User blog comment:Pandaboy2/Advice Needed!/@comment-2026417-20110721032234

Well, I'm not the best adviser, but here I go....

In story writing, Varkanax says it best. Plan ahead. I've been planning my sci-fi novel for the better part of three years. The main villains in it have gone through countless revamps, along with the structure of the novel itself. When you plan, make sure to correlate past events with ones going on in the present. Have parts easily join together (I'm notorious for poor plot in Light and Shadow and Freelancer). If the plot of each chapter does not join, the story will seem choppy and outside of the original idea.

Another good idea is to have inspiration. I always am able to find some reason to write a good plot by vaguely using elements from other stories. Also, others' writing styles often can influence your stories. I personally have built my writing style around those of Eric Nylund (the person who wrote an arc of Halo books) and Greg Farshtey. As for characters, you need to make them interesting. The characters need flaws (from the subtle, such as anger issues, to the massive, like extreme episodes of rage). Overcoming flaws is a major part of a story focused around a main character.

If your story involves many characters (say, a team), each one has to bring certain skills and personality to the table. Conflicts between personalities are bound to happen (Kopaka and Tahu are the best examples of canon personality conflicts).

Also, you need outside tension as well. Something above the main characters that could manipulate them to an extent (like a government, or in Bionicle's case, a council of Turaga). Political ideologies add extra tension to a multi-character novella.

If you want to use the "Hollywood Formula", it's pretty straight forward. Easily read plot, identifiable characters, a love interest(s), and an ending that is fairly predictable. I'd suggest not using this method as it is fairly pathetic and over-used. However, a main character's love interest adds stress to the task at hand, and can be used by his/her enemies for bargaining.

I'm not like most writers, and I'm fairly new to the idea. I'm probably not the best person to take advice from. As for the club, I have waaaayyy too much to do in real life and wiki life to join a story-writing club. I'm currently working on my novel, Starfarer: War 2400 and the sequel to BIONICLE: Freelancer, Finale.