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Capt Dizle
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Am in the process of trying to beat the odds by writing and hopefully getting published a novel. Question: What type of fiction would you write if you were attempting to make such a move?
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Capt Dizle
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quote:
Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Something you are good at. |
Yeah, that might be tough for me.
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sprucemoose3311
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san jose, ca
Jun 2002
time: 21:19
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it has to have:
aliens
scene with two women
gratuitous violence
generic i will overcome my shortcomings speeches
save the world
kill someone dear to the main character
the bad guy is the father
-
ok seriouisly:
-make lots of storyboards (literally, dont just type on a compy, buy posterboards).
-keep a log of all characters actions to prevent from
wirting one out of character ( a stright up good guy says something that people like him wouldnt say, etc, prevents contradictions)
-use stories from your life and friends life (then exagerate a little bit)
-would you be comfortable sharing the info in the book with friends and family
-target audience?
-time period
-how much detail is too much, what is necessary?
when pitching the book:
1. get an agent
or
2. create a marketing portfolio
- spell out the target audience, if its gonna be a series or individual book
- 5 page synopsis and summary
- excerpts
- of course the whole book too.
and when writing:
be specific, dont use: it, get, got, stuff, any, anything, everything, things
unless you want the character to sound stupid...
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Velociryx
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of Candle'Bre
Apr 1999
time: 05:19
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First question to ask yourself is WHY.
Why you wanna write, anyway?
For me, it was just to prove that I could. Didn't really care if NOBODY bought the books. It was enough for me to see 'em up on the shelf, and, one of those things that not many people get to say they've done.
Once you know WHY you're interested in writing, pick your topic. Could be anything. I daresay you could make an engaging and entertaining book by discussing the hidden or historic meanings of streetsigns in your neighborhood (actually, where I live, most of our streets are named for famous English landmarks/battles....I've often wondered how many people LIVING on those streets have the first clue 'bout that....but that's another story).
Once you have all THAT nailed, if you're gonna be writing fiction, first, throw out every preconcieved notion you have about it and strap yourself in. Barring making a computer game, it's the toughest thing I've ever done, and it'll sap you. Drain you. Make you HATE it sometimes, but if you're hooked, then you can't stop. That's when you know you'll finish.
Beware of the wall.
It's easy to write 20k words.
It's not so easy to write ~100k words.
Those first 20k will come pretty easy, but after that, you'll enter a stretch where you don't EVER think you're gonna get done.
MAKE yourself write. Even if you hate it....write anyway. You have a 0% chance of success if you never finish, which is where most aspiring authors wind up.
As a first time author, DO NOT even think about approaching an agent till you have a completed work in hand. Aspiring authors, while not quite dime a dozen, are plenty common, and most never get out the gate, which is why publishers don't want to see sample chapters or proposals. They want to see a MANUSCRIPT. Lock, stock, and barrel, as ready as you can make it.
Anything less, and you're wasting your time and theirs, unless you know someone in the business.
Don't expect to make any cash on your first book. IF you get an advance at all, you'll be lucky to see 2-3k, and if your book doesn't sell (they won't give you prime shelf space, and marketing might amount to whatever you do yourself), you'll not see anything more than that.
Now....by no means am I trying to dissuade you from doing it!
Having taken the trip three times now, I know the rush, and understand the itch, and NO amount of naysaying will change your mind if you've got the fever.
Just understand what you're up against. It's rather like trying to crack a titanium plated hull with your noggin, and about as painful, too....but in the end, it's the CREATION that matters, and if you stay focused on that, the rest will take care of itself.
Two basic ways of writing fiction. I've tried them both. The first has already been mentioned....the organized, heirarchical approach, and it works for a lot of people.
The other method is organic writing, and this is a bit more free-form, and much more to my liking.
You basically start with the characters and a broad based situation...and MAYBE a rough idea of where you wanna end up, but from there, you get the hell out of the way and let the characters tell YOU what they have to say.
This can lead you down blind alleys and in unexpected directions. Or, it can cause your story to simply flame out if you discover that your characters really don't have as much to say as you thought they did.
I prefer it though, cos it really brings the characters to life in ways that the other approach cannot. Let's you explore their motives more deeply. Good stuff.
Good luck! I'll be anxious to hear progress reports, and to read the finished product! 
-=Vel=-
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16-04-2005 07:57
ACK!
. It would have more personal stories. But still cover major events in the war.
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