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Okua posted:Here's some venting: Coming up with titles is haaaaard. Just shamelessly steal some 70s song title or something that sounds like a mis-remembered quote from a well-known franchise. That's what my Kindle keeps recommending to me, anyway. Like, I just played a show this weekend, I don't need you going "
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Aug 28, 2017 21:18
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Thranguy posted:Nah, the people chasing Eddings readers beat it into paste; the people following Jordan beat it the paste into dust, and the Martin followers are beating it to atoms and quarks. Yeah, this is far more accurate than what I said. Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Seriously, check all this poo poo out: A third of those were written before it was cliche though (and another third of them are garbage). Stuporstar fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Aug 28, 2017 |
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Aug 28, 2017 22:08
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Edit: 30 minutes later remembered my working title right now is Amulet of Air Consider jazzing it up with a subtitle like "Amulet of Air: A Good Book, part of the Hell Yeah Fantastical Book Cycle"
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Aug 28, 2017 22:23
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amulet of air: ascension; a novel by a novelist, part 1 in an epic fantasy series
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Aug 28, 2017 22:55
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Seriously, check all this poo poo out: Here, I made these titles better for you.
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Aug 29, 2017 00:23
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crabrock posted:here are some fantasy titles i came up with for you: I am legitimately interested in reading most of these. "The Owner of a Variable Amount of Things" is great but I want to learn more about this whole Growing Diary.
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Aug 29, 2017 00:39
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I detect a new Thunderdome theme in the making.
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Aug 29, 2017 00:49
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Stuporstar posted:I detect a new Thunderdome theme in the making. Someone make this a thing please! And also mine crabrock for more fantastic titles
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Aug 29, 2017 00:54
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PIG WHIP WHIG PIP
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Aug 29, 2017 01:48
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anime was right posted:amulet of air: ascension; a novel by a novelist, part 1 in an epic fantasy series Amulet of Air: Ascension, a novel by a novelist, part 1 of the Summermist Knight of Dragons Cycle Stuporstar posted:A third of those were written before it was cliche though (and another third of them are garbage). this.... this was the joke ;___; Dr. Kloctopussy fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Aug 29, 2017 |
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Aug 29, 2017 02:19
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I name my stories after what I feel is the most important element in them, which is why the serious ones have dumb names like Blue Star. Although last year's Nano novel was Have Phylactery, Will Travel, which is dumb for different reasons and not all that accurate to the feel of the story. Relevant to discussion: Neural network makes story titles.
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Aug 29, 2017 02:56
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CantDecideOnAName posted:I name my stories after what I feel is the most important element in them, which is why the serious ones have dumb names like Blue Star. Although last year's Nano novel was Have Phylactery, Will Travel, which is dumb for different reasons and not all that accurate to the feel of the story. So what's going on with Blue Star anyway?
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Aug 29, 2017 03:47
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Sitting Here posted:So what's going on with Blue Star anyway? It's been sitting, mostly, while I write other stuff. I reread what little I have of the third draft yesterday so it's been on my mind again. It's been hard to get back into it for a number of reasons- plotting, pacing, tightening up characters- and I can't seem to get my thoughts in order. I've actually been thinking of doing the post-it note method to try and get things ironed out but I'm leery of trying that until we get moved into our new place, and I want to use the deadline of Nano to push myself into actually writing the drat 3.5 draft but before then I have to have things plotted so that I know where I'm going. I still have some really good emails saved from- what, two years ago? (Three? Jesus.) that I'm using as my current basis for reworking but it'll be a lot easier if I have someone sitting down with me and talking it out chapter by chapter. Whatever. That's probably editing and I'm getting ahead of myself. I've tried rewriting Star multiple times but every time I try I get overwhelmed and go immerse myself in writing new stuff instead. I'm honored that you remember it.
