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The Writer's Block

Sgt Shock

Goldsmith
    • 385
    Posts
    15
    Years
    Hi there! Have you ever needed some writing advice from someone without a PhD, someone who could explain it in English? (As opposed to, you know, Complicated-ese. What is a participle, anyway?)

    Introducing The Writer's Block, a new Web series hosted by three PC users:

    Sgt Shock
    nokyo-chan
    Pancake-fong

    If you have any questions, feel free to comment on this thread, VM or PM any of us, or email us at: [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you or see if you have any suggestions for later episodes!

    Enjoy!

    Episodes of the Writer's Block

    Episode 1: General Rules for Writers
    Episode 1: Transcript

    Episode 2: Writer's Block, Rewriting, and Erasing
    Episode 2: Transcript
     
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    If you don't mind, could you actually post transcripts of your guides? I have difficulties making out what people actually say to begin with (and unfortunately don't have the ability to read lips), and while I don't want to criticize your filming style too much, the quality's not exactly crisp enough to let me understand what's being said. This goes especially for Sgt Shock's parts, although to give you an idea of how difficult it is for me to get what you're saying, I keep hearing Pancake's name as "Pancake-frog."

    It might help for people who have similar hearing problems, as an additional note.
     
    It might also help to have transcripts available so that the information is readily accessible. If someone needs to find a particular piece of advice from your videos, it's easier to look it up in the transcript (ctrl+F) than to try and find the exact spot in a video. Which I personally find difficult to do.

    That, and it would be handy for those of us who can't watch videos at the current time, and would like to see your advice.
     
    Thanks for the tip. We will be sure to take any advice. :D
     
    Tips very much appreciated! I really don't know why the volume was so low to begin with.

    Audio problems could also be blamed on the fact that we are using my digital camera rather than an actual video camera. You gotta make do with what you have, though.

    I could get to work on those transcripts, Shock, if you want.
     
    Please work on those transcript, Pancake. I will love you forEVER. lol
     
    TRANSCRIPT FOR EPISODE 1

    Begin Episode 1: The Writer's Block on General Rules for Writing.

    Theme song: THE WRITER'S BLOCK! HELP FOR AMATURE WRITERS!!

    Pancake: This is Writer's Block. Extensive lessons on making your story better!

    Nokyo: I'm Nokyo-chan, but you can call me Nokyo!

    Pancake: I'm Pancake-fong, but you can call me Pancake.

    Shock: I'm Sgt. Shock, and you can call me Shock.

    Nokyo: We don't have any formal classes. But this means we can explain all this complicated stuff in layman's terms. Um, now we'll talk about a few points
    that we'll be hitting extensively in later episodes. This is really just an introductory episode to show you what we're all about.

    Pancake: Don't be afraid to erase. If you think it's crappy then erase because chances are, someone else will think it's crappy. Don't be afraid to walk away. Take a walk, eat some food, play a video game. Just get away from your story and get a little you time! Don't be afraid to get stuck. WRITER's BLOCK SUCKS. I know it, she knows it, he knows, and you know it. But it happens. And finally don't be afraid to explode this is a sad but serious consequence of eating dynamite while writing.

    *Moment of Silence for all those lost in Dynamite related eating accidents*

    Nokyo: There are always comedic opportunities, even in the darkest of moments in the darkest of stories. Characters can be funny without be funny! You don't need a jokester character to lighten a mood. For example, a completely emotionless character can make situations funny simply by not responding. Right,
    Pancake?

    *Pancake stares blankly at Nokyo*

    Nokyo: Right…

    Shock: Learn how to develop your character. Characters are like people, regardless of their species. They can be confusing at times. They are part of you and you should know how to write them. If you don't, I'll give you tips on that later. Characters are always changing. If a character doesn't grow, it's a boring character. Remember, if it's a boring character, then it's not a good character. Have fun with them, they are your friends.

    Nokyo: Know some general grammar rules.

    Pancake: Learn to use quotation marks.

