Anyone writing a book?

[AsheSkyler]

You can do it! You should apply for the Harper Voyager contest in October, then I could have someone to kick me into gear. I'll totally harass you until your novel's done if you want.

P.S. totally jealous of your gaming troll wish I was that awesome.

Thankie, but nah. February and March are my best times to write, October and November are drawing months. I'll pass on the pestering, it just makes me start hiding stuff from people.

My husband loves his troll too.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

you don't have to write in October, you have to write before October

 

[May Black]

I've always been writing for as long as I can remember. I don't think I can help it. I'll be doing something else and all of a sudden my head is full of sentences that need to be written down. Generally that's exactly what they are, sentences and fragments of something, but I'm not sure what it would be, even though sometimes I'm quite fond of them. I've finished a few short stories, one of which I actually liked, but lost when my computer crashed. It was about a girl who falls in love with a product of her imagination, which to her becomes real, follows him to the beach and drowns. I couldn't tell you how I came up with it if I tried. I don't really have stories I need to tell I guess. I've started writing something this summer, it's going very slowly, but I do have some sort of idea of what I want it to be, how it will end, I've written down a lot of events that I want to work on, I'm starting to find shapes for the people in it. I think for the first time ever I'm building structure before I have the fragments and so far I seem to be able to work with it. I won't be terribly disappointed if I don't finish it, it's more an experiment to me.

 

[joshodude1308]

I am writing a book about computers: I have creatively called it Joshua's Guide to Computers. I have just finished the first section of the book, networks and network protocols (my forté).

 

[Nadador]

I just write until I'm done, and then write more when I have something to add. The problem is the not having something to add. Also I started this book before my diagnosis, and since then my thought processes and world view have shifted, so it's a bit like trying to re-attach a fallen eyelash. There's a ghost of it there, but the connection has flown. I'll get there eventually!

The trouble with my main character is that she is pretty much me, but enhanced, and I have no idea what I'm doing, so I have no idea what she's doing either :S

Have you tried walking around each day as this "enhanced" version of you, sort of living in her skin and seeing things as she does? This may give you some new ideas. Not that your daily life itself would necessarily be fodder for the story, but you may find yourself making connections and finding bases for extensions that could be useful.

The evolution of your processes/world view could be intergrated into the work, I would think. Depending on where you are in the writing, and of course with me not knowing the details of your story, I think a similar transformation in your character could be interesting.

Do you know how your story will end? I've heard of writers working backwards when they get stuck, at least for a while.

Musician Brian Eno compiled a classic series of cards called the Oblique Strategies, designed to assist the creative process when one gets stuck or needs fresh perspective. This is a link to an electronic version of the cards: Oblique Strategies There is also an app for iPhone, though there are a number of substandard imposters. If you check this latter option out, make sure it's the Eno/Schmidt version, released by Squarevibe.

[I've been published twice, but not for fiction]

 

[Sass]

Have you tried walking around each day as this "enhanced" version of you, sort of living in her skin and seeing things as she does? This may give you some new ideas. Not that your daily life itself would necessarily be fodder for the story, but you may find yourself making connections and finding bases for extensions that could be useful.

The evolution of your processes/world view could be intergrated into the work, I would think. Depending on where you are in the writing, and of course with me not knowing the details of your story, I think a similar transformation in your character could be interesting.

Do you know how your story will end? I've heard of writers working backwards when they get stuck, at least for a while.

Musician Brian Eno compiled a classic series of cards called the Oblique Strategies, designed to assist the creative process when one gets stuck or needs fresh perspective. This is a link to an electronic version of the cards: Oblique Strategies There is also an app for iPhone, though there are a number of substandard imposters. If you check this latter option out, make sure it's the Eno/Schmidt version, released by Squarevibe.

[I've been published twice, but not for fiction]

That's all really useful advice, thank you! Since I started this thread I've actually been awarded a fellowship to help me develop my book, with mentoring from an established author, so hopefully that'll help too

 

[Nadador]

That's all really useful advice, thank you! Since I started this thread I've actually been awarded a fellowship to help me develop my book, with mentoring from an established author, so hopefully that'll help too

Brilliant! It must feel great to have someone put such faith in you as a writer. So many of us just keep scribbling along without that sort of confidence.

 

[Sass]

Brilliant! It must feel great to have someone put such faith in you as a writer. So many of us just keep scribbling along without that sort of confidence.

It does feel good! It's the first time I've had any real validation outside friends and family, so it means a lot.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

I once wrote a comic book about my teddy, Peanut, for my class.
Me being typical me, there was all kinds of silly humour throughout.
Too bad the book got ruined when some kid broke the spine of it by accident - that kid being me, oops!

