Ordos

Recently I got my limited print run of 75 paperback copies of my alternate history novella for friends and family. The e-book will hopefully be out early next year. I'm currently writing a horror/slasher/mystery novel about a serial killer who kills bikers. In past writing projects, there were lines I did not cross in describing graphic details of violence, sex and profanity. In this book I hope to cross all of them. This book is the most raw of my emotions and thoughts put into words. The working title is 'The Bike Gang Killer' but I'm open to titles like 'The Roadside Ripper' or 'Roadkill'.

My daughter just finished the cover art for my book and my brother wrote the synopsis/blurb for the back cover. My Dad was a critic and editor for my book. While I wrote the book, my family helped me get it ready for publishing. Anyway, the pieces are all assembled, and now I can publish it (as soon as I learn how to convert the file into an ebook).

A few days ago I finished my third round of editing my book (originally I indented just 2 rounds but I saw room for more improvement). The book itself is definitively finished but not yet published. My book now clocks in at just over 53000 words. Now I need to work on the front cover art and the blurb/synopsis before converting it into an ebook/kindle ready for online sale. I will also print about 50 paperbacks in case anyone insists on reading it on paper. When the book is published, I'll give the link.

I am self publishing. I found it on a google search, but the search result have been updated from the looks of it. Still, a novella is 10 000-40 000 words from what I'm looking at. I do hope I can stretch out the narrative just a little bit with the feedback. The genre? It's a survival adventure story within an alternate history setting and with just a pinch of dystopia (particularly in chapter 4). There should be a new thread soon...

My novel qualifies as a novel but only just. A short story is 10 000 words or less. A novella is up to 40 000 words. My book is just shy of 48 000 words although that includes the Author's Note and the glossary so it's probably just shy of 47 000 words. It's still a short book because the average novel from what I found on Google is 50 000 to 60 000 words. I'm hoping the feedback I get will give me ideas to expand the book. I put a lot of work into this book for months so I want page and word count to show it. It's the most work I've done on a single book.

I finished my first round of editing. I passed the draft out to 8 or so friends and family to give feedback. Then I'll go through my second round of editing and the text will be done.

Just finished writing my book. There is still a LOT of work ahead; drawing the cover art, possible illustrations to compensate for the relative shortness of the book, two rounds of editing, creating an online account to publish an ebook/kindle. But at least the story is done. After my editing, I will pass out my book early to friends and family for feedback so I can make the book even better. There will be a limited number of paperbacks printed. The book is called: The Coffee Thief

Still working on my current book, but I just wrote the outline to a possible next book. I'm dipping my toe into teen and young adult literature with some romance. It might raise some eyebrows among people who know me. I try to imagine what might have happened had I expressed my interest to my high school crush. At the time I was in a long distance relationship. What if I had kept my options open? Characters will be re-named from real life counterparts as well as the setting. The basic circumstances will remain the same just before the point of divergence. I cannot say for 100% certainty what would have happened, but this is one theory of what might have (and in my opinion most likely) happened. You have life regrets? Write about them! At least this way, I can turn regret into a fun piece of literature, get a profit from sales and answer my own question.

I'm pushing towards finishing my book, but I just realized how much more material I still have to write. Chapter 12 will be too long so I will have to finish with chapter 13. Chapter 12 describes life on a ship out at sea. Chapter 13 will include the climactic storm and reaching the island.

Writing the last chapter of my book. After I've finished writing it, two rounds of editing and the book is done. I am hoping to be done in early to mid October.

My story is told in a first person narrative told from a poor and/or working class person. Apart from one incident, he does no heroic acts and even witnesses others do heroic acts including saving his life as well as witnesses heroic acts from a woman. I was criticized on another forum that my main protagonist is not a heroine, but to make up for that my main protagonist is a witness to strong female characters. My only defense is that I'm not a woman. While the structure of my book puts limitations on how much of the world my character can see as opposed to a person higher up in social status, this viewpoint is what the majority of people would be seeing. He also does no heroic acts because I really wanted to have readers be able to put themselves in my character's position. For most of the book, my character only struggles to survive. I wanted to try to imagine what I would be doing in a warped reality. These limitations also give me liberty to not focus too much on world building and instead tell the story I want to tell. My main character has one brief moment of revelation and a window to the bigger picture of his reality (the alternate history of his world) in the latter half of the book. It's one of the things the story is building towards. The payoff (is that the correct term?)

