Writing Workshop Phase 1: Type of Work
Autobiographical Narrative
To begin writing about a life experience, first you have to remember some. A few places to start include:
What's the most dangerous thing you did as a child?
What does your boss not know you did/do at work?
When was your best superhero moment?
Who is your idol, why, and what did they do that so impressed you?
When writing about your life, an important thing to consider is that your audience might just not care. Your story must be unique yet relatable, exciting but true, and usually have some lesson learned about life .
Fictional Narrative
Step One: Read a Ton of Fiction.
Step Two: Carry around a notebook at all times AND/OR set aside an hour of writing time a day. use this to free write and come up with ideas for stuff you could maybe write about. 99% of it will be crap, use the 1%
Step Three Take an idea and map it out or outline it whether you use a timeline or write it like lecture notes or draw it like a comic doesn't matter, just organize those ideas
Step Four: write it out. Add detail, drop subtle hints, just write the story. Make it more detailed than you think it should be, it's easier to cut than add.
Step Five: Read the inevitable awful thing you produced and make it better. Fix extreme grammar and spelling problems but don't worry about it too much. focus on making the story coherent.
Step Six: Have someone else read it. Yep, give it to someone and tell them to annotate anything they think should be changed. this should be a person who also reads a lot, or better a fellow fiction writer.
Step Seven: Edit it to be pretty. You know this stuff
Step Eight: Repeat various parts of this process until you are no longer disgusted by your work.
Step 9: have a whole new person read it.
Step 10: Publish!
For more prompts, try this
- WritingPrompts: Prompts and motivation to create something out of nothing
reddit's collection of writing inspiration
Poetry
There are two paths here, path one is if you want your poetry published, path two is if you are writing for fun.
1) Study poetry for 15 years or so, know every style and rhythm in existence. Then write poetry.
2) Just write that stuff.
Scholarly Persuasive
This is super simple stuff, the easiest to write in my own opinion.
1) Read about stuff. Whatever stuff you want to talk about, know that stuff.
2)Form an opinion, and have a vague idea why you have that opinion.
3)Research your opinion, and figure out if it was stupid/misinformed/biased, if it was, change it and go to 2, if not, continue
4)Organize. Figure out three or four big reasons why your opinion is valid, and research sub-points to support each big point. Find a few counterarguments against your argument and explain why you are right in a fair manner.
5)Write it out.
6)Edit it, cut out anything that doesn't make sense, or that isn't that important. Fix those typos and grammar goofs.
4)Turn it in.
Scholarly Informative
Much like persuasive, research. Not like persuasive, no opinions. Did you hear me? NO OPINIONS!!! Just know every side of the issue and explain it in a fair objective manner. Describe why the issue is important without taking a side.
