What are some thing I should avoid when writing?

The letter s

/thread

>>8736941
kek

>>8736941
What else?

Long descriptions of a character's physical features.

>>8736925
being inspired by Friedrich (the hack) Nietzsche

>>8736925
Depends on what you're writing. If it's fiction, avoid:

1. Sounding like you're trying too hard to be "literary". Having a thesaurus on hand to improve your word choice is fine, but don't go picking some obscure-ass word just because it's obscure. In most cases you'll sound like a retarded tryhard.

2. Avoid overly word stream-of-consciousness bits. That shit is grating in most cases. Unless your goal is to attract pretentious twats as readers, then go right ahead and write them.

3. Make sure your writing feels like it's from this time period. You know, don't get too influenced by older novels, even if you really love them.

4. Don't do heavy editing while writing your first draft. Just don't. You can do minimal editing, but wait to do heavy editing until your first draft is completely done. Accept that you will be creating many drafts and probably at least one entire rewrite.

5. Establish the naming convention you wish your novel to conform to early on. Naming a character Bill and then another character Taurophagos is obviously bad, but mistakes in naming things can be a lot more subtle. For example, if it's a fantasy race / military unit you're creating, choose a particular theme and naming convention based on that theme. Don't use a bunch of ancient Greek terms and then suddenly there's one character with a Roman name, for example. Small details like that are important in making a work feel concise and competently written.

6. Don't try to give your fiction novel a "higher meaning". No one cares, and it will turn out retarded. You are not here to transform a philosophical text you read and enjoyed into a novel, hoping that readers will understand and become le enlightened in the process. You are here to write an adventure that is exciting or suspenseful, that people want to escape into. Fiction is escapism. All attempts to make it "something more" just make it shittier.

avoid sudden blows to the head by high velocity metal.

>>8737456
>fiction is escapism

Remember, don't try to put anything meaningful in your work! No one who did that ever wrote anything worth reading!

brb going back to my james patterson novels / harry potter fanfic

>>8737469
It's important to know the purpose of fiction. It will make you a better writer. There's been good works of fiction that are deeply entangled with philosophical, political and sociological concepts from or before their time (mythology and folklore is often strongly connected here), but that doesn't mean it's the purpose of fiction or should be the focus.

Also, people who read fiction for hidden meanings are bad readers. Don't cater to them.

>>8736955
You did it again!
You plebes will never be able to write like the god you can potentially become!

>>8737483
>implying fiction has only one, and only one, purpose

>>8737492
>plebes
>s
Take your own life.

>>8736925
Using the internet

>>8737500
People who write great novels don't sit and think, "I am going to write a revolutionary philosophical work now." Even if their novel turns out to be valuable in a critical sense. Trust me.

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>>8737483
not every1 writes for entertainment

>>8737673
That's why you write nonfiction then.

>>8736925
https://youtu.be/MTPxWkBgW6U?t=57

>>8736925
Write what you would want to read
Avoid cliches
Don't try to impress people with your writing
Write like no one will ever read your writing because they won't
Avoid sharing your writing with people until whatever it is you're writing is finished
Don't share your writing with /lit/ because this board is filled with pseuds

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>>8736941
damn, son

>>8737464
/thread

>>8737456
>How to write shit and be boring.


There are many books on writing out there, go pick one up if you need help. Do not listen to /lit/ or reddit; both sites are terrible at giving advice.

>>8737988
>it's only a fun read if it reflects muh esoteric pyschosociopolitical reviews that only my enlightened kin can understand or if it challenges my view on the entirety of existence
That self-fellatio pseud nonsense is what's been killing mass entertainment for like 40+ years.

>>8736941
i dont get it

>>8738203
This guy gets it.

>>8737523
I can see this.

I wrote a short story once and people interpreted all sorts of meanings into it, even though I was just writing random crap. One guy even thought it was kafkaesque and that one of the characters represented my brother.

>>8738243
>>8737523
Definitely this.

>>8737456
>dude you can't make meaningful writing because I'm insecure and boring and projecting onto you

>>8736925
Here are some things you should do:

Cultivate authenticity, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity so that ideas are always brimming inside your head. Make connections. ALWAYS make a mental note of ideas you find interesting. Try to understand your world and life in novel ways. Cultivate drama. Learn to appreciate other art forms besides literature. Learn to abstract ideas (i.e. thinking of writing visually or musically). ALWAYS think "what would happen if I X?" Remove and add elements. Write in your own voice, close to how you think and talk in real life.

Above all, believe in something. Have some strong moral, political, and philosophical views. Do not succumb to empty irony and always try to find meaning in things. Put every emotion and thought into words mentally and judge it.

>>8738271
>I'm going to respond hostilely since I'm a butthurt pseud that relies on "meaning"

>>8737456
>I started writing within the past year

>>8737895
Someone should meme his "juice in lines" comments.

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>>8737895
>comment section

>>8738303
:)