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Anomalous Blowout posted:Awesome! I just came up with a scene I want to add to my piece and I'll try to chuck it in and get it finished soon. If you'd rather post yours now, I'll leap on that poo poo like an irrelevant simile. Leap away - http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3638828
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May 30, 2014 15:12
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ax7PrK0_k6e5ibu-9FAbVLKwbpayAAvlc59Z6ToUuww/edit You don't really have THAT many, but there were about two or three errors that were very clearly ESL errors. Once you spot those, it kind of colors the perception of other errors, so while there were only three clear-cut ESL errors, it made some of your word choice seem like it stemmed from ESL issues as well. Don't get me wrong, even though I've never tried to write fiction in German, I'm sure I'd make more DaF errors in German than you do in English. If not for "spartanic" I might have just assumed you flubbed or typoed rather than that you were ESL. You shouldn't beat yourself up or anything; I think if you want to publish in English, just having an editor nip out the very few ESL errors you make would be totally fine.
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May 30, 2014 15:35
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seb and systran, thanks so much!systran posted:if you want to publish in English Don't know if this thread is the right platform for that kind of question, but can I even do that living in Middle Europe? I thought this business still operated mostly on oldschool mail. Can you publish internationally through the web now?
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Jun 1, 2014 08:54
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Entenzahn posted:
Yeah, they have email.
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Jun 1, 2014 09:01
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Watching some of Sanderson's lectures got me to approach things a little differently, and I think I like the results more so far. But maybe that's part and parcel of having mulled on it for a while beforehand already. He's kind of distracting, though, chowing down on Gummi Bears constantly. And is he wearing a... foam fedora in some of those videos? I should just finish something and get it out there for crits, jesus 
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Jun 1, 2014 17:36
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Entenzahn posted:seb and systran, thanks so much! The business runs on email. Anybody locked into paper submissions only is a dinosaur.
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Jun 1, 2014 18:28
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Watching some of Sanderson's lectures got me to approach things a little differently, and I think I like the results more so far. But maybe that's part and parcel of having mulled on it for a while beforehand already. He's kind of distracting, though, chowing down on Gummi Bears constantly. And is he wearing a... foam fedora in some of those videos? that hat though seriously
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Jun 2, 2014 11:00
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I discovered something troubling over the past six months. Every time I watch or read something with a particular sounding voice I'll subconsciously start writing in that tone. For instance, I watch Deadwood and suddenly everyone starts smoothly using big complex words sprinkled here and there with vulgarity and asides. I start reading Stephen King and I start using callbacks to emotional metaphors and using his kind of blurry inner-dialogue third person narrative. I start reading Terry Pratchett and my descriptions become stretched so I can cram them with lengthy metaphors partially based around idioms. For the most part these typically aren't problems for the things I'm writing. But I once had to rewrite a horror story because the ominous tone was ruined by my Pratchett-esque asides and I had to decide whether I was writing a humorous take on Shadow Over Innsmouth or a straight take on Shadow Over Innsmouth. It started out humorous, then it went dark, and then I didn't know what the hell I was writing. But the real problem here is that it really makes me feel like I have no voice of my own. It makes me feel like crap since I'm writing my lovely version of King-Style instead of my own unique 'Mr Slam'-style. I feel like Will Graham only with the chops of an amateur.
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Jun 5, 2014 14:33
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That's what editing's for, dude. Every fuckin' thing around you should inspire and change how you write and that's a good thing. Just pick a mood for the final piece and edit it to fit with that, you'll find a style that fits with the stories you wanna write eventually.
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Jun 5, 2014 14:51
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MrSlam posted:I discovered something troubling over the past six months. Every time I watch or read something with a particular sounding voice I'll subconsciously start writing in that tone.
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Jun 5, 2014 15:47
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Thanks. I guess it's not all that bad then. I have a tendency to go back and rewrite everything immediately so I get paranoid and super critical of myself sometimes.
