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Naerasa posted:It's saying more than that, though. Not only is it saying "write more", but it's also saying that writing poo poo is an important part of learning to write well. Producing work you hate isn't a sign of failure; it's an opportunity to figure out why you hate it and work towards something you love. To condense that down to "write more" misses the point, which is that bad work isn't wasted work, but work towards future success. Also condensing it down to "write more" diminishes the role of time. I took a longish hiatus after my last attempt to write, and I can tell with absolute certainty I'm a better writer now than when I gave up on my first book. I haven't done a ton of writing in that time, but I've thought a lot about it, I've read a lot, I've spent time considering what drives me to write and what I do and don't enjoy or focus on in all different kinds of media. I don't think there's a formal, intentional way to develop your instincts, and that will always be mostly a factor of time. To boil it down, yes, write more, but trust that you will develop over time. You cannot force yourself to be a bestselling author through an 18-month plan, it will take time regardless of what approach or daily wordcount pain-gauntlet you subject yourself to.
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Sep 7, 2017 18:06
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Read More, Write More is good basic advice but there's more to it than just that if you actually want to get anything out of it. Plenty of people read and write a lot, but only copy the things they read without understanding why they liked it beyond "dragons are cool!" and don't improve because they don't know how to analyze the content (and, usually, react to even gentle criticism like you murdered their puppy). It involves asking questions such as: Why do I like this, why do I not like this, why does this sentence flow well when this one clunks, why is this character cool while I groan whenever this other one shows up, what was so engrossing that I was up all night reading, why am I so bored with this that I'd rather clean the entire bathroom than continue? Might help to write all that down, too, but probably not while you're doing whatever you're doing.
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Sep 7, 2017 21:31
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Echo Cian posted:Read More, Write More is good basic advice but there's more to it than just that if you actually want to get anything out of it. Plenty of people read and write a lot, but only copy the things they read without understanding why they liked it beyond "dragons are cool!" and don't improve because they don't know how to analyze the content (and, usually, react to even gentle criticism like you murdered their puppy). I write down short, one sentence questions that strike me while I'm reading and answer them later. If nothing else they serve as reminders of stuff I want to revisit/reread. It's been working well so far. On a different note, dear jeebus I'm terrible at writing dialog. Who writes good dialog? I've been skewing too much towards natural, realistic spoken dialog and on the page it reads as way too stilted and halting. Even when I'm consciously not writing "realistic" dialog it still falls pretty flat, though. I think I'm just not good yet at conveying character through dialog, so any good examples of that would be helpful.
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Sep 7, 2017 21:45
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Echo Cian posted:Read More, Write More is good basic advice but there's more to it than just that if you actually want to get anything out of it. Plenty of people read and write a lot, but only copy the things they read without understanding why they liked it beyond "dragons are cool!" and don't improve because they don't know how to analyze the content (and, usually, react to even gentle criticism like you murdered their puppy). That's something I forgot to mention. When I copy out passages I like, I write a paragraph below about why it grabbed me. I'll sometimes reread the same passage in a year or so and maybe write another paragraph on whether or not it holds up out of context. If I loved or hated a book, I'll write a short review and send it to a friend of mine who enjoys my bullshit. I chew through one book after another, averaging 3 a week, so if I don't stop to reflect on them, they fall right out of my head. Even a book that's so mediocre my only reaction is meh warrants some effort to figure out why.
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Sep 7, 2017 21:46
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Dunno if this was posted in CC somewhere else: http://io9.gizmodo.com/write-a-short-story-about-the-economics-of-the-future-a-1800020162 I'm not involved in this, but I figured some goons might be interested and want to give it a shot. The subject is about a Universal Basic Income where everyone receives a sum of money that is budgeted to fit their basic needs (whatever that's defined to be) but it's given with no conditions on how it's actually spent. The word limit is 5,000. Submissions are due on this page by November 1 (the start of NaNoWriMo). The prize for being put on the short list is $1000 and the grand prize is $12,000 (paid in $1000 installments over 12 months). Full Topic: quote:What might a world look like where all of our most basic needs are met? In 5,000 words or less, we want you to explore the impacts of a basic income on individual lives and on society at large. To be clear, we are not expecting you to draft economic policy, but hope to ignite debate around new economies with stories that offer nuanced critique and evidence of impact extrapolated beyond the power of predictive models. Writers may want to address how this economic policy could shift relationships of power, or if economic liberation is even possible without first addressing racial and gender justice. Writers may consider universality (i.e., whether this benefit applies to everyone), investigate community impact, and even give this economic idea a new name. Might be worth a shot for some folks. 
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Sep 11, 2017 00:46
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"If there was Universal Basic Income and I didn't have to work all the time, I would be able to write my stupid stories and songs. Or I would have to find some new way to procrastinate. In closing, Universal Basic Income is an economic model of many contrasts. Thank you."
