About 100,000 words hopefully. Though I might need to do some editing and add a chapter or two in here and there. I'm just hoping I don't lose interest in it like I have with the others odds and ends I've started over the years.
Anyone else writing a book?
- Thread starter Goliath
- Start date
I have 4 chapters left to edit in Part 1. Progress is slow but steady. I still might be able to finish Parts 1-3 by the end of October.
I've always thought this is bullshit.
I'm currently auditioning for bands as a singer. I'm under no obligation to do them one at a time, but I'm trying to because it's easier that way. The way it goes is I respond to an ad on Craigslist, and then it usually takes them a few days to get back to me. The audition is usually a week or so after that. Then, after they get through everyone, they want me to come back for a second audition. Total turn around time is about a month. Even though I'm doing my best to keep it one at a time, I'm currently being considered by three bands at the moment because a month is a long time.
Things may be different now as more and more publishers are accepting electronic submissions, but my understanding is that turn around on a novel usually takes several months up to a year. This is just too long. Also, it's in my best interest as a novelist to take the best deal available. Doing it one at a time this becomes impossible. Granted, a first-time novelist is extremely lucky if they get anything but a rejection letter no matter how good they are, I still like the idea of keeping my options open.
Nope. Once a legit publisher finds out you're doing simultaneous submissions, kiss any offer you might get goodbye.
You JUST.DON'T.DO.THAT.
It's slap in the face to the publisher and shows him/her ultimate disrespect. It shows you're non-descriminatory to the publishing house and that "anyone" can publish your book, and you have no idea how that particular house presents itself to the public, or what target audience it courts.
--Ted
Shortly out of high school I wrote a sci-fi story that a friend read and thought it would make a good graphic novel. I worked on some ideas for a couple of sequels or other stories in that same universe. I've currently started another sci-fi story and I starting to write a book about my life and experiences with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and all the stuff that has gone with it. I working on doing it like this book.
I'm busy editing my book right now. About halfway through it. Well, halfway through my first pass. I have a ton of comments to sift through that others have made, which will come after my first pass is done. I hope to have it "done" by the end of the year, but I suspect I can make it by the end of November.
Yeah, just take a breather. The climax to the first part of my book was pretty awful. I ripped out the better part of a whole chapter and rewrote it, then tuned up the chapters after. It's much better now. Sometimes it helps just to take a step back.
I don't have an outline for my book. I know how it begins and how it ends, and roughly what needs to happen in between.
As I've been writing it, my characters have thrown some curve balls which actually work quite well, so it's a question of just making it all fit.
I'm currently just shy of a quarter of the way through the book at the moment.
As I've been writing it, my characters have thrown some curve balls which actually work quite well, so it's a question of just making it all fit.
I'm currently just shy of a quarter of the way through the book at the moment.
I never really start with an outline. I develop it as I go. At the beginning, I might know how the first few chapters will go. From that point, I can start to outline chapters further out. By the time I hit the midpoint of the story, I have a complete outline, but it will always change as I go. It's just my "fallback" in case I don't think of something better.
I always have at least one ending in mind, sometimes several. The outline is mostly for the purposes of pacing and consistency--make sure I have enough story and that all my bases are covered.
I always have at least one ending in mind, sometimes several. The outline is mostly for the purposes of pacing and consistency--make sure I have enough story and that all my bases are covered.
Man, I LOVE it when that happens. I wrote a two-hour TV script and it turned out three pages from the end that the best friend was actually a bad guy.
I didn't see it coming, and it was great being surprised that way.
--Ted
That's always awesome!
I'm running a group project right now, and some of the people involved are trying to plan the entire thing up-front, and I keep telling them we don't want to do that. Let it evolve organically, so it can be spontaneous. We'll have a vague ending in mind and work our way toward it, but let things change as we go. It'll be a lot more interesting that way.
I didn't mean "bullshit" in the sense of it not being true, I meant "bullshit" in the sense that it shouldn't be that way. With everything else that's similar to submitting manuscripts to publishers, the one doing the submitting is under no obligation to do it one at a time. If a company told prospective employees not to send their resumes to other companies they'd be laughed at. As I mentioned with the band thing, all of them know I'm auditioning for other bands, and they don't care, so is everyone else.
Yeah, when I'm ready to start applying for rejection letters, I'll play the game their way and do it one at a time. However, this doesn't mean I approve of their methods.
As a writer, it doesn't matter who publishes my book. The result is more or less the same. If publishers think differently, all it does is show arrogance on their part.
Ah, gotcha. I agree with the fact that "system" of publication is a WEE bit flawed.
As for outlines, I rarely use them unless the project is especially intricate (mystery, investigation, things like that), where so many little ends have to tie together AND you have to "play fair" with the reader or viewer.
Also, you can simply stray from your outline as long as it doesn't sabotage the structure of your story.
--Ted
I have a professor being co-opted by a secret spy agency (similar to Bashir and Section 31) but it turns out he runs a brothel full of intelligence agents and assassins.
Who knew
Just an update if anybody cares. Chapter 15 is written and will be typed up tonight, and hopefully I'll write chapter 16 today or tomorrow. I want chapter 17 written and typed up by the end of the week.
Sweet!
I'm 10 chapters into editing Part 3. I plan to finish this editing pass by the end of the week. Then, another quick pass to address lingering issues, and I can focus on typesetting, cover art, all that goodness.
I'm 10 chapters into editing Part 3. I plan to finish this editing pass by the end of the week. Then, another quick pass to address lingering issues, and I can focus on typesetting, cover art, all that goodness.