The SFF Writing Check-in Corner

Corey LeMoine

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On the awesome news front, I now know how my novel is going to end. It only took a hundred thousand words to figure that out, which wouldn't be so bad except that I'm a plotter by nature, and have been mildly freaking out about it for over half my by book.

To this end, I've switched things up a bit while plotting my second novel. I figured out the end first, then the beginning, and then bits of the middle. I already feel like I have better handle on it, and I haven't even started writing it yet.
 

Kweei

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So excited about this thread! What a great motivator.

I'm sadly still stalled on the novel due to crippling doubts, but in the meantime just started the pre-planning stages of a very promising steampunk short.
 

zanzjan

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Yay Corey, 10, KitCat, Abby, and Big D! Good luck, rwm4768. I'm sure I missed people in there, but wow, so much good wordage happening!

I owe you an email, Kweei, and have for too long. I stink, I'm sorry. Between convention and then getting really sick, I'm forgetting stuff left and right. Work on your short if that's where the energy is, but don't give up on the novel.
 

Little Anonymous Me

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rwm4768, congrats on putting a piece up! I was literally scared spitless every time I posted a new query :)


Just did 1k and have catapulted from that which had to be written to the exciting cool stuff. Armies are being raised! :yessmiley


And I got an awesome new plot twist I can't believe I never thought of before. :D
 
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Tiberius

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I'm sadly still stalled on the novel due to crippling doubts, but in the meantime just started the pre-planning stages of a very promising steampunk short.

Don't doubt, just write.

I was doing a story once (still working on it, but that's another story), and there was one scene in particular that terrified me. It was almost a horror scene, meant to be deeply disturbing. And for the longest time I put it off, because I was thinking, "How the hell am I going to get the feel I want? How can I make it as disturbing as it needs to be?" But I just wrote down some ideas, little fragments of things that would work in the scene, and then I arranged them and wrote it. Later, I read it to my girlfriend, and it gave her nightmares, so I was happy, because I knew it worked.

But the moral of the story is that the unwritten novel is always going to be the best thing ever or the worst thing ever. But no matter which of these it is, it will ALWAYS be nothing until you write it.

So go and write it. And if it comes out and is crap, then who cares? At least you've got something to work with. Read through critically, see where it went wrong. And then edit the hell out of it.

See this? http://www.vaeldesigns.com/products/coprolite-silver-bezel-necklace-p-594.html

It's a pretty thing made out of dinosaur poo, so it is proof that things that start out as shit can become beautiful.

So go and write.
 

aliwood

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:0 You handwrite them? Cool. I'm not sure I could stand that - my writing's so illegible these days.

I do to start with. I can't start on a WP page. I get blank sheet-itis and just freeze. So I start by using the back of a previously used sheet of paper, so it's already a mess and it doesn't matter what I write. I'll do a couple of versions hand-written. I may not get to the end exactly, but I'll get enough down to know my way before I head for the computer.

This is after I've written a rough outline as well.
 
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tjwriter

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I do to start with. I can't start on a WP page. I get blank sheet-itis and just freeze. So I start by using the back of a previously used sheet of paper, so it's already a mess and it doesn't matter what I write. I'll do a couple of versions hand-written. I may not get to the end exactly, but I'll get enough down to know my way before I head for the computer.

This is after I've written a rough outline as well.

I used to write on paper. I always found it enjoyable, not that I have much time for it here lately.

I didn't get very many words yesterday, so I am going to try for about 1k on my SSSFFSS today. Desperately need to get a draft completed sooner, rather than later.
 

Kweei

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Yay Corey, 10, KitCat, Abby, and Big D! Good luck, rwm4768. I'm sure I missed people in there, but wow, so much good wordage happening!

I owe you an email, Kweei, and have for too long. I stink, I'm sorry. Between convention and then getting really sick, I'm forgetting stuff left and right. Work on your short if that's where the energy is, but don't give up on the novel.

I have no intention of giving up. I still feel it's worthwhile and an idea that is publishable once I can fit it together. I'm just a bit stuck right now. And I understand you've been busy so no worries.

Woot for armies and twists and yay for Kweei's steampunk!

Let's hope it's a good one! I'd love for it to find a home when done, preferrable a pro market. Haven't been able to break that yet.

Don't doubt, just write.

I was doing a story once (still working on it, but that's another story), and there was one scene in particular that terrified me. It was almost a horror scene, meant to be deeply disturbing. And for the longest time I put it off, because I was thinking, "How the hell am I going to get the feel I want? How can I make it as disturbing as it needs to be?" But I just wrote down some ideas, little fragments of things that would work in the scene, and then I arranged them and wrote it. Later, I read it to my girlfriend, and it gave her nightmares, so I was happy, because I knew it worked.

But the moral of the story is that the unwritten novel is always going to be the best thing ever or the worst thing ever. But no matter which of these it is, it will ALWAYS be nothing until you write it.

