No one has won a race without first learning how to take the first step.  Writing is no different.  Regardless of what you are writing, the basics are very important.  If you think not the demented elves suggest you consult your editor on what he thinks about the matter.  But what are the basics in storytelling?  For the demented elves, it is grammar, spelling and word choice, and punctuation. 

Grammar is something we as children have forced upon us when we believe it isn't that important.  As storytellers, we like to excuse bad grammar because it is part of the story, but unless it is part of your dialog, bad grammar is bad grammar.  People may not speak in complete sentences, but we do read in them.  Nothing takes a person out of you story than poor sentence structure.  If one has to read a sentence more than once, you have lost your audience.  A well written sentence is key to telling a good story.

Likewise, spelling and word choice is very important.  In the experience of the demented elves, a spelling error isn't always a misspelled word.  Sometimes, a misspelled word spells another word that changes the whole sentence.  For example, the tone between respectfully and resentfully (a time when a spelling error led to a spell check error) changes the entire sentence. ( WATCH OUT FOR SPELL CHECK AND AUTO CORRECT!  These technologies are as much a hindrance as a help.)  As for word choice, know the difference between words such as then and than, effect and affect, and other commonly confused words.  Wrong word choices could make you look like you don't know what you are doing and there goes the audience, on to someone else.

Then again, one must not simply use punctuation, but must use the correct punctuation.  The demented elves once read a book with no punctuation.  To be honest, This elf never finished the book because it was too hard to read.  One could never tell if one was reading action, description, or dialog.  This made it difficult to know what was going on in the story and thus it was never finished.  While the need for punctuation is important, it should be noted that incorrect punctuation is as bad as no punctuation at all.  The wrong punctuation can change the entire meaning of the sentence just as the wrong word can.  As the internet is fond of pointing out, there is a difference between "let's eat, Mom," and "let's eat Mom."

If you have difficulty with the basics, and even if you are not, it might be in your best interest to invest in a book on grammar.  Even those well versed in grammar need to reference the rules from time to time.  The demented elves believe it is better to check than to be wrong.  A well written story is necessary for a well told story. 

At any given time there will be any number of stories in books, on television, or on the big screen that appear to be exactly the same.  The tendency is to believe that there are those ready to steal your work.  The truth is, there are only so many story types out there.  So when one movie about vampires comes out at exactly the same time as your vampire movie, what can you do?  Simple, MAKE IT YOUR OWN.

What makes one movie stand out from another is not that it is the only zombie slaying, Bigfoot, romance, crime drama, it that when you create your story, it is your zombie slaying, Bigfoot, romance, crime drama.  When you make it your story it becomes as unique as you are.  The demented elves like to create new styles from old structures.  An example would be, when challenged to write a Haiku poem, this poet wrote it about being hung over.  Not exactly award winning material, but it brought a smile to a few faces.  This isn't always going to get you the big bucks (OK, so it will most likely never get you the big bucks), but maybe by trying something different you might find your own voice.  It is your own voice that makes or brakes your story.  Once you find your own voice, keep working on it.  The great story will sell, but first you need to find it. 

There is no such thing as wasted time unless you are wasting time doing something you do not enjoy or it is something you do not gain anything beneficial from.  Going to work may not be enjoyable, but the paycheck is why we continue to go.  As such, though we would rather be doing something else, the time is not wasted.

But what about when we write?  Do we only need to write things that we will use?  Is there such a thing as wasted writing?  The answer of course is a resounding NO!  There is no such thing as wasted writing.  Every single time you write, you are practicing.  That in and of itself is reason enough to participate in throw away writing, but there are many more reasons, a few of which the Demented Elves will share.  

First off, throw away writing is helpful when writer's block has set in.  When there is no pressure to write anything of value, the brain is free to force the hand to write down what it wants you to write, thus dislodging the blockage you may be experiencing.  This too is reason enough to take up throw away writing. but there are other reasons as well. 

Another example would be, if you do throw away writing on days you are not working on your projects, you will keep the habit of daily writing.  This is important.  Any writer or writing instructor worth their salt will tell you daily writing is essential.  Demented Elves contend that any writing will do, just as long as you are writing.  Even things such as this blog post counts as daily writing.  Remember the more writing you do, the better you get.  The better you get at writing, the better a story teller you become.  The better story teller you become, the better chance you have of selling your story.  And we could go on and on and on and on.... but the Demented Elves are certain you can come up with your own reasons to participate in throw away writing.  We think you get the idea.

One parting thought:  All those reasons are good reasons, but my favorite reason for doing throw away writing is... IT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU WISH TO KEEP IN THE END!

In the not so distant past, the demented elves reviewed a story where things just happened.  To say it plainly, there was no sense of story.  It got the elves to thinking what is the story?  What is story for that matter, and how does one create and convey that story?

Let us start with what story is not.  Story is not a sequence of events that comes to an end.  That is to say, the story is not about a man walking into a bar to have an encounter with the bartender.  It is far more complex than that.  It is about the man.  It is about what he wants.  It is about why he is entering the bar in the first place.  The encounter with the bartender is merely the vehicle for the story.

 Who your character is and wants to be is what drives your story.  In it, things happen to your character, and hasd on who he is, he responds.  Story is about change, or lack thereof, of an individual as a result of what has happened to him.  

That being said the demented elves wish to ask you, what is your story about?  Is it about a soldier who learns to love on the battlefield?  Then all your actions, responses, and conversations need to reflect your character's lack of love at the beginning and his abundance of love at the end.  Sounds easy right?  But then again, if it were easy, we would have an abundance of good stories.


On a parting note the demented elves would like to remind you of a few things.  First, story is not a bunch of random things that converge to a single point, nor is it what happens to your character until there is a conclusion.  Story is about your character's growth, or lack of growth, while all these events are happening. 


Lastly, ask yourself, what is my story about?  Then ask yourself, but what is my story really about?  Once you understand that, the rest will fall into place.

The demented elves have now a "long standing" argument with a friend.  Perhaps it is not so much of an argument as to a different style of writing.  The demented elves contend you should just get the first draft on paper and worry about everything else until after the first draft is completed.  The friend either ignores this advice or comes up with a reason as to why he must edit as he goes.  While it is up to the author to find a writing style that works for himself, the style of getting the words on the page is the first rule no matter the style.

There are many different styles of writing.  Almost as many as there are types of documents and stories out there (maybe even more).  That said, the most important rule is to write.  Get it in the page.  The problem with editing as you write the first draft is that you are writing from the critical part of your brain and not the creative part.  Not only does this slow you down, but often it prevents you from completing your task, and thus, you never finish your story.  the demented elves ask that no matter what you are writing, please finish what you start.  You may have the next greatest story ever told, but if you do not finish, no one will enjoy your story.