to have an objective view of the story and take into account every character's feelings. This isnt possible in a story written in first person because there,lets just say,the reader takes on the role of a sympathetic stranger sitting and listening as a person talks about their life.

Second Person:

Ive actually seen this form in many stories. Those arent very well-written because I just end up getting confused with the 'you' tag. Admittedly,this isnt a common way of writing and requires a great deal of maturity and a vast vocabulary. To be honest,I really cant use this one because I'll just get lost in my own story. So I dont recommend using it unless you really feel comfortable. This view depicts a chatty mood. Its more direct and challenging because it engages the reader in the story rather than giving them an outside-view of the story and characters. I wiki-ed an example of this:

"You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy. You are at a nightclub talking to a girl with a shaved head. The club is either Heartbreak or the Lizard Lounge. All might become clear if you could just slip into the bathroom and do a little more Bolivian Marching Powder. Then again, it might not. A small voice inside you insists that this epidemic lack of clarity is a result of too much of that already."

See the difference? Its more over-whelming for the reader because it taps into the brain in a way that leaves one completely exposed to the plot and allows intimacy to be developed between the writer and the reader. Almost as if,the writer is controlling you.

Third Person:

I usually always write in third person. Its very commonly used and along with that it gives the writer more flexibility. The effect of using third person is that the views presented are objective,lack emotion and anonymous. It has the feeling that someone else is telling the story rather than the character narrating their own viewpoint. There are also variations in the third person. Subjective third person,which I use,describes the thoughts and feelings of the characters while objective third person doesnt. Also there is third person omniscient,I'll be honest..I never really understood this one that well but I'll try to explain it. Third person omniscient is where the narrator knows everything about the character. It has the effect of being all-knowing. Whereas,in contrast,the third person limited does not have access to knowledge beyond the main character. I hope that made sense.

Varying ViewPoints:

Ive read alot of people who complain about too many viewpoints in a story. I actually dont find anything wrong with that. Sure...if you have 20 characters and youre presenting the views of all twenty,your writing is bound to get jumbled up. I wouldnt recommend changing viewpoints in the same chapter unless its a new situation. Its better to change viewpoints in new chapters. Like if Chap 1 is Hera's view,then Chap 2 can be Yunho's and so on.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to change the viewpoints from first person to third person if the focal character is not directly involved in a situation. For example if Changmin and Yunho are having a conversation about Haneul without Haneul actually being present,the writer would use third person until Haneul emerges.

Well thats all for now. The next one would probably about tenses and senses. If this is useful then let me know...if its not,I wont post anymore. ^^ I used a bit from wikipedia and the rest from my own notes. I really hope I dont sound like some snob who thinks she's the best because thats really not why I made this blog. Its just a few things that I learned and follow when I write and I just think everyone should know them because they really help.

And as for Yunho's new hair. Oh sweet baby Jesus...why Lord? WHY!? He even got his eyebrows made. I want to spank this boy so badly :@!! Ima smack his stylists first. He looks like a man hitting his 30's and having a mid-life crisis where he suddenly decides he's not ready to give up being 22. I honestly am having a very hard time recognizing him...and not in a good way.*sigh* I was expecting something classy...and what do I get!? Hair cropped at odd angles making his tiny face look really broad and eyes full of man-liner...come here you! *grabs Yunho and uses a tissue to wipe away the excessive liner whilst Yunho flails* Bad boy! *spank* Did...you just get an ? BAD! *spank* No loving for you! *spank* This is NOT the man I married *spank*How will I face our Bambi,Tiger,Pooh and Teddy? [besides bambi,these are my stuffed toys :D] Shameless! *spank* Stop crying *spank*

Who is this man? And where is my classy man-slave with the moobs and the charisma? BE GONE FOUL DEMON!