The General Conversation Area
- Thread starter Tachi
- Start date
20thCenturyBoy
Thousand Master
chaos said:
Indeed it is, I'm just hoping noone's beat to the punch on such a story. I think it could really go places, probably spawn a huge grossing film trilogy :lol:
No reason you should be, have faith in yourself and your work. Have you let anyone else read any of it (friend or family member)? If not then that's maybe something you should do if you're afraid of how it'll be recieved. Personally I don't show my work to anyone really as since it's scripts it's not the same for people as reading a book, but I would definetly show my big sister if she asked as I highly value her opinion on such things because of how well read she is and how much we think alike on certain things such as criticism of books/films. Can I ask what the book's about, what genre etc.?
That's another thing going on with me right now, my big sister just got offered a job the other day, but it means moving to London. We've been well aware that she would likely be moving away if she got a job in her field but still. She moved down south for a year before as part of her studies but we knew then it was only for a year. I'll certainly miss her, my little sister less so than I, she can't wait for her to move out so she can move into her room. Still, could've been worse this time last year we were talking she could end up going ot the States or Swtizerland at the end of it all. My mum wants to get planning a leaving party, and she's hoping my sister's boyfriend gets the ring out before so we can make it a double celebration. All we'd need then is for her to announce she's pregnant and we'd have the whole package :lol:
In a way I'm surprised there's a few more writers on here then I previously thought. 
I'm still working on the same story idea that I first started around back in 2005. Almost finished a complete (and much needed) 2nd-3rd rewrite.
Is it wrong that I actually finished two sequels to the story mind before I had even thought about getting anyone to look at it.
Yeah that's how i feel, in fact there only been a hand few of people I dared look, and even then I'm not sure if they're been genuine with the feedback. They say it's good and all but there's a voice in the back of my head that says otherwise. Kinda a thing of "I can tell from looking at it myself that it's not that good...are they reading the same story?"
I've been looking at different ways of getting the book out there, was looking at Blurb for a while but that didn't pan out (plus using the software was a pain), I've looked at self printing but the costs of that decided it for me early enough. Plus I keep missing openings with some agents I've been linked to in the past.
I'm still working on the same story idea that I first started around back in 2005. Almost finished a complete (and much needed) 2nd-3rd rewrite.Is it wrong that I actually finished two sequels to the story mind before I had even thought about getting anyone to look at it.
Joshawott said:
Yeah that's how i feel, in fact there only been a hand few of people I dared look, and even then I'm not sure if they're been genuine with the feedback. They say it's good and all but there's a voice in the back of my head that says otherwise. Kinda a thing of "I can tell from looking at it myself that it's not that good...are they reading the same story?"
I've been looking at different ways of getting the book out there, was looking at Blurb for a while but that didn't pan out (plus using the software was a pain), I've looked at self printing but the costs of that decided it for me early enough. Plus I keep missing openings with some agents I've been linked to in the past.
Both people who have read my book (to friends) say I'm a better writer than Suzanne Collins. I'd say it's a young adult novel, but that's too broad to be a genre, so fantasy maybe?
I only used Blurb when I wrote the original for my extended project, as the examiner demanded at I get it bound or it won't count for the project. Their software is a nightmare and the margins changed when it went to print, so the damn contents page didn't match >>.
I have a couple of agents I'm considering. I've been so paranoid that I've been editing it for 2 years now. I should begin approaching before Christmas though.
I only used Blurb when I wrote the original for my extended project, as the examiner demanded at I get it bound or it won't count for the project. Their software is a nightmare and the margins changed when it went to print, so the damn contents page didn't match >>.
I have a couple of agents I'm considering. I've been so paranoid that I've been editing it for 2 years now. I should begin approaching before Christmas though.
chaos
The Boss
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/fe ... azon-ebook
http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller-account ... =200260520
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10 ... d-to-know/
I've talked to Sarah recently about this, as it is a new possibility for authors. Good luck and send me a link! I now feel kinda bad, that for one reason or another I never got beyond the first half of the manuscript you've sent me ages ago!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller-account ... =200260520
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10 ... d-to-know/
I've talked to Sarah recently about this, as it is a new possibility for authors. Good luck and send me a link! I now feel kinda bad, that for one reason or another I never got beyond the first half of the manuscript you've sent me ages ago!
I have looked into Kindle and while the royalties are very good (About 70% iirc), the price you would have to sell a book for just to compete with the influx of other Kindle books and to get people to buy something on a whim, with little promotion, is awfully low (around £0.99-1.99).chaos said:
Personally, the main reason I'm thinking of going the agent route is because then that acts almost like a seal of approval, that someone else thinks that what I write is good - good enough to want to propose it to publishers, as opposed to just me publishing it online. Also, there's the marketing teams that publishing houses have and such.
chaos said:
Thanks for the links and the help
I sent you a copy?
