Do you want to write a fantasy novel, but want to make it credible, original and distinct?

Do you want to create your world and your characters and make them believable like some epic tales, including Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings? Well, start reading. A writer is someone who has the inspiration, not someone who wants the inspiration to come by. Don't wait for inspiration to come to you. A writer is someone who writes. Start having ideas! 1. First, evaluate your writing style. Do you love to write? Then the problem you may find is blowing off your friends. If you love writing but can't keep a schedule, make up a bribe system. Remember: don't spend all of your time writing. You have a life, so go live it! 2. After having one or two good ideas, sit and start to write topics on a paper. Normally, these ideas revolve around a major event, like a war or someone's death. Ask simple questions, like, "why?" "who did that?" "when?" "how?" and go to more detailed questions like, "How did it change the world?" "How did it affect the people around?" etc. In the end, this will make the major plot, where you will focus on the events of your story, followed by other secondary events, that will make the body of the book. 3. Start creating the protagonist(s). Good, now you have a couple of major events, which will make the body of your story. It's time to proceed to the creation of your protagonist(s). Is it a female or a male? What's his/her role in the story? Define main personality traits, without going too much into detail. Write them down on a paper. Do you want to make a very realistic character? Yes, I know that's what you want. Let's save that for later. 4. Decide where your creations should live. Humans live on Earth, but where do your characters live? For now, decide that. Is it our Earth, in a parallel universe? Is it

a world you wish to create by the root? Decide this and, as in the previous step, don't go much into detail. Write the ruler of your world, the races of the people that live there, etc. 5. Now write it all down: Your main character, the major events, the kind of world it is, and your goals with this story. From now on, everything you'll do will have this major plot as a base. 6. Look at the plot. Now you'll need some alterations.

Look at the major event. Twist it, model it, and make it feel believable. Start to gather other characters. These will help your protagonist on his/her quest or journey. Not every hero needs to be a lone wolf. Your character may be cold at heart, but that doesn't mean he/she hasn't a family or friends. Don't make your story revolve only around your character. Show the feelings of the people around your protagonist and how their decisions affect them. Don't make a story of one person; make a story about the journey of one person. Join other secondary events to the major plot. These can be personal events, such as the birth of a child, a marriage, the death of someone dear, etc. In one way or another, these will eventually twist the plot and fill your story with feelings and a sense of humanity. Make your character(s) grow. A long journey through the world, a near-death experience, or even falling in love makes everyone grow up a little. Certainly you don't want your character to be dumb, or stupid. After those secondary events, make changes (subtle or drastic) to your protagonist's personality. Make obstacles in your character's life. Not everything will be easy for him/her. Make sure you're writing a fantasy novel, not a narration of a walk through the garden. Remember to name your character.

7. Now grab a piece of paper and a pencil. It's time to build your fantasy world. If you're writing about a world that, in fact, is Earth, print a full map and with a pencil (or a black/red pen), and start to make the alterations to our awesome planet. If you're doing this, do a lot of research in history to see if you can adapt Earth's

history to the plot of your book. If you're planning to build a world from root, start drawing simple lines. You can make seas, oceans, lakes, mountains, and other strange factors in your world. Draw the lines of kingdom's lands and empires. Put post-its and other notes on your map to locate some events. Remember: your map doesn't have to be well made. Be free to use any materials you like, and have fun! 8. Plan a chronology for your story. This can have events that appear in your book, or just stories of other events that will indirectly explain the ones in your plot. Don't think it's a waste of time to build a world which, for the most part, won't appear in the book. It's important for the reader to know that the writer knows what he's talking about and isn't putting random things in the pages of the book. Make your characters tell a legend or mention some event that you have carefully planned out. As the writer, you have to know something that the reader's don't. Just make sure you know what you're talking about. 9. Start to plan everything about your character. This is the time for you to go really deep into your main character's heart. Does he/she have any fear (death, darkness)? Where/when was he/she born? Under which circumstances? Does he/she like to bite their nails? To play a musical instrument, perhaps? Be free, this is your story. 10. After you finish the chronology of your world, start to write about your world. What kind of clothes do the people wear? Are they superstitious? Are they happy with their king/emperor? Is there any kind of academy where soldiers/magicians are trained? What are the rules of your kingdom? Is it forbidden to kill/use magic? Do they have specific rules in a family? Can women fight in war too, or is it only for men? Are there any fantasy creatures roaming the plains of your world? Do people believe in gods? And who are their gods? It's time to plan everything out. This will probably be the biggest step in your story. The base will be here. Everything you'll come up with needs to be here. Don't worry if you're taking too long writing everything out. A good story needs to have a solid base.

11. After the last step, you'll hopefully know what will happen in your story . Grab another piece of paper. Start to make the chapters of your story. Define what kind of writer you will be. What will be the length of your chapters and book(s)? Will you write in third or first person? Will you describe your characters and surroundings to make the story more personal to the reader, will you not care and just want to make an epic legend? Write the interactions of characters. Make a copy of your world map and draw the lines of the journey of your characters. Make a quick reference to each location so you'll describe it more openly. Don't be afraid to create and to plan. 12. Let others read your work. Print out your finished product and hand out multiple copies to people who may enjoy reading your novel. It can be just a few close friends at first, but once you start getting good criticism and you start building confidence, you might want to consider trying to publish. Accept any criticisms, as they will make you a better writer in the future. Fix anything that your editor tells you. Believe that you can be published if you put your mind to it, but try not to hope too strongly for your book to be published, since you could end up very depressed if all doesn't go to plan. If your work is rejected by one editor, edit the story or send it to a different publisher. TIPS:

Always have a notebook with you. Most of the time, epic ideas for your story aren't the most credible ideas. Focus on simple things around you. For example, the idea of Stardust, a fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, came when the author saw a field when he crossed by a wall with a hole in it. Little things that no one else notices are a great step for writing an original story. Be patient. Writing requires a lot of time, and a lot of patience. Tolkien took more than 15 years until the publication of The Lord of the Rings, and built Middle-Earth throughout his life. You don't need 30 years to write your story, but you won't finish it in a week. If you do, that's a bad sign.

Be creative! Elves, dwarves, goblins and orcs aren't fashionable anymore? Tolkien was a writer, not a god. Do you like the races he created? Why don't you create your own? Be aware of changes in your plot. Sometimes, when we're planning a novel (fantasy or not), some ideas just come when you start writing. If those appear when you are writing the book, evaluate them. See if they fit the plot and don't mess up all your work. If they do, write them in a notebook and save them for later. This won't be your last book. Be slow. Don't bump events or the plot line. You'll reveal everything too soon for the reader, and with too many things happening, you'll create a tiring story. Space out the events. Don't forget you can create a sequel. Don't reveal everything. The reader wants to have something to read about. Plan out a big secret from the beginning of the book that will only be revealed at the end (a missing artifact, a strange death). Make the expectations high to give the reader enthusiasm. Don't make your characters stereotypes. Draw believable personalities, credible personal stories and goals. The heart of a good fantasy story is in its characters. Let things fall into place - don't try to control the entire universe of your novel.

Things You'll Need

Notebook Pencil, pen and an eraser Clean paper Post-it/Computer with some type of writing program installed on it. Focus on the things that happen around you.

How to Create a Fictional Character from Scratch 1. The type of character you create determines how the story will arc . If the main character/s are closely aligned with their setting, the arc will begin shallowly, and the character will tend to blend in with their surroundings and the other characters around them. If they're diametrically opposed, dramatic conflict will unfold from the very beginning, and will have to work itself out from there. 2.

