Social Exercise #1: Introduction

Vhb_Rocketman

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So I initially signed up just to lurk but I figured if I ever want my work to be read, I would need to start posting too. So here goes...

Hi all.

I'm new to this whole writing thing. It all started while I was bored on a midnight test shift. I wrote down a few lines on my phone, not thinking much of it. Then one and a half years, and 165k words, later I actually finished the first draft. I was totally surprised that I actually stuck with it.

With pride and joy I showed it to my wife. Who promptly returned the draft with only the first few chapters all marked up, and a book about writing. And so my journey into revision and learning how to began.


I'm still working on that first work in progress, a Space Opera, going on to 3 years now. I never thought I would enjoy writing. Even the revision process isn't that bad. I've always liked reading, though I tend to stay with fantasy and science fiction. Never really got into any other genres.

I never heard of beta readers until I started researching the "next step". Sounds like it could be a fun thing to do, but given work and our first kid on the way...I don't think I could commit to that. I have a feeling I'll be lucky enough to keep in practice with my writing.


I've mostly just been lurking on the writing subreddit but figured I'd try to find a more closed off community to start sharing.

Hoping to learn a lot here, but more importantly to overcome my uncomfort with social media and posting.

Yay! Exercise #1 complete.

Now for Social Exercise #2. Get to 50 posts before September. Given my previous average of 1 post on forums per month...this will be a challenge.
 

regdog

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:welcome:


Take some time and read the Newbie Guide and the Stickies found
at the top of Forum pages. They are your best guide to learning about
Absolute Write.


Stop by the Weekend Progress Report each week to brag about your weekly writing accomplishments.
Awesome smilies and awards are given out.




Please read the FAQ about posting photos.




In fact we have lots of brilliant FAQs check them out.




Members who want to start a thread in Share Your Work to have work critiqued need
50 posts. Don’t make a mad dash to reach your 50 posts. That is frowned upon and can lead to your posts being deleted.
Take some time to greet fellow newbies, critique other members’ works, or join a discussion.




Announcements, Events and Self Promotion is for active members only. All obvious spam will be deleted on sight!
Here’s how to Promote With Aplomb.


Try stopping by Writing Exercises, Prompts & Whimsical Pursuits and give the Flash Fiction Challenge a try.
 

DanielSTJ

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"And I think it's gonna be a long long time..." :p

Hail, fair traveler! Take off those rocket booster shoes ( ;) ) and settle in. We've got stimpacks! :greenie

What is your novel about? How many words do you get down per day?

And, of course: :welcome:
 

Chase

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:welcome:, Rocketman.

As a lad in the '50s, I enjoyed your serial clips at Saturday afternoon movies.

rocketman_1.jpg


Hope you're as good at writing as you were at flying. :greenie
 

Denevius

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Best of luck on the Space Opera, and welcome to AW!
 

Vhb_Rocketman

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Stimpacks are always appreciated! I've never really tracked my word count per day. My goals typically revolve around 2 to 3 chapters a week.

As for what my novel is about...never really had to answer that question. Its harder then one thinks. Well I guess this is as good a time to come up with a blurb as any.

"Following centuries of strife and chaos, peace and prosperity has come to humanities new home in the Elpis star system. A Golden Age of sorts, or so Detective Chyou Loukori had always though. That is until a routine case of corporate theft by the crew the crew of the Pyceria’s Purse turned her world upside down. Threatening to expose the greatest mystery of the ages, what really happened to the Destino Colony ship. A mystery that everyone would kill to control.

Meanwhile, Philip Reegan, King of the Republic of Walderwind, struggles to re-assert power stripped from the crown, dispite calls to abolish it all together . Matters are made worse when the same forces hunting for the Destino mystery, work to weaken the Republic and bring back its greatest enemy, the once mighty Zeeland Empire."

I've read better blurbs, but it'll do for now. My stimpack has run out.
 

Zan75

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:welcome:
Congrats on finishing exercise #1, best of luck with exercise #2 and your space opera.
 

DarienW

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:welcome:

I'm equally leery about social media, but I've been loving it here! I hope you enjoy it, I've learned so much!

:)
 

MichaelC

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I used Reddit a few times and have an account but, overall, I don't really like the structure. I agree that it's a more closed-off community. You get more "up" votes by making snide remarks. I feel like 143K words is a lot for a first novel, but that's just me. I am in the process of revising my first book and it's grueling. I like the actual storytelling much more than the writing part. The good news is that after many revisions, you look back on the first and say, "Wow, that sucked. The revised version is much better!"