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Jun 5, 2014 22:02
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MrSlam posted:Thanks. I guess it's not all that bad then. Everyone is influenced by other things. and also readers tend to get off on seeing writers grow and change. You should always be aware and protect your style if it is unique but, you know... grow. The time to be worried is when you aren't growing and your stuff seems stagnant.
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Jun 6, 2014 01:14
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I've always been aware of it, and I try to take advantage of it. I'll think, "I need a bit more Vonnegut," or "I could use more Stephen King," or "Time for a little Bradbury." The only time I feel like my writing suffers from the authors I'm reading is when it's something truly wretched. When I read The Fountainhead, I literally felt like a worse writer.
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Jun 6, 2014 04:08
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If something is so good that it gets stuck in your noodle, writing wise, it's worth stealing and coveting and completely misusing for your own purposes. It's still filtered through you. Your self. So what you're really going to get is a weird slurry that's a little bit King and a little bit Pratchett and a little bit That Person You Know Who Talks a Certain Way, maybe with a dash of Subconscious Recollection of a Certain Nit-picky College Professor You Once Had, or something. Loot and pillage the works of other authors, for there is nothing new to say and no new ways to say it.
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Jun 6, 2014 08:30
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Not that I want more competition (not that I think I'm good enough yet to be considered) but Tor.com announced that they're accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions until the end of August. They're looking for complete, unpublished adult novellas/short novels above 17,500 words, with no upper limit. They explicitly want short pieces, so probably don't submit something above 50k. What that means is, if you don't currently have a short you're working on/have worked on, and want to start today, 560 words a day will not only let you hit that bottom limit, but give you a month's editing time. I know most of us have at least one project we've worked on that fits into that awkward word length of "probably unpublishable" - here's a chance to polish that horrible turd Here's the submission guidelines/rules/post/everything like that about it.
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Jun 6, 2014 15:37
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I'm not sure if this is the place for this, but I'm currently having trouble managing plot threading, I think because I over complicate the process for myself. Outlines work to a degree but sometimes when I write characters, they break the outline (their motivations make more sense but defy the plot), or I accidentally make a dumb plot hole that didn't think of before that I feel is really bad to handwave. In this case, is it best to just restructure the whole story again and rewrite the outline? Are there any good resources, interviews, etc on threading plots together and how other writers do it? That would be helpful. I pretty much stuck to short stories until writing an actual novel so I have absolutely zero experience with managing a lot of plots, and this is the most difficult part of the transition. Thanks! anime was right fucked around with this message at 17:18 on Jun 8, 2014 |
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Jun 8, 2014 17:16
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Writing the blockbuster novel has a very lengthy section on outlining, revising that outline, and revising as the novel gets written
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Jun 8, 2014 17:36
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blue squares posted:Writing the blockbuster novel has a very lengthy section on outlining, revising that outline, and revising as the novel gets written Cool, I'll check that out. Thanks 
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Jun 8, 2014 17:52
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LOU BEGAS MUSTACHE posted:I'm not sure if this is the place for this, but I'm currently having trouble managing plot threading, I think because I over complicate the process for myself. Outlines work to a degree but sometimes when I write characters, they break the outline (their motivations make more sense but defy the plot), or I accidentally make a dumb plot hole that didn't think of before that I feel is really bad to handwave. In this case, is it best to just restructure the whole story again and rewrite the outline? This is an interesting question, because your options come down to what type of novel you're trying to write. I'm inclined to rewrite plot to fit the character rather than the opposite because I prefer character driven novels. If the motivations feel natural, I let the character pursue them to their natural conclusion, even if I have to sacrifice plot points to do so. I rewrite, and keep rewriting, until the character arcs come to their natural conclusions. I suppose blockbuster novelists stick firmly to their plot and alter their characters to fit because plot is what their readers buy their books for. However, when a writer can't make their character fit and relegates them to wooden plot puppet with idiotic motivations, all for the sake of pursuing a contrived, high concept idea that just wouldn't happen with real, three-dimensional people—well, gently caress that poo poo. I hate that. I guess what I'm saying is, more often than not gaping plot holes turn out to be gaping character holes.
