What's Your Style?

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

What is your favorite way to write a story and from what point of view? Introspective? Noir? Chock full of dialogue or a dictation of little more then actions? Is it epic? Poetic? Both? How about stream of concience? First Person? Third? Or, perhaps, the ever elusive Sencond person point of view? How about your favorit genre?

I personally am best at stream at introspective pieces dealing with either relationships or the psyche. Though, I will occasionally toss out a totally fluffy or stupid fic for the sake of humor.

So, what's your style, what do you personally think you're best at?

[Aserenity]

i love the first person view...it gives fantastic, intimate inside to what the character is thinking and feeling. I just wish there was like a quadroople-view so all my characters could narrate.

i love poetry, short story, romance, fan fiction, and novel (actually i'm writing a very interesting one at the moment)

fun fun

[StoryJunkie]

well, at the moment, I'm trying to break free, dabbling in a couple of different styles. Generally, though, I go from character to character, revealing a little of their inner selves to the reader, how they are reacting to some event. I haven't tried first person, since it was so frowned upon when I was taking my writing courses, I didn't (and still don't) think that I'm a good enough writer for that style. I do tend to stream at times, but that always leads me into places I might not have wanted to go in the first place, but its very good for stories in which I have no idea where its going!

I wish that I could say I was a good writer, but I'm guessing its more a c+ or b- effort on my part.

I actuallly wrote alot of sci-fi before I found the internet, but now that I'm here, I seem to be deep in the middle of fantasy land, with a couple of gritty "present day" mystery pieces here and there. I don't know why.

I actually have an entire universe stuck in my head. On occasion, I visit there.

[Guest cu-kid]

I think that as far as POV it depends on the storyline, the characters and how I want things to flow. Usually, if I want to take a really indepth look at one particular character, their thoughts, actions, feelings, etc. I use first person. The same can be accomplished by using third, I'm sure, but for one, I find it to be less intimate and, two, I'm just not skilled enough to pull it off so it is just as intimate

I've really become fascinated recently with the concept of a true short story. Most of what I write starts out as a short story and then, before I know it, rages out of my control into something 200+ pages long. *sigh* What I would really love to be able to do is write a short short (or a few, I guess, since 500 words probably wouldn't take me that long ). I would also like to be able to write something darkly beautiful, but I'm a closet romantic who has a cynical mind.

I recently wrote (and haven't finished yet ) a piece of fluff that I'm pretty fond of just because it was a great breather from how serious I feel I am all the time (I'm hard pressed to be cleverly witty and humorous in my writing ). I suck at all things poetry and don't even bother to profain the genre by trying.

I guess I don't really know what my favorite way to write is. I see it all in my head, like a movie, decide what the tone of the story is going to be, pick a list of songs that become the soundtrack in my head while I'm writing it and just go.

[Guest achtungnight]

I always write with a keen eye for detail, a lot of buildup, and an odd sense of humor. I use whichever POV seems best for the tale I want to tell.

[WotanAnubis]

I write... I believe it's called third person limited omniscient or something. Which sometimes really bites when I want to offer multiple perspectives during a single scene. But still I think it's the best way to tell a story and get the reader to relate.

I also make heavy use of dialogue and, because I'm an emotional cripple, I tend to imply rather than state.

[Nanaea]

Dialogue and lots of it! I'm a sucker for those old movies where there was actually more talking than action....

What I have written so far has all been in third person limited omniscient pov. I can't seem to write anything less than 1,500 words for a one shot. The story I'm currently working on is going to be 12 chapters ranging from around 1,500 words to well over 6,000 words each. I can't imagine writing anything longer than that. I am concurrently working on another medium length story where the pov switches between the three main characters (a love triangle). I was hesitant to do this at first because I really hate stories where the pov shifts around a lot. I think it's rather difficult to do multiple pov's well, but hey, I gotta try it at least once.

I really admire writers who can pull off a stream of conscious style, but every time I try my hand at it it turns out like crap.

[redsliver]

I like writing adventure stories above all else. I'm writing fantasy, but my favorite genre is historical fiction, I like it more when the magic is superstitious nonsense than a plot device. And when their is magic, it has to have its own logic to it. I prefer action and mystery to romance and erotica, however I love using romance and erotica for character development. I also like grand metaphors, but I don't intend to ever explicitly state what FtLG is.

