400 replies to this topic

[kurokaze]

So I'm planning revisions on my story and see my climax needs a dark moment. I think for a bit and then see the perfect, inevitable solution that fits with the rest of the story: I will have the antagonist kill the protagonist, who then returns to life by sheer force of will. This is after a few scenes in which the protagonist kills two people and maims a third due almost entirely to being emotionally manipulated by magic.

Yeah, Neil should probably avoid my writing.

It's less bad than I've made it sound, honest. But I think that we can safely blame this discussion for giving me the idea.

[TrackerNeil]

kurokaze, on 17 April 2012 - 07:35 PM, said:

So I'm planning revisions on my story and see my climax needs a dark moment. I think for a bit and then see the perfect, inevitable solution that fits with the rest of the story: I will have the antagonist kill the protagonist, who then returns to life by sheer force of will. This is after a few scenes in which the protagonist kills two people and maims a third due almost entirely to being emotionally manipulated by magic.

Yeah, Neil should probably avoid my writing.

It's less bad than I've made it sound, honest. But I think that we can safely blame this discussion for giving me the idea.

Hey, maybe you can make it work, and I admit I am a bit prickly when it comes to resurrection. Good luck.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Working on the third book in my Urban Fantasy series, much easier than book 2 was.  I think I got over the Sequel Mountain of Death.  The ending for this one's been in my head for so long that it's the first thing I wrote.  Guess I robbed myself of that glorious last sentence feeling on finishing a first draft but it just had to get out of there or I'd never be able to focus on any other scene.

[JEORDHl]

Ealdorman Halasahr, on 13 April 2012 - 10:05 AM, said:

I just want to share the good news with you guys. A publisher in Sweden wants to, well, publish my book.
And I feel great!

This will be my debut as an author. As a journalist, I've gotten articles published in various newspapers since 1994.

Dude, that's fucking fantastic.

[Reposado]

So for those who have published, what's my next step upon finishing? Do I need like a two page summary or something like that? Other than the actual book, what should I be sending to agents? And how do I find those?

[Ebenstone]

BaelorBreakspear, on 26 April 2012 - 11:33 AM, said:

So for those who have published, what's my next step upon finishing? Do I need like a two page summary or something like that? Other than the actual book, what should I be sending to agents? And how do I find those?

It all depends on which path you decide to take to get there. Every agent and publisher has different guidelines. Study up on what individual agents or publishers want. One thing is pretty concrete: you need a really good query letter. As for summary, synopsis, samples, etc, it all depends.

My favorite place to search for things like that is Query Tracker.

Edited by Ebenstone, 26 April 2012 - 02:52 PM.

[Reposado]

Ebenstone, on 26 April 2012 - 02:50 PM, said:

It all depends on which path you decide to take to get there. Every agent and publisher has different guidelines. Study up on what individual agents or publishers want. One thing is pretty concrete: you need a really good query letter. As for summary, synopsis, samples, etc, it all depends.

My favorite place to search for things like that is Query Tracker.

awesome, site looks really comprehensive. many thanks.

open question. Is sports fiction a category that is commonly recognized? or is it just lumped into general?

Edited by BaelorBreakspear, 27 April 2012 - 10:47 AM.

[JohnWitch]

I've finished some 30 pages of my dark fantasy series, college makes it difficult, damnit! But I'll finish it until the end of summer. I live in a country it is completely impossible for anyone to make it as a fantasy writer, though. So eventually I will want to find a translator and try to make it in an English speaking country.

Speaking of which. I don't want to start a new topic yet so I'll ask in this board. Could any of you guys recommend me unpublished fantasy stories? I'm starting a small publisher here in Portugal and I'm looking for quality material to translate and possibly publish.

In your opinion who are the best writers here in the Westeros boards?

EDIT: I Like Poison, at least in my country it's labeled as general fiction.

Edited by JohnWitch, 27 April 2012 - 11:28 AM.

[Prince Alexander]

In case anyone with a finished Epic Fantasy manuscript on their hands is interested, I noticed this one late, but not too late:
http://angryrobotbooks.com/opendoor/

[Roose Bolton's Pet Leech]

Chapter Fourteen done on second draft. 69k. Slow going, but not giving up...

[Derfel Cadarn]

My first draft is going slow.  Worked out some details of the secret society in my novel, but other than that not much progress.  I'd been undecided about putting magic in the story, but finally decided to put in a little necromancy, albeit it's limited, difficult to use and being caught using it is a death sentence.

I'd hoped to finish up to chapter 28 last weekend.  And again this weekend.  Instead, still stuck on chapter 25.  Broke the 57k  58k word barrier though.

Edited by Derfel Cadarn, 29 April 2012 - 05:21 PM.

[Ebenstone]

Book 2: Spring's Tempest  is done. Off to the agent, now comes the waiting...again.

[kurokaze]

Good news! I finally finished something! As in actually complete including the rewrite that makes all the inconsistencies and most of the miraculously shifting character motivation go away!

Bad news: it's a short story, which is a lot less of an accomplishment than a novel.

Worse news: it came in at 11,500 words, so it needs to be gutted to have any kind of chance.

But still, done! Yay!

[Eloisa]

Congratulations to both of you.  

[Kaldaur]

Sent my manuscript off to beta readers yesterday. The editing process cut 6,000 words from the manuscript so I'm sitting pretty at 102,900. It's nice to just...ignore it. I feel like I shut my ugly cousin in the closet, and instead of shame, I want to keep him locked away to make him suffer.

[TrackerNeil]

Kaldaur, on 01 May 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

Sent my manuscript off to beta readers yesterday. The editing process cut 6,000 words from the manuscript so I'm sitting pretty at 102,900.

It is hard to cut copy, isn't it? I cut 5,000 words from my book during the final revision, and it was painful, although ultimately for the best.

Edited by TrackerNeil, 01 May 2012 - 11:54 AM.

[aimlessgun]

Wow congrats Ealdorman. But now you can't hang out with plebs like us anymore

I got back on my horse and started writing the novel again, after many months. It's much easier now that I've started, even if I havn't written a lot of words. There was something very difficult about getting back to it, maybe because it's such a big undertaking/commitment.

[Reposado]

Ebenstone, on 26 April 2012 - 02:50 PM, said:

One thing is pretty concrete: you need a really good query letter.

So I've been working on this for a few days and am happy with what I have, but I can't decide on this part:

Should I say that my story  "inspired by real-life events?"  is this a selling point or a detraction?

[Starkess]

I am 8/18 done with my rewrite and feeling really good about it. Hopefully in a little while I'll be adding to my rejection collection.

[Reposado]

Starkess, on 01 May 2012 - 07:44 PM, said:

I am 8/18 done with my rewrite and feeling really good about it. Hopefully in a little while I'll be adding to my rejection collection.

this is also known as 4/9