Finally have the chapter that I've been trying to get done for a week now finished! I can move on now 
-
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
- Start date
Finished the first draft of my book in 3 months and now I have no idea what to do with my time--except for read, and maybe get back into video games again (I've read that you should wait a couple of weeks before jumping into revisions).
But first I have to fix the ending of the current wip.
Isn't it a great feeling? I've taken to rewarding myself for finishing tough chapters by going back and revising an older chapter. I enjoy revising way more than writing first drafts.Finally have the chapter that I've been trying to get done for a week now finished! I can move on now
What better way to celebrate the finishing of a book than starting a new one?
I'm sure something will come to you soon, WM. I just wanted to mention that I like the name Owain. There was a character in the original outline of my current WIP named Owain who was supposed to have a semi-sizable role in the story. Then the story took a life of its own, and poor Owain lost more than an arm ... he lost his place in the book.
I have 2 stories in different settings - a high fantasy world and our modern world. The amusing thing is that they both had similar plots: demons from another dimension try to cross over, but can only do so temporarily or by possessing another creature.
So now I'm thinking the "modern one" will end up in the future.
And since this extensive world is supposed to be a video game, I have no book to write.
So now I'm thinking the "modern one" will end up in the future.
And since this extensive world is supposed to be a video game, I have no book to write.
I think this quote won the internet for today. It certainly cheered me up. I may not be certain where my character got his tattoo, but I know how many arms he has XD
Y'all have been super productive. I finally (FINALLY) finished the edit for Book 2, except for the very ending, which will wait until tomorrow. Right now I have a couple book ideas... and I can finally write them, seeing as my editing is all in a good place. Huzzah! The problem is, which to write? Originally it was a battle between Book 3 and Book 1.6 as to which I wanted to do, but now Book .wtf has come to the forefront and is looking really interesting. And seeing as that might actually be a short story and not a novel, I may just go for it. Ya know. Just because.
Because why not, darn it.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2013
- Messages
- 3,076
- Reaction score
- 557
I'm sure he would appreciate having an arm. They are pretty useful, after all.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2014
- Messages
- 1,045
- Reaction score
- 89
Got a random tweet: "Hi Stephanie! would you like to take part in our fantasy contest? Or maybe tweet about it?"
I check the deadline, eager to write *something* and learn it's 3 days after our game-making contest. Considering the length doesn't matter, I wonder if I could splurge 3 days on writing and editing a short little story.
Good thing I have an idea. XD
I check the deadline, eager to write *something* and learn it's 3 days after our game-making contest. Considering the length doesn't matter, I wonder if I could splurge 3 days on writing and editing a short little story.
Good thing I have an idea. XD
The time setting for my book is all over the place but has lately been lending itself to the early nineties. But then I realised that a character connection can't be made as written presently. How can my guy recognise a girl from a hilarious and humiliating video that went viral if we're set in 1992?
Dammit.
ETA
Double dammit with cheese. That wild goose chase, following the shifty Wade to his clandestine encounters doesn't work either, unless porn addiction and related therapies were a thing in the nineties. I need to do some brain storming.
Fiddlesticks.
Dammit.
ETA
Double dammit with cheese. That wild goose chase, following the shifty Wade to his clandestine encounters doesn't work either, unless porn addiction and related therapies were a thing in the nineties. I need to do some brain storming.
Fiddlesticks.
Last edited:
I have no idea what to write next in my novel. I'm now editing a short story that I plan to submit to a contest this month.
On my mind: Getting the ending right. Getting the ending right.
Getting the ending right.
Getting the ending right.
. . .
Getting the ending right.
Getting the ending right.
. . .
Could she be recognizable from a home video that made it onto a show like "America's Funniest Home Videos" or "Candid Camera" or something like that? Because some of those videos got really popular and they showed them, like, every other week.
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2012
- Messages
- 5,489
- Reaction score
- 609
It would be nice to have earned the right to be with a publisher who cares as much about your work as you do. It may never happen for me. I don't have the time on this Earth that most fledglings do. What I get for getting started late. Oh, well, I had a life.
After about a year of not even editing, someone has asked to beta one of my novels. In addition I'm reading some really exciting novels and short stories. The desire to write is creeping back in. I'm not quite there yet, but I know the urge is lurking. Plotting. Scheming . . .
That's my best option but there's nudity and would imagine require her consent, though considering the nature of the character, it not inconceivable.
You might have something there.