Decide if you want to create a protagonist (hero) or antagonist (villain) . Maybe you need a secondary character such as a henchman, a best friend, or a boyfriend/girlfriend. Do subtleties in character or alleigance affect the way events play out? You might need anti-heroes (Spike from Buffy), sympathetic villains (Frankenstein's monster), wild cards (Jack Sparrow), treacherous friends (Iago from Othello), or a trickster guide (Smeagol/Gollum). 3. Determine whether the character is male or female, and the approximate age . Age can show the reader minute details about your character. For example, an older, wise villain could be portrayed as an aging, lonely man. A naive, enthusiastic hero could be shown as a young teenage girl or boy. Sometimes these can be contradictory; Don Quixote was a crotchety old man who'd spent his life in a room reading chivalry novels, and as naive as they come; it was this naivety that drove him out to seek adventure and make it up when it was nowhere to be found. 4. Create a list of wants or goals for your character. For example, in a horror tale, the protagonist may want to survive or not lose his/her mind, whereas in a romantic tale, the antagonist may want to stop the hero from getting his or her "true love." There should be obstacles between your characters and their aims; no matter how glowingly or disprovingly you describe the characters themselves, it's how they deal with these obstacles that most clearly define them. In complex stories these might cross repreatedly, with the motivations and accomplishments of some characters getting in the way of others, generating further action and twists, and cumulatively raising the stakes. 5. Make a list of likes and dislikes, and make sure the list is balanced. In other words, don't have ten dislikes to every one like or vice versa. Even the crankiest characters like something. These shouldn't be random things, a fictional character still has to hold together as an integrated whole, and likes and dislikes are often the shadow-sides of each other. If I like freedom, I'm likely to dislike authority; if I like rich cakes I'm unlikely to respect frugality or restraint; if I like rose gardens I'm unlikely to be a fan of aphids. 6.

Add to this a list of quirks, good habits, bad habits, or just things the character can't stop doing without some serious discipline or counseling . This can be as minor as biting fingernails (which would indicate a worrier) or as serious as a drug addiction (somebody who evades responsibility and craves escape). 7. Work on external features such as where he/she lives, what he/she looks like and whether or not he/she has any pets, etc. Most details you choose should suggest something about the character, or the characters' history. 8. Work out their fears, motivations, and biggest secrets. It creates a much more realistic character and helps to develop the character's archetype. 9. Take mannerisms and features from people around you. 10. Archetypal symbols associated with your character can help define them and be useful for foreshadowing, subtly indicating their presence or influence, and indicating the likely natural shape of their personal arcs, among other things . A rose blooms briefly, but people adore them; a snake is volatile and can strike without warning; stone buildings are solid but resistant to change; thunderstorms are violent, but presage a surge of growth to come; a sharp sword is ever a danger to the hand that wields it. TIPS

Remember: Don't give EVERYTHING about the character away! Unless it's unlike them to keep something secret, make them a little mysterious. Give the readers something to read between the lines about. Just be careful not to make them TOO mysterious. Remember: This process is intended to give you a character that's more or less a real person. If necessary, add or remove steps to get this sort of character. Observe people around you; your Uncle Bob or Aunt Jane may end up in your next story.

When people tell you interesting stories, LISTEN! Fiction or nonfiction. Who knows? You might get a perfect character from your dad's ex-girlfriend's daughter who killed her abusive husband! While it's not necessary to work on the steps in precise order, you may find it's a lot easier to develop the personality of a character before you figure out what he/she looks like Physical appearance is of less importance for a believable character, try only for key details that reflect/contrast their personalities). If you are having trouble coming up with supporting characters, use stereo types and boost them up. (EXAMPLE: 1st Old shrill librarian. 2nd Old librarian that became bitter when her husband abused her. She constantly lives in fear that he will someday find her.) Or, alternatively to the above, take stereotypes and flip them on their heads. (EXAMPLE: Old librarian who acts shrill because she thinks she has to. In reality, she's actually the type who loves kittens and Winne the Pooh and is the kind of lady you call "Grandma" even though you aren't related.)

Warnings Be careful when observing those around you. If you base a character too much upon someone, you may get into legal trouble. So, remember this simple rule: Do not add a real person, dead or alive, unless you have permission to do so. Things You'll Need

Anything to write with. Pen, paper, computer, or even a typewriter or tape recorder you can talk into. While not necessary, a subscription to a writer's magazine can further enhance your writing skills. Seriously, it really can.

How to Create a Credible Villain in Fiction Creating a credible villain for fiction writing requires quite a bit more than slapping together some typically evil or just "icky" traits. It requires a delicate balance of bad and, yes, even good to bring a measure of believability to the villain in a tale or novel. 1.

Start by reading Create a Fictional Character from Scratch. This will give you a foundation on which you can create any type of character. 2. What's your story all about and how does a villain fit into the grand scheme of the story as whole? Is his purpose simply to be an obstacle for a hero and a catalyst character for his change? Does he represent an aspect of a story's theme? 3. Choose the degree of evilness or just plain "ick" you want to place into your villain. Some tales require the viciousness of a serial killer, while others only call for a bully. Fit your villain with a genre of your story. Horror story needs a demon, army of zombies, evil ghosts or an obsessed person with a skilled trait (architect, scientist, etc). A crime thriller calls for a crimelord, a boss of a rival gang or the ringleader of a corrupt police force. An evil alternate universe twin, a killer cyborg or a destructive robot fits in sci-fi. An evil king or warlock is good in fantasy, as is a priest, a highly placed official or a member of a manipulative secret society. In any type of writing, a villain is more interesting if he or she is considered good and trustworthy by others, keeping his or her ambitions secret. 4. Create a single, traumatic incident for your villain. It could be as devastating as seeing his parents murdered or as sublime as seeing a prized rosebush destroyed by the whims of nature. The reason for this is to create a turning point in the villain's life. t doesn`t need to be a traumatic incident, your character could be raised in such a way to influence his or her present. Also, even a simple defining moment could change a person`s life depending on the person. Some people can be easily corrupt or develop strong values that motivate them to take drastic action. 5. Expand on this singular incident. Exaggerate it, twist it, and distort it until it becomes the rotten core of your villain. Is it counterpointed in some way by the hero's experience?

6. Choose a single thing that the character adores without greed or malice . It doesn't have to be a big thing--in fact, it's better if it's not. For example, the villain may enjoy strolling in a rose garden in order to clear his/her head. Or, even smaller, the villain enjoys the simple pleasure of cracking open a sunflower seed on his tongue and enjoying the saltiness of the meat inside. What about a dependant relative, a lost love, a treasured pet? Does this vulnerability give the hero leverage in some way, and is the hero noble enough not to use it? Perhaps a lost love is reason enough to corrupt him or her. Even a memory can bring someone much happiness. 7. Combine the "turning point" and the "single thing" and bounce them back and forth in your mind. How are they related? Why does the villain love one thing so much and is still filled with malice, hatred, or just plain "ickiness"? 8. Take into account the hero of the story . How does the hero fit into the villain's life? How do his wants mix, match, and collide? How are they similar; how are they different? The villan should be just as powerful if not more powerful than the hero. 9. Does the villain get eventually redeemed or does he stay a bad guy ? Look how your story folds and your villain develops, and make your decision based on them. Avoid sudden and complete change unless you`re going for the extreme melodram displayed in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. 10. Think of some fears. Everybody is afraid of something. The villain may be afraid of anything from the hero to death to the dark or even monsters under the bed! Be creative, but make sure the fears aren't too silly, or your story won't be taken seriously. 11.