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Sep 11, 2017 05:31
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Xelkelvos posted:Dunno if this was posted in CC somewhere else: http://io9.gizmodo.com/write-a-short-story-about-the-economics-of-the-future-a-1800020162 The prompt is kind of weird because they're asking for a story but it's written like they want an essay instead. Also, they say they want a nuanced critique, but the whole project seems very pro-UBI in general. Is it a critique they want, or an affirmation of the theory? An exploratory essay or a fictional narrative? I'll give it a try because I think it's an interesting prompt, but I won't be surprised if the winners turn out to be glowing non-stories about the greatness of UBI.
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Sep 11, 2017 05:52
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The sun rose over the money farm, trees rustling with twenty-, fifty- and hundred dollar bills. "God I love Universal Basic Income it just makes sense," Chet said, waiting for someone else to pick the bills from the money trees. He was too busy looking for a higher paying job. "It's not that I'm lazy," he told his former boss. "Quite the contrary. But when the economy collapsed because nobody asked where the money would come from, well, now these benjamins are good for wallpaper and that's about it."
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Sep 11, 2017 16:10
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Rewrite The Jungle but replace meatpacking with fast food and socialism with UBI.
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Sep 11, 2017 16:19
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i saw that and thought about it, but i'm guessing to win you need a pro-UBI story and tbf that sounds really boring. like as a plot point. UBI as a background might be ok but a whole story about that is dumb
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Sep 11, 2017 16:48
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crabrock posted:i saw that and thought about it, but i'm guessing to win you need a pro-UBI story and tbf that sounds really boring. like as a plot point. UBI as a background might be ok but a whole story about that is dumb yeah, how dumb, no one try. in fact, everyone just forget about the contest. 
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Sep 11, 2017 17:34
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this is the opening of mine, which i think we can all agree is going to get me that sweet, sweet 12k prize Since congress and passed universal basic income, Carlos had not gotten a papercut. “Good thing I do not have to cash all those cheques,” he said Britishly, now that he had the money to subsist on more than American dialect.
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Sep 11, 2017 18:23
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Naerasa posted:The prompt is kind of weird because they're asking for a story but it's written like they want an essay instead. Also, they say they want a nuanced critique, but the whole project seems very pro-UBI in general. Is it a critique they want, or an affirmation of the theory? An exploratory essay or a fictional narrative? Seems like they are looking for people to come up with creative and unforeseen ways UBI can cause discord or problems in society, like a huge brainstorming session for them to springboard off of in their own research. Though their point of view seems clear: quote:
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Sep 11, 2017 18:52
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So I took a chance and submitted my first novel to an agent. I don't expect anything to come from it but hey best foot forward and all that
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Sep 11, 2017 19:47
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grats and gl
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Sep 11, 2017 19:48
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If I can honestly ask, how does this synopsis read Alex Fernandez has always lived in a world of heroes. She, like everyone else, has found herself stranded in the middle of a war that has lasted decades. Alien invasions target the Earth for reasons unknown to any, devastating and reshaping society as we know it. In recent times a benevolent alien group have arrived to fight for humanity, defend them from the horrors of space. They are the Neo Damocles, the heroes of humanity. Only Alex knows they are not the only champions on the planet. A mysterious collection of individuals have been fighting against the alien invaders for much longer, ones unknown to the public at large. Alex finds herself thrust in the middle of the conflict between the invaders, the Neo Damocles, and this mysterious force known to her as the Lightning Brigade. She finds herself heir apparent to a power and legacy that goes beyond anything she has ever known, one that threatens to destroy her entire life. I feel like I can't ever explain my own writing, and this just feels like poo poo to me.
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Sep 11, 2017 20:09
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iirc you basically want a synopsis to sell the interesting elements of a (a story about a story, almost), and a pitch should be like, two sentences. what you have looks to be something in the middle of both of those?
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Sep 11, 2017 20:21
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Burkion posted:So I took a chance and submitted my first novel to an agent. Rejection letters should be measured by weight as the number of rejections is far too staggering to comprehend  . Querying is probably the most soul crushing part of the publishing process (or at least I hope so!). As an aside, it seems common practice to query multiple agents/publishers at a time. My wife likes to go with 5 at a time, another author we know rolls 20+ deep. Consider Checking out Query Tracker for information on agents and what they may be looking for and/or picked up recently.RE: your synopsis, no direct feedback but check out Inklings Publishing (https://www.inklingspublishing.com/) as a potential home for it. I'm pretty sure they have some space in their release calendar. Fair Warning: they are a very SMALL PRESS which means not a huge amount of infrastructure and typically no advance but they put in more time and effort on a book than most agents or large houses are willing to put in. Good Luck on querying!