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Jun 8, 2014 21:06
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Stuporstar posted:
That's not what the book I mentioned talks about at all. It uses the actual outlines from Ken Follets huge success, The Man From St Petersburg, and each change is done to strengthen the character ties and make them better overall. One of the other novelss studied in the book is Gone With the Wind, so by blockbuster it doesn't mean Clive Cussler shlock.
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Jun 8, 2014 21:46
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Whalley posted:Not that I want more competition (not that I think I'm good enough yet to be considered) but Tor.com announced that they're accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions until the end of August. They're looking for complete, unpublished adult novellas/short novels above 17,500 words, with no upper limit. They explicitly want short pieces, so probably don't submit something above 50k. This made me dig after an old project that I had only written about a page of. Oh well, guess I've got an excuse to expand upon it now and take a break from my novel.
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Jun 9, 2014 21:14
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Whalley posted:Not that I want more competition (not that I think I'm good enough yet to be considered) but Tor.com announced that they're accepting unsolicited, unagented submissions until the end of August. They're looking for complete, unpublished adult novellas/short novels above 17,500 words, with no upper limit. They explicitly want short pieces, so probably don't submit something above 50k. Yeah, thanks a bunch for posting this. I wasn't planning to move on to a certain sci-fi project I've had in mind until this fall, but maybe I need to swap my schedule around a bit.
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Jun 10, 2014 20:06
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Describing people is hard. Not just the technique of layering the description into the narrative so it's not so drat obvious what you're doing (though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself), but also figuring out the words to use. How do some of y'all approach this horrible facet of writing? Both the insertion and the choosing.
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Jun 11, 2014 17:26
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Describing people is hard. Not just the technique of layering the description into the narrative so it's not so drat obvious what you're doing (though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself), but also figuring out the words to use. Jesus christ you are not wrong. One of the trickiest things with writing Star was doing the description well--I couldn't have the main character describe his friends, because no one does that in a casual setting, and describing themselves in a mirror is really hacky imo. (Although I can't talk, because the main character does at one point.) The key is to remember you don't have to describe everything. Skin color, hair color, and style of dress seem to be the basics, although if there are any defining, noticable characteristics like horrible burn scars or a tail you should mention those too. Insert those little details into the actions of the characters (running a hand through their red hair, or something) and it isn't so glaring.
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Jun 11, 2014 17:49
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CantDecideOnAName posted:Jesus christ you are not wrong. One of the trickiest things with writing Star was doing the description well--I couldn't have the main character describe his friends, because no one does that in a casual setting, and describing themselves in a mirror is really hacky imo. (Although I can't talk, because the main character does at one point.) -- "Goddamn when did I get age spots on my hands?" -- I wondered what's another cheeseburger at this point? -- Ran a hand through my hair, paused and debated if it was worth it to get another haircut or just wait for the rest to fall out. Packing it all into the first three paragraphs is overkill, but these things scattered into the chapter help paint a picture.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:07
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magnificent7 posted:You won't describe yourself in a mirror, but people are self-critical to a delightful fault: Doing it this way is so much more effective because it helps define the character as well. There are three types of details where character shines through: 1. Minor details even a slob could control if told to shape up for a job interview, such as hair, nails, polished shoes, etc. 2. Major details that require dedication, such as staying in shape. 3. Things beyond the character's control, such as aging. How the character deals with these things, or fails to, can tell so much about a character's psychology that they're more important than just giving the reader a clear mental picture of how they look. Details writers think people need to know, like height and eye color, just don't matter as much compared to posture and presentation.
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Jun 11, 2014 20:00
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So I'm writing a short story about different gods. Somewhere along the lines I decided to avoid using gendered pronouns to keep anything gender related ambiguous, since it doesn't really have any bearing on the story anyway. This isn't working out so great, so far it's all clumsy as gently caress and I just realized they refer to the other gods as brothers anyway so gently caress it. Guess I'll have something fun to edit in post!