Remember that a GOOD villain drives the conflict of the story . Without the villain the hero cannot overcome obstacles and develop as a character. 12. One last thing to remember is that the more evil and threatening a villain is, the more often their evil plans work. Don't always make the villain fail and the hero win. Also, a villan isn`t all evil! A villan should have positive qualities. Just as a hero consists mostly of positive qualities but has a fair share of flaws, a villan should have mostly flaws but definite positive qualities. TIPS:

You might never actually use the "turning point" in your end result, but remember: it's not there for the reader. It's intended for the writer to understand the character's motivations. For a novel, you may wish to create several "turning points," but they should all reaffirm the initial incident in shining detail in the mind of the villain. Think about motive. There is something the villain wants, or something they think must happen, and they have a belief, sometimes a fanatical belief, about what they think is necessary in order to attain this goal. While an immediately obvious motive is rarely a good idea, the backgrounds of said motives can be interesting to play around with. A derivitave of a deadly sin or similar flaw is a good place to start. Instead of anger, how about resentment? A villain with family issues has a lot of opportunities for evil. Instead of sadness or plain regret, how about guilt? Someone who feels guilty - whether they are actually guilty or not - may go to great lengths in an effort to redeem themselves, and may not go about it the right way. You can build a convincing motive around these, and leaving them hidden until later on in the story can be a great way to build suspense. The villains that work the best are the ones where their motive may be basically understandable, but their ultimate goal and their processes are extremely twisted. Subtlety is often better. Some of the best villains in fiction are those who believe, in absolute sincerity, that their actions are good and helpful to others. Such a villain's "turning point" might be a discovery that disturbs his smoothly running life, and his subsequent actions are only an attempt to correct matters.

Such villains may end up violating their own ethics, believing that they are preserving the sanctity of said ethics! If you want to create sympathy for your villain, or at least try to flesh him out more, consider writing a few chapters from the perspective of one of the villain's allies, or even the villain himself. Concerning names. Names for villains can set the mode for the personality of this villain or the genre of the story. Billy Bob Johnson might be a hill billy farmer who wants to take over the hero's family's land. Sir Oswald Walter Richardson III might be a rich tyrant who is intent on becoming the mayor of the city and turning a small town into a tourist resort, something the hero is against highly. Coco Bean might be the villain in a comical story who wants to create a kind of pie that will make anyone who eats it break out into fits of laughter at inappropriate moments. Be creative with names, they really help.

Warnings

The creation of a truly villainous character can become especially intense. Try writing about them in smaller chunks than you ordinarily would. If you don't take a small break every half-hour or so, you may find yourself absorbing a portion of the villain's negativity, which can affect your relationships with the people you care about. Avoid the temptation to start a villain from one of the deadly sins. If you do, you'll end up with a parody of a bad guy instead of a true villain. It is one thing to end up with a character that is the epitome of a deadly sin. Just don't start there. A good villain usually has plans or goals other than "bug the good guy". For example, the James Bond villains usually want to take over the world, or steal something valuable. Becoming Bond's enemy is a result of their goals, not their original goal. There are some villains that really only want to kill the hero, maybe for revenge, but that is the exception, and if you don't take care to create a credible goal for your villains, they will seem unconvincing and fake. Try to make your villain three dimensional. By the end of the story, the reader should know why they are that way. Remember-sometimes, killing off or harming villains can be as negative to readers as doing it to other characters. Just because a character is the antagonist doesn't mean you should kill them or have a flood of bad things (except for things relating to the failure of what they plan to do) happen to them.

How to Get Inspired to Write Need to be inspired to write? Adopt a few of these practices to keep your mind actively searching for new inspiration. 1 Carry a small notebook or tape recorder for sudden inspirations . Record your thoughts into more formal written work at a later time. 2 Rest in an atmosphere of quiet or surround yourself with noise . Sit in a forest or stand on a busy street corner. 3 Listen to a variety of music, such as jazz or folk music. I find classical music also works, since it holds a lot of emotion. For great classical, try any movie theme/score, or maybe even Yann Tiersen. 4 See a movie and write a review based on the setting in time or an elicited emotion. 5 Read a variety of literature and write a report of comparison. 6 Write about a craft, such as pottery. Focus on its history or a particular aspect. 7 Search the internet for a topic. To be a writer, you must love to read. 8 Reference old material. Reread your first-grade story that describes how you lost a mitten. 9

Freewrite. Choose a subject and write continuously for a set period of time; while disregarding spelling, punctuation or grammar. 10 Expand a topic in several different directions; similar to adding different ingredients to a recipe. 11 Create several solutions to a problem. Write three pages that focus on two solutions. 12 Write convincing pros and cons about the same subject, such as a boyfriend. 13 Play a game to stimulate your mind with strategy . 14 Choose a word and quickly associate it with another. Example: yellow may lead to sunflower, then to summer, then to winter, then to snow, then to a day off from school, etc. 15 Write in a journal. Focus on events or emotions throughout the day. 16 Record an event or adventure in your life. Reflect upon your insights. 17 Record emotion. Write with descriptive detail of anger, compassion or grief. 18 Create a world of fantasy. 19

Write about a passion in your life such as gardening or your children . 20 Utilize writing as a means to escape. 21 Write about a cause that is of interest, such as global warming . 22 Record several aspects of a story on small pieces of paper . Mix them together. Choose a setting, characters and plot. 23 Create a rough draft and return to it in a few days to allow for other ideas to surface. 24 Sit and observe. Observe people without judgement, attempting to look into their past for character development. 25 Listen to conversations for an idea. Imagine what occurred prior to overhearing a conversation or what will occur thereafter. 26 Imagine a story about someones life based upon their appearance, attitude or the book they are reading. 27 Describe a persons actions while riding a bicycle or preparing a meal . 28 Create a series of conversations between two characters. Conversation creates a story that is more realistic.

29 Write descriptive detail about a main character, focusing on their thoughts that have been influenced by past experience. 30 Write a description about an object, such as a family heirloom. 31 Remain open-minded. Give yourself a set period of time to devote to a subject before considering a new idea. 32 Walk in a park. Your mind may be more creative and free to associate in times of leisure or while occupied with other activities. 33 Look at magazines. Look at art, jewelry, crafts or things you enjoy. 34 Notice things around you with a different attitude. Someone may see a nasty weed, but you see a beautiful dandelion in bloom. 35 Express emotion. Write down how you feel when you are angry, sad, happy or sick. Tips Review brainstorming techniques Warnings Plagiarism is illegal. Always credit sources.

How to Make Your Own Fantasy World Ever been daydreaming about a magical world, but never gotten around to putting all your thoughts on paper? This article can help. Just follow these basic steps and in no time you'll have a wonderful world. 1 Think up a name of the place. You can take your name and change it. Lilitopia sounds good, Zachtopia does not (to be fair, Zach doesn't go with much, sorry. Perhaps Zacheria?).Camia is a very good one though (if your name is Cam). You can do this with names other than your own, too. Also, you could just say some random cool sounding thing. (Kaiu, Mikvar, etc.) Maybe even a play on words. (Guess what a Catacloyapa would be like) 2 Decide what the inhabitants are like. This is really hard ! Create them, write their histories, cultures, ways of living, weapons, food, education, governments (or monarchs), transport, anything. Are there multiple races? What conflicts occur between different races? 3 Decide what the landscape of your world is like. Where are the deserts? Where are the mountains? The forests? Create different countries! What do the flags look like? 4 Create the wildlife of your world. You can use a lot of wildlife from Earth, but if you're feeling adventurous, make them all up! Are they vertabrates (have a spine)? Invertabrates (don't have a spine)? Teeth, fangs, claws, scales, fur, wings, eyes, limbs and slime are some of the many things you can stick on them. What kind of animals do your inhabitants ride? What do the animals eat? Ecosystems (what eats what, what's the top predator, how everything lives together) are important too. 5

