Literature I'm writing a Realistic Fiction story about Writing!

[The Explorer]

I just need to find a good way to write the stories and works of the main character, while also differentiating them from the Dialogue between him and the other Characters. Any ideas or advice?

 

[Virus]

Hi!

I'd love to help you write, for I'm a writer myself (even though I'm WAY to young...)
If you would chat with me about what you have so far (if you have so far...), I'd love to help you!

 

[The Explorer]

Hi!

I'd love to help you write, for I'm a writer myself (even though I'm WAY to young...)
If you would chat with me about what you have so far (if you have so far...), I'd love to help you!

I have a couple paragraphs, but it is really important that the audience knows the main character's works. The next 5 pages describes the Four Page essay he wrote, and the reaction he received from the internet when he posted it on a writing forum.

 

[The Explorer]

I have a couple paragraphs, but it is really important that the audience knows the main character's works. The next 5 pages describes the Four Page essay he wrote, and the reaction he received from the internet when he posted it on a writing forum.

Do you want me to post the Paragraphs here, or in PMs?

 

[The Explorer]

I don't want to use Italics or Bold fonts. And i don't want to use Chapter Breaks, or something like that, to differentiate it either.

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

I don't want to use Italics or Bold fonts. And i don't want to use Chapter Breaks, or something like that, to differentiate it either.

May I ask why you don't want to use italics or bold formatting? I was about to suggest italics since that's usually how I denote flashbacks, thoughts, or scenes otherwise unrelated to the main idea of the chapter.

That being said, maybe you could use indentations. Indent the part where the protagonist's writing is shown. Alternatively, I know about a children's book that has the protagonist write in a journal, and the book denoted her journal writings by using a different font and color designed to mirror the protagonist's handwriting. I personally like using Courier to make it look formal/typewritten.

 

[The Explorer]

May I ask why you don't want to use italics or bold formatting? I was about to suggest italics since that's usually how I denote flashbacks, thoughts, or scenes otherwise unrelated to the main idea of the chapter.

That being said, maybe you could use indentations. Indent the part where the protagonist's writing is shown. Alternatively, I know about a children's book that has the protagonist write in a journal, and the book denoted her journal writings by using a different font and color designed to mirror the protagonist's handwriting. I personally like using Courier to make it look formal/typewritten.

Yeah, that's a great idea. It's just that some of the main character's writings use italics. Since the main character's rival later in the novel also shares some of her writings, her favorite color and font could work for her as well.

The main character shares my dream of becoming the world's greatest writer, so throughout the entire novel are the works he writes, which is in character. All forms of Play, Poetry, and Prose, as well as most of all the genres of writing are touched upon in the novel.

The problem I seem to have is the fact that later on he writes his own novel, a novel within a novel sounds great on paper, but putting that entire thing on paper alone, would be hundreds of pages.

Albeit that is towards the middle of the story, still even though I don't mind writing all of that, the readers might stop midway to take a break. I wonder if there are any writing agents that specialize in serializing novels chapter by chapter. That would work out great!

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Yeah, that's a great idea. It's just that some of the main character's writings use italics.

If the writing uses italics as well, then I personally prefer to either remove the italic formatting from the part you intended to italicize, or put it in bold.

The problem I seem to have is the fact that later on he writes his own novel, a novel within a novel sounds great on paper, but putting that entire thing on paper alone, would be hundreds of pages.

Albeit that is towards the middle of the story, still even though I don't mind writing all of that, the readers might stop midway to take a break.

I advise against showing the whole novel. Write a few chapters, maybe, or show him writing it, but do not show the whole novel. You run the risk of your readers getting confused about what story they're supposed to be reading. Remember, if people pick up a novel like this, they expect to read about what is advertised, which in this case is a story about a writer-- not what this fictional writer is writing.

There are some books I've read that involve writers, and their written works are featured inside as well. Haruki Murakami's Sputnik Sweetheart has the main lead be a writer, and the protagonist stumbles upon her writings at one point in the story. Cara Chow's Bitter Melon also follows a girl who pursues competitive essay writing and public speaking against the wishes of her highly conservative family. If you want inspiration on how to pull this kind of thing off, I recommend reading those to get an idea.

 

[The Explorer]

If the writing uses italics as well, then I personally prefer to either remove the italic formatting from the part you intended to italicize, or put it in bold.




