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theres also a huge difference between a twist and a revelation
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Dec 12, 2017 20:13
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Are there any podcasts like the Writing Excuses one, with writers discussing the nuts and bolts of writing, off the cuff as opposed to reading scripts and not trying to sell poo poo? I like those nerds and their discussions.
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Dec 15, 2017 21:47
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Not quite the same as Writing Excuses, but I like A Way with Words podcast/radio show, people call in asking about the origins of words/phrases/colloquialisms, it's great for word lovers and gives you a ton of oddball expressions to keep in your back pocket.
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Dec 15, 2017 22:01
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magnificent7 posted:I hate myself when crits point out obvious poo poo I missed. The last-minute Ah-ha was cool after a re-read. I didn't consider the "Ohh he wants to become a vampire" as being a twist though, it was more characterization. The only advice I have is from Stephen King's "On Writing". (Heavily paraphrased) YOU won't catch it, pick an ideal reader, someone who can give you criticism and you can handle it, and have them read your rough drafts. See when they laugh, see when they go "OHHH". Write for them, not yourself and not for TD. Then after they have read it, they will tell you what they got from the story and you can do a rewrite. (THough you should do a rewrite before you show it to them) Bit tough for a week long story, but try it once or twice. Also stop hating yourself so much.
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Dec 16, 2017 00:03
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Is fiction-blogging (for lack of a better term) a mug's game? I've been writing a story a month for about the last year thanks to an IRL writing club I'm in but I'm kind of surprised how hard it is to get people (particularly people I know) to read the things as reading stories on a monitor seems to turn people off. Does anyone have any suggestions how I could get people to read some stories? Or is asking people to read stories on their computers kind of a losing proposition?
Vulpes Vulpes fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Mar 12, 2018 |
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Dec 20, 2017 21:51
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It's a losing proposition. Give up now.
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Dec 20, 2017 22:34
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That might actually be more of a tumblr issue though I'm sure promoting online stories that aren't fanfic is tough. Tumblr is notoriously hard to spread content on, the only way to get attention is if your post goes viral, and posts only go viral through luck. otherwise you're stuck with only a handful of notes. You would have better luck on a different platform at least.
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Dec 20, 2017 22:36
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post it a sentence at a time as tweets
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Dec 20, 2017 22:37
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Now we're cooking with gas.
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Dec 20, 2017 22:40
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The question for getting traffic is where are people coming from? Is your story being posted to a community where people would go and read it? Is it somewhere that you could search and find it? Do you have an online following somewhere? If you're starting from scratch and not really posting it anywhere, it'll take a while to gain traction. Like, possibly years of consistent work. That's how it goes with a ton of projects, whether writing or videos or podcasts or what. You don't have to promote yourself (I never really have) but it's a slow thing unless you're doing some kind of networking.
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Dec 20, 2017 23:09
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Is there a current Long Walk thread? The last one I can find is a few months old. I want to Toxx myself to finish the rough draft of my novel by the end of the year.
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Dec 21, 2017 00:32
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Getsuya posted:Is there a current Long Walk thread? The last one I can find is a few months old. I want to Toxx myself to finish the rough draft of my novel by the end of the year. nope, but feel free to set one up, making it a new years resolution thread works.
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Dec 21, 2017 00:50
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HIJK posted:That might actually be more of a tumblr issue though I'm sure promoting online stories that aren't fanfic is tough. Tumblr is notoriously hard to spread content on, the only way to get attention is if your post goes viral, and posts only go viral through luck. otherwise you're stuck with only a handful of notes. What different platform would you suggest? Djeser posted:The question for getting traffic is where are people coming from? Is your story being posted to a community where people would go and read it? Is it somewhere that you could search and find it? Do you have an online following somewhere? Yeah, I don't have much of a reach, and the format doesn't help. Ah well, I'll keep writing stories regardless!
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Dec 21, 2017 01:54
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Phil Moscowitz posted:Are there any podcasts like the Writing Excuses one, with writers discussing the nuts and bolts of writing, off the cuff as opposed to reading scripts and not trying to sell poo poo? The two big podcasts I listen to are Creative Penn and Print Run. CP does have some salesy stuff from the host Joanna since the podcast is apparently her primary job at this point, but she gets good guests and talks a lot about various subjects both as a writer and publisher. Print Run is done by Laura Zats and Erik Hane of Red Sofa Literary (they are legit, very well-versed agents). They discuss some of the bolts of writing, but also have some good insights from the industry perspective, too, in terms of what they like to look for, where the industry is at, and interesting ideas floating around among writers.