...That's right I did! It's all coming back to me now...I think Tachi may of had a copy as well come to think of it. But it's fine, that was the first rewrite anyway Not much has survived from that (the general plot is the same but it's all been rewritten)
AntAce
Student Council President
Another budding professional writer reporting in. Currently I'm enrolled in a BA (HONS) Professional Writing course at my local university (Grimsby Institute). The majority of my lecturers/tutors are either former or current industry professionals; scripts, comics, prose, non-fiction, a wide array of talent, so it's pretty awesome.
I've just entered into my second year and will be looking further into a career within the prose, scriptwriting or non-fiction industries. Apparently from the grades I'm getting, and feedback from fellow students and tutors, I'm pretty good at all three.
I was looking into getting my first year scriptwriting project produced with the help of a tutor, alas I think that dream has ended with the current ruckus in the Middle East over Innocence of Muslims. :cry:
I've just entered into my second year and will be looking further into a career within the prose, scriptwriting or non-fiction industries. Apparently from the grades I'm getting, and feedback from fellow students and tutors, I'm pretty good at all three.
I was looking into getting my first year scriptwriting project produced with the help of a tutor, alas I think that dream has ended with the current ruckus in the Middle East over Innocence of Muslims. :cry:
I have a fair bit of experience with writing news articles for fan sites on the web, but I feel that fiction is my calling, although I have been told by drama teachers in the past that I have talent with script writing. Even when I was young, I was told that I have a strong imagination as well, so xD.
In terms of education, the highest I have is an A-Level in English and Literature; the presence of a poster about the use of semi-colons and misuse of commas right next to my seat is probably why I use them a lot now xD.
I'm just fortunate that I managed to back up my novel the night before my laptop died. I started writing it in 2009 as an Extended Project in college and I eventually got an A* for it. Apparently the English department phoned Mum up and told me to seek publication. I wasn't happy with it though, as I had to rush the ending to meet deadlines, so I've been editing ever since.
In terms of education, the highest I have is an A-Level in English and Literature; the presence of a poster about the use of semi-colons and misuse of commas right next to my seat is probably why I use them a lot now xD.
I'm just fortunate that I managed to back up my novel the night before my laptop died. I started writing it in 2009 as an Extended Project in college and I eventually got an A* for it. Apparently the English department phoned Mum up and told me to seek publication. I wasn't happy with it though, as I had to rush the ending to meet deadlines, so I've been editing ever since.
See sometimes I've wondered in the past that by editing so much like I have done have I got rid of some of the things that people liked in the first place. I've heard there's such a thing as too much editing but how do you come across the point where it's finished?
My plot problems don't stem from the ending but more from the events leading to it. I've been trying to eliminate all plot holes as I find them, making events more natural, but then I'm not happy with the changes so I edit the changes to the changes...
-_-
Also chapter length is one of my hells. I'm sure people don't want to be a reading 20 page chapters...(when converted to A5)
My plot problems don't stem from the ending but more from the events leading to it. I've been trying to eliminate all plot holes as I find them, making events more natural, but then I'm not happy with the changes so I edit the changes to the changes...
-_-
Also chapter length is one of my hells. I'm sure people don't want to be a reading 20 page chapters...(when converted to A5)
I've essentially changed the basis of the plot of mine. I felt that the one I had when I finished the project was too empty; like an empty shell that needed to be filled. So while the events are largely the same, why the characters are there in the first place has changed and to be honest, I think it's a change for the better as it helps me emphasis the original theme that made me work on the story in the first place, but in a way that gives it a refreshing theme. Also, my writing ability itself has improved since then, so a fresh coat of paint always helps.
With chapter length, each of my chapters used to be 9000 words long, but in one of my more recent edits I cut them in half once I noticed that even I was losing focus at around the half way point. Although the final chapter, which I am working on right now, is around the 8000 mark simply because I want an exact number of chapters xD.
With chapter length, each of my chapters used to be 9000 words long, but in one of my more recent edits I cut them in half once I noticed that even I was losing focus at around the half way point. Although the final chapter, which I am working on right now, is around the 8000 mark simply because I want an exact number of chapters xD.
9000 words? that sounds a lot like my old chapters, did a check then and each chapter has a length of between 4000-5000. I understand what you mean with the last chapter remark in a similar fashion I'm hoping to end the story with an even amount of chapters (including prologue and epilogue), though the flashback story arc has developed more then I thought, expanding well over three chapters.
Currently the word length is 112000+ words, priced some one to critique the work earlier and it came to over £500 because of the word length...It would be nice to have that kind of money
I would like to think my writing ability has improved but when I try out new ideas my style can change radically, which I'm not sure is a good thing :?
in a similar fashion I'm hoping to end the story with an even amount of chapters (including prologue and epilogue), though the flashback story arc has developed more then I thought, expanding well over three chapters. Currently the word length is 112000+ words, priced some one to critique the work earlier and it came to over £500 because of the word length...It would be nice to have that kind of money
I would like to think my writing ability has improved but when I try out new ideas my style can change radically, which I'm not sure is a good thing :?
