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Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work
What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?
- Thread starter Undercover
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I have a thought concerning how to approach the book. I'm thinking I ought to write down every scene that comes to mind, then cut it however way best serves the story. It's just that I wonder if I can find a better way to organize the opening that would make my reluctant, wise teacher, POV character more mysterious until the story really begins to pick up, but I don't want to rewrite openings like over and over again looking for the perfect match. Hopefully it works out...
I'm tired of not writing. I'm thinking about trying another run through of The Artist's Way. *shudder*
This... This seems like a good idea!
I've been inspired to try my novel Of Blade and Quill--the rendition where chapters alternate between two sisters--again after seeing books about two sisters.
Since the plot has changed a bit, if I continue from where I left off, I'd have a significant of things to edit. Such as the beginning, some scenes, and characters.
Now I'm debating if I should still write as if nothing has changed, or go back and fix things, then continue. @.@
Adding another scene to my novel. Seems to need it. I've added three so far in the last month and will likely get rid of a couple. I mean, they do some character building, but if the book gets too long, they'll have to go. It's a pity, published authors go on and on, but I'm not there yet, so the scenes might have to be cut. This is an epic fantasy, so it depends on the agent or publisher, I think.
I have too many ideas all at once and avoiding every single one of them at the moment is the silliest idea of the lot. It might help in the long run.
That's where I always try to make my scenes do double (or triple) duty. The best combination is when a scene does the work of establishing character, plot development, and worldbuilding.
Of course, when it comes to characterization, I like to show how my characters act and react in problematic situations. That, I think, shows a lot about a person.
I'm right there with you on epic fantasy word count. One of my epic fantasies is short enough (104K), but the other is never going to get close to 120K. I've already been through it, cutting ruthlessly (too ruthlessly in some places).
I figure that it's not that, at 163K, it's not that far out of line with the biggest debuts in fantasy lately. My general estimate on most recent debut fantasy is that it runs anywhere from 120K to 200K (most of it between 120K and 150K). I've seen very few epic fantasy debuts under 400 pages, which would come out to 120,000 words (as epic fantasy tends to run around 300 words per page, often even higher than that).
Starting a new WIP. I want to write a short story for my Grandmother for Christmas. I just don't know where to begin.
Yeah, I do that maybe too much. Parts have been confusing for some betas. But the scenes I'm talking about have to be in a certain part of the book and show certain things to get the story moving.
I'm sure I can get this tale under 120k, but right now, I'm just letting the story fly. I'll cut later, and I'm sure betas will want some adds/cuts too.
Troubles with a scene is on my mind. I wrote it, then rewrote it, then tried different paragraphs, switched them around, and . . . and ... No, that's too much. No my beta would say "Too simple" No, but it should be quick and simple and then . . . but.
Exhausted and getting nowhere.
Exhausted and getting nowhere.
You know when you've got a pretty solid idea of where a character starts at the beginning of your novel, but then they decide to go "yeah, but maybe this" and it's an idea you find yourself weirdly approving of but at the same time knowing it's stupid and that nobody but you in your sleep-deprived state would ever actually go for as a serious concept?
Yeah, guess what one of my characters has just done. The bloody villain, no less. Or at least one of the group.
I'm sorry, but nobody is going to take seriously a villain who works as a classy male prostitute to get information out of rich important members of the upper class of the country he's trying to overthrow, because that's bloody insane. Yet I just can't seem to leave it alone.
Yeah, guess what one of my characters has just done. The bloody villain, no less. Or at least one of the group.
I'm sorry, but nobody is going to take seriously a villain who works as a classy male prostitute to get information out of rich important members of the upper class of the country he's trying to overthrow, because that's bloody insane. Yet I just can't seem to leave it alone.
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I went for a ride, thought about two specific cpts. that need revisions. I think I know what to do. I just have to, you know.
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Having one of those days when I realise the sheer magnitude of effort and time and bloody minded determination required to make a full length novel shine.
May go back to novellas after this one.
May go back to novellas after this one.
A few times I've had ideas like that, ones I know won't actually work in the context of the story. What I've done is write out the scene, mourn it, and tuck it away where I can read it for my own satisfaction whenever I want to--my own private fan fiction for a book that doesn't exist yet.
Sort of like knowing I'm the only one in the family who likes chocolate-covered sardines. I might keep a few in the freezer for a snack now and again, but they aren't going on the Christmas buffet.
Oh gawd, Marlys, it's too early in the day for me to even contemplate the existence of chocolate covered sardines... bleh...