I always write in the third person, because I find I can't convey as much information in the first person. I'm a big fan of less is more, leaving the reader to build a scene in their head from a series of clues instead of dumping every detail onto her lap. I really, really, really like good dialogue, but I'm not confident in writing it. I am always more concerned with my antagonists than my protagonist(s). I love to foreshadow, and while I haven't done much of it yet, I intend to make everything after chapter 12 or so, be intricately related to previous chapters. I like describing colour and noise. And lastly, and most importantly, I try to keep a sense of humour to my story.

[NightScribe]

I usually write third person omniscient, I guess, although I usually have one character (antagonist) where I never write his or her thoughts/feelings. Maybe my way of keeping them a mystery, and allowing the reader to try to get into their head. I've gotten over my "first person POV is too limiting" thing. I wrote a short, humorous fic told diary style and it worked really well, and was a lot of fun to do.

When I was a teen, I thought I was better at descriptive stuff and sucked at dialogue. Now I'm all about dialogue. Like Nanaea, I love great dialogue, and old movies were chock full of it. Probably because a lot of playwrights made the switch to screenwriting. "All About Eve" is a testament to how great dialogue can be. I think conversation is my strongest suit in my fics.

I tend to include humor, whether it's dark, gallows, ascerbic, sarcastic, etc. I can't get away from it. And there's always some kind of psychological aspect to the stories, unless it's a humorous fic. There's a definite difference in my comedic versus serious stories. I wrote a Victorian era story and tried to give it that feel throughout. In the way the characters spoke and interacted with each other, and there was no modern day, slang terms for the naughty bits. A real challenge, but "throbbing manhood" and "mound of Venus" worked instead of "raging hard cock" and "pussy".

My WIP is creating some new challenges. It's meant to be an homage to an 18th century writer. So I want it to have that kind of feel, but I will be using modern day terms in the sex scenes, since it is set in the present (and those terms have been around forever). The thing is, when I read over what I've got so far, I feel that the tone isn't quite right yet. Then it dawned on me. My writer's "voice" is pretty well established, it ain't gonna change. Plus, I'm not a well traveled, well read, 18th century aristocratic European man. I'm a 21st century, independent, self-sufficient, American working woman. Which kind of begs the question, why the hell do I come up with these ideas?

[Guest Enchanted Faery]

I usually like writing in first or 2nd person. It lets the read see how the main characters are feeling, almost like it's you going through the motions...plus its just easier for me to write it in the first or 2nd person (though I have written in the 3rd person as well) because a lot of the fics that I write are basically what I'm feeling at that time or what I'm thinking, so why not turn it into a fic?

On another note, I usually write SMUT, I tried writing a PG or PG-13 and I always end up deleting it cuz I think its dumb. And I usually write song fics, songs usually give me the urge to write, strange I know, but since my muse is MIA I need something to inspire me! So there u have it.

[Guest Big Samurai]

I'm ... extremely traditional, to put it gently. I do third person omniscient, lots of description, and English that most folks would probably describe as stuffy and out of style. I don't care, though; it's a vanishing style, and I love to use it, even during this time when most people can't stand it.

[Iggy_lovechild]

I mostly write by third person limited (or whatever it's called), mostly because I find omniciant jarring. At least when I write in it anyway. If I'm very fond of the character (and very close to him or her), I will write first person.

I'm rather obsessed with dialogue. I love the way characters relate and have a special fondness for snarky bastards. As for my smut, well...I'm obsessed with details. I love the expression of words, gasps, scents, sounds, tastes, sensation, and of course visuals.

[Guest lightgoddess]

Generally I write third person...something. the biggest thing about my writing is that I write like I talk. That's where my 'voice' comes from. As far as the writing itself, I like to use lots of descriptors. when I am in the zone, I actually see the scene in my mind. It's almost as though I follow the characters and record what they are doing. the only problem with that is if my husband comes in the room and insists on talking to me. More often than not, I can't find the zone again and have to stop.

On other pov's, I occasionally write in first person, but I don't feel like I convey it as well as other writers. I don't feel the emotion that I think should come with first person and I don't think it comes through to the readers.