I advise against showing the whole novel. Write a few chapters, maybe, or show him writing it, but do not show the whole novel. You run the risk of your readers getting confused about what story they're supposed to be reading. Remember, if people pick up a novel like this, they expect to read about what is advertised, which in this case is a story about a writer-- not what this fictional writer is writing.

There are some books I've read that involve writers, and their written works are featured inside as well. Haruki Murakami's Sputnik Sweetheart has the main lead be a writer, and the protagonist stumbles upon her writings at one point in the story. Cara Chow's Bitter Melon also follows a girl who pursues competitive essay writing and public speaking against the wishes of her highly conservative family. If you want inspiration on how to pull this kind of thing off, I recommend reading those to get an idea.

However the whole premise for my novel is to show the writings of my Main Character and his friends and rival. To show their progression. Hence why I'm writing his four page essay as part of the story, and why i asked the question.

For his novel, I could just show him writing it, and at the very end of my novel, write out what his novel was. But it has to be in the main work in some form, even as an Open Reading, story wise, that would make sense.

 

[The Explorer]

However the whole premise for my novel is to show the writings of my Main Character and his friends and rival. To show their progression. Hence why I'm writing his four page essay as part of the story, and why i asked the question.

For his novel, I could just show him writing it, and at the very end of my novel, write out what his novel was. But it has to be in the main work in some form, even as an Open Reading, story wise, that would make sense.

I mean, I could just make it a mystery, but it is sort of one of his main progression points.

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

However the whole premise for my novel is to show the writings of my Main Character and his friends and rival. To show their progression. Hence why I'm writing his four page essay as part of the story, and why i asked the question.

For his novel, I could just show him writing it, and at the very end of my novel, write out what his novel was. But it has to be in the main work in some form, even as an Open Reading, story wise, that would make sense.

If you simply wanted to showcase the writings of the protagonist (and he mirrors your dream and personality himself) then why don't you just make an anthology of these said writings? There is a difference in "Writing a story about writing" and "Writing to showcase this person's writings".

With the former, your readers will want to read a story. They want to know what happens to the protagonist, not his characters, the protagonist. There are other ways to showcase growth and development than just showing his writings. Make use of the world around him-- perhaps he had negative comments on his initial works, but as he writes more and learns more the comments begin to lean more on the positive side. If you were to pursue this kind of storyline, I also advise against putting the novel as a midway point but rather making it the end goal. Writing a novel is no joke. Writing isn't even the end of it-- there's also pitching it to publishers, getting it published, seeing whether the market will love it or not. Even the preparation for writing is difficult. I should know, I'm in Creative Writing for university.

It just isn't feasible to try and release an entire novel within a novel. Because then, your readers will be reading something else entirely by a completely different author, especially if you want to drop his entire finished novel on the audience. At the very least, you have to break it up. Show him writing it chapter by chapter, taking a break, finding inspiration, writing it again, so as to not confuse your audience as to what they really should be reading, which is the story of the main character.

 

[The Explorer]

If you simply wanted to showcase the writings of the protagonist (and he mirrors your dream and personality himself) then why don't you just make an anthology of these said writings? There is a difference in "Writing a story about writing" and "Writing to showcase this person's writings".

With the former, your readers will want to read a story. They want to know what happens to the protagonist, not his characters, the protagonist. There are other ways to showcase growth and development than just showing his writings. Make use of the world around him-- perhaps he had negative comments on his initial works, but as he writes more and learns more the comments begin to lean more on the positive side. If you were to pursue this kind of storyline, I also advise against putting the novel as a midway point but rather making it the end goal. Writing a novel is no joke. Writing isn't even the end of it-- there's also pitching it to publishers, getting it published, seeing whether the market will love it or not. Even the preparation for writing is difficult. I should know, I'm in Creative Writing for university.

It just isn't feasible to try and release an entire novel within a novel. Because then, your readers will be reading something else entirely by a completely different author, especially if you want to drop his entire finished novel on the audience. At the very least, you have to break it up. Show him writing it chapter by chapter, taking a break, finding inspiration, writing it again, so as to not confuse your audience as to what they really should be reading, which is the story of the main character.

You're right. I'll be flexible here. I'll write them as separate stories, in an anthology or something. I still want to write this story, but i'll do it with Character Based Progression instead of Item Based Progression. I'll be cutting out all of his writings from the story in favor of what the story is really about, which is him and his rival both vying to become the world's greatest writer, though technically his rival is already leagues ahead of him.

Thanks!