 

[Effy]

With characters being you... I used to have that problem a lot. However, I believe all authors' characters are pieces of the authors themselves, at least to some extent.

I've found roleplaying on RPGs to be easiest - the writing RPGs, i.e. forum-based RPGs.

 

[Etzelaire]

I'm useless to write books as I always bump into something that doesn't allow me to go forth. My mind is a mess and I always end up telling myself I should do it better. Maybe is just that writing is not my thing.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

I'm useless to write books as I always bump into something that doesn't allow me to go forth. My mind is a mess and I always end up telling myself I should do it better. Maybe is just that writing is not my thing.

I have come to terms with the fact that books need to age like a fine wine before hitting paper

 

[epath13]

Eh, what the hell... I've been working on my book series since 2007, the story has gone through a lot of changes since then and now I finally see the light in the end of a tunnel I finished a draft for the 1st book, gave it to a friend of mine, who is a writer and an editor. She said the story was great but the writing wasn't that great. I agreed with her, I knew it needed a lot of work. Unfortunately she didn't tell me what to work on. But that's fine. There're 2 people who convinced me that I should continue, my counselor and my son. My counselor said it was going to be an amazing book and that I must continue, my son loved the 1st bad draft... the 1st book was intended for... maybe 7-12 years old kids, then the book grows with the reader... anyway, here's what I say about it... for now http://soulbattles.com (click on "Book")

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

Eh, what the hell... I've been working on my book series since 2007, the story has gone through a lot of changes since then and now I finally see the light in the end of a tunnel I finished a draft for the 1st book, gave it to a friend of mine, who us a writer and an editor. She said the story was great but the writing wasn't that great. I agreed with her, I knew it needed a lot of work. Unfortunately she didn't tell me what to work on. But that's fine. There're 2 people who convinced me that I should continue, my counselor and my son. My counselor said it was going to be an amazing book and that I must continue, my son loved the 1st bad draft... the 1st book was intended for... maybe 7-12 years old kids, then the book grows with the reader... anyway, here's what I say about it... for now http://soulbattles.com (click on "Book")

thank you for the share

 

[Etzelaire]

I have come to terms with the fact that books need to age like a fine wine before hitting paper

Indeed they have, I have thought for a long time that the best book I could write would be one encapsulating everything I have learnt through my being in this world. So maybe it'd be better to do it when I am 50 or 60.

 

[RayRay28]

I am I actually write short stories. They aren't quite novels, or novellas for that matter. But they are pretty good I love writing almost as much as I love reading

 

[Sass]

So I had my first meeting with my fellowship writing mentor on Tuesday. I kinda lost my sh*t afterward, so intense was the reaction. It was a bit like being given free rein with my ideas, but being slightly terrified of their exit from my head because they all wanted out at the same time. I've come down from the high and am looking forward to having some techniques to help me finish the book

 

[DarkAscent]

I'm writing a sci-fi novel about a young kid who meets a bunch of Espers on the run from the government.

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. I learned to read and write before I started to speak. The art of writing was my ultimate escape and bliss, and was what kept me going when I was bullied and tormented in school. Creating my own worlds and characters is endless paradise and fun, and to be able to transform them to words on paper is fantastic. I have to do it. I cannot imagine being able to live without writing.

 

[JennieK]

I wrote a short story called The Meteorite Hunter. I'm now working on one about a hippo and a parrot.

 

[Maelstrom]

[QUOTE="Sass, am looking forward to having some techniques to help me finish the book [/QUOTE]

Hi Sass, you made my radar with this one, (if you listen closely you can hear all the little animals screaming Aaaah! Maelstrom is coming! and running into the woods), sorry love dark humor and a good entrance. So, yes have three smoking hot (hard Science fiction) books I have been working on in my head forever, getting started and not getting distracted by editing or life is the problem, night writing seems to work better. I do my characters like I do my art, fractile geometry, break them into peaces, what are their main emotional currencies, traits, desires. The rest I call layer cake, I stack what ifs, and therefores, on the background world to get richness. But if you get stuck you should know the cardinal rule outline, outline, outline, keeps you from wandering into the weeds, and helps you recall your frame of mind when restarting. My style is Issak Assimov meets Tolken with a little CS lewis thrown in. Am a bit of a imaging savant so creativity oozes out my ears, but I make up for it with bad spelling and bad grammer. I am working on a s/f xmass short story. Then I will start Omnivorous Prime a space war with a wicked twist, after that the first book from my Iron Tree series s/f for the Disny market, and then the Angels Wept a bloody s/f C. S. Lewis kind of thing, need to do more research for it.