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Dec 21, 2017 13:53
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MockingQuantum posted:What are your thoughts on paying an editor out-of-pocket? I worry that once I finish a book I'll have no idea where its shortcomings are, and end up shopping around a pretty subpar book when I could be showing off something actually sellable with some good editing. Safety Biscuits posted:If you don't know what's good about a manuscript, you probably don't have the taste to write a good one. In general, I'm not attacking you cos you said "I worry..." and man do writers worry. Eyyyyyy I've been meaning to write a real bitchy post about HOW WRONG THIS IS for like ... however long it's been since this was posted. So. Hey, you seem to be suggesting that if someone needs an editor, then they can't be a good writer. This is loving wrong as hell! Usually I try to make all my answers as appropriately wishy-washy as I think fiction advice answers should be, which is hella wishy-washy, b/c there's literally no right answer for anything! EXCEPT THIS THING! (and also read more/write more)  THE IDEA THAT IF YOU NEED AN EDITOR YOU DON'T HAVE ~THE TASTE~ TO WRITE A GOOD BOOK IS INCREDIBLY FUKING WRONG. Tons -- like pretty much all -- of successful published authors rely on a team of editors and beta-readers to help them improve their books! This is not a weird or unusual thing at all! It's loving standard practice. And if you're just getting started, you probably need it even more. No big deal. This is STANDARD. loving. PRACTICE. So on HIRING an editor: If you can afford it, I think it can be pretty helpful! You might be able to get similar feedback by passing it around to other writers, but if you're gonna get feedback from someone, it can't hurt to make it someone who has solid experience doing it. Prices can vary greatly, but the real hardest part is finding one you trust. Most of the pro freelance editors will have testimonials and lists of publications they've edited, so check those out. You can probably find some recommendations in other forums, as well. I don't think many people here have worked with freelance editors. The one I've worked with was good, but only does romance. (also MQ said they were worried about not seeing the shortcomings not the good things, so doubly wrong >:-[ )
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Dec 22, 2017 01:41
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oh gee i'm glad you appreciate the valuable role of beta readers doc NOW WRITE MORE WORDS I CAN READ >=[
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Dec 22, 2017 02:12
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Vulpes Vulpes posted:What different platform would you suggest? The only platform that makes sense to me is blogspot or Wordpress but it's not like those are any better in terms of reach. I've wanted to write serials for months but the fact that there's not an ideal platform for people to read it on (and the fact that I'm a huge POS that can't keep a schedule) is just a big road block.
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Dec 22, 2017 17:27
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Axel Serenity posted:The two big podcasts I listen to are Creative Penn and Print Run. CP does have some salesy stuff from the host Joanna since the podcast is apparently her primary job at this point, but she gets good guests and talks a lot about various subjects both as a writer and publisher. revolther posted:Not quite the same as Writing Excuses, but I like A Way with Words podcast/radio show, people call in asking about the origins of words/phrases/colloquialisms, it's great for word lovers and gives you a ton of oddball expressions to keep in your back pocket. Thanks to you both!
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Dec 22, 2017 23:57
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I don't exactly know where to post this exactly, as this is both a narrative/literary heavy attempt at art, but also a visual one. I'm gona post it at two threads. Here I ask for feedback on the writing if you could.        Thank you
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Dec 31, 2017 08:11
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Glancing over the piece as a whole, I really like what you're trying to do, art's great and the oppressive vibe works well but the language is very clunky in an ESL way and needs a significant rework.
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Dec 31, 2017 08:50
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sebmojo posted:Glancing over the piece as a whole, I really like what you're trying to do, art's great and the oppressive vibe works well but the language is very clunky in an ESL way and needs a significant rework. Yeah, you should decide what you want each paragraph to say, then rewrite it simply and cleanly. Get a native speaker to check it afterwards. And post the text as text, not artwork.
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Dec 31, 2017 12:17
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I think this project deserves it's own thread--it will be easier to link writing and visual people to it and have all feedback in a single place. I agree re: also post text as text, not just within the images. You are going to need a native speaker to do a line-by-line edit of your text, if you want it to read naturally to a native English speaker. Depending on how long the game ends up, this could very well be something you would need to pay for vs finding a volunteer.
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Dec 31, 2017 19:29
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Meanwhile my novel has entered third draft planning. Nae has been a huge help with it and I'm feeling very confident with the work so we'll see how it shakes out
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Dec 31, 2017 20:01
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Burkion posted:Meanwhile my novel has entered third draft planning. Woop Woop, good to hear Burkion! Hope it goes over well!
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Dec 31, 2017 20:16
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was bored and found the first! book i ever wrote on my hard drive. its a complete mess. like, its really spectacularly awful and i have no hopes of ever using it for anything: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fv-4KmCu-z6Zs8DHFLKMEPm7r4-yGAMca-R3XP_jD5c/edit you can read it to feel better about yourselves if you want. or maybe to realize you gotta gently caress up a few times to get better. this was something from 2013? i think. its like a 95-98% complete first draft. and i do mean first draft.
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Jan 11, 2018 06:15
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anime was right posted:was bored and found the first! book i ever wrote on my hard drive. its a complete mess. like, its really spectacularly awful and i have no hopes of ever using it for anything: You're lucky you still have this. I think I lost my very first book several harddrives back and didn't realize what a milestone it was until years later. Definitely hold onto this, even if you do think it's a pile of poo poo.
