Please can an English Teacher answer my Question on Writing?

Question

I am a beginer writer, I have written many stories, poems, journals such as that, But I want to write a Novel. I know I may need to go back to school , such as local collage, But I wanted to know if there was any one who would be willing to guide me in a start? I also need to know is it leagle to take my story line in a differnt country but use a made up name for a town?

Answer 1

Of course you can use a made up town, authors do it all the time. You don't necessarily need to go back to school, although it might help you to take a creative writing course so that you can get feedback and support from other writers. Writing a novel is a long process, and you need to be committed. The best way to start is to have a general idea of what it will be about, then make notes on the characters you want in it, and an outline of the plot. Look at your outline and see if you might need to do any research in order to make your book more factually believable (such as, if setting it in a different country that you're not familiar with, researching customs or traditions etc.) When you have done your research, make notes on what you want to happen in each chapter, in order to thread the story together.

Once you've done that, start writing each chapter, referring to your notes as you go. You'll find that you'll want to change a lot of things along the way, and your characters will grow as you write them. You wil probably have to go back over it and edit it many times before you've got it just right, and that's when it helps to have supportive friends or fellow writers to read it over for you and make suggestions. Good luck!!

Answer 2

I am NOT an English teacher. But, I AM a writer, though not published yet (no where close). You can ask me if you want. And as long as you don't make fun of foreign culture, you can create life anywhere it's possible.

Here's where I got my start: www.writingclasses.com
They have classes, both online and in person, on just about every type of writing possible, with published writers teaching the ten week programs. $395 a class. Worth it.

What genre of writing do you focus in? I'm a fantasy/scifi writer, and want to write mysteries as well. I belong to two yahoo groups, one for SpecFic, and one for humor writing. And I've taken six classes with the website above. I'd like to help any aspiring writer, no matter the differences in genre. My e-mail is ihatedama430@yahoo.

The best way for you improve your writing and your stories is to write, and get feedback. You'll find out your problem areas, and know what to watch for when you're rewriting. If not with me, go to the website, or find other writers around you, not spefically English teachers. They can help you with grammar and stuff, but on the writing itself.

Answer 3

You don't necessarily have to go back to school to learn how to write. I would suggest starting by reading as much as possible, both in the genre(s) you plan on writing, and books that cover different aspects of writing and grammar. My personal favorite books on writing include:

1) "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser-- This is an excellent reference for any kind of writing. It will make your emails, essays, stories, and other writing clearer. I recommend this to everyone who wants to improve their writing skills.

2) "Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott-- This is slightly more geared towards fiction writing, but can be helpful when you are attacking ANY large project in your life. Definitely a must for creative writers, students, or people who are looking for an entertaining book on writing.

3) "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. This definitely targets creative writing, and focuses on the practice of writing. I write a lot of poetry and am working on a novel, and this is incredibly motivational to me. Practicing your writing every day will help teach you how to put those ideas together.

4) "On Writing" by Stephen King. This really contains two different stories-- one that is his life, and another which is lessons to writers.

Just to name a few, that is!

As for the writing itself, you just have to sit down and do it. I'd suggest picking a topic that you are passionate about instead of worrying about what others might like to read. Write something you love, and don't worry about the writing being of a high quality the first time around. Editting is the time when you will make everything sparkle-- for now, just get your story down on paper, no matter how rough your draft!

Many authors use fictional towns in real countries for their settings. This helps prevent you from breaking the illusion by putting in incorrect facts about a real city!

Good luck, and happy writing!

Answer 4

You should always do a spell check. You have some errors in your question. The advice that I can give you is to not say you want to write a novel, but actually write it. Saying it and doing it are two different things. Don't put obstacles in your way - true college will help with your grammar, and I suggest taking some courses, but also write in the process...

Answer 5

J. K. Rowlings wrote the Harry Potter books in a coffee shop while on welfare and watching her children. Your story, set in a different country with a made-up name for a town is called a roman a clef. Story with a key. "The Devil Wears Prada" is just such a story.

Answer 6

you have to admit, it is annoying that we spend millions of dollars on education and then kids post grammatical errors so often. I also get annoyed that these same kids aren't taught to think for themselves. Just yesterday I read the article about the Texas shooting where it said "automatic weapons were used". I then scrolled down to the comments and almost every one thought automatic meant fully automatic and went on at length about it. It's both the writers/news source's fault AND the idiots who misunderstood it. They've since reprinted the article with "semi automatic".