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Aug 29, 2017 04:03
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CantDecideOnAName posted:It's been sitting, mostly, while I write other stuff. I reread what little I have of the third draft yesterday so it's been on my mind again. It's been hard to get back into it for a number of reasons- plotting, pacing, tightening up characters- and I can't seem to get my thoughts in order. I've actually been thinking of doing the post-it note method to try and get things ironed out but I'm leery of trying that until we get moved into our new place, and I want to use the deadline of Nano to push myself into actually writing the drat 3.5 draft but before then I have to have things plotted so that I know where I'm going. I still have some really good emails saved from- what, two years ago? (Three? Jesus.) that I'm using as my current basis for reworking but it'll be a lot easier if I have someone sitting down with me and talking it out chapter by chapter. Whatever. That's probably editing and I'm getting ahead of myself. I still think Blue Star has a wicked cool premise. I hope you keep at that one, but if you're writing new stuff, that's awesome as well.
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Aug 29, 2017 05:37
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Guys I'm about sixty thousand words (hope to end at 110k) into a fantasy novel. I've avoided a bad name like the ones listed above, but what else should I avoid? Mine involves dragons, which makes me feel a little like a hack, but I'd like to avoid other huge offenders. What do you hate most about fantasy, basically?
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Aug 29, 2017 12:51
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TequilaJesus posted:
Apostrophes or other names that are FANTASY AS HECK.
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Aug 29, 2017 14:00
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"dragons are a myth" *twenty two chapters later* "this is a flying lizard that shoots fire... excuse me, heat energy from its mouth... its called a fire terror lizard god and it is absolutely NOT a dragon. dragons are a myth"
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Aug 29, 2017 14:20
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Fantasy races that have no real reason to be fantasy races other than the author really likes elves, except the elves act exactly like humans and the fact that they're elves doesn't matter. Conversely, fantasy races that are so alien as to be unrelatable.
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Aug 29, 2017 14:32
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Just please don't write the next Eragon And if you do please don't make John Malkovich star in it.
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Aug 29, 2017 15:33
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Sorry guys, that list was 45 years in the making and I don't have any more fantasy titles to share.
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Aug 29, 2017 16:50
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crabrock posted:Sorry guys, that list was 45 years in the making and I don't have any more fantasy titles to share. i got one A Published Author, by Crab Rock
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Aug 29, 2017 16:58
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anime was right posted:i got one i have multiple publications tyvm 
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Aug 29, 2017 18:56
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Oh that's another good title
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Aug 29, 2017 19:00
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does anyone in here write anything other than genre fiction?
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Aug 29, 2017 20:47
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yes
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Aug 29, 2017 21:35
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good question btw
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Aug 29, 2017 21:36
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yeah I guess?
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Aug 29, 2017 21:38
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im only asking cuz ive got an idea for a novel i want to write but when i think about the premise of it and how i want to write it, it sounds very much like a kind of book that some other authors ive read would have written. authors with very distinctive styles. how do you avoid the trap of mimicry or pastiche? i know this is ultimately a dumb question cuz i haven't actually written anything yet and i won't get a chance to start writing anything for a while due to life and not even owning a computer but wondering if anyone else struggles with anything similar?
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Aug 29, 2017 23:09
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What does that have to do with non-genre fiction writing? Also there is nothing new under the sun, good writers borrow great writers steal, etc etc. Just write it.
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Aug 29, 2017 23:14
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CantDecideOnAName posted:What does that have to do with non-genre fiction writing? most of the topics discussed in this thread seem to be about character development or plot progression. my question was about style, which is generally not very important to genre fiction
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Aug 29, 2017 23:21
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fridge corn posted:most of the topics discussed in this thread seem to be about character development or plot progression. my question was about style, which is generally not very important to genre fiction thats very wrong and im not even a genre writer
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Aug 29, 2017 23:22
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fridge corn posted:most of the topics discussed in this thread seem to be about character development or plot progression. my question was about style, which is generally not very important to genre fiction wow you're dumb edit: More seriously, why do you think style isn't important to genre fiction? CantDecideOnAName fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Aug 29, 2017 |
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Aug 29, 2017 23:27
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Style is SUPER important to genre fiction I'm trying for a particular one in my thing, where I have very horrific things happen very innocuously so the reader doesn't realize it, until it's drawn attention to later
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Aug 29, 2017 23:37
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fridge corn posted:im only asking cuz ive got an idea for a novel i want to write but when i think about the premise of it and how i want to write it, it sounds very much like a kind of book that some other authors ive read would have written. authors with very distinctive styles. Once you've written it, it will be your own; sounding vaguely like a successful author is not actually a problem. The opposite, mostly.
