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Carradee

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:hi: Carradee! What do you write?

ETA: After looking at your sig line, I'm guessing fantasy? :D

Yep. :D I do a little sci-fi, but mostly traditional and urban fantasy.

I try to write in a manner appropriate for middle schoolers even when parents might protest some of the themes.
 

georgeknoechel

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I love this sub forum and have not contributed much but love reading. I was working on a manuscript, "If One Should Fall Behind." The former Editor-at-Large, Bob Hostetler said it was, "one of the better manuscripts he had reviewed." I have sat on it since but hope one day to massage it and get it out.
 

Deb Kinnard

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Well, George? Any progress on the MS since the first of the month? If not, GET CRACKING!

LOL. I'm back in full-speed-ahead mode on PEACEWEAVER, and hope to get a proposal to Nelson sometime this spring. If I keep pushing forward, I believe I can make my self-imposed deadline.
 

Elias Graves

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Hi gang. I've posted in other threads here but not this one.
My writing over the years has been nonfiction technical stuff and, more recently, songwriting.
I have carried a story idea with me for years and have finally begun to work on it in earnest. Every time I sit to write, I find I need more research. :) I haven't done so much research since college. :eek:
Anyway, I find myself become fairly well versed in 1st century history, Rome, Brittannia and now angels and demons. I have collected a couple of notebooks full of material, have outlines fairly well underway, so I feel I'm finally getting somewhere with this.

Anyway, hi!

EG
 

Elias Graves

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Thanks.
Having a heck of a time figuring how to actually tell the story. I have what I think is a cool way to tell it in first person, though that appears to be out of favor.
To me, it's begging to be told in the form of a "found manuscript" kinda thing. That limits my POV, I know, but given the circumstances of the tale, I think it adds credibility.

My protagonist spends part of the time in the story joined to a demon. That may permit me to tell part of the story from the beast's POV. That might be interesting. What do you think?

EG
 

David Poellot

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I'm jumping into this thread with the intent to encourage other writers, who may be Christian writers or just writers who are Christian, and hoping to find inspiration when my writing bug may be down.

I've thrown a couple threads into this forum looking for guidance and received great advice.

I finished a fantasy novel last year, but no agent wanted to look at it. I don't think I nailed the query down. Now, I'm in the middle of a Christian fiction novel, thus my increased lurking in this forum. I have twenty or so undeveloped ideas covering several genres with progress on a few. I'm really into this current one and just need to make sure I write every day amid the full work schedule and full family schedule with four kids.

I look forward to getting to know you all better.
 

childoflight

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Oh, I love this board!

I finished a fantasy novel last year, but no agent wanted to look at it. I don't think I nailed the query down. Now, I'm in the middle of a Christian fiction novel, thus my increased lurking in this forum. I have twenty or so undeveloped ideas covering several genres with progress on a few. I'm really into this current one and just need to make sure I write every day amid the full work schedule and full family schedule with four kids.
While I have no experience in querying (yet, leastways) I would give you the advice which I have learned through the rummaging of jetsam... okay, articles online (I just thought jetsam would sound more exciting): keep trying. Keep working on new material. Clever chap -- you are! Yup. My best advice: keep writing. Through scores of poetry, short stories, and other such tidbits that serve my fancy, I have found my "voice." I am ever improving (although I'm not sure if that's saying much, as I wasn't superb to begin with). Okay... started to derail there. *coughs* Anyway. I bet you'll do fantastic! Just keep going! Everyone always compares it to running a marathon.. and they're correct! Only, it is your characters that suffer sapped legs. :) I think it's awesome that you finished your fantasy novel -- what an accomplishment! So just keep going. Oh, and a cup of tea and bar of dark chocolate never hurt!

Yep. I do a little sci-fi, but mostly traditional and urban fantasy.
Ah, another fantasy lover! I say as much because I assume that if you write fantasy you must love it. . . Yet there have come to pass days when I look at my ms and think, "Oh goodness, I hate fantasy!" (I have violent mood swings towards my work.:evil) The first thing you must know about me is that I hate inconsistencies, and yet I am whimsical and ever-changing! (And I speak in a british accent half the time. Everything sounds much more profound!) Ah, but in regards to why I occasionally recoil from my ms... Writing is like running. You love it. You hate it. But there exists no happy medium. (Though if anyone ever hears of the formula for such a wonder let me know!)

:hooray:Oh, and a big WELCOME is in order, I believe. :welcome: I hope you stay awhile. I bring with me tidings of tea and crumpets!

Dear goodness, I talk way too much... What a chatty little blighter I am! Just hit the mute button when I've hit the point between chatty and obnoxious. ;)
 

David Poellot

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Welcome, David! If your fantasy has a Christian bent, you could Q Marcher Lord Press with it.

No, the fantasy was the book I've been working on for twenty years. I could give it a Christian bent as I rewrite it. That's something I started doing after the query process failed. I could work on the query, but I think it might be more productive to rewrite the whole thing. I think there are many improvements I can make to that one, if I ever get back to it.
 

Calla Lily

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I know what you mean. I have a trunked dystop spec fic (my first book) that I've rewritten three times, practically top to bottom. I love my villains in this book with a wild and passionate love. My agent said he couldn't do anything with it at the moment, but someday I want to blow the dust off it, rewrite it again, and get it out into the world.
 

Carradee

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Hey, David Poellet: check out Danthia's blog for writers—it's fantastic! I find it the single best resource for fantasy novelist online, hands down. No offense to all those other great ones out there.

I know that Danthia's query-writing tips are what let me come up with the way to write the query to my parallel plot urban fantasy novel. I was stumped on that one for a long time. Now I'm excited about finishing the darn thing so I can let others love the query as much as I do!

Anyway, Childoflight, yep, I'm a fantasy lover, much to the consternation of my parents, who believe it's no more than "childish escapism". My mother was told in college that she was a fantastic writer, and when her teachers recommended it as a career for her, she said "No. Writers love to hate the process. I hate everything about it and the finished result." But she must be where I got my love of writing from.
 

Gravity

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...writers who may be Christian writers or just writers who are Christian...

Interesting delineation, David, and one I totally agree with. Sooner or later a Christian will decide what his or her target audience is, and that decision will guide the story.

As I may have mentioned upthread, my first four novels were geared toward a solidly Christian readership; now with both The Radiance and Relentless, I'm querying general market agents, leading to (hopefully!), general market sales.
 

David Poellot

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Since the title says burn it up, I figure I better post since no one has posted in two days.:D

Carradee - I looked at that site for about two minutes, and it does look like it has valuable information, so I added to my favorites to save for later when I have more time to peruse.

I have an idea for a scene to add to my current WIP, but it's Saturday, which means running all over the place with four kids ranging from 4 yrs old to 16 yrs old. I told my wife I might disappear for a little while tonight, so I can at least write down all my thoughts and try to flesh out the scene. Then, I can go back during my normal writing time of 9-11 pm each night.
 

ElizaFaith13

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Hiya, I don't think I've ever posted here before. I'll have to subscribe to this thread.

Quick bio: Born again, YA writer, gamer, mother, wife and lover of dark chocolate.

I saw this one someone's blog and thought it was pretty neat. It will analyze your writing and tell you who you write like. Apparently, I write like Mark Twain, yay!

http://iwl.me/s/cfe536cd
 

Kersten

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Hmmm. It says my sweet little picture book is like Stephen King.

sigh.
 

David Poellot

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Must be a Stephen King answer day. I got the same thing. As much as I'd like to think the quality of my writing could be like Stephen King, I think that is pretty far fetched.