Writing is the foundation, structure, and spirit of your animation journey. Without writing, nothing can be built upon. To write costs you nothing, but it is the most important part of the process. You can join a team and play a part of the collective’s vision, but you will never have your own project if the writing element is not addressed.
Don’t Stress
When it comes to writing, don’t stress yourself out. Let the pen hit the paper or let your fingers dance on the keyboard. Nobody knows what will come out. You will be surprised just like everybody else. This is a time to release stress, not build tension. Writing is therapeutic. It can heal just like the most potent medications.
If you have nothing to write about, do some speed writing. Just jot down anything without thinking. When you look back at the spill of words, you will find jewels you can expand on. Observe your surroundings for inspiration. Dig into your memories for motivation. Travel through your imagination for stimulation.
Keep your writing tools close at all times. You never know when a new idea will pop up. Visualize the writing process as an adventure. There’s no need to follow any rules because there are none. Your writing is between you, your pen, and your paper, so there will be no judgment. Free yourself from the prison of perfection and get silly with it.
Structure
Once you add a structure to your writing project, your vision will be clear and achievable. The beautiful thing about writing is that you can always make changes on your path, so nothing is written in stone. Use the structure you create as a path to the promiseland. It doesn’t matter if you are writing a one minute short or a 400 page novel, a structure will give you hope that you are going in the right direction.
The first thing you do is brainstorm on what you want your project to be. Write down anything. Express how you want your story to start and end. Make a list of the characters that are going to be in your story. Dig deeper into each character’s personality and the scenarios they go through. Jot down what genre your project is going to be in. Is it a comedy, a drama, action, mystery? Maybe you are writing a how-to or a reference book. The brainstorming is where you write all of your ideas down even if they don’t make it into your project. It’s important to be real loose and free during this part of the process.
After you went through all of the ideas in the brainstorming process, it’s time to write the summary of your story. This portion of the process is like a miniature version of your whole project. You should put in as many details as possible. You can always make edits along the way. Don’t put handcuffs on your pen. Writing is very forgiving.
When your summary is done, write down the chapters of your project. You can add chapters as you write, and things take a turn. You can also remove chapters if they don’t get to make the cut. You can also break down the chapters into subchapters. To make the writing path more visible, try breaking down the subchapters into microchapters.
Once you have the structure of your project on paper, you can flesh it out. When you get stuck in one part of the project, you can jump to another part then go back when you have more clarity. The structure is the framework. It makes your writing a lot more approachable. You can write the end first and the beginning last. Try starting in the middle and jump around from random chapter to random chapter.
Genre
Each one of us is interested or comfortable writing in a specific genre. You can be one of those people who like writing in multiple genres. That’s okay. You can mix the genres like a gumbo in one project, or you can stick to one or maybe two in a project. A rom com is a romance comedy. Dramedy is a drama comedy. Why not write an action-drama-romance comedy? It can be done.
I like to stick to comedy when it comes to my fiction writing. You can pick whatever genre you like. Drama is awesome. Romance is great. Action is electrifying. You can write songs or poetry for your animation projects. That’s something I like to do. Maybe you want to write commercials or tutorials for your animations. The choice is yours.
Software for Writing
The pen and paper is the old school, tried and tested method for your literary adventure. You can’t go wrong with these throwback tools to express your story, but there are more advanced tools in this modern era. The great news is that these tools are free with your computing devices. There are paid applications that will enhance your writing. If you are willing to drop a coin for those added features, go for it.
Google Docs is a great application for your writing journey. It comes free with your google account. It can be used across all of your devices which is a plus. Microsoft Word has a paid version, but you can use the online version for free. The basic notepad is an awesome tool even though it might lack a lot of features that the previous apps have. LibreOffice is another free suite of apps for your PC, Mac, or Linux device. There are too many options to mention, so try them all out and pick the best one for your needs.
Research
It’s a good idea to research writing tips to enhance your skills. Google and Youtube are your best friends to sharpen your pen game. Try Googling comedic devices. There are plenty of Youtube creators that give great advice on how to write drama, suspense, romance, etc. Try learning how to begin a story and an effective way of ending a story. Even if you’re a great writer, it’s good to watch these channels to see other perspectives of the writing game.
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