So about a month ago I was on here celebrating the fact that I had figured out how to incorporate my prologue information into the actual meat of my novel. I didn't have time to write the actual scenes, etc. right then, but I made myself some notes that I could come back to.
Well, shizz happened; I wasn't able to get to it in a "timely" fashion. But, hey, I've got "notes".
Sat down this morning to start working on those all-important scenes. Opened the notes and.....
I don't know what any of it means. I'm sure it all made perfect sense when I wrote it, but now it's like reading a bad translation of Klingon or something.
SURELY it'll all come back to me. I thought of it once so I'll think of it again, right? RIGHT??
So about a month ago I was on here celebrating the fact that I had figured out how to incorporate my prologue information into the actual meat of my novel. I didn't have time to write the actual scenes, etc. right then, but I made myself some notes that I could come back to.
Well, shizz happened; I wasn't able to get to it in a "timely" fashion. But, hey, I've got "notes".
Sat down this morning to start working on those all-important scenes. Opened the notes and.....
I don't know what any of it means. I'm sure it all made perfect sense when I wrote it, but now it's like reading a bad translation of Klingon or something.SURELY it'll all come back to me. I thought of it once so I'll think of it again, right? RIGHT??
Why not? I'd read the hell outta that book if it was written well. Jacqueline Carey did almost the same thing with her 'Kushiel' novels. Though her MC spy /courtesan Phedre isn't a villain, one of the main female antagonists used sex brilliantly to manipulate politics.
It's so inspiring to see other writers digging into work and making discoveries.
In my novel, I'm celebrating having only 22K more to write, to get it to a proper epic fantasy 85K minimum. Since I added two more deep-third POV tracks, the outlining looks solid to push for 95K.
Why wouldn't it work? A female character written as prostitute cum spy is done often enough. Why not a male?
Ugh. Got sick last week. Stopped writing. Became addicted to Solitaire again. Can't stop again. Wonder how long it's going to take this time, because I was finally getting into a decent groove with it.
But, I will say that I wrote a bit yesterday. Not much, but something...
But, I will say that I wrote a bit yesterday. Not much, but something...
Today, I've been worldbuilding, coming up with characters, and outlining a new epic fantasy. Some people might say that this doesn't count as writing, but I know I get much less writing done without all this.
Just sitting down and writing does not work for me. I have to know my characters and world, and I have to know where the story is going.
Just sitting down and writing does not work for me. I have to know my characters and world, and I have to know where the story is going.
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I absolutely canNOT believe I feckin' sent out this manuscript in such horrible, dreadful, awful, terrible, shocking, appalling, horrifying, horrific, horrendous, horrid, hideous, grisly, ghastly, gruesome, gory, harrowing, heinous, vile, (Thank God for copy and paste) unspeakable, loathsome, monstrous, abhorrent, hateful, hellish, execrable, abominable, atrocious, sickening, foul shape! It wasn't even ready to present to a beta reader, much less agents and editors! God, I've never been so humiliated in my entire life.
God, I've never been so humiliated in my entire life.
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So tell us how ya really feel, Ben P
And I've done the same thing, although I held off on the self-flagellation until the rejection mail came back. I did, however, console myself by thinking that those who'd reviewed my POS manuscript had a good laugh. So there it is.
As for me, waiting on a few submissions. One was for Arcana, an adult-oriented fantasy, one for On A Wing And A... another adult-oriented whimsical fantasy, and the final was for Picture (im)perfect, a YA novel. We shall see and I shall hope for the best.
And I've done the same thing, although I held off on the self-flagellation until the rejection mail came back. I did, however, console myself by thinking that those who'd reviewed my POS manuscript had a good laugh. So there it is.
As for me, waiting on a few submissions. One was for Arcana, an adult-oriented fantasy, one for On A Wing And A... another adult-oriented whimsical fantasy, and the final was for Picture (im)perfect, a YA novel. We shall see and I shall hope for the best.
Cheer up. Ya still poop rainbows.I absolutely canNOT believe I feckin' sent out this manuscript in such horrible, dreadful, awful, terrible, shocking, appalling, horrifying, horrific, horrendous, horrid, hideous, grisly, ghastly, gruesome, gory, harrowing, heinous, vile, (Thank God for copy and paste) unspeakable, loathsome, monstrous, abhorrent, hateful, hellish, execrable, abominable, atrocious, sickening, foul shape! It wasn't even ready to present to a beta reader, much less agents and editors!