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Jan 11, 2018 17:16
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I decided to try my hand at writing a story in a sword and sorcery style after I couldn't find a book the story collection of Conan the Barbarian at the book store nearby me. It's a little rough. This is just the first draft. It's called Sebastian The Swordshatterer and it's kind of an anthology thing where Sebastian travelers across the land, comes across some people who are dealing with a supernatural thing, gets into a series of obstacles to overcome it, and ultimately succeeds due to his wits more than his brawn. This is just the first story: Sebastian The Swordshatterer in "The Call of the Wendigo." If anyone is willing to give it a read and give me some honest critique, I'd be deeply appreciative. And, I'd be more than willing to help people with their own works, when I get the chance (tax season is starting next week and I'll be working 9-8 then and working Saturdays 9-5 so I might take a while to get back to you). Covok fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Jan 16, 2018 |
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Jan 16, 2018 01:05
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Covok posted:I decided to try my hand at writing a story in a sword and sorcery style after I couldn't find a book the story collection of Conan the Barbarian at the book store nearby me. It's awesome to post and seek feedback, but don't do this. If you're asking for help, make sure you've either done as much as you can to make it good first, or at least pretend you have. Did you even proofread it? quote:But, Sebastian’s heart did not fill with fill. His breathe filled the air around him and would have left any travelers blind in a fog of human steam. hm
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Jan 16, 2018 02:48
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Covok posted:I decided to try my hand at writing a story in a sword and sorcery style after I couldn't find a book the story collection of Conan the Barbarian at the book store nearby me. The mighty barbarian hero Sebastian.
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Jan 16, 2018 05:51
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Covok posted:I decided to try my hand at writing a story in a sword and sorcery style after I couldn't find a book the story collection of Conan the Barbarian at the book store nearby me. besides the terrible proofing and cliches, among other things, this story is just really boring. for an anthology that's supposed to be about one character, this does not convince me, in any way, to keep reading more of sebastian. sebastian is a dull, generic character who's character traits are "stoic" and "has a sword" and the world you present to me is paint-by-the-numbers fantasyland with nothing surprising or interesting.
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Jan 16, 2018 05:59
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Covok posted:I decided to try my hand at writing a story in a sword and sorcery style after I couldn't find a book the story collection of Conan the Barbarian at the book store nearby me. I'm not much o a critic but I'll give it a whirl this week. Sounds like a story thing I could dig.
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Jan 16, 2018 07:49
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Welcome to the Fiction Writing Advice (and general discussion) thread!  Guess I'll edit the first post to put that in bold. but if you give it a solid second editing pass, I'll take a look at it Dr. Kloctopussy fucked around with this message at 09:07 on Jan 16, 2018 |
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Jan 16, 2018 09:04
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quote:“An Islander?,” a Tribal exclaimed, “What would bring one so far south to our Northern lands?” What quote:Whatever it was, it revealed in its victim’s pain. Ah yes quote:Burying the dead men, he knelt and made a quick prayer to the One Above. He did not believe in the One Above, not anymore, but he wished it true and that men did not end at death. One Above! I’ve never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. quote:With speed that would put the fiercest wind to shame, Wind that break from he own rear end; a shameful wind quote:Instead of the flat teeth of a dear, the mouth was lined with the fangs of a wolf. Fangs of a wolf that make the bite marks of a deer. quote:Sebastian stood like a statute in defense of the child. Glad to see these wild lands have been tamed by the rule of law. quote:The White Demon had took from them their happiness and family Fool of a took
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Jan 16, 2018 15:12
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Safety Biscuits posted:The mighty barbarian hero Sebastian. darling it's betta' down where it's wetta'
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Jan 16, 2018 16:13
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Phil Moscowitz posted:What I laughed. Phil the Proseshatterer?
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Jan 16, 2018 16:36
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Can I ask for editing tips, or what techniques you use to go over your story and edit it? I've been doing TD a few times and have a bit of a process down. I have no formal training in english, so right now it's super focused on grammar and spelling.
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Jan 16, 2018 17:04
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For that sort of stuff, read The Elements of Style. It doesn't take long, and can be a handy reference guide whenever you run into a question. Though I'd be interested in folks answers beyond that. I'm planning on doing a full pass on my book once finished then turning it over to an editor, but want to make sure I've gotten it as tight as I can first so they don't focus on the simple mistakes.
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Jan 16, 2018 17:15
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Tips for editing: Read it out loud. If it doesn't sound good coming out of your mouth, fix it. Look out for sentences that should be split apart. If two parts of your sentence are unrelated, they ought to be two separate sentences. Vary sentence structure. Make sure you're not doing "subject verbed, verbing an object" over and over again. Look for things that don't fit your voice. Would a medieval monk use "prank"? Would a modern punk use "perhaps"? Change the font. This is strangely helpful for seeing your words in a new light. I usually write in whatever the default is (Arial or Calibri) and then change it to something more 'bookish' (Garamond, Georgia, etc). Rewrite if you have to. Sometimes, I'll just take a paragraph and write a new version of it right there. Sometimes I'll do that for most of the story. If something feels boring either make it interesting or cut it out.
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Jan 16, 2018 18:02
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Djeser posted:Read it out loud. If it doesn't sound good coming out of your mouth, fix it. I've been doing this with a writing group and boy, does it ever work.
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Jan 16, 2018 22:26
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Vulpes Vulpes posted:I've been doing this with a writing group and boy, does it ever work. Do you read each others’ writing or?
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Jan 16, 2018 22:42
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