Just finished Part 1 of my book consisting of 8 chapters. Part 2 will only have 4 chapters. No prologue or epilogue. I'm well on my way to meeting my February 22nd deadline for finishing my book. With editing it, I'm not sure yet. After I've finished writing the book, I will go through 2 rounds of editing. Then It will be ready to be published.

Added a glossary at the end of my book for the non-English words of which there are quite a bit.

I am just about halfway through writing my alternate history novel. While I would not consider my book a dystopia, I did my best to set up an authoritarian government. Anyway, this will probably be my only experiment with the genre as I'm more comfortable with my regular novels set in the real contemporary world. I still don't know how to convert my word file into an ebook and then how to contact an online distributor/publisher. I will print my book on paper, but that's only for my bookshelf. I have written notes for my book, but my Dad suggests using powerpoint to create a plot flow chart. I'm actually doing fine without one. I don't have writer's block, but I do have some gaps in my story between events that I'm not entirely sure how to link up. I'm well on my way to beating my own imposed February deadline.

I thought about introducing a second plot thread in my book. This first takes place in my hometown in Indonesia from the perspective of my main character. The second would take place in my place of birth which is a university town in The Netherlands called Wageningen from the perspective of another character. Doing this would expand the view of the alternate world I'm building. The trouble is my place of birth probably would not look all that different than it did in the real 1953 and possibilities for a profound story are limited. Maybe there is some material here for another future book.

I'm confident I will finish my book because I know how it ends and I am constantly getting more ideas for the book. I'm currently writing Chapter 5. Each chapter will go through at least two rounds of editing. I had 2 other books I started writing but abruptly stopped. One from writer's block and another from loss of enthusiasm. Although I have a grain of hope that one day I will pick them up from where I left off. I'm also surprised at my ability to write dark elements into my book. It's intentional obviously, but my previous books I've written (published with very limited circulation) generally had a feel of self censorship. This book is very different from my previous writing projects so I'm excited at the potential.

I'm writing an alternate history novel set in my own hometown in Indonesia. The idea came to me after reading several dystopian/alternate history books. Whenever I looked at the political maps of these alternate/speculative realities, I always wondered what is happening in my hometown. One book series described the planet being covered in a multi-story continent spanning city. Would some islands like mine be the exception? In Robert Harris' Fatherland, it tells of a Nazi victory in Europe but a defeat for Japan. I wondered what would become of Indonesia. Would it still be decolonized or not? And either way, would racist ideologies from Europe spill over into how people are treated in my hometown? In Orwell's 1984, where I live it is constantly changing hands between Oceania and Eastasia. Does that mean the folks of my hometown keep becoming slaves to either super state and how would day to day life be like in such a scenario? Finally I asked myself how or if I myself could survive in an alternate reality. Obviously I could not write in somebody else's established universe. So I had to come up with my own fictional narrative to indulge my imagination AND get credit for writing it instead of being dismissed as fan fiction. I know that there is a story to be told here. My story takes place in an alternate 1953. For reasons that will be revealed the Dutch have not left Indonesia, but are facing local rebellions and are tightening their grip on power with the military. My home province historically was the most pro-Dutch province in Indonesia so the locals are wondering why their rights are being eroded. The story is told from the limited perspective of a local coffee bean picker. One day he is found guilty of a minor theft but sentenced to four years hard labour in a sulfur mine. He escapes and seeks out the rebels hiding in the jungles. The book is mainly to indulge my imagination, but I hope to insert some real world facts into the book to make it educational also. I hope before the end of February next year to have it finished and published as an ebook (and printing as a paperback for my own bookshelf and some friends and family). I'm open to suggestions for the book.