So go and write it. And if it comes out and is crap, then who cares? At least you've got something to work with. Read through critically, see where it went wrong. And then edit the hell out of it.

See this? http://www.vaeldesigns.com/products/coprolite-silver-bezel-necklace-p-594.html

It's a pretty thing made out of dinosaur poo, so it is proof that things that start out as shit can become beautiful.

So go and write.

Thanks for the pep talk. I haven't nailed what is blocking me right now, aside from restarting the beginning fifty million times. Not abandoning it though.
 

amergina

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I revised an SF short story I'd been meaning to send out again. Somehow, I added words. o_O
 

eyeblink

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I do to start with. I can't start on a WP page. I get blank sheet-itis and just freeze. So I start by using the back of a previously used sheet of paper, so it's already a mess and it doesn't matter what I write. I'll do a couple of versions hand-written. I may not get to the end exactly, but I'll get enough down to know my way before I head for the computer.

This is after I've written a rough outline as well.

I have done handwritten first drafts in my time, but these days first drafts are on the netbook. Final drafts are a rewrite from beginning to end, typed in as new, with maybe minor tweaks afterwards and spellchecks etc.

The two stories are now out to betas - one will be workshopped by my writers' group on the 15th. The SS story went to my two usual first readers and one of them came back in an hour and a half! (For a 6000 word story too.) As she's the first person to read this story, I'm glad she liked it...
 

Tiberius

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I handwrite in two ways.

First of all, I don't use pen and paper. I have a tablet with a stylus (a Galaxy Note 10.1, which has the proper stylus), and I use an app called Papyrus and I write on that.

I write chapter outlines, with little scene by scene descriptions.

And I also write little script versions of scenes or parts of scenes. If anyone's interested, I'll be more than happy to post pictures of some of these...

But I agree that sometimes it's easier to do it with a pen and paper (or stylus and scree) than it is with typing.
 

writer_mccall

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Ok, finally, finally started work today on my next alternate history novel after sending away beta-reader copies for my epic fantasy.
Thought of the idea so long ago, but only just now have time to work on it.
A world where there was no Pacific War and Japan came to dominate Asia
 

Little Anonymous Me

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Finally, after three scrapped outlines (I must have fallen on my head when I did versions 1 and 2), I know how my book ends. :D

I revised an SF short story I'd been meaning to send out again. Somehow, I added words. o_O

:e2BIC: Well done!
 

CobraMisfit

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Just trying to finish/polish up my SS-SFF-SS thingy.

Also been writing a lot of checks recently. A LOT.

Those count for writing goals, right?
 

KitCat

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I hand write everything before typing it up, for me, writing on a screen doesn't let me tell a story like writing on paper and I end up getting stuck a few words in. Paper might be slower but it's steady as can be, it all evens out :D

*Still* editing the last paragraph of my apoc short lol
 

Tiberius

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On the awesome news front, I now know how my novel is going to end. It only took a hundred thousand words to figure that out, which wouldn't be so bad except that I'm a plotter by nature, and have been mildly freaking out about it for over half my by book.

Oh, that's a good feeling when that happens, isn't it? I had something similar with my fantasy story idea. Ended up adding two extra books to the thing!
 

Antonin

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I do to start with. I can't start on a WP page. I get blank sheet-itis and just freeze. So I start by using the back of a previously used sheet of paper, so it's already a mess and it doesn't matter what I write. I'll do a couple of versions hand-written. I may not get to the end exactly, but I'll get enough down to know my way before I head for the computer.

This is after I've written a rough outline as well.

There is something beautiful about this.

I handwrite my brainstorming stuff, but that's about it.

In other news I wrote 900ish words. Still in the build up part of the story though and it's driving me nuts. None of the fun magical stuff has happened yet :(

This one is probably going to need the most editing I've ever needed to do.
 

Kricket

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Ooo this place is fantastic! I need something like this so bad right now.

I haven't written anything in a while, but I will tomorrow (not now, tis bed time). So until then, take some of these :e2cheer: for all the words that have been written. And some of these :whip: for all those words you still need to write.
 

KitCat

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Go Krickey! Go Krickey!

I managed to finish editing that last paragraph I've been stumbling over the past 3 days, finally! But now what WIP to work on...
 

Antonin

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I decided to say "screw it" and skipped ahead to a scene I really wanted to write because I was sick and tired of writing a bunch of school days build-up/intro stuff.

Ended up with about 1.7k words and I'm feelin super happy with myself. (Gotta build up that momentum again). The scene itself wrote out a bit different from how I imagined, but I'm still happy with it. One person made a deal with a devil when I originally planned for two. Probably will lend itself out to more fodder for the story.

Gonna go practice piano to celebrate and maybe have cookie.

Or seven.
 

eyeblink

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Next project after that will be redrafting "Mourning Becomes Me" (#1 from last year and written for the last Solstice Swap) from the 9300 words it presently is to the novella it probably ought to be.

Now started - 980 words after two half-hour writing sessions in two days. I'm going in and may be some time...