    Shock: Also learn how to space. That doesn't mean you have to double space it but learn how to use some paragraphs. Wall of text equals bad.

    Nokyo: Don't be afraid of commas. Run on sentences are death, but don't make sweet sweet love to them either. Comma splices are STDs.

    Pancake: Remember to get tested monthly!

    Nokyo: A public service announcement from The Writer's Block.

    Pancake: And finally, you should generally know what words mean before you use them.

    Shock: These are general points. We'll have episodes on each of these points later.

    Nokyo: That doesn't necessarily mean we'll do them in exactly that order. So all you OCD people, *crazy hand gesture* get over it.

    Pancake: And we may get cool new ideas and just throw them in. I mean, what if I want to write an episode about how a character's favorite food is very very cir…ah…damn it. (Transcript author note: I was trying to say central, but I couldn't remember the word…)

    Nokyo: Pivotal?

    Pancake: Yes!

    Nokyo: Pivotal to the saving of the world?

    Pancake: Yes.

    Shock: Always perfect.

    Nokyo: Anyways…

    Shock: Comment, rate, and subscribe!

    Pancake: Do all three anddddddd

    All: WE'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!

    Shock:…Okay. If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns…

    Nokyo: Or a hankering for pudding.

    Shock: You can comment, message us, or email us at [email protected].

    Pancake: That's writers without an apostrophe s!

    Shock: Link in the description…

    All: BYE!!!

    End Episode 1: The Writer's Block on General Rules for Writing.
    ______
    Is that good? Shock, can you do that magic thing where you link to it in the first post? Much appreciated.
     
    Last edited:
    No problem, I shall be linking it as soon as I'm done with this post.
     
    Thanks! This is a lot easier, and it doesn't look like you're off to a bad start, either. You've pointed out some pretty basic stuff and offered some advice on the general rules of writing, taking care to cover some of the stuff people tend to forget the most. Props on that. I'd love to follow you guys to see what else you have to say, especially when you go in-depth on what you have laid out. Good luck.
     
    Most welcome! We appreciate people's input and are glad to help in any way to help our audience understand us if our equipment hinders our performance. I hope you look foward to future episodes with us because we look foward to filming future episodes for you! (That was cheesy...)
     
    Pancake-fong said:
    Most welcome! We appreciate people's input and are glad to help in any way to help our audience understand us if our equipment hinders our performance. I hope you look foward to future episodes with us because we look foward to filming future episodes for you! (That was cheesy...)
    Click to expand...

    That definitely was. lol

    Our next episode is Writer's Block on Writer's Block/Rewriting (I know that sounds weird. :D
     
    I have some awesome, cool, crazy news!

    1.Nokyo-chan managed to find her camcorder!! WOOT!! So now all future episodes will be recorded on something that actually is designed to record video and the audio SHOULD have a better quality than the previous episode. EDIT: Nokyo's camcorder doesn't want to connect to computers so that is out, but SOMEHOW my camcorder decided to work so we'll experiment on whether or not that will work or if my laptop's webcam would suffice (since we will be closer to the camera).

    2. The place we recorded episode one was actually supposed to be on a bed and use the computer desk that is in front of it as a tripod sort of place to put the camera/recording device. But my parental units moved the bed (as you can see in the first episode since we were sitting on the floor and not a bed) so as to get the second bed downstairs. Okay, now for the actual news. My parents put the bed back down so now we have a place to sit that isn't the floor and that means we can actually sit closer to the recording device.

    3. We'll be reshooting episode 2 so it might be a delay getting it up this week.

    Thanks for bearing with us as we are just starting out!!
     
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    I've just read the transcript (due to internet speed issues) and I'm really looking forward to future instalments. My sentiments echo JX Valentine's: you're off to a strong start, and it'll be great to see you tackle more focused and deeper topics in the coming episodes. ^_^ Keep it up. :D
     
    Episode 2 of the Writer's Block is now online. Transcript will be available soon. :D
     
    Heh heh... nicely done, people! =D The quality is good enough so that I can understand everybody (even through Shock's lisp >P), and the content is tried-and-true material. Though it's good to get this stuff established early on, I think you should try and go into more detail on less-common incidents for future issues. Other than that, I really enjoyed listening.
     