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Sep 11, 2017 20:51
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Thank you, seriously! I'll plug away and we'll see what happens. I wasn't aware of this group, which makes sense given they're a smaller operation
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Sep 11, 2017 21:04
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Burkion posted:If I can honestly ask, how does this synopsis read I'm no expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but the one thing that sticks out here is the multiple instances of 'Alex finds herself'. On the surface, this is an issue because it's repetitive, but it's also troubling on a deeper level because it suggests Alex's actions are driven by the plot and not the other way around. Can you rewrite your query in such a way that it shows the choices Alex has to make, or does she not have control at any point in the story? If she doesn't ever have control, you may have fundamenal issues with your manuscript. Both agents and readers are looking for stories where characters' decisions have a meaningful impact on the narrative. They're not looking for stories about people being swept along by the tide. When you're writing a query letter, consider these four points I shamelessly stole from QueryShark: 1) Who is the main character? 2) What does she want? 3) What is keeping her from getting what she wants? 4) What must she sacrifice to get what she wants? That's it. That's what the story is. Unless, I guess, you're doing some crazy literary poo poo where you eschew pedestrian fancies like the traditional narrative arc. It doesn't sound like you're doing that, though, so you and your query should both be able to answer those questions. FormerPoster fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Sep 11, 2017 |
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Sep 11, 2017 22:24
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That is an excellent point. The answer is a bit complicated because the thrust of the story is Alex gaining the power to actually decide what to do for herself, at least from her POV. But I can definitely rejigger what I have with that in mind. The last thing that happens in this story is the plot moving characters along. A huge thing with the story is consequences for your actions and characters choosing to do this or the other so I'm definitely giving the wrong vibe with that.
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Sep 11, 2017 22:41
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Burkion posted:That is an excellent point. The answer is a bit complicated because the thrust of the story is Alex gaining the power to actually decide what to do for herself, at least from her POV. But I can definitely rejigger what I have with that in mind. If your manuscript supports what you're saying, then yeah, you're right about the summary giving the wrong vibe. Is Alex the only POV in the story? From what you're saying, it sounds like she doesn't take the most active role until later. If she's not the only POV, is there someone else who moves the story early on?
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Sep 11, 2017 22:59
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Naerasa posted:If your manuscript supports what you're saying, then yeah, you're right about the summary giving the wrong vibe. Is Alex the only POV in the story? From what you're saying, it sounds like she doesn't take the most active role until later. If she's not the only POV, is there someone else who moves the story early on? Without going too much into it Yes, there are a lot of characters that move the story. Alex is kind of sandbagged early on as a very Audience Surrogate type, some one that exists in the world but doesn't have the power to really do much about it. Kind of, I guess, Luke Skywalker-y. She is the primary POV character, but by no means the only one. The cast is quite large and spread out due to all of the nonsense going on. It's honestly been one of my bigger problems explaining the exact story because a lot of it is characters dealing with other characters doing poo poo or the fall out of certain actions. Within the first 50 pages, we have three other POV characters moving things along around and because of Alex. The core conflict comes down to, super boiled down, the miscellaneous alien invaders, the Neo Damocles, and the Lightning Brigade, and where Alex falls between them. It's also very much book 1 of a series, so her full character development I have planned only really gets started here. Like I said, I'm terrible at trying to succinctly explain my stuff, it's just too wrapped up in my own headspace most of the time.
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Sep 11, 2017 23:09
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Burkion posted:Without going too much into it It sounds like you've got a lot going on, so I can definitely see why you'd be having trouble explaining the story succinctly. Just out of curiosity, what's your word count?
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Sep 11, 2017 23:27
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Naerasa posted:It sounds like you've got a lot going on, so I can definitely see why you'd be having trouble explaining the story succinctly. Just out of curiosity, what's your word count? With the current draft I have, 88306 words. When I inevitably do a re-haul on it, easily 90,000. I wanted to keep the first book shorter to draw readers in and give them a good sample of the over all conflict and story. The second book is going to be...considerably longer, from my current estimations, though I don't want to go too much further than 120,000 words, especially for just the second book. But, whatever the word count works itself out as is what it is.
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Sep 11, 2017 23:34
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You shouldn't query on a book you know needs a rehaul.
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Sep 11, 2017 23:38
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Oh yeah, don't query an agent if the book isn't finished.* *finished in this context meaning all drafts and editing done, not just typing "The End." Cpt. Mahatma Gandhi fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Sep 11, 2017 |
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Sep 11, 2017 23:42
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:You shouldn't query on a book you know needs a rehaul. I misused the word. Really should have said 'another pass' if it doesn't get attention as is. So that's my bad.
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Sep 11, 2017 23:42
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Burkion posted:I misused the word. You know, you can always post a chapter sample here (here being CC in general, not this thread) for critique if you're unsure of what you're sending out. Goons can be pretty ruthless, but you'll probably get as much good advice as you do ball-crushing.