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Jun 11, 2014 21:06
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Describing people is hard. Not just the technique of layering the description into the narrative so it's not so drat obvious what you're doing (though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself), but also figuring out the words to use. Sometimes I think, "does it even matter if I describe the character?" Most of the time I just drop in the odd relevant descriptor early on and let the reader imagine what they want, because they mostly will anyway. The problem is if you leave it too long they will already have imagined something, and then you have to tell them they're wrong, which knocks them a bit.
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Jun 11, 2014 23:04
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PoshAlligator posted:Sometimes I think, "does it even matter if I describe the character?" Most of the time I just drop in the odd relevant descriptor early on and let the reader imagine what they want, because they mostly will anyway. The problem is if you leave it too long they will already have imagined something, and then you have to tell them they're wrong, which knocks them a bit. Describe the character only where doing so conveys character or plot. This is one of those rules that it's fine to break but you have to have a good reason to break it (like all of them, I guess).
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Jun 11, 2014 23:16
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Describing people is hard. Not just the technique of layering the description into the narrative so it's not so drat obvious what you're doing (though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself), but also figuring out the words to use. It's also in the little verb choices: if they need to get to the other side of the room, do they stomp, glide or swagger? Being aware of the character's movements and body can get across a lot more about them and their history than saying "she has red hair". quote:(though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself)
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Jun 12, 2014 01:17
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Yeah if I see the mirror thing, I stop reading, full stop. If that's how an author chooses to solve that particular problem, I'm not going to be thrilled with how they handle other, trickier expository issues.
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Jun 12, 2014 01:37
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I think the mirror thing can work. In cheesy romance.
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Jun 12, 2014 03:31
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Or Bret Easton Ellis novels. But then, it's hard for him to write someone entering a scene without describing their outfits down to the thread count of their underwear, so...
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Jun 12, 2014 03:38
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10th rejection letter tonight. I think it's time to rewrite the query from a different POV.
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Jun 12, 2014 03:43
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Alright, I'll bite: After my kids saw the first Hunger Games movie, they begged me to read the books to them. They don't like reading, but for some reason they'll listen to me read, so I ended up reading it to them like an hour every night. They knew what most of the characters looked like from the movie, but then the second book starts introducing new characters, so my kids are asking me, "Daddy, what does Finnick look like?" I didn't really know so I just guessed based on what the character had done so far, "He's tall and strong looking, and he's got a cleft in his chin," (of course my daughter didn't know what that meant, so I had to tell her he had a 'butt chin' like Jay Leno...of course she didn't know who that was either). So then they keep asking me questions and interrupting me from reading, "What does Katniss' hair look like???" (daughters...omg) Anyway, I just make stuff up as I read it, and they seem to enjoy it. Right, these are kids though, so they need someone to jumpstart the imagination and to teach them that when you read a story you can fill the blanks in on your own; you don't just have to let the author dictate to you how someone looks. As adults--and more importantly as writers--I think we can leave a few scraps or paint some broad strokes and let the reader have the fun of tailoring the character's physical traits to their own mental image of how the character acts and carries him or herself.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:06
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:(though some authors make it work having someone look in the mirror and describe themself) I'm in another writer's group, and June's theme is "mirrors". Guess how many stories have that kind of setup 
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Jun 12, 2014 04:08
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the new mirrors is looking at social media photos of themselves (i did this but it was handy in illustrating a couple of other things about the setting real fast)
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Jun 12, 2014 04:10
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The Saddest Rhino posted:I'm in another writer's group, and June's theme is "mirrors". I'd love to see a story where the theme is mirrors, and you fill the story with them, and yet you manage to have the character not look at themselves--not once. Edit: and no vampires, because that's cheating.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:29
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The Invisible Man in... The House of Mirrors!  dun dun dunnnn
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Jun 12, 2014 04:31
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Stuporstar posted:I'd love to see a story where the theme is mirrors, and you fill the story with them, and yet you manage to have the character not look at themselves--not once. write ulililia fanfic
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Jun 12, 2014 05:22
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