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Admiral Snuggles

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A Sci-Fi author (can't remember the name now) once used the Rule of 50%:

50% of people who want to write never do.
Of that, 50% who start, never finish.
Of that, 50% who do, never revise.
And so on until only a sliver of the original group is actually submitting stuff.

Just by completing a novel, you are well ahead of the majority. And once it's complete, you can polish it as many times as you need until it shines. But you will have completed it and that is a huge, huge step.

Thanks for that praise and advice. I made it until the 3rd 50%. As I was going through the first edit of that first book, I realized it was massively full of holes, egregiously purple, and lacked any voice, interesting dialogue, or style. I rushed through it, and I didn't plan it. But damn did I learn a ton, especially that I am one of those that probably should be planning their plots and characters better. Also, I need to work on my writing style A LOT.

Working up vocab, looking for interesting voice and grammatical structures in reading, writing things and getting honest feedback in SYW and betas. Making character and plot synopsis before getting too deep in writing scenes. Gonna take a while but damn, I think I would much rather write for a living than do what I do now and if it takes me a year (or years) and thousands of hours to learn to make my writing something people want to read, I'll take that time.
 

lilyWhite

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I'm using a pen name for the sole reason of how cute I think "Lily White" is. XD

Also, if I ever branch out into...more adult genres...then I would have to go with a different name anyway. ;)
 

Admiral Snuggles

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I'm using a pen name for the sole reason of how cute I think "Lily White" is. XD

Also, if I ever branch out into...more adult genres...then I would have to go with a different name anyway. ;)

It's a good pen name. Pleasant. If I ever got to the point of submitting work, I would likely use a pen name just because my name is so common. I don't live in NYC, but if I did you could probably find several thousands of my name in the phone book.
 

CobraMisfit

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Is that evil laughter or the funny kind?

Funny kind. I don't do evil very well, but like to think I can handle humor.

ION: If I ever get published, I'm debating whether I should use a pen name or not. Part of me wants my real name attached to my accomplishments. But the other part is concerned about privacy. Not that I'm excepting hoards of fans to stalk me on facebook, but you never know. What are all your thoughts?

From what I gather, it's personal preference. I debated as well (privacy, legal concerns, groupies showing up at the door, etc), but will likely go with real name in the end. Partially because I'd like to see it on a cover and partially because "Ramone Von Hottentot" hints at a different genre.
 

CobraMisfit

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As I was going through the first edit of that first book, I realized it was massively full of holes, egregiously purple, and lacked any voice, interesting dialogue, or style. I rushed through it, and I didn't plan it. But damn did I learn a ton, especially that I am one of those that probably should be planning their plots and characters better. Also, I need to work on my writing style A LOT.

The very first novel I completed took 6 years and was 180,000 words, most of them awful. But, like you pointed out, it was a massive learning experience. Most important, it was a confidence booster because I could look at it and say, "Yup, wrote a novel". And that knowledge helped a ton when I decided to try it again.
 

jallenecs

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Cobra, is it you who lives in Virginia?

There is an area outside Alexandria (I think) which is what we in KY call "horse country." Lots of old money and old families, lots of perfectly manicured farm/estates where pampered million dollar horses are raised and ridden by the pampered holders of million dollar trust funds.

Can you give me a name, of town or county?
 

CobraMisfit

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Cobra, is it you who lives in Virginia?

There is an area outside Alexandria (I think) which is what we in KY call "horse country." Lots of old money and old families, lots of perfectly manicured farm/estates where pampered million dollar horses are raised and ridden by the pampered holders of million dollar trust funds.

Can you give me a name, of town or county?

I do, indeed, live in VA. As for where you're refering to, does Leesburg, in Loudon County, sound right? It is HUGE horse-country and has become a favorite spot for people of money. Lots of large homes, but very pretty and packed with history.
 

jallenecs

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I do, indeed, live in VA. As for where you're refering to, does Leesburg, in Loudon County, sound right? It is HUGE horse-country and has become a favorite spot for people of money. Lots of large homes, but very pretty and packed with history.

Perfect! I need it for a setting for a part of a story. They'll only be there for like two chapters, but I needed that same vibe you get in parts of Louisville KY, but a little closer to the Capitol.

Thanks! And BTW: congratulations on the contract. I'm envious as all hell! :D
 

CobraMisfit

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Perfect! I need it for a setting for a part of a story. They'll only be there for like two chapters, but I needed that same vibe you get in parts of Louisville KY, but a little closer to the Capitol.

Thanks! And BTW: congratulations on the contract. I'm envious as all hell! :D

Anytime.

And thanks.
 

Fenika

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I think I drove through there. Regardless, it was as you descibe, Junely.
 

jallenecs

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It's not wrong to have blackberry waffles for lunch, right? Nice, beautiful waffles with tons of sweet butter, and big, soft, sweet blackberries and blackberry jam/syrup on them?

All those calories don't actually count when they taste that good, right?


Right?
 

jallenecs

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I think I drove through there. Regardless, it was as you descibe, Junely.

