Teens Writing for Teens, the 5th

Parametric said:

Awkward situation. I learned a lot from stupidly (my fault, didn't think) inviting my bf to live in our shared house for a few weeks. Namely that I should never live with anybody again.

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yeah well his mom passed away suddenly over the summer, and him and his dad found her and had to drag her out of the house and drive her to the hospital. He's been having a very hard time, had to drop out of college because his dad doesnt have the money to sign the loans for him. His two older brother (twins who are 9 years older then us) neither will help him, and the one in which his dad is now living with, told Will he could "sleep on the floor in the basement" if he wanted too. At least at my house he has a couch.

During the school year because i didn't have a roommate in my room and my roommate liked him, he was staying with me every day up at college. There things were better. Now that i'm at home for break is when tension is starting. There is always tension at my house because me and my grandmom dont get along the best, throw Will into the situation, not understanding/having grown up with the odd order in my house and its just causing more problems.

Yeah like you said I've learned I'm not the best person to live with. I blame myself because i'm an only child. I'm not at the level of murdering him yet though. So that's a good thing. One horrible thing, is he is the reason i gained all the weight i put on. I swear he is ALWAYS hungry.

Elusive said:

*offers hugs and cookies*

My friend was in that situation for awhile. Not fun.

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Thank you!

Missus Akasha said:

I feel like a baby who is about to learn how to walk except I've written tons of stories before. Do you get scared when you start a new story, Ally?

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Awwww i'm sorry your nervous Missus. Sorry i dont really get scared when i start a new story though. I'm always extremely excited. Terrified to share any of my stories with others though.

What are you scared of?

The fear of starting a story and not being able to finish it, which has happened quite a few times. I get so hyped up with the story that I start writing it then I lose inspiration to write it after a while.

Awwww sorry. I really hope you keep that inspiration.

Normally since i write a series that i have all planned out for 5 more books and then a spin-off series after that, i can always keep my motivation, because that's all i think about all day.

But recently with this new book i'm working on, because its outside my series... I will say I've lost inspiration quite alot. Its happened with my other books in my series, but i cant really start the next one in the series without finishing the previous one, that's what usually kept me motivated.

The only thing keeping me motivated now to finish this one is because i really believe this book is going to be my gateway book.

That sounds tough, Ally. Glad you haven't killed anybody so far.

Yeah its been a really had year, but what are you going to do about it.

And no i'm free of killing anybody in real life, but man are people/things dying left and right in my books. I blame my locked up anger. hehehehe my poor characters, i take everything out on them.

I hope you finish your current book then!

Hi, Para.

Thanks, I'm right now 85K in so I'd feel horrible if i just gave up on it now, and left my poor characters stranded in the desert.

One thing i've learned from all of my nano book projects (the only ones i seem to loose motivation on) Is to have alot of support behind you for the books. If you have people who tell you its a great idea and who offer to read it (even if they are serious or not) it really gives you that boost in spirit to finish it.

YAWNing really helps me too. Although your only presenting snippits the positive comments keeps me writing. I dont know about everyone else but i ususally start to loose motivation when i start to doubt my writing ability. Having that support behind you really helps knock those bad thoughts away.

I'm so tired but I have to finish my English essay before 12:00 PM (in an hour and six minutes).

I loved the end of Sherlock Holmes too, Tay, but I knew it was coming. If you read the books, you know.

Hey again. My wrists hurt today so I don''t know how much writing i'll manage to get done... :/

I made my first cake earlier. With a bit of help from Mum, but still... I'm happy.

Morning Tally, Kat, and Lisa

GRRRRRR you know i hate how I'm addicted to series. My original series will be 13 books long. The Second Gen I already have 3 books planned and I'm sure there will be at least 5. I already realized that TAJ is going to be a trilogy and NOW I come up with this amazing SNI that would have to be a trilogy too!

Hmm... how about when you're done TAJ you start on the new SNI? If TAJ sells, than you'll probably start working on the second right away, if not, another book to query.

Well when i'm done TAJ I'm going back to LotF- The House. I think i'll wait to do the SNI till I found out TAJ is good or not. Maybe i'll start it for next years Nano.

Plus, i told it to a friend who told me it had aspects of V for Vendetta... which i've never seen, so now I'm going to have to watch the movie.

What Tally said.

The only thing I've got that's going to be part of a trilogy is Underdogs, which I may "restart" as a Camp WriMo project.

Thalia said:

I loved the end of Sherlock Holmes too, Tay, but I knew it was coming. If you read the books, you know.

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After I finish LOTR, I'll probably read Sherlock Holmes. But, as a non-reader or whatever, I was amazed.

They are amazing books! And the movie are too die for. I went opening night for the first one and the first day for the second one! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH i love sherlock holmes.

I love Sherlock (the movies, NOT the TV series) probably more because I adore Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law <3 they are so dreamy.
Great actors too.
I loved Sherlock Holmes 2 a little bit more than 1 but they're both just as good, if that makes sense.
I'm not making sense today... I apologise.

They ARE dreamy. And of course, good actors. And I love the accents. I adore british accents..

I undertsmad what you said, and I agree.

Ok question on agents/marketing.

I know the first step to a series is for each book to Stand Alone. That is already done.

My question is. I've left some areas in the book that are like "Why the hell did that happen?" or "Why didnt he just kill them?". Because it ties into the next books. So will that turn off the reader do you think? Because they probably wont know its a series? If that makes sense.

Ally, sometimes even on stand alone books (that DON'T end up a series) I find bits that make me think "huh?" lol
So I think it's only natural for there to be small bits that some people don't get... as long as it's not like, gaping holes that leave a LOT of people confused or wondering what's happening, then you should be fine. Well that's what I think, anyway

Well, as Lisa can tell you, MAAH ends on a huge cliffhanger and it's the first novel.

Basically, what you have to do is make sure the main conflict of that novel is resolved. Honestly, it's good to have loose ends, as long as you leave hints in your novel that they aren't plot holes, they're loose ends. Like, don't just avoid talking about it. If your villain suddenly saves your character's life, make sure the character talks or thinks about it. Make sure they are just as confused, and in the last chapter, bring it up again, so your reader knows it isn't just a plot hole, but something left to be resolved in a future novel.

ETA: I love the Sherlock Holmes movies, and I love the TV show. Can't choose one.

that's what i figured, i was just curious.

For example. The Sand Surfers leave Evy and Matty completely alone while they are in the desert, because while they lay down to take a nap Matty uses a blanket that he stole from Medusa as a tent shade. What neither of them realize or know, is that the shield on the blanket (which is really a cape) is the emblem of the Old Empire. Which the Sand Surfers used to be loyal too.

Now all that isnt found out till the later two books, but point of the matter is do you think the Readers will think in the first book, that its kind of a cop out that Matty and Evy weren't attacked by the Sand Surfers?

No. Make sure you mention that there's a weird symbol on the blanket, and make sure Matty and Evy say, at some point, "I wonder why we're not being attacked?"

The trick is to not making it a plot hole is to acknowledge that it doesn't make sense.

Trying to figure out when Isaac starts to think he's gay... (background).

ETA: And how.