[EveKnight75]

I don't have a defined writing style that I tend to stick to. Not that I'm aware of.

I'm willing to try anything at least once. I write in third person most of the time. I have written first person before, but the challenge with that is trying to stick with that one person's viewpoint no matter what. Anything outside the narrator's scope ceases to exist. It's doable and enjoyable, but I proofread it more carefully.

Second person is a bit of a doozy. It's a great form to use for fictional manuals, meditational guidance, and interactive stories. Outside of that, it doesn't really work that well. I use it sparingly.

I've used omniscience before. Usually, the story has to be taking place in the past, so everyone knows what has already occurred. It has to have taken place at a point in history that's not so recent that the opinionated repercussions are too strong, but not so far back that the memories are not quite clear.

The other time I use omniscience is if there is a specific omniscient being, often a supernatural factor. I don't want an average active character to know all, but it's OK with me if there's an active character who is overseeing all because it is not average or too closely involved.

Otherwise, I like having the reader come along and figure things out as the story progresses. It's fun.

I start out putting equal importance on all factors, such as characterization, plot, setting, pacing, etc. There are many cases where one factor may end up being stronger because I put more emphasis on it. Dialogue is important for characterization, and I like to write the way people speak when working with dialogue. I like to write the way I speak when writing a monologue, speech, or soliloquy. I've written scripts before, but I've discovered that I don't like doing it unless I know that it is going to be acted out.

Poetry isn't a strong point. I can never write it well consciously. I remember one time, we were asked to write a poem in class. At first, there was nothing in front of me and the teacher was worried I wouldn't be able to hand anything in. 15 minutes before the bell, I have an idea. 5 minutes before the bell, I hand my poem in. Apparently, I ended up having my poem considered one of the best pieces in the grade. That's how it always is with me and poetry. If I have a sudden burst of inspiration, I can write an amazing poem. Otherwise, my poems tend to suck big time.

I like many genres. I do enjoy historical, but I want to do a lot of research before writing historical fiction. I like to write supernatural because the parameters for your characters are less defined. Essentially, you get to create a new creature. I like sci-fi, but it takes a lot of investment because there's both research and creation of a new form of entity involved. Romance puts a lot of concentration on the characters - their emotions and histories. With mystery, you need to pay attention to setting details, because the clues have to mesh together.

I enjoy a challenge. I love learning new things, so I don't mind research. I tend to be meticulous with my writing. It makes me slow, but it also allows me to look over details. I'm not ridiculous about it. There's one fic I'm writing where the characters have to deal with school while working on a case outside of school. I know that it takes place in Sherbrooke, Quebec, so I'm matching up the event timeline of the fic with the 06-07 public school calendar for high schools in Sherbrooke. However, I will not attempt to match up the daily weather for any location. I'll go with the monthly climate, but that's about it. I've never written a fic that's based on a specific calendar, so it's a challenge, but I'm liking the way that aspect of it is affecting the fic and its progression.

I'm not a huge fan of PWP, but I might try writing one in the future, just for the sake of trying it out. I'm also considering a Mary Sue story, but it'd be a parody. I've never done parodies before because I don't consider humor a strong point of mine (sarcasm and wit, yes, but not straight humor), but that doesn't mean that I won't try to develop a sense of humor in my writing.

Like I said, I'm willing to try anything. That's probably why I haven't developed a specific style of writing yet. All I can say is that I need my writing to have proper spelling and grammar, and that there needs to be a lot of love and care put into it. I do take my writing personally (love), but I favor concrit a lot (care).

[Guest Masatar_Torlyl]

Hm?

I'm sporadic and humorous, trying to fit in the craziest of antics to amuse mostly myself. Sure, I focus on dialogue and then center the narrative on what was said and how the characters react to these crazy things. Setting is the other half of exposition that I lack. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the atmosphere. It's just crazy. Plus I don't do first person because I have a tendancy to write the way I or a character would speak, so that definitely fucks up the tenses.

Overall, I would say that I'm a shoddy writer.

[Guest Acita]

Long sentances with short quips of humorous point outs. I haven't to date written anything that wasn't in third person narrative (that I recall) and never, EVER is present tense. Present tense bothers me greately.

