So, having been back on the Wiki a few days, I have seen a bunch of new pastas. Some are better than others and I can see a lot of people are new at this (which is not a bad thing - we all start somewhere). So, with that in mind, I decided that I wanted to make a blog post with some friendly tips on how to write a decent story that will keep people's attention and can be something you are extremely proud of in the end!
- ==Grammar and Punctuation are important! ---nothing ruins a good story faster than terrible grammar and punctuation. In the days of smart phones and etc, it can be easy to miss a few things here and there, but, if EVERY sentence is plagued with no commas, names not capitlized, run-on sentences, and etc. It makes reading a chore and can really hurt your flow and your pasta in general. Granted, someone might edit it if you're lucky, but, try and put effort into catching things and fixing it the first time.==
- ====Sometimes simple means better! ---I know it's tempting to make a story complicated with a very deep and intricate plot. But, if your writing skill is not able to handle all those pieces, sometimes keeping things simple is better. Even for experienced writers, sometimes making something super complicated ruins the flow of a story and makes people bored and uninterested, ruining what could have been a very amazing story. So, plot twists and such can be really fun, challenging, and rewarding when executed correctly...but try not to add so many facets in your story that people get lost in what is really happening and what the real plot is. Keep it more simple, more direct, and you have a higher chance at writing an amazing pasta! :)====
- ==Give your story a flow! ---If a story jumps from one detail and scene to the next with no real transition...and it's just super SUDDEN, then the whole story feels forced. Flow is the smooth transition from one event to the other with details supporting the main story and why the transition is happening. It's what makes a story easy on the eyes. So, for an example...if someone writes: "Then we went to (blank), ate (blank), then we got shot!" it's kinda...confusing? And also kinda ugly (not to be rude about it). So instead, add a flow. Write something more like: "It was three days hiking to get to (blank). Our feet were aching but, it had been worth it. We were safe now. At least, that's what we thought. Still, we used all of our food getting up to ths place. Even through exhaustion, without food, we would not survive out in the wild for long. So, using the last bit of our strength, we went in search of (blank) to at least get us through the night." <-- as for them getting shot? Add hints as to them being followed. Show signs that they were being tracked or maybe some hints that they might be in danger. When they go out the next day, maybe have a trap waiting for them outside their den or maybe one in the forest with food to lure them in. Don't just say they got shot! It's confusing and not very well placed. You're missing an amazing opportunity to add suspense and tension to a tale!==
- ====Writing in 3rd person allows for better detail. ---I understand that for most, writing in the 1st person is easier and more "personal" but, a lot of opportunities are missed for details. There are times when 1st person is better for writing, but, long suspenseful stories that require a lot of detail to even give it a good flow and make it enjoyable for the reader is not one of those instances. Also, when Pokemon or people are dead. Writing in first-person after death does not always go well. Even with ghosts it can be a little iffy and can really ruin the mood of a story, so, try not to do it where possible. I personally do not like wrting in 1st person nor do I like reading it (for the most part) except when it is executed near perfectly. It just makes stories less believable, and whereas it's meant to make a story more relatable, in horror, it just does not often set the type of mood that should be there for a scare. In my opinion, 1st person is best for poems and journal entries, but not for actual stories or at least the longer tales. So, not to say you should never write in 1st person...I am just saying that to convey more detail and set more of a mood, try 3rd person writing every so often.====
- ==Try to keep things realistic where you can! ---As this is a Pokemon Creepypasta site, I understand when people write as a Pokemon (making them sound more humanistic). But, keeping this in mind, there are other places where one should keep things realistic when it comes to Pokemon. Not all Pokemon have thumbs, and so doing certain tasks would be near impossible for a Pokemon. Eating certain foods does not always make sense as there are only a few things we know Pokemon can eat (in the games) and what we have seen them eat in the show. If something happens to a Pokemon to alter their appearance, explain how it happened...make it actually sound like it is something that could be relatively possible. Just saying "it happened" as mentioned above about flows...it really ruins a story, and, without an explination, it makes no sense and it just looks like filler words that really mean nothing to the whole of the story. So, try to keep things realistic, and, for outlandish things, make sure that you have some sort of explination as to back it up. This will help your pasta a great deal!==
- ====For pastas, photo and video "evidence" can really help! --- It's a small detail, but, even though we know pastas are not real, we like to think that they 'could' possibly be real in some way. That's what makes a pasta good is when it makes you nervous, anxious, angered, and etc. All because you know that somehow, maybe this ACTUALLY happened (even if you know it didn't). It's all part of the thrills! So, edit some photos if you can, maybe make some videos supporting what is happening in the story (if possible). If nothing else, posting a picture on your pasta of just the main Pokemon involved in the story can really draw in readers because it makes a pasta look nice. Marketing uses these techniques all the time and they work! So, why shouldn't you give it a try? If nothing else...it really shows that you poured real love and care into your pasta :)====
- ==Try not to break the 4th wall. ---Sometimes breaking the 4th wall can be funny, can be witty, and, when executed correctly can add a new thrill and scare into a pasta. But, when its something that is constantly used throughout a story, it ruins the mood, interrupts flow, and can be really annoying for the readers. That's why I say "try" not to break the 4th wall. Because, what makes stories good are the illusions it gives us...it takes us to another world, another time, and it's a trip of fantasy that thrills us and really envelopes us. But, when you suddenly break the 4th wall, the illusion is gone, and we are reminded that this isnt real, and it can be a bummer...especially when a story is just getting good.==
These are just some tips that can be implemented to really help your writing. There are other tips as well like: "Try not to be so clich'e and really make your story unique" and "Blood and pain does not = scary". I see so many people repeating their lines of pain and blood, of blood and pain, then more blood...and they equate that with thrill and spooky things. But, being repetitive does NOT make a story better...and blood does not mean something is spooky...just...bloody, and messy.
But these were just a few good tips for writing good pastas and hopefully it helps people out. And, on a final note...when someone critiques a pasta, it does not mean that they hate you or are bullying you. There is a difference between being hateful and giving "constructive criticism". Being hateful is saying: "You suck 0/10" for a pasta without any explination. That, and, the insult obviously was not necessary. Constructive criticism is breaking down a pasta and telling the writer what they could do better because you either "kinda liked it" or "did not really enjoy it" or maybe "found it kind of boring to read" because of reasons A, B, and C. That's not someone being a jerk...that is them trying to be helpful and at least they are being honest.
I see a lot of people give 10/10 for pastas that may or may not really deserve them, and I do feel this hinders a writer if they are not being told where they can improve and how to make a story better / lying does not make you a nice person, it makes you liar...but, I will save constructive criticism for another blog ;)
Thanks for reading!