You have read/heared about an Off-Topic Story? "Like The Spambot Wars Season2" or "The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny".
Well if you like to contribute to those Storys there are some Things ou have to mention BEFORE starting to write! This Guideline is to tell you how to write good, correct and lined up Parts of a public Story.
First: READ THE STORY!
You MUST read the Story you are contributeing to COMPLETELY before you start thinking about contributeing to it! If you don't do like that, it will most likely end up in destroying the Storyline or just getting not Mentioned by the other Authors in their Parts of the Story.
Also you might allready have an Idea, but it maybe doesn't really line up with the Story. If thats the Case you should think twice about adding it.
Second: The narrative Perspektive
Narrative Perspective means out of which view you write a Story. There are three main Kinds of Narrators: 1. The Ego-Narrator or "Me-Narrator" 2. The Personal-Narrator and 3. The Authorial-Narrator.
The difference between those three narrative Perspectives is their Point of View to the things happening.
The Ego-Narrator has just the View of ONE single Person...and his narration is scented with Feelings and Emotions. He also refers to thoughts of the Person he declares and their Personal Backgrounds. This Kind of Narrator writes mostly in thoughts of the Person he Declares.
E.g.: "I started running...running away! I didn't want to be here any longer! This Place we lived at...it has become terrible!"
The Personal-Narrator can have the View of One ore more Persons. His narration can be scented with Feelings and Emotions, showing Thoughts and Personal Backgrounds. But he can Declare more then One Person! It is the most common Form of Narrative Perspective.
E.g.: Julius and Miles didn't feel good about leaveing Maria alone at the Train Station...The where scared that something could happen to her...
The Authorial-Narrator is a Form of Narrative Perspective, wich doesn't ever have a View of one or more Persons! He is more like a Ghost, floating above the Scene as a Spectator. He can have a scent of Emotion, but its more like how the Author feeled while writeing it. He is also "omniscient".
E.g.: Haveing a Lunch together was the only thing wich really kept the Family together in those Days. They all didn't feel good...but they helped each other.
If you are not sure wich kind of narrative Perspective you should choose, try to write some Texts in all three Views and choose the one wich is the most easy way for you.
Or look at the Parts of the Story someone else has written...maybe you can get some inspiration!
Third: Straight Storyline
Straight Storyline means that a Story doesn't randomly Split, wich means People suddenly hop/teleport to an other Location in the Timeline...there can be Splitted Storyline but those Cross at some Point. If a Storyline gets to splitted, its very hard and confuseing to either read it, or write it.
The Problem is thet many People who contribute to public Stories, make the mistake that they break of the Storyline.
This often Happens by doing:
---> Timejumps, wich means that a Person/Writers leaves the momentary Timeline and starts a New one either in the Past or mostly the Future.
---> "Beaming", wich means if multiple Authors refer to one or more Persons, shifting the place the Person is at in their Scenes. (Often happens through not
mentioning Part1 of this Guideline)
---> Reincarnations, wich means if some Author lets a Person die in one of his Scenes and another Author just keeps on writeing about the Person.
--->Overkills, meaning Persons a Author creates wich are like Super-Super-SuperMan, just wanting to "Godmode" them. (Wich is actually boasting and isn't wanted.)
--->Theme-Breaks, wich means that e.g. you let a Starship fly into a Medival Story and start Lazering the Knights....!
Try fitting into the Timeline if you create a new Character wich joins the Storyline. Use like Sudden Appearings or like some of the old Characters randomly meets yours.
NEVER EVER just get your Character in to the Timeline as if it has been there forever since before the Story even started!
Doing this is not always easy and the other Authors might not mention your Character in their Scenes immediately, but you also shouldn't force them to do that by doing things like directly adressing their Characters with yours. E.g. like this: He Called [Personxyz] and [blablabla]... If you to the "random 'Hi there' on a Street" thingy, its more likely that they start adapting their Scenes, takeing your Character into their Narration.
Fourth: Language Capacitys
Often its the Case that the Story isn't writen in your Mothertounge, but in a Language you're might not that good at. You should really look about some of the Parts the others have written. If you have trouble to understand things, you most likely will also get Problems writeing a Part yourself. There is defenitely a Point where Google Translate doesn't help you anymore, and thats Sentence Structure! If you start writeing and come to a Point like this where you are not sure if it Sounds well, you have two Options.
First: Asking others if they read it over and give you Tipps! That is often disappointing I know, but take it as positive Criticism and improove yourself trough it!
Second: If you really think it Sounds bad and you don't like getting criticised, better Abort then trying to go on with it and make yourself sad. Its always a Proces of learning for all of us! (No Offense!)
Fifth: Tipps for good Writers
There are defenitely some things a Storywriter shouldn't do. Wich are doing Overkills (compare Part 3 of the Guideline), boasting with their Super-Human Characters, ignoring criticism and/or other Authors Characters!
A good Author Always sees the other Participants Character and tries to mention them in a Friendly way. He doesn't boast with his Characters and/or writing Skills.
There can NEVER enough Imagination Power while writeing a Story! Feel free to let your Thoughts fly when writeing! Listening to some chilled Music while writeing is a Personal Tip of myself. (Of course nothing that distracts you!) Writeing a Story is like createing a Universe in your Mind and Hands...treat your Story with care and don't let it fall!
The only restriction to your Imagination should be the Story's Theme! You shouldn't break a Theme (Compare Part3).
I hope you liked this and it Helps you to start writeing Parts of a public Story!
I like to hear Comments and Criticism of yours so feel free to do that in the Comments! Also if you want me to add/change/delete Something out of this Post.
Greetz
Bitterholz
