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What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

Putputt

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My twelve-year-ol mc's about to make a big mistake, the results of which are really bad. I dread it, ergo, I am here and not there.

...

If anything happens to those sweet kids, I am never, ever, ever going to forgeeve yew!!!! :rant::mob
 

kkbe

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Putputt: If anything happens to those sweet kids, I am never, ever, ever going to forgeeve yew!!!! :rant::mob

Something has to happen, otherwise, my stupid novel's never gonna get done. Perhaps in the interest of expediency I should draw and quarter those boys now, and be done with it.
:chair
 
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JustSarah

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I've found my outline is usually as long as whatever it is I'm trying to write. So if I'm wanting to outline a short story, I often have to have an outline that's just as long.
 

Dynastic

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I know I'm wrong to think this, but I had a not so pleasant encounter with a fellow reader somewhere recently, and during the course of the conversation he said that first person perspective is basically child's play and the "real" writers write in more "complex" terms. Now there may be some truth to this, I don't really know, but all I do know is that my own confidence is shaken in my own self, not devastatingly so, but I've been working on a story for a while –in first person– so all of a sudden I find myself feeling pretty low and losing motivation to continue this story on which I feel rather excited. Any thoughts?
 

JustSarah

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That's generally the reason I avoid critique from non writers actually. And of course get an external word processor.:p
 

Flutterlight

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There are plenty of "real" writers who used first-person perspective in their books. You wouldn't say the works of authors like Dashiell Hammett, Emily Brontë, J. D. Salinger and Sherman Alexie area "child's play" would you?
 

SpinningWheel

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Dynastic, don't take any notice.
I've heard a similar thing from a v famous 'real' writer. Some people think like that about first person. But so what? Some people consider entire genres to be silly and pointless. Other people would beg to differ.
Personally I love first person for what I am writing - historical YA, because of the immediacy it brings to a world that is very different from ours. And there are first person things like unreliable narrators that are just gorgeous when done well. If writing in the first person feels right to you at the moment, do it.
You might want to stretch yourself later on by trying out other perspectives and seeing where it takes you, but don't be put off by one person's readiness to write off whole chunks of wonderful literature.
 

KevRJS

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What's on my mind about my writing...?

I'm in the process of starting version 3 of my WIP, and I've gone and done what every good author's said I should: I've discarded my most excellent prologue, and most of my first chapters.

Now the issue is, I have a protagonist, hero, antihero, antagonist, and designated villain. (I know, right?!)

Currently, I'm thinking I introduce my designated villain first.
What think you?
 
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Silver-Midnight

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There are plenty of "real" writers who used first-person perspective in their books. You wouldn't say the works of authors like Dashiell Hammett, Emily Brontë, J. D. Salinger and Sherman Alexie area "child's play" would you?

Should have stopped right there. Forget all that other stuff and move on.

Both of these.


First person is used by a lot of authors. Write in whatever POV you like, feel fits the story, or feel comfortable with.
 

Flutterlight

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I put the 1st chapter of my WIP up online and now I'm confused. On the SYW board I was told there were some serious issues with my MC's voice, nothing made sense, nothing happened, there wasn't any action. But I posted the same thing on a different writing forum and was told they liked my MC's voice and I did a great job building tension.

So now I don't know if I need to seriously rework my WIP or not.
 

Silver-Midnight

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I put the 1st chapter of my WIP up online and now I'm confused. On the SYW board I was told there were some serious issues with my MC's voice, nothing made sense, nothing happened, there wasn't any action. But I posted the same thing on a different writing forum and was told they liked my MC's voice and I did a great job building tension.

So now I don't know if I need to seriously rework my WIP or not.

This might be one of those times that you kind of have really ask yourself what you want to do.

I mean other people's opinions and critiques can and are helpful and all, but at the same time, it's your story at the end of the day. What decision do you like more, or do you think would fit more?
 

Sam Argent

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Pretty please be voice. Pretty please with a cherry on top of Michael Fassbender be voice.
 

JustinlDew

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My mind is evil. Normal when I'm working on something I very focused on it. Now I've got three great ideas in three days time, and managed to pen down rough outline as well. At this rate I'll never get anything finished.
 

WriteMinded

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I put the 1st chapter of my WIP up online and now I'm confused. On the SYW board I was told there were some serious issues with my MC's voice, nothing made sense, nothing happened, there wasn't any action. But I posted the same thing on a different writing forum and was told they liked my MC's voice and I did a great job building tension.

So now I don't know if I need to seriously rework my WIP or not.
I can see how that would be on your mind.

Writing forums are different. Critters are different. When several people point out the same issues, odds are good that adjustments are needed. Isn't that why we ask for crits? If comments are all over the place, it is more difficult. It will always come back to what you believe works best.

Want to post a link? Maybe you'll get some new feedback. Or maybe you're fed up for now. :D
 

sitalakshmi

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I'm in the middle of editing my YA mystery and the feeling I have? A chronic case of 'butterflies in the stomach'
 

lmoses2011

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I'm on 7000 words with my YA-ish (maybe New Adult?) Epic Fantasy. But I have this idea that's poking me for a MG Fantasy and I think it maybe better that my current WIP. I am determined to finish my current WIP (cause it's an ok idea and it's a matter of principle) but I think I gonna try to do two books at once. Some advice would be wonderful though.
 

JustinlDew

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I'm on 7000 words with my YA-ish (maybe New Adult?) Epic Fantasy. But I have this idea that's poking me for a MG Fantasy and I think it maybe better that my current WIP. I am determined to finish my current WIP (cause it's an ok idea and it's a matter of principle) but I think I gonna try to do two books at once. Some advice would be wonderful though.

Work on the one nagging you until you run out of steam and then work on the other one. That's what I do.
 

GailSulmers

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a true newbi

OK, this is my first post. About a year and a half ago, out of the blue I decided to write a novel, and it essntially wrote itself. I'm at the stage now of tweeking a few last points, and I'm beginning to feel like it's finished. That means that now I have to figure out what to do with the damn thing.

Writing is fun. Marketing creeps me out.

I have had several friends read the book and they tell me to submit it for publication. That means that they like it. Actually, I like it, and I think that if I were to stumble on it in a book store I would enjoy it. I tried hard to offer some real life advice to my own demographic, which is empty nesters in good health with their second lives bofore them. I think it will particularly appeal to those who have had successful careers and now are ready to step outside the stereotypes of graceful aging that their chlildren love so much.

Any ideas as to what I shoud do next?
 

JustinlDew

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Gail, first of all, welcome to the cooler! If I were you I'd find a beta reader, and have them go over it, and I'd think about submitting it to share your work when you get fifty posts.
Then I'd look learning to write a query letter.. Query Letter Hell is a massive help when it comes to this.

Hope this helps.

PS; the password is vista for both of them.
 

Tepelus

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Finally made some progress editing my WIP today. Finished editing a chapter that I've sat idle on for a month now and ended up with more words than before. Oops! Supposed to be cutting, not adding. Oh well, it was one of those chapters in the first draft that I wrote somewhat sparse because I just wasn't into it at the time and thought to fix it later. Now I'm heading into the next chapter which is rather long and will be split into two or three new chapters, and I remember it being rather wordy. So some cutting should happen there (I hope).