That's how they build the Borg Infantry.
Concerning the novel guidelines
- Thread starter Rush Limborg
- Start date
That's how they build the Borg Infantry.
^ You're not allowed to make jokes anymore.
Back on topic, I have a question that's more personal, if I may presume on the writers to offer their guidance one more time.
I consider myself a decent writer, but I don't have any interest in being a novelist. I've written a few screenplays, and I don't even love that, but I'm a lot more comfortable in that form, and I think it fits me better. But I really want to write a Star Trek novel (or more than one). But the very distinct pattern I'm seeing is that you've really gotta put a lot of commitment and dedication into being an author, and part of that is aiming at as wide a target as you can. So, my question is, if Star Trek is the only novel I want to write, should I maybe just try to get over that and move on to something in which I don't have such a narrow focus?
I consider myself a decent writer, but I don't have any interest in being a novelist. I've written a few screenplays, and I don't even love that, but I'm a lot more comfortable in that form, and I think it fits me better. But I really want to write a Star Trek novel (or more than one). But the very distinct pattern I'm seeing is that you've really gotta put a lot of commitment and dedication into being an author, and part of that is aiming at as wide a target as you can. So, my question is, if Star Trek is the only novel I want to write, should I maybe just try to get over that and move on to something in which I don't have such a narrow focus?
Uh...yes? To be honest, I'd say any job worth its salt requires commitment, dedication, and good marketing....
Speaking for myself...I started out with the sole intent of writing Trek. Eventually, as time went on...I actually got a few non-Trek ideas, but--hey.
I would think...that the entire point of the submission guidelines is to provide an avenue for first-timers...am I wrong on this?
Writing, particularly something as long and complicated as a novel, is very challenging, time-consuming, frequently frustrating work. It's a lonely profession, and the financial rewards are not great, certainly not for a first-timer. And when it's a tie-in, you're on a tight deadline and subject to various limitations, making it even more stressful. So unless you're really in love with it, unless you find gratification in the process itself, it's probably not going to be something you'd find worthwhile.
We all have things we'd love to do but aren't willing or able to commit to. Sooner or later we just have to let go of those things and concentrate on the things we can pour our hearts and souls into. Back in the day, I would've loved to make amateur films and do special effects (pre-CGI, no less). I read books and magazines on filmmaking and FX techniques, and in college I actually wrote a screenplay for an amateur film, worked out a rough shooting schedule, figured out how to do all the FX shots, did storyboards, even composed the entire score on paper. And I made a half-hearted attempt to get my friends involved in it. But I never really got around to making a serious effort to recruit the talent I'd need, get anyone to invest in the production, or anything like that. So the film never got made. But in retrospect, I realized it was just as well. Making the film would surely have been very hard work and wouldn't have turned out anywhere near as well as I imagined. I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun making the film as I had planning it. Because filmmaking didn't turn out to be the one thing that I loved and needed enough to throw myself into and be happy with despite the hardship and frustration. Writing prose turned out to be that one thing.
Bluntly, yes.
Otherwise, from what you say, you'd just be giving yourself more grief for something you don't really want to do anyway- sounds like masochism rather than ambition.
If the only prose you want to write is Trek - or indeed any other one single licence - you'll probably be happier writing fanfic. I don't mean this in any way as a slight - we've all written fanfic before going pro - because a lot of it is as good as a lot of pro stuff, and you won't feel that you're forced to jump through hoops and go through the hassle.
Admittedly, you won't get paid either, but, again, from what you're saying, that doesn't look like what you want out of it anyway, so... If I was you I'd try fanfic and see how you like what you do with it.
And there's nothing to stop you trying for the pro books later. As I said, a lot of writers started off that way.
Nobody prevents you from submitting your fan fiction.
Just go ahead and bury them in prose!
I don't see how it's bad thing to want to write only one thing?
Why burn the entire forest when you only want to chop one single tree? If you want to write a Trek novel, then do it. It's fan fic anyway unless you submit it. Any story the "pros" write without officially publishing it, is just fan fiction as well.
There's no red line that you have to cross to become an author. You are an author as soon as you start writing. The question is if you finish what you started. And when it comes to tie-in literature, if you try to make the jump from fan fiction to pro.
And I disagree with Christopher's point about writing being a lonely profession. It can be, but only if you let it happen that way. And low financial rewards, tight deadlines and various limitations... that also sounds just like any other job in the world.
So you're not suited for the job of producing or directing. But why did you stop writing screenplays? Screenwriters seem to get more money for their work, which is much less work compared to writing prose.
Just go ahead and bury them in prose!
I don't see how it's bad thing to want to write only one thing?
Why burn the entire forest when you only want to chop one single tree? If you want to write a Trek novel, then do it. It's fan fic anyway unless you submit it. Any story the "pros" write without officially publishing it, is just fan fiction as well.
There's no red line that you have to cross to become an author. You are an author as soon as you start writing. The question is if you finish what you started. And when it comes to tie-in literature, if you try to make the jump from fan fiction to pro.
And I disagree with Christopher's point about writing being a lonely profession. It can be, but only if you let it happen that way. And low financial rewards, tight deadlines and various limitations... that also sounds just like any other job in the world.
So you're not suited for the job of producing or directing. But why did you stop writing screenplays? Screenwriters seem to get more money for their work, which is much less work compared to writing prose.
Speaking for myself...I happen to like being alone. But then, I'm a complete Aspie....
Anyhow...I guess that makes writing the life for me. More so than something that involves being "personal" with people, anyway....
But hey--I'm going on a political track, too. It's like I'm intentionally driving myself nuts. *sigh*
Anyhow...I guess that makes writing the life for me. More so than something that involves being "personal" with people, anyway....
But hey--I'm going on a political track, too. It's like I'm intentionally driving myself nuts. *sigh*
^ By typing more words? 
Okay, seriously. That's a pretty vague question, so let's try to tighten our focus a bit. What have you got so far? What are thinking you still might need to add? (You don't need to get too specific, of course.)
Okay, seriously. That's a pretty vague question, so let's try to tighten our focus a bit. What have you got so far? What are thinking you still might need to add? (You don't need to get too specific, of course.)
I think I got it and jogged my memory of an earlier story that I had that I could combine with this one. I'm gonna delete my last post. I appreciate the help though as I'm a composer who writes of all things Star Trek music very well. I'n fact I'd rather write the music than the stories as the t.v. shows lacked greatly in that area. But Dayton, if you want to see the story I'll gladly PM it to you.
I think that he probably wouldn't be allowed to for legal reasons.
That's all you have? An extra piece of punctuation?
Doesn't do much for your word count.
Damn, that was my next line.
So I finished the eight page synopsis barely which did force me to expand the story nicely. Not sure if it contains too much alternate reality as I'm not sure exactly what that is. I also don't know what word building is. My first three chapters are in place but I think this is going to be the first 80 page novel in existance.
<raises eyebrow in Spock-like fashion>
It takes time to work up to novel speed sometimes. My first attempt at a novel, back in college, died a-borning because, despite my best efforts, I kept running out of plot after a hundred pages or so.
You probably need to flesh out your story more, maybe add some supporting characters and subplots. Remember, a typical TV episode is usually more of short story than a novel. You need to think bigger for a novel. If you're plotting this book as though it was a fifty-minute tv episode, that could be the problem.
And, oh, an alternate reality in this context is something like the Mirror Universe. It's a different reality that follows different rules than the standard Star Trek universe seen in the movies and tv shows.
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