I've never been there before, though I remember reading about it, which is how I knew such a place existed.

On the other hand, I've been through Leesburg's counterpart in Lexington and Louisville: miles and miles of slave built stacked stone fences, surrounding perfectly manicured pastures and very expensive horses. And houses. And people. It's almost like the Civil War never happened, that the Antebellum South still exists, albeit in less racist and violent form.
 

LadyV

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I'm still torn about the name thing. I like my real name, and I really want to show that I'm accomplished. But I'm the only person with my name in existence. So a pen name would offer privacy but hide the fact that I wrote the books. I could also compromise. Use my first name but create a false last name.

Of course, this is something to worry about only when I'm published.


Funny kind. I don't do evil very well, but like to think I can handle humor.

From what I gather, it's personal preference. I debated as well (privacy, legal concerns, groupies showing up at the door, etc), but will likely go with real name in the end. Partially because I'd like to see it on a cover and partially because "Ramone Von Hottentot" hints at a different genre.

:roll:

I don't think you have to worry about being humorous.
 

eyeblink

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I'm still torn about the name thing. I like my real name, and I really want to show that I'm accomplished. But I'm the only person with my name in existence. So a pen name would offer privacy but hide the fact that I wrote the books. I could also compromise. Use my first name but create a false last name.

Of course, this is something to worry about only when I'm published.

I have used a pseudonym for four short stories sold in the romance genre, one of which was my very first sale and second publication, in 1990 and 1991 respectively. I was under the impression that first-person stories in that genre needed a gender match between narrator and byline and since my first story there was not just first-person-female but also first-person-pregnant, I used a female pseudonym. That rule might have been true for other markets, but the (female) editor didn't mind, and of the three more stories I sold her, all were first person but two were from male POVs, but I kept the pseudonym for consistency.

For everything else, so far shorts in SF/F/H/crime publications, I've used my real name. My surname is often misspelled and mispronounced but I've learned to live with that. (You'll find me in the AW library, in case you're curious.)

As I'm writing YA novels, I'm thinking of using my initials to distinguish them from my (adult) short fiction. I'm also wondering if using a male name on a novel with a female narrator might be an issue, but that's something to sort out if I'm in the happy position of having an agent and/or publisher.

I have shown my parents and my brother my published work, usually only after it's been published. They both have a copy of my collection and of the anthology I edited and as far as I'm aware they've read them - yes, even the short story of mine with the gay sex scene in it. I have kept a couple of my more graphic horror stories away from them though.

Good evening Cantina. A review to finish and hopefully some more of the SS story, so see you all later.
 

Reservoir Angel

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Ugh. I'm supposed to be watching classic Doctor Who right now but instead I'm playing Assassin's Creed 3 to hunt deer.
 

Admiral Snuggles

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Ya'll ever, when you're reading, decide that the author doesn't describe the characters enough, which causes you to not remember which one is which? It's killing me in the Mongoliad right now. Was he the one with the bow or the beard? :shrug:
 

eyeblink

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Ugh. I'm supposed to be watching classic Doctor Who right now but instead I'm playing Assassin's Creed 3 to hunt deer.

I did watch classic Doctor Who this morning - finished rewatching The Ark in Space, which is getting a special edition DVD on the 18th. I was ten when it was first broadcast (Jan-Feb 1975) but at least two people I know who are 2-3 years younger than me have vivid memories of being scared shitless by it back then.

It's body horror before Alien, and before David Cronenberg really got going, though to be fair it is heavily influenced by The Quatermass Experiment.
 

Black-Marlin

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What up, Cantinanites? In a weirdly impressive display of timing (seriously, my grasp on chronology sucks) I ordered pizza three hours ago, to arrive now - which it has, literally no more than three minutes after I finished writing my chapter. Given that finishing the damn thing required 2,700 words, I am finding the confluence of conclusion and pizza just a tad unsettling.

But enough with the unsettlement! Papa John awaits. I will see how much I can manage (last week I chipped one of my molars, and the resultant jagged edge has lacerated my tongue all to buggery. Swallowing is now extremely painful, and I have been surprised to learn how one can lose weight of one subsists on a diet of soup and yoghurt. Still, dentist tomorrow, and perhaps enough pizza now to tide me over...)

But never mind. Have I mentioned I finished the damn chapter? Totes amazeballs!
 

_Sian_

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Ya'll ever, when you're reading, decide that the author doesn't describe the characters enough, which causes you to not remember which one is which? It's killing me in the Mongoliad right now. Was he the one with the bow or the beard? :shrug:

See, that never bothers me. I get annoyed if a person describes people too much. Actually, I get annoyed if anything is described too much. You can tell from my writing. My beta often sends back a page full of "Where the hell are we!!!!!!!!" I also fall prey to talking head syndrome with alarming regularity.

I'm not a very visual person.

Chocolate fiesta day tomorrow people.

I have restocked and now have enough for a week - or seven bars at once - it all depends.

It's here already for me, and I have homemade choc chip bickies :D

Life is gooooooood
 
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