My book currently has a word length of what must be roughly 75,000 now (up from 56,000 when I finished the first draft). I want to keep the book as thin as I can, so if it does get published, that means a lower price and a more appealing look to a blind buyer or casual reader, without looking too pathetically small, but I'm trying to contain this story arc into a single book.
The biggest internal debate with me has been whether to use first or third person. I normally use third, but I write flashbacks in first person and have fooled around with it with other little bits I write here and there and I've found that if I write a more character-centric piece, I can get a lot more detail out than I can with third.
The biggest internal debate with me has been whether to use first or third person. I normally use third, but I write flashbacks in first person and have fooled around with it with other little bits I write here and there and I've found that if I write a more character-centric piece, I can get a lot more detail out than I can with third.
I have toyed with first person, mainly in short stories and in a few samples for new ideas. It is really good when dealing with one character, and also good if dealing with a detective style storyline, that way you can have the reader and the protagonist on the same pace in learning things, although that may differ depending on a few factors. All my main story stuff is been done with third person as I also liked jumping to show other characters reactions and motivations, especially in my story once it gets going. I like to keep a small cast of characters, though sadly some are more developed then others but that's something I'm trying to change in this rewrite. Especially since during my planning I've marked them out for other things. That and I felt bad for them simply being there with serving no purpose.
My story length just crept up on me, I have been mulling on a decision to split it into two books, there's a good point where it can be done, just waiting for feedback on if it should be done.
My story length just crept up on me, I have been mulling on a decision to split it into two books, there's a good point where it can be done, just waiting for feedback on if it should be done.
20thCenturyBoy
Thousand Master
One of the reasons I started to move towards writing comic book scripts was because I was wanting to write stories where the majority was done from first person, but then having scenes that they weren't in, at the time I felt uncomfortable switching perspectives so thought that scripts would be a good fit as it would allow me to be able to focus on characters individually and being able to switch to all different perspectives very easily.
Switching between 1st/3rd isn't something you guys should worry about though, it's something that is done quite a bit and allows you to keep things fresh and interesting. I always think that when in 1st it's very intriguing when you have an "unreliable narrator" as the reader will question everything they're being told and makes for an excellent read.
As for splitting your books/doing a series I think that's fine so long as your first book has a satisfying ending as a stand alone, but leaves the potential there for more. There's nothing worse than something that is clearly meant just to be a first part and then that next part never gets published, a terrible experience for reader and writer alike as they feel they never got to experience/tell the full story.
I've never done a course specifically on writing (my degree was in English though...and politics, hooray :roll: ) but it's something I would've liked to have done, probably still would. I always keep a small, tight cast of characters in what I write as I try to follow the best rule of writing which is to have the derive the plot from the characters and their motivations and not the other way around. If you've got characters that you don't know what to do with then you're probably best cutting them, if there's attributes you gave them you like then assign them to other characters if you think they'd fit and in doing so would elevate the story. I'd probably recommend against paying for your work to be critiqued, instead show it to someone you trust and whose opinion you value, who you'll think will give you an honest answer. Might be an idea to even go back to an old teacher/lecturer who'd be willing to make the time for you. You could also sign up to a creative writing forum, you'll find a lot of knowledgable pros on some sites who are more than willing to help critique your work. I used to visit one, I think it's this one, although the site doesn't appear to be working at the moment, at least for me. They also had monthly themed writing competitions, if this is the right site, that I thought was always a good idea.
Switching between 1st/3rd isn't something you guys should worry about though, it's something that is done quite a bit and allows you to keep things fresh and interesting. I always think that when in 1st it's very intriguing when you have an "unreliable narrator" as the reader will question everything they're being told and makes for an excellent read.
As for splitting your books/doing a series I think that's fine so long as your first book has a satisfying ending as a stand alone, but leaves the potential there for more. There's nothing worse than something that is clearly meant just to be a first part and then that next part never gets published, a terrible experience for reader and writer alike as they feel they never got to experience/tell the full story.
I've never done a course specifically on writing (my degree was in English though...and politics, hooray :roll: ) but it's something I would've liked to have done, probably still would. I always keep a small, tight cast of characters in what I write as I try to follow the best rule of writing which is to have the derive the plot from the characters and their motivations and not the other way around. If you've got characters that you don't know what to do with then you're probably best cutting them, if there's attributes you gave them you like then assign them to other characters if you think they'd fit and in doing so would elevate the story. I'd probably recommend against paying for your work to be critiqued, instead show it to someone you trust and whose opinion you value, who you'll think will give you an honest answer. Might be an idea to even go back to an old teacher/lecturer who'd be willing to make the time for you. You could also sign up to a creative writing forum, you'll find a lot of knowledgable pros on some sites who are more than willing to help critique your work. I used to visit one, I think it's this one, although the site doesn't appear to be working at the moment, at least for me. They also had monthly themed writing competitions, if this is the right site, that I thought was always a good idea.