[Guest WFK]

I LOVE first person. I just do, probably becuase I have a stream-of-conciousness type writing. I also am in love with imagery. DESCRIBE DESCRIBE DESCRIBE, everything! Every little detail, so the mental image is crisp and clear.

[macrosschick]

I do 3rd person mostly...I find that 1st person can be rather limited at times, so I rarely use it, unless it suits my plot to have one POV.

It is possible to do 1st person and have multiple POVs, but for me, that tends to make a story seem scattered, like the author didn't know which character's eyes they wanted the story through. And if thta is the case, why not use 3rd anyway?

[Guest WFK]

I can see where it can appeared scattered. Infact it can be. But I think it lends an element of...hmm, I don't know if I can describe it....Well, at least to me, it allows the reader to know the characters better. 3rd, is good, but at least for me *although I've seen others pull it off well* it's limiting. However, I find it is much easier to create a specific tone, etc for the piece w/ any other POV.

[Guest Adara]

1st person is limiting. To get only one person's point of view of the happenings of a story is restrictive and the tone set is established by that particular character's reactions and emotions to events rather than the cast as a whole.

I myself write in 3rd person. I once had the teacher refer to this view as the, "bird's eye view" of the piece. You see everyone, see everything, and know everything. The tone is set by all those involved, and the writer can choose to go into people's heads.

Of course, all stories depend upon who's writing them. For instance, Memoirs of a Geisha worked fabulously because the writer made sure that he spoke about the expression and reactions to Chiyo/Sayuri's actions.

I know that as far as story writing goes, unless it's a Memoir, Auto Biography and such, it's a big no-no to write in 1st. (News Articles excluded)

[Nanaea]

The Anita Blake books are all first person, and it works well IMO. First person can really suck a reader in - it puts them in the middle of the action - if it's done well. That said, I wouldn't use it all the time.

I think I may have said this before, but I tend to prefer limited third person. That is, you see only what that one character sees, feel only what they feel - but it's not quite as limiting as first person can be.

What I hate are stories where the author skips around, with a different view point every chapter, or worse, every few paragraphs. At best it's annoying, at worst it confuses the reader.

[madlodger]

This topic got me interested. I have only written three chapters of my first fic so far. Wasn't sure that I even had a 'style'. Well, from reading other people's replies, it looks like 'third person omniscient'. Yeah.

The story is planned out and I know how it will end. The chapters themselves are long, averaging about 5000 words. Every chapter is a separate unit, in my mind, at least

Every chapter is a sort of mix; dialogue, non-dialogue, flashbacks, smut. It was supposed to be dark but my readers confirmed that it is actually funny in places. Hmmm. The chapter two smut scene is 'hetero goblins kissing'. About six people said it was funny. Two people said it was disturbing.

Writing in a first person's view would be creepy, because the main characters are Harry and Draco.

Overall, I try to write it in a spirit of HP books. Like, it could belong or be a part of them. At least before al the heavy Draco/Harry action, LOL! Too many people write HP stories which don't feel like books at all.

Does that answer your question?

[dazzledfirestar]

I'm a "limited third person" kinda gal, myself. It's easier for me to keep some mystery in the story that way. I may know everything, but I don't want my characters or my readers to! I find that if, for example we have a group of main characters, I will want to skip around for their perspectives on things, or if the group splits up for a time, I want to know what everyone's up to, but past that, I don't want to reveal anything before it's time.

I've only ever done a first person fic once, and it was only because I wanted that one character's perspective on a specific event in canon... and it was a one shot, so I didn't feel all that limited by it.

[Guest WFK]

In general, I think all styles are unique to the person. And none particularly better than the other. I just recently read, "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien (amazing). It was written in a sort of third person/first person, omnipresent. It was an interesting blend. I believe writing is writing, the POV is a big part, but words continue to be words, and when used effectively, they are power enough.

[Guest Adara]

What I hate are stories where the author skips around, with a different view point every chapter, or worse, every few paragraphs. At best it's annoying, at worst it confuses the reader.

LOL, tell me about it. I've read a couple where the author jumps from one person to the next not just within one chapter, but in the whole story. Six or seven characters in all...lemme tell ya, my 10th grade English teacher would cringe.

Edit: Oh yeah, lol, I almost forgot. The POV was the same...first person, w/ several characters.