    Giratina ♀ said:
    Heh heh... nicely done, people! =D The quality is good enough so that I can understand everybody (even through Shock's lisp >P), and the content is tried-and-true material. Though it's good to get this stuff established early on, I think you should try and go into more detail on less-common incidents for future issues. Other than that, I really enjoyed listening.
    Click to expand...

    Thanks Giratina. I HATE my lisp. It's really annoying. It ruins how awesome I can be, you know? lol >_> We kind of lacked things to say in this one yet we will have a very expansive issue with character development. :D
     
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    Well, I didn't want to wait for the transcript so I just left it to load (for half an hour u_u). Anyway, I enjoyed the second episode very much. :D I love how you all keep it so lighthearted and fun; it's refreshing to hear these bubbly and reassuring tones of voice which reading text fails to deliver. Keep it up. ^_^
     
    @Citrinin: Aww! That makes me feel happy! Keeping it fun is our job! That's exactly what we are striving for here at the Writer's Block!

    ____
    Begin Episode 2: The Writer's Block on Writer's Block/Erasing and Rewriting.

    Nokyo: Hi, this is The Writer's Block on Writer's Block/Erasing & Rewriting. I'm Nokyo.

    Pancake: I'm Pancake.

    Shock: And I'm Shock. This episode is about overcoming writer's block and rewriting parts of your story.

    Pancake: Writer's block- An inability to write when you want. If you're stuck then use this tip to help you write! It may be annoying at times, but it helps! Don't just sit there and stare! START WRITING CRAP!!! GO! Write anything that comes to mind. BANANA, TACO, I HATE THIS STORY. IT'S STUPID. I WANNA DIE. Eventually (hopefully) you will come up with some sort of idea. Sitting there is not the smart thing to do

    Nokyo: Please don't die.

    Pancake: Please don't.

    Shock: Please don't. We love you!

    Pancake: If that doesn't work then take a break! Play a videogame, maybe someone else's creative project will help you! Read a book! Take a walk! Walking helps get the blood flowing so maybe you'll get some extra blood flow in your brain! I dunno…but taking a walking break helps get my mind off a story and normally I can get back to writing. Eat food! Take a food/drink break! My stomach distracts me when I'm hungry and I can't write. Sometimes I eat and write! It's fun! Sometimes I'll have coffee and maybe I'll eat some cheese and crackers or even a cheese stick.

    Shock: Your story isn't set in stone—sometimes your chapter just need to be destroyed. If it's not going the way you want it, get rid of it! It's your story; don't be afraid to totally scrap a sentence, a paragraph, a page, a chapter, or even the entire story.

    Nokyo: Introductions are especially hard. I know that I've started and re-started introductions at least eight times, just because they weren't the way I wanted them. Don't be afraid to rewrite something, no matter how big a chunk of text it is. Sgt Shock is in the process of rewriting an entire story for the third time. Someone else could think your writing is okay; if it's not okay to you, rewrite it.

    Shock: Don't be afraid to revamp a character; they are your creation! If you don't like how they are growing or how they act, change them!

    Pancake: Comment, rate, and subscribe!

    Shock: Do all three and…

    All: WE'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!

    Nokyo: If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes.

    Pancake: Or you like canolis.

    Nokyo: Please comment or message us, or email us at [email protected].

    All: BYE!!!

    End Episode 2: The Writer's Block on Writer's Block/Erasing and Rewriting.
    ____
    All right, Shock. You do your magic edit thing. I also want to apologize for the lack of silly in this transcript that you saw in the first one. I accidently exited out of this episode's while looking at last episode's...WHEN I WAS ALMOST DONE WITH IT!! So I was angry and didn't want to retype all the shenanigans. I really do apologize and hope that next episode's transcript will feel your heart with silly.
     
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    Link to transcript is up guys. Enjoy. :D
     
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