Create the history of the world. Who or what created/gave rise to it? What major events have changed the course of your world? Are there gods or and goddesses, has evolution shaped things? What have your races done throughout history? Have there been wars (civil, international)? Anarchies? Rebellions? Have they actually been quite peaceful? 6 Decide the religion of your world (This is often a touchy topic for those who are incredibly faithful to their real-world religion. Just remember that you still believe in your deity, and that you are not transferring your faith in any way.) Is there one god/goddess? Are there multiple gods? are the Gods animals? Does each have a specific power? Do they have one spouse or multiple spouses? Do these gods exist, or are they made up? Did anything predate these gods? 7 Decide upon or create the language the people will speak. Do they speak English? French? Spanish? Or a completely new language? Remember, if you're planning to write a book from this, which you might be, don't create a new language and have your characters use it all the way through. Most will throw the book down in disgust, not being able to understand without constant reference. 8 Start with the map. First come up with a capital city, and major cities, then the names of countries, provinces, continents, oceans, deserts, forests, etc. This seems overwhelming, but just relax and don't think about anything, just let the ideas flow. You can put it all in an imaginary box in your mind, or write notes down on paper. Search for 'random fantasy name generator' on Google if you can't think of as many as you need. 9 Draw a rough sketch of your map Exclude small islands to begin with . Make sure to make the borders of the landmasses are jagged (like coastline), not smooth and curvy (unless you have a very good, in-your-world reason for doing this, not just

because you're lazy). It helps to use a computer because it is easier to edit than on paper. 10 Add the small islands. Remember, these islands can be very important economically and strategically. 11 Add a map key. Use simple symbols like triangles for mountain and dots for cities (unless you're a bit of an artist, and you like drawing the mountains beautifully and drawing tiny little houses and castles for the cities). Then add place names. Be sure to make continent names in a larger size than country names, country names larger than city names, etc. Don't forget to adjust the size of your city symbols and make a different symbol for capitals, countries and provinces. 12 Color your map. This can be done any way you want, tweak it slightly, and voila! You have your map. 13 Create zoom maps of countries. To do this you want the nearby countries to be grey or sepia-coloured. Then color each province a different bright color. Of course, if no countries exist (i.e you have a very early world, or one ravaged by war, or a peaceful, John-Lennon-Imagine kind of place), then you don't have to do this step. 14 Create your politics. What is each government system like? (president/queen/king/ministers) What countries are allies? What countries are at war? It helps to relate to real countries, for example, countries focused on art and academics could be based on Ancient Greece. of course, you might have already completed this step when you made your races/inhabitants. 15

Create folklore. What are the myths of each country? Are there bedtime stories to scare children? Are there fairy tales? Are there legends with more than a grain of truth in them? 16 Roughly map out each country's daily life. What games do children play? Which countries are poor? Which ones are rich? Is it hard work or is there plenty of time for play? 17 Type everything up and print it out as a book. You can write the introduction as if you were a professor studying this, and write the rest as if it were nonfiction. Publish your information on the Internet if you wish for everyone to see. Tips

Be creative! Don't think about what others will enjoy, just do what you think is fun and enjoyable! Think of your brain as a lake. Let thoughts flow from your mind like a river. If you have a good memory, write it down anyway, or it will block the flow, like a dam. Don't hesitate to do something this guide says, or to skip a step in this guide. This is just a guideline for your creation. Fantasy books or websites can be helpful, but to avoid being sued, be sure not to copy the author's ideas. History is an amazing place to find ideas. Find a topic you are interested in, such as military or ancient wonders and do a quick search in your local library or the Internet and see what you can find. When writing in your notebook, skip lines. If you print out a copy, have it double-spaced to allow for easy notations. When you have typed a rough draft, use an automatic spell check, then print a grammar-free copy and read it through critically and think hard about it, and make any changes you want to have there. If you are comfortable with the changes you have now then keep them. Don't worry about minor mistakes. If, while making your map, you find that one of your cities has turned into a lake, for example, don't erase it. If your city isn't important, you can say that it used to be a city that sank below the water.

Try your best to avoid cliches like fairies and goblins, two boys and one girl as a team, and a main character with just one parent/no parents. The more unique your story is, the more interesting it will be.

Warnings

Avoid sharing your country with people who aren't open-minded. They might think you're crazy. Don't share your maps with people that you can't trust. They could steal your ideas.

Things You'll Need

A Wide-Ruled Spiral or Marble Notebook (College Ruled can look messy) A Pencil or Pen Most important, Fantasy!

How to Create a Fantasy Garden Sometimes the real world just isn't enough, sometimes you just want to escape and enter a world of mythical creatures and unreal-ism. Creating your very own fantasy garden should get you half way there! How to Be a Decent Story Writer Writing a decent novel can be hard work, sometimes it seems as if all the good ideas have already been taken and creating believable characters is just too hard. If you are ever stuck follow these useful steps. The following steps can be applied to all genres of story writing. 1 Practice writing skills: Writing skills such as simple grammar, spelling, sentence structure and nominalisation are all important for those who wish to be decent story writers. It is also important to expand your vocabulary. Do this by keeping a dictionary close by when reading in-case you run into any words you are not familiar with. When ever you have the time, look up synonyms for different words

and practice grammar, sentence structure, and other forms of writing skills such as nominalisation, descriptive paragraphs, etc. This will help broaden your knowledge of English and you will find your writing more fluent. 2 Think about your story before you begin writing. Create an outline: Before you begin your story, it is a good idea to have a general idea of the plot. If the plot is unclear you may find clashing ideas later on in the story so be sure to have a good idea of it before you begin. Be sure to stay away from common ideas and try to create your own unique story line. ie. The story line of the rogue sorceress conquering the world is incredibly cliche and over used. Think up your own unique story. 3

Sketch your characters to form a vivid image. Create your characters: Sometimes it can be difficult to think up characters that are believable, and your characters can seem very abstract. If you are finding this is a problem you could always try basing your characters on someone you know in real life; give them a similar personality, similar physical traits, or a similar name. By doing this you will be able to form a clear image of the character in you head. Be sure to ask permission if you plan on basing your character completely on someone you know. 4

Translate your image scenery onto paper to get a clear image. Create a location: A story isn't complete without a scene. Chose where your characters will live, what town, what country, maybe even what world? If you are thinking of writing a fantasy novel it may be difficult to come up with a scene. Open your mind and consider every possibility. As mentioned before, it is a good idea to carry a notebook and pen with you where ever you go, you may see something that inspires a great scenery for your story. If your story is not a fantasy/ sci fie, consider using real town names and cities (But be sure to do your research on the town first). 5 Open your mind, by doing other activities. Open your mind: Writers block is very common, so if you are experiencing it try to open your mind with other 'artsy' activities, such as painting, reading or drawing. Another good way to clear your mind is by exercising. Activities such as walking, going to the beach, yoga and meditation can really open up your mind, so give them a go. If none of these methods work for you, there are other ways to open your mind. Try the brainstorming method, write down all the words that come to mind until you feel like your mind has 'expanded'. 6

Some songs offer a great story line, so listen to your favorite lyrics, you might find yourself inspired.