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Sep 12, 2017 00:57
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Naerasa posted:You know, you can always post a chapter sample here (here being CC in general, not this thread) for critique if you're unsure of what you're sending out. Goons can be pretty ruthless, but you'll probably get as much good advice as you do ball-crushing. yeah, post a chapter and link it here and you'll get good feedback.
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Sep 12, 2017 02:59
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Alright. So this is the prologue and the first chapter, since the prologue is kind of key to get the mood of what I'm going for, at least at its most dire. Brigade is a serious story, but that doesn't mean that it isn't without camp. Because what fun would that be? So yeah. Prologue is a bit more abstract than anything that comes after it but that's for a reason and blah blah blah. I'm not super happy with how the first chapter opens, but you know how that goes, necessary evils. If something looks hosed up with the formatting, it might be due to taking it from the document to the thread but I'll try to address that ahead of time. Might miss something but you know. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3833927 Have at it! I admit this won't be the smartest thing ever written, but I think it rates a bit higher than dime store trash. Twenty five cents, at least, I hope
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Sep 12, 2017 05:08
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Is it cool to ask for beta readers in this thread or should I do that elsewhere or make my own thread? FINALLY got around to editing and revising the finalish draft of one of my novels that I'd like to start shopping around.
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Sep 12, 2017 11:24
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Is it cool to ask for beta readers in this thread or should I do that elsewhere or make my own thread? FINALLY got around to editing and revising the finalish draft of one of my novels that I'd like to start shopping around. Here's cool. Post another thread if you want to share parts of the story here on SA (vs. finding a few people who are willing to read in private). It will help if you post a blurb here, like what you would send in a query letter or see on the back of a book.
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Sep 12, 2017 18:17
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Here's cool. Post another thread if you want to share parts of the story here on SA (vs. finding a few people who are willing to read in private). It will help if you post a blurb here, like what you would send in a query letter or see on the back of a book. Sweet! Here's the blurb. Any tips on this are appreciated as well. quote:Caden Vega is a cybernetically enhanced member of the Special Investigations Division, the premier law enforcement agency in Earth's last remaining city. Three years ago her wife, Sunati, went missing along with fifteen other women. The only connection between them? They are Espers; women with evolved brains that are vital to the advancement of technology and the survival of humanity. It's a little over 96k words. My goal was to write something fun with a lot of heart in it. It's a cyberpunk police procedural love story starring a sad gay woman with bionic limbs. PM me if you're interested! Or post here, I suppose?
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Sep 12, 2017 21:53
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cut the 'when a clue happens she's brought back line, its implicit in the rest. otherwise that's p solid imo e: Sunati’s absence brings Caden down a path of depression and isolation, but sebmojo fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Sep 12, 2017 |
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Sep 12, 2017 22:02
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sebmojo posted:cut the 'when a clue happens she's brought back line, its implicit in the rest. otherwise that's p solid imo I don't know, change it up like that and you're looking at one long-rear end sentence.
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Sep 12, 2017 22:29
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Burkion, I just wanted to say that even though it feels like you're getting savaged in your crit thread, you're not. I have been in exactly the same place as you, when I posted my first chapter of Star in this very subforum years and years ago. I wish I could find that thread again so I could look at the crits with fresh eyes but I don't have plat. This is gonna sting. But After the War is right, we just wanna help you get better. (I say all this as if I'm not going to yell DON'T TOUCH MY BABYYYYY when I inevitably post the reworked first chapter of my story. Writing takes a thicker skin than I've got.)
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Sep 13, 2017 06:08
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CantDecideOnAName posted:Burkion, I just wanted to say that even though it feels like you're getting savaged in your crit thread, you're not. I have been in exactly the same place as you, when I posted my first chapter of Star in this very subforum years and years ago. I wish I could find that thread again so I could look at the crits with fresh eyes but I don't have plat. No, I know. The only thing that really gets me is when I think I have plot points laid out but I'm clearly too close to the thing to tell when they're not working and I'm trying to get other people to see it the way I am. That's not going to work and that shouldn't be how I approach it. I just need to find a way to distance myself from it enough to figure out how to properly rework it.
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Sep 13, 2017 07:09
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Burkion posted:No, I know. Could take a break. That's usually recommended for clearing your head and getting some distance. How long is variable; some people can take a couple of weeks and be fine. Mine seems to be a matter of years. If it helps you can work on something else in the meantime, if you've got other ideas you want to iron out. Otherwise just put it in the proverbial drawer and let it sit.
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Sep 13, 2017 07:19
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CantDecideOnAName posted:Burkion, I just wanted to say that even though it feels like you're getting savaged in your crit thread, you're not. I have been in exactly the same place as you, when I posted my first chapter of Star in this very subforum years and years ago. I wish I could find that thread again so I could look at the crits with fresh eyes but I don't have plat. whoa critquake
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Sep 13, 2017 11:44
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