Davos saying 'thought you were still rowing the boat' was a nod to the jokes fans were making.

I'm probably not saying anything new here, but there are a number of thoughts about the episode I want to say. The little birds stabbing Pycelle; this was definitely fan service to include one last dramatic scene from the books already published. Surprised they changed it up. Instead of Varys doing the kill, it's Qyburn and instead of both Kevan Lannister and Maester Pycelle getting stabbed, it's just Pycelle while Kevan get's killed in the explosion of the Sept. I do wonder why they changed it up, but I'm glad they finally finished the book material this season. Cersei becoming queen; with so many major characters from Kings Landing being killed off, she is increasingly isolated. By eliminating the Faith Militant, the Tyrells and even her own uncle, she creates more enemies than she takes out. People outside Kings Landing throughout the South will want revenge or to fill the gigantic power vaccum. The irony is she did not want to be queen but had to because she had to pay the final price for her scheming when Tommen jumped out the window. I currently have no political cause to root for in the show. I'll only support the Starks again when Sansa has freed them from Littlefinger's influence. I don't support Daenerys either because she seeks to undo Robert's Rebellion but offers no clear alternative on a better government. She may be a good ruler, but will not 'break the wheel' as she says. The only thimble of hope I have within the show is to have the character I can most relate to: Sam to have a happy ending. Finally, R+L=J. I'm now 99% certain of it. The 1% of doubt I have is the fact that the show did not explicitly reveal that Jon is Raegar's son. Only Lyanna's. I know I'll have people throw rocks at me for that, but there you go. Again, I'm very certain that the theory is true, but I think it's still slightly ambiguous.

Jon's punches to Ramsay was very satisfying. It reminded me of the scene in Blood Diamond where Solomon bashes the head of that RUF commanded with a shovel. Bashing your tormentor's head in a fit of rage feels so good. And Ramsay being eaten by his own dogs was like the Nazis in the theater in the film Inglorious Basterds.

I sense just a little hostility in your post. Relax. It's only a matter of opinion. And even stating at this point is slightly misleading because you admitted we are still catching up with the riverlands story and Kevan will at some point be killed as happened in the books. I'm nitpicking I suppose, but some people before episode 1 of this season were already talking about completely unknown territory and that we were all in the same boat (not you but I've heard it from others). I say not so fast.

Let's review the things from the books that happened this season: Balon falling off the bridge: book 3 (reference only) The pink letter: book 5 The Kingsmoot: book 4 Coldhands: appears in books 3 and 5 Jamie goes to Riverrun: book 4 Arya's assasin training: book 4 and 5 With all of that in season 6 when it should have been in season 5 highlights how terrible season 5 was. But it also emphasizes not to get over excited about going beyond book material just yet. Most plot-lines have gone beyond the books admittedly, but they seem to be dragging it out slowly. It also gives me hope that what I mentioned will actually happen.

So much book 3, 4 and 5 material happening this season now with Jamie going to Riverrun and Coldhands appearing, I feel we are not really very far into book 6 material. That gives me hope for 3 more things from the books that have yet to happen: Kevan Lannister's assasination, Lady Stoneheart and the biggest of all: Aegon/Young Griff.

With the Pink Letter part thrown in after I thought they would omit it and from previous episodes; the return of Rikon, Balon falling off the bridge and the Kingsmoot happening I have renewed hope in a lot of book 3, 4 and 5 material omitted in previous seasons might actually happen. Maybe we will see the Riverlands again; the Freys, the Brotherhood Without Banners and maybe even Lady Stoneheart. Maybe we will see Kevan Lannister's assassination. Maybe we will even get the biggest gem of all: Aegon!

Balon FINALLY falls off the bridge! This is the episode I've been waiting for since the end of season 3. I looked up spoilers on Wikipedia because the hotel I'm staying at had technical difficulties with their TV. I'm definitely watching the re-run. Book 3 material in season 6!!!!