Search for inspiration: Still stuck? Now would be the time to search for inspiration. Inspiration can be found in the smallest things; music, art work, poems, even the night sky. Watch the world around you, there are many potential stories just waiting to happen. To make sure no potential story goes to waste always carry a small notebook and pen in your bag and write down ideas that arise. Also, consider your dreams as a potential story. Yes, dreams may be abstract, but they are also stories just waiting to happen! 7 Imagine yourself in the book: Pretend you are there, inside your story, living the life of your characters. This will give you a sense of how real your story feels. By doing this you can also get a feel of the emotions your characters should be portraying in your story. Put yourself in the shoes of the character to create real emotions and reactions. 8

Read plenty of books, including the good old classics. Read plenty: If you really want to be a decent writer, it would be wise to read decent books. Reading books every night/ day can expand your mind and English capabilities. Readers gain many benefits from reading, as well as new ideological beliefs and an open mind. If you prefer to stick to mainly one particular genre, try to expand your horizons and read many genres. For example, if you only read fantasy novels, try to begin reading a mystery novel. It is always good to approach life with a ready mind that is open to new ideas. 9

Avoid going over the top: Once you have a good idea you may find yourself getting carried away, when this occurs be sure to read over your writing a few times, you may find some of your ideas have already been used or your idea is just plain lame. If this is the case, don't be disheartened, no one ever got anywhere by giving up, so keep at it. Writing should be an enjoyable experience and you will know you have done a good job once you are feeling content towards your novel. Good luck! Tips

Carry a small notebook and pen in your bag so you can write down ideas and inspiration. Write down your dreams first thing in the morning, for all you know they could be a story just waiting to happen. Be open to all ideas and consider things you haven't before.

Warnings

Do not copy other authors ideas, this could get you into a spot of trouble. Do not use common ideas for your story. When you have many ideas, it is easy to get them jumbled. Try to keep your ideas organised and in order.

Things You'll Need

Classic books A dictionary A Thesaurus

How to Fantasize About Someone Someone you like but they can't be with you? Or maybe you're just lonely. Fantasizing is the perfect way to think about this person 1 Get somewhere secluded and close your eyes. 2 Picture the person you want to fantasize about. This could be anyone, for example: A hottie you saw on the bus 3 Picture the setting. For example, An office or a supermarket

4 Create a story that ends up making you two alone. Skip this step if you want to fantasize quickly. For example, you both need to use the photocopier in a separate room and get locked in. 5 If you're a guy imagine you have just saved this person. 6 If you're a girl imagine this person has saved you. 7 Do what you like with this person. It can be anything you like but you're doing it to this person especially. How to Make a Plot for a Story when You Only Have a Few Ideas You want to write a story, but you only have a few ideas, or maybe you just have one. Perhaps you've thought up a character you really like, or you've made up a fantasy world, or that conversation you overheard at the store would be perfect as part of a story... whatever the reason, you want to start a story but have very few ideas. Well, a story needs a plot, right? This article will tell you how to make a plot starting with very few ideas. 1 Think about your idea(s). If you have more than one, how do they fit together? If you only have one idea, try to build up more ideas around that. If you have an idea for a character, for example, where do they live? Who is in their family? How did they become the sort of person they are? By the end of this step, you should have several ideas that are all connected. 2 Go from what you have from step one. Ask questions that will make you think more about the story. Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? These are all good questions to ask. 3 Once you have some characters and a setting, and maybe even part of the plot, think about your villain. Every good story has one, or at least some sort of

problem. If you only have a problem, but no real villain, what is the problem? Make sure it fits with the story. No dragons or vampires in realistic fiction. IF you have a villain, who are they? Why do they do what they do? What is their motive? Keep asking your self: why? Why? Why? Eventually you'll think of something. One thing to try is thinking about the villains in books you've read. What is their motive? Jealousy is a common one. 4 The plot is easier to come up with once you have a villain/problem. Now just think: Why is the main character facing the problem(s) they are? What does the villain make the main character face? Once you think of this, connect it to what you came up with above. Put it all together. Make it into the plot for your story. Congratulations! You're ready to write! TIPS

When you have your plot, make sure it's realistic. Don't have a villain who's always really happy, unless your story is a parody or something. It's unlikely that somebody will be laughing as they bleed to death. Think about books you've read for ideas (maybe you can write about magic if you love the Harry Potter books). However, DO NOT COPY. Using a very general idea that shows up in many books is one thing, stealing an entire plot is another.

Warnings Don't copy other authors. Books you've read can be used as inspiration, but don't steal other people's ideas. How to Write a Medieval Fantasy Novel Medieval fantasy is one of the most popular, most loved, and most fun types of writing. Whether the story is about a knight rescuing a princess or a princess with five miles of hair, the medieval fantasy has found a place in many reader's hearts. 1

Research the time period. Even though medieval fantasy is a fictional genre, you need to include some accurate information on the time period to avoid anachronism and make your writing more realistic. Knowledgeable readers will judge whether or not the manuscript's setting is accurate, even if the plot is fiction. 2 Figure out the plot. Is your story about a boy and his pet dragon who save the kingdom from the bad guys? Is it about a girl who has some sort of magical power, is accused of being a witch, and must be saved by the prince? Whatever the plot, just make sure you actually have a plot! Outline what will happen in your story so that you have a map of rising action, climax, and falling action in the plot. 3 Add fantasy creatures. Dwarfs, talking animals, humans crossed with another species, and other creatures make the story more like a fantasy. For more on fantasy in general, see How to Write Fantasy Fiction. 4 Edit and publish. You have finished your story; now it is time to get it published and seek recognition for your hard work! Research publishers online, looking for those that focus specifically on fantasy, historical novels, or both. Most publishers will provide submission guidelines that describe exactly what they're looking for right now, saving you the time and money of submitting to the wrong publisher. Be patient! Publishing takes time. In the meantime, try building a following online by posting a chapter, and see if you can drum up support that shows a publisher how likely your novel is to be successful. Tips

Make the climax (the story's turning point, before everything starts to slow down and come to a conclusion) so unexpected that your readers will be drawn to buy more of your books. Avoid making the plot so unpredictable that readers become confused and disillusioned with your writing. An effective climax is surprising, but ultimately satisfying for the reader.

Use a pseudonym (pen name) if you don't want others to know who wrote your novel. This can protect you from negative press bleeding into your personal life, and from your personal life revolving entirely around fantasy if the book is successful. Pseudonyms are also useful in genre fiction, like fantasy, if you plan to write in another genre in the future and don't want to get pigeonholed into one genre. Medieval fantasy novels typically focus on boy-rescues-girl stories, white characters, and on the nobility. Consider writing about a different part of society--for example, use strong female characters or characters of color, write about landless classes, or tell a queer romance. You also might try a twist on the typical plot, where triumph isn't measured by slaying a creature or winning a female character, but on some other value system. Think about a message you want to tell, and then put it in a historical setting.

Warnings

If your novel is geared towards teens or children, use caution when writing particularly bloody or disturbing scenes. This may reduce the likelihood of publication. Avoid classic fairy tales when writing for adults. The plots are overused and don't provide enough for a meaty story. However, re-tellings are often much loved and very successful! Avoid overused phrases like "Once upon a time..." or "The End." If you don't enjoy your story, it's likely that others will feel the same way. If you find yourself becoming very bored with the plot, it may be time for a change. Everyone experiences writer's block, but you might want to tweak the story to see if you can bring new life in. Be wary of stereotypes when creating good and evil creatures. Is the world so divided? Was it ever? Think twice before making all the bad guys dark and all the pretty girls fair. Ask yourself whether violence and war are necessary in your story. Consider a twist on these common themes.