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Aug 29, 2017 23:40
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fridge corn posted:im only asking cuz ive got an idea for a novel i want to write but when i think about the premise of it and how i want to write it, it sounds very much like a kind of book that some other authors ive read would have written. authors with very distinctive styles. It's not something to really worry about until you start writing it. Two different authors can have the same outline and same goals in mind, and end up with two completely different stories, simply because they're different people drawing from different experiences when they write. If you're worried about unconsciously mimicking the prose style of the writers you're drawing inspiration from, that's something to look for in editing, where you'd be able to pull out and revise anything you feel is too close to mimicry. Right now, this sounds like the sort of excuse your brain will make to keep you from writing, along the lines of 'but I can't write it until it's perfect'. Every author, whether consciously or unconsciously, is using elements of style picked up from other people. Are you worried that your personal voice as a writer isn't strong enough? That's something I'm often concerned about, because my voice varies a lot between the pieces I write, but again, that's something you can sort out in editing. One of the major things I end up doing when I edit is trying to work everything back into a cohesive style.
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Aug 29, 2017 23:56
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The only way to develop a style is to write more.
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Aug 30, 2017 00:09
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fridge corn posted:im only asking cuz ive got an idea for a novel i want to write but when i think about the premise of it and how i want to write it, it sounds very much like a kind of book that some other authors ive read would have written. authors with very distinctive styles. It's true that style questions apply to genre books as well, BUT it's also true that we don't talk about style as much as plot and stuff, so I'm going to try to answer that question instead of arguing about genre (just imagine I c/p-ed my last post on that, ok). First, you say the premise/how you want to write it sounds like how some other authors WOULD have written. That's a good start, b/c if I understand correctly, it's not very much like something they have already written. Second, if it feels like many authors to you, then there is a chance it won't actually sound like mimicry or pastiche, because it will be pulling elements from different places, and most likely, just by default, will have some element of yourself in it. So, baseline, I think you are probably overthinking this and worrying when you don't need to. Second, you write what you are going to write and then you edit it, and if while doing that you think it sounds too much like mimicry or pastiche you figure out why and change it. I was actually going to write more about style in general, but I see that you were only asking that specific question, and also that you aren't even planning to try writing it soon, so I'm gonna stop for now and hopefully get back to that subject when I have more time. I think the OPs are pretty sparse on style advice right now, too. Didn't we talk about this a few months ago? Possibly starting from nearly the exact same intro of genre v. not? Early March, I think.
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Aug 30, 2017 00:37
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:It's true that style questions apply to genre books as well, BUT it's also true that we don't talk about style as much as plot and stuff, so I'm going to try to answer the question about not sounding like mimicry/pastiche, instead of arguing about genre (just imagine I c/p-ed my last post on that, ok). edit: lol somehow i managed to immediately empty-quote myself on accident. GJ me. Dr. Kloctopussy fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Aug 30, 2017 |
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Aug 30, 2017 00:37
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Every time we talk about style someone just recommends The Elements of Style and then the conversation collapses. No one wants to talk about the tiny author foibles, or how different people have different sentence construction habits, or the kind of plot elements different authors gravitate to.
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Aug 30, 2017 01:00
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I have no idea how to talk about my personal style and voice. I ape some of what I read but a lot of it is just how it evolved. If I want to influence my story towards a certain style then I'll read things in that style.
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Aug 30, 2017 01:19
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