Cheers
Give into the urge, Chris! You know you want to.
Steph, seriously write book.wtf. I mean, you could even title it that. I'd pick it up, even knowing it was going to be creepy.
On writing, I'm trying to figure out how many manuscripts I should have completely finished before I pull the self-publishing trigger. I'm on AW a lot less than I used to be, just trying to keep up with my blog and Twitter, which are both major time sinks. And I don't even have a book to plug yet. I've got eight novels written, plus enough to do an ebook short collection. And everyone says you have less time to write once you have to promote. So maybe I should finish them all first.
I'm currently trying to beta swap on two at once.
What do you guys think of offering beta reads for honest reviews? Reviews are supposed to mean a lot. Would there be anything shady about that?
Steph, seriously write book.wtf. I mean, you could even title it that. I'd pick it up, even knowing it was going to be creepy.
On writing, I'm trying to figure out how many manuscripts I should have completely finished before I pull the self-publishing trigger. I'm on AW a lot less than I used to be, just trying to keep up with my blog and Twitter, which are both major time sinks. And I don't even have a book to plug yet. I've got eight novels written, plus enough to do an ebook short collection. And everyone says you have less time to write once you have to promote. So maybe I should finish them all first.
I'm currently trying to beta swap on two at once.
What do you guys think of offering beta reads for honest reviews? Reviews are supposed to mean a lot. Would there be anything shady about that?
Weren't you trying to query agents? I'd say determine the cutoff for that before you think about self-publishing. If you decide to self-publish, you already have a good number of books. Don't delay earning on those in order to finish your incomplete books. You could be earning money while you work on those. And you don't know how long it could take to finish them.
For the beta/review thing, I'd advise against it. It COULD come across as shady. Just trade similar tasks. Beta'ing takes a lot more time than a review, so it's kind of lopsided anyways. And you also don't know how that person can react to your review (hey, you never know) and they may not finish the beta'ing. Or you might have someone who takes a while with the beta'ing. While you've already held up your end of the bargain. You could get the short end of the stick, big time.
Sorry, I should have clarified. I was thinking about giving beta reads in exchange for honest reviews, which seemed like a pretty good deal to me. We aren't supposed to trade reviews, and we're not supposed to review on Amazon at all once we're published. I've been doing a fair number of reviews lately since that's the best way I can give people a leg up. I've been doing interviews, too.
But eventually, I'm going to get to where I'll need reviews myself, and I'm trying to think ahead for the best ways to do that. Unfortunately, all the good will I've built up with published authors won't help there, except maybe on Goodreads. I don't know their review policy. But reviews on Amazon are supposed to be the most important.
But eventually, I'm going to get to where I'll need reviews myself, and I'm trying to think ahead for the best ways to do that. Unfortunately, all the good will I've built up with published authors won't help there, except maybe on Goodreads. I don't know their review policy. But reviews on Amazon are supposed to be the most important.
Last edited:
I'm not sure if my main character is working out in the way I anticipated. He's still a little unclear and it makes for scenes that involve his own faults difficult to right and occasionally boring. But let's power through and see where we can get with him?
I'm over 27,000 on the new sequel. I'm starting to lay down some important hints and riddles, as a means of a hook. I've got to keep the reader guessing and not give so much away this time.
What am I supposed to be writing? You lost me.
Okay, started Book 3. Somehow, the knowing that I have no idea where this is going is starting to get to me. Like, I have everything to choose from!... so I can't choose. Weird. Never had this problem before.
However, I've noticed that one of the big plot points of the beginning of this book is... *drum role* ...a main character freaking out because she got her first period. Because her mom is freaking out because of her own childhood trauma and is keeping my character under ball and chain and this will be the last straw before rebellion and other characters are getting involved more than they want and it's bringing other arguments to a head and someone's heading towards a breakdown...
I feel like this is a legit way to start the book, and a good inciting event. I'm just also getting the feeling that 99% of my readers will go WHAT ARE YOU DOING. But at the same time, first period is a big deal. And it's not like I dwell on the details or physicality a lot, more the concept. But still, people are squeamish about that a lot, I think. Am I being paranoid, or is this a legit concern?
I wrote a story set in the '90s. It took a little research to see what was and wasn't around back then even though I lived through this time. Music is a big part of that story. I kept wanting to talk about music that was key to this decade, but I also kept discovering that the references I wanted to make hadn't been in existence at the time my story was taking place. It was tricky. I'm sure you will find a way to make it work. Good luck.