How to Write Dark Fantasy 1 Get an idea. Sounds basic, yes? It isn't. It is rather hard to come up with an idea for even an essay, as any secondary-school child can tell you. Ideas usually come from

imagining a character or a place. Then you flesh out from just the one character, or you fill the place with all sorts of things. 2 Choose your setting. Is it some kind of Tolkien-esque war or a contemporary "Pan's Labyrinth" style "Fairy in the cupboard" thing? This will determine antagonists, weapons, and even dialogue, so it is very important. 3 Create the Protagonist(s). Elves, humans, or dwarfs are the most common protagonists. The supposedly "Good" Character is set to redeem the world or something like that in most fantasy tales. But this is a dark fantasy, isn't it? That's right. And for that you want a sort of twisted anti-hero as your main. This person should have a complex, dark past with murderous and bad-feelings the whole way. A good example is Harry Dresden of the Dresden Files. While he isn't really an antihero, he feels to pull to evil from time to time. In the end, he is a hero, and that's what we all want, isn't it? As long as they have a history of violence, you have yourself dark fantasy hero gold. 4 Create the antagonist(s). Arguably the most fun part of the whole process, this is when you make a sick punk with all sorts of perverted ideals. You can create the most disturbed individual on earth (or wherever you place your story), and choose what happens. Will he win? Will he end up choosing the wrong person to mess with and get attacked by angelic wraiths so that his mind is torn to shreds as God speaks to him directly, condemning him? It's all up to you. 5 Make a plot. Part of that comes from making the characters, but you will still need to tweak the things to fit just right. What good is an army of vampires if they have nothing to attack? Where is the fun in having the world a bombed-out radioactive wasteland if you don't have warlords to fight over scraps of arable land? You need some kind of struggle. The characters need to get involved, willingly or not. They can be kidnapped, they could have demons kill their family, they could do anything

to make the plot come to them, its up to you. But it needs to make sense. You can't have the zombies just appear, they need a back story. Industrial accident, hell is full, Armageddon, whatever. The point is, they came from somewhere. 6 Make an outline. This is necessary so that you can keep all of the threads of the plot together. Don't be afraid if you want to change the plot halfway through writing, though! 7 Write the story. The rest is up to you. TIPS

Avoid cliches and stereotypes: every bad guy starts out as somebody's son/daughter, a blank slate on which adults and experience write their graffiti your antagonist is bad because something (usually a lot of things) made him/her that way... and get inside your character's head: evil is how their mind works not a grubby black coat they wear. Don't give up. Writing can take years. Stick with it and you will get to the end eventually. Dark fantasies hardly ever have a "happily ever-after" sort of ending. They usually have a middle-ground ending. For example, the protagonist survives his trials, but he is permanently injured in some way. The point is his life can't go back to normal and he has changed. When you're writing out your protagonist, make sure the reader has a reason to root for her. Especially if she's an anti-hero, there has to be something that makes her better than the bad guy - that's why she's the PROtagonist!! Always make your bad guys badder! The harder the hero has to fight and the worse the antagonist is, the more the reader will want him to win. For an example from a movie, consider this: how boring would The Crow have been if Eric Draven had battled crossing guards instead of gangsters, and the big fight at the end was against Mr Moran, the evil science teacher, instead of Top Dollar, the crime lord. Bit of a difference, wouldn't you say?

Warnings

If you have friends, prepare to neglect them while you angst over the proper language to have the bear speak to so-and-so, etc. How to Make Your Own Fantasy Kingdom Making a fantasy kingdom can be an enjoyable experience, though it may not be a short task. If you think you are creative enough, read on! 1 Think of your kingdom's name. Coming up with your kingdom's name might be a little hard; if you're having trouble, take some name ideas from the kingdom itself! For example if your kingdom has a huge forest, you could call it "Green Shadows". You may choose to do this last if you wish. 2 Choose a name and rank for yourself. You may choose to use your real name(For example, King Matthew the Strong) or make up a whole new name(Queen Matharian the Honorable). Your rank, how high of a position you have in a society, can be anywhere ranging from a peasant to a king. 3 Design a map for your kingdom. Design it however you want! You can have stables that hold animals, a village, a river, a treehouse, a castle- whatever you want. 4 Create a whole variety of things in your kingdom! Buildings, animals, outlaws, or other people; You can have 3 moons and 50 suns in the sky if you want! 5 Who else is around the area? Are there kingdoms opposing to yours? What are they called? Why are they trying to take over yours? 6

Create more people in your kingdom. Who is the king/queen? Are there princesses or princes? Ambassadors? What other branches of ro Tips

You can watch some different movies for ideas. ("Bridge to Terebithia," "The Chronicles of Narnia," etc.) You could also read a lot of books. Don't just read fantasy, though. Read anything and everything; it's the best way to get your imagination running! If you think you are going to keep your kingdom for a long time then you could keep a diary recording all your travels.

Warnings

Dont tell everyone about your little kingdom. They might want to be in it, or make fun of you for using your imagination. Careful who you imagine. If you imagine a bad guy, you have to make sure they don't have the power to beat you, no matter what!

Things You'll Need

Imagination. Plenty of ideas. Time.

How to Find Unique Names for Your Characters If youre tired of using common names in your stories, youve come to the right place. This article will teach you how to make up unique names as well as where to search for interesting and uncommon ones. 1 Use a first name as a last name. Since first and last names usually sound very different, breaking this tradition would make your character stand ever so slightly apart. (Ex. Anna Joey, Robert Gidedon.) This is a very subtle approach and would make the most sense for a story that unfolds in a time and place thats similar to your own. 2

Look for names in unexpected places. Watch the credits of a TV show or movie; a lot of uncommon names and name combinations can be found here. When you walk, bike, or drive around, take note of the street names. You might even borrow the name of a foreign city, a distant nebula, or a rare plant. Depending on what you find, this approach could be applicable to a wide variety of genres. 3 Find an unusual name in a book. Flip through the phonebook or a baby name book. In particular, baby name books have lots of uncommon names and interesting spelling variations. (Have you heard of Razilee, Kadiah, Joval, Jantanie, Keryl, or Kaline?) If you want to be inspired by both a name and a character, check out a mythology book from the library; however, unless you want to something obvious (ex. Athena), dont go with Norse, Greek, or Latin mythology. 4 Strategically engineer a name from other words. J.K. Rowling, for example, is said to have created some of the names in Harry Potter by first describing a character and then creating an anagram from the descriptions. There are a number of strategies that you could use to engineer such a name. For example:

Blend common names together. For example, Sarah and Josephine might become Josah and Saraphine; Garrett and Adrian might become Adriett and Garran; etc. Try different spelling variations. Substitute Mykael for Michael, Gaebriel for Gabriel, etc. Rearrange your own (or a friends) name. If your name is Bob Smith, scramble the letters to get something like Omi Thibbs. Your friend Eileen could be Neelie, Annabel could be Belanna, and so forth.

5 Invent a name at random. If you want something truly unique, give up basing your name in anything youre already familiar with and try to invent something completely new. This might be especially appropriate for a sci-fi or fantasy story that doesnt fit your current cultural context.

Type a random string of letters, select a set that seems promising, and rework them to create something you like. Or, you might cut individual letters out of a magazine, throw them into the air, and choose a combination based on how they fall to the floor. Intentionally misspell a phrase and remove the spaces lykkethez (like this), then choose an interesting letter combo from the results (ex. Kethez, Ethe, or Ykke). Type a few lyrics from a song without spaces to find interesting combinations. Ex: allweareisdustinthewind could become Llwea, Arei, Isdus, Hewin, etc.

Tips

Take a tip from John Braine: use place names from the region the story takes place in. Make sure it's pronounceable. Readers don't like to try and decipher a name. Try to coordinate names with the time/place the character lives in. Your character's name should roll off the reader's tongue. When said out loud, it should sound cool, not hard to say. Your character's name should reflect their personality. Keep the name socially acceptable for the character's world/time frame/country.

Warnings

Don't name your character after somebody who's already been invented, particularly if they have a similar personality. You might face a lawsuit. Check to see whether anyone has used the name before you give it to your character. Don't use a name immediately after you create or find it; present it to at least one other (nonbiased) person first. What sounds great to you may sound like the name of a prescription medication to your audience. Unless thats what youre going for, avoid giving your character more than three or four names; "Marie Suzanna Amelia Anabell Smith" sounds silly. Make names believable. You can usually be as out-there and creative as you want, but really, if you name one of your characters something like, "Lord Marky Mark", no one will take your story seriously. Don't choose an unsubtle of over-the-top (unless it fits with the character's personality). Ex."Ravensky Darkmoon" is a lovely name, but no one will take it seriously.

How to Brainstorm Brainstorming is one of the most common types of informal invention. It can be used when writers encounter writers' block or when they are not sure what to write about. Brainstorming can also be used to guide writers in a certain direction if they already have a topic or idea that they wish to explore. This exercise helps writers to gather their thoughts and ideas before they begin writing a paper or other document. The end result of brainstorming should be lists of words or phrases that are somehow related in the writer's mind. These lists may be helpful in the preliminary writing process. Here are some guidelines for this type of invention: 1 Set your timer. It can be any time that you feel would put your brainstorming sessions to their full potential. One suggestion would be a topic word or a thought that you would like to explore at the top of your paper. Maybe use words such as 'education' or 'government.' Continue writing words or phrases in list form down the page until your time has run out. 2 Never stop writing. Even if you have to write down an idea that's completely stupid and wouldn't work, it's better than stopping and interrupting the creative flow. Keep working, and if you can't think of anything, continue to write "I don't know, I don't know" in a continuous loop. This will get so boring that your idle brain will come up with something. 3 Assume that no word is self-explanatory. Continue to focus on one topic word until you cannot describe it with any further detail. In other words, take a deeper look at an individual or minute part of a larger whole. 4 As your thoughts slow or become stagnant, begin to review your lists periodically. Previous terms may need further explanation, or may bring forth new ideas to the surface.

5 When you are finished brainstorming, re-organize your words and phrases into sequential categories. 6 If you have a sufficient collection of good ideas, begin to work on the rough draft. If more ideas are needed, try other informal invention techniques such as freewriting or mapping. 7 Utilizing a dictionary, search for random words. Close your eyes and place your finger on the page or choose the most attractive word as you scan through the pages. Write these words down as well as any other thoughts that may be in relation to these words. Another good tool for selecting random words can be found here. Tips

While brainstorming, it can be helpful to listen to classical music or jazz, or any songs without lyrics. A few extra writing utensils along with a thick pad of paper ensures for an adequate supply of materials to continue the flow of your work without interruption. Brainstorming is an uncensored practice. Try not to make any corrections during the brainstorming process. Keep going, even if you come across a good idea near the beginning of the brain storm session; as other ideas that are just as good - or even better - may come along. Don't immediately dismiss an idea. Continue to write and see where your thoughts take you. Save your brainstorming papers, as you never know when you may need them. Brainstorming can be difficult during your first few sessions, but don't give up! If it doesn't work, try again. Try, as illustrated above, using sticky notes. Every time you think of something -ANYTHING!- write it down and stick it up. It could come back around to be useful. Don't be afraid to go crazy with your thoughts.

Try brainstorming with a friend. They might have different ideas and your collaboration could end up with the perfect result!

Warnings

Brainstorming is not guaranteed to break the toughest writers' block, but it should give you a mental warm-up and an idea of where you are going with your writing process. Brainstorming can be very frustrating at times, so remember to take a break every so often.

How to Brainstorm Alone Are you in need of ideas but are shorthanded on people to help you? No worries. This is a very common occurrence, as sometimes students are not able to have help from classmates or workers and need to solve a problem on their own. Fortunately, you can brainstorm. Gather brainstorming materials. What do you need? That's a brainstorm within a brainstorm! You'll need paper and a pen, or if you prefer, a computer. 2 Start writing down words. Any words that will help. Be sure not to stress yourself out. Just write what thoughts you may hold in your mind. 3 Act as if your friends or people you work with were there. What kinds of things would they say to help with the brainstorming process? 4 Write sentences. Take those words and start expanding a few more. 5 Picture what your idols would do in this situation. This step can actually make the process go faster! 6

Scan your list. Is anything missing? If so, add it. 7 Use your list to complete the task! Tips

Using pictures is another way to brainstorm. Write what you KNOW first...it will sound more youish and improve the quality of the paper. When in doubt, look things up. You can use books, the internet, etc. You can even brainstorm up some ideas for sources to use if you wish.

Warnings his may be hard if you don't concentrate. Things You'll Need

Paper Pen/Pencil Computer (Optional, and if you have this, skip the rest of this list)

How to Be a Good Writer Here are some tips on how to become a good writer. It takes time, perseverance and practice, but with patience, good practical approaches and determination, you can turn your creative desire into concrete writing. 1 Write a lot every day. You may prefer to write in long or short sessions. Write a short paragraph or an entire page. See which works better for you. 2 Read all sorts of things, but really take the time to enjoy an old-fashioned book. Regular reading will influence your style, tastes, background, and ideas. It will also help expand your vocabulary and improve your grammar.

Determine what is good writing and what is not. Find your literary heroes. Read both historical and contemporary authors. Read a variety of topics and styles, with a focus on styles or genres on which you wish to write. Make good use of your local library, both as a source of a variety of reading materials and as a resource.

3 Expand your vocabulary. Read the daily newspaper. Purchase a nice dictionary and thesaurus. Your short story will not be nearly as exciting if every character walks everywhere and says every line of dialogue. A comprehensive vocabulary can help bring your stories and poems to life, enabling you to better describe the world around you.

Be sure that you are using words correctly. Some of the alternatives listed in your thesaurus may not have the right shade of meaning or be appropriate for the level of formality. Look up the word in your dictionary to be sure, and if in doubt, use a word that you already know.

4 Meet a Writer! A writer could give tips to you as well as help. Meet authors at Book launches or Community Book festivals and forums. Perhaps there is a writer living locally that you could meet through a public event, or even write/email them and ask if they are willing to meet you or offer any support. 5 Use good grammar. Good grammar can mean the difference between a sentence that is graceful and translucent and a sentence that is awkward and ambiguous. When you first put your ideas on paper, you should try to write quickly so that you do not forget any of them. Be sure to focus on proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the revision process, though. Dangling modifiers and faulty parallelism can reduce clarity as well as the overall quality of your writing. If you have a question about grammar, consult a good grammar book, such as The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White[1] or The American Heritage Book of English Usage.[2]

6 Buy two notebooks. One is a "Vocabulary Notebook", and the other is an "Inspirational Notebook".

In your "Vocabulary Notebook", write down new words and their meanings as well as mnemonic devices (memory aids) to help you learn them. You may also want to write down some example sentences. In the "Inspirational Notebook", write down bits and pieces from your daily life, such as a fun conversation that you overheard in the mall, or a joke that you were told by a friend. This can also be a diary or a journal. When you read something that makes you laugh or think, or tempts you to read aloud, look at what makes it effective. Jot down all the ideas that occur to you, including the ones that will probably never work.

7 Join online or neighborhood writing groups. You can even practice writing at wikis, such as wikiHow and Wikipedia. You will become a more proficient writer as you help people. 8 Brainstorm before starting to write. In order to focus your writing, begin with the main idea. While thinking about what to write, put down any idea that comes to you, even if it seems far-fetched or unlikely to be successful. One not-so-good idea may lead to a better one. 9 Plan your writing, especially if you are producing an informative piece . Use whatever technique works best for you. You can make an outline, put a collection of notes on cards and arrange them until they are in order, or draw a tree or map. It is possible to rapidly organize a broad topic with a tree or map structure. Try writing nonstop for ten minutes and see how many ideas you can think of. 10

Write as quickly as you can for the first draft. Try typing without looking at the keyboard. Do not stop to correct grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Write at least a few paragraphs before going back and correcting or editing. 11 Be well-informed about your subject. Your research will make your fictional or nonfictional writing seem that much more real. You can use reading materials such as books, magazines, and online articles and also interview knowledgeable people. You may even be inspired by something that you see on television.

Remember that fictional writing will usually require less research than nonfictional writing. Make sure that you have a strong framework for your story before you start researching and filling in details. Try to first develop the main points of the plot. If you are having trouble finishing your story, however, research may give you some ideas for a satisfying conclusion.

12 Be specific. Avoid implying or over-generalizing; vagueness and generalizations are less likely to grab your readers attention. Which sentence is more interesting to read: "In this town, the crime rate has significantly increased in the last year" or "In this town, the crime rate has increased more than twenty percent in the last year"? At the same time, try to include only the relevant details; say all that you need to say without wasting space. 13 Tailor your writing to your purpose and your audience. Just as you change your clothing for the weather and the occasion, you should also change your writing for your audience and your message. Flowery writing, for example, might fit better in a poem than in a status report. Make sure that your writing is not too difficult (or too simplistic) for your audience. Adjust your word choice and sentence length for the given audience and level of formality. Limit jargon, and be sure to give your readers all the background information that they will need to understand your composition. 14

Edit Your Writing Once you have a first draft, reread it and rewrite it. You are looking for errors in grammar and spelling as well as style, content, organization, and coherence.

Editing is an iterative process. You may edit a piece many times. Just remember, no writing is perfect. Give yourself time between writing and editing, if at all possible. Longer is better, but even a short break can give you some of the necessary distance and detachment to edit well.

15 Ask someone else to read your writing. If at all possible, have a second person read your writing. Choose someone whom you trust to be forthright and frank. 16 Make sure that people understand and interpret your writing the way you intend. Try it on a test audience and see how they react. Also try taking suggestions from peers and family to help you refine your idea. 17 Perhaps some day you will become a famous writer, teacher, storyteller, or whatever your dream may be, but the important thing is that you love what you do. Tips

If you want to be a good writer put it in your heart and all good things will follow, just try and try until you reach your goal! Never quit and always ask for help of those professionals. Just write! Don't worry about editing when you've started writing. If it sounds weird and awkward the first time, don't worry about it. If it's every single sentence you write you edit the first time, you're just going to drive yourself crazy. Think of it as a creative guy and a editor guy in your head. First, let the creative guy, the writer, go crazy first with writings and ideas. Then, afterwards, let the strict, critical editor guy come out.

If you have trouble motivating yourself to write everyday, start a blog. For example, you could publish parts of a story serially online. The thought that other people might be looking for updates will inspire you to provide them. Read about writing. There are many good books on the subject for a variety of writing styles and genres. Write to a particular audience. You may want to practice writing to an imaginary audience, such as people in the future, or a general audience. Having an audience in mind will help immensely in focusing your writing. Consider your purpose for your writing. It will help you to have focus. Experiment. If you normally write short fiction, try a poem now and then. Write nonfiction sometimes. Write letters. The Internet makes it easier than ever to find a pen pal with similar interests in another country. In addition to practicing your writing, you will very likely get a new perspective, as well. Write when you feel inspired. Keep a notebook handy and write, write, write. At least scribble some notes for later. Write about what is most important to you. What bothers you? What inspires you? Do not leave the page blank. If you do not know what to write, start writing anything at all. Even if you begin with "This is boring and I don't know what to write," you may soon find yourself writing something more. Make lists. Are you writing a short story? Create an outline of the events. Are you a poet? List vivid adjectives or rhyming words for your poem. Are you working on an informative piece? Use a list to narrow down your topic or organize key facts. Are you unable to find a topic? Keep a list of topic ideas. Try brainstorming with the following ideas: o Questions that you would ask someone famous o Things that you would do if there were no risk o Things that you would do with a million dollars o Names that you would give an exotic pet. Create a setting and take your reader there. Vividly describe the setting to your reader. If you are writing a story that takes place in another region or another time, add some local color. If you are working on a nonfictional writing about Morocco, tell your reader about the charms of Morocco. Write about it as though you have traveled to Morocco yourself. Pretend that you are writing a travel brochure, and do some research. What would make your reader want to visit Morocco?

Writing fiction? Need some inspiration? Try writing in a colorful room. Believe it or not, it brings out your imagination! Don't get discouraged. Everyday I hear that it's almost impossible to get published or even write a book. The truth is it's hard to write a book, but it's not impossible. Keep writing, don't listen to those people, and don't dwell on the negatives. Screw the publishers. If you can't get someone to publish your story that's their problem. Keep trying and soon enough you'll find someone that will give you a chance. It just might take a while. Sometimes it helps to not try to work at all. All you have to do is write. You don't have to save stuff like that for your journal. Just write. To be a great writer you could find out other people's desires. You could try writing about amazing experiences that you have been through and then twist it around a bit to make it a more exciting moment. One other piece of advice on how to be a great writer is that you should love it. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Write what you want to write about, and you'll get it right. Above all, don't be afraid. Sit down and write. But write at least one or two paragraphs every day, if possible at the same hour of the day. Discipline will be necessary. Writing everyday at the same time regardless of how you may feel will help you to gain this discipline and the will power you need to continue and finish whatever you begin to write. You cannot write one week and forget the next or skip a day because you don't feel inspired. Just sit and work whether it's a short story, an article or a book. Don't sit on it too long or you could end up doing something else. You may simply give up and continue daydreaming the rest of your life. If it's an article make sure you have all the facts in front of you. Interviews, research and any background information you can find. Make sure there are no doubts in your mind as to the veracity of your facts. Since your mind is a complex yet marvelous computer, you will discover that as you move along in your writing, words will flow and appear from ether itself to help enhance your writing and inspiration whatever this may be. Sure, you need discipline but don't solely look at writing as work. It actually is fun. Dont stress yourself out. If you are not at all willing to write at a particular moment(not even a little bit) then dont write. The real things wont flow if you're not ready for them to. If you want be a good writer just read a lot, write everyday, and do not give up.

Warnings

Have a room or a space where you write best. Some people need a quiet room to write, while others enjoy writing in noisy coffee shops. Make sure that you are writing enough every day. Other hobbies must not take away too much time from your writing. Don't be afraid to be totally creative with your writing though people may criticize your work. Just because someone criticizes you, doesn't mean your story is bad. Everyone has their own taste. Don't be conceited. Just because you like your writing doesn't mean everybody else will.

How to Expand Your Vocabulary Have you ever wanted to impress people by using long, intelligent-sounding words? Well, this article will tell you how to quickly learn to use those words. Read on to find out how. 1 Grab a dictionary. You will need a dictionary for this - it doesn't have to be exceptionally long, but it's better if it's not too basic. 2 Every day, pick out five words from the dictionary . You can go in alphabetical order, or choose randomly. 3 Write five sentences. Each should use one of the words you picked out. 4 Continue practicing. You can keep going until the end of the dictionary, or just practice every now and then. Soon your vocabulary will improve!

You can also try looking up the five words you pick out in a thesaurus and writing sentences for those words.

Tips

You don't have to write sentences with words you already know, or very common words. Try to memorize your sentences. Keep your sentences short. For example, if the word is frivolous, you could write: "My brother is always coming up with frivolous ideas, like building a house out of glass."

You can also write sentences that include multiple words you picked out; e.g., "Though normally docile, my hamster is easily upset by trivial events such as when I throw away a demolished pot."