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Have you ever considered writing a novel? • Page 2
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pjmaybe 70,666 posts
Seen 12 years ago
Registered 20 years ago -
boo 13,901 posts
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Registered 18 years agoCurses!
Rumbled. -
Whizzo wrote:
boo's effort is very good, not sure you needed to quote it all though!
Is it cos I is ginger? -
I have written one. Most of it was written for a Creative Writing Masters degree, and then I finished it in my spare time.
It is however, a mess. It was originally written as a children's book, but my twisted mind made it far too dark, and it has ended up benig a kind of bastard son of Paradise Lost and Harry Potter.
The story is an adaptation of Faust. A young boy doesn't get what he wants for his birthday, but he does get paid a vist by Santa's evil brother Satan Clause. Satan says he can get him the bike he wants now, but he forgoes all future presents from Santa, and will deal directly with him instead. He does, turns evil, gets redeemed yadda yadda.
I kind of hate the thing now, and as I say it's a mess. The tone and pitching are all over the place. The bits I filled in are dull and the intersting bits are over embellished. Plus I hate the bloody thing now.
I'm in several minds over what to do with it. A part of me thinks I should clean it up a bit and just try and get it published. Another part of me want to rewrite it knowing what I know now, and another part thinks I should just scrap it and do something new. Oh hum. -
Kalel - do something new. Then when it sells and you're a successful author release the satan clause one as it is, safe in the knowledge that you'll be able to get away with any old crap.
*cough* James Patterson *cough*
Edited by Fozzie_bear at 10:46:05 02-03-2005 -
Fozzie_bear wrote:
Kalel - do something new. Then when it sells and you're a successful author release the satan clause one as it is, safe in the knowledge that you'll be able to get away with any old crap.
*cough* James Patterson *cough*
Edited by Fozzie_bear at 10:46:05 02-03-2005
Sound advice I think. The more I go back to it the more problems I find.
Actually, one bit of advice I have to to anyone that tries to do this is to just get the thing written. You change and learn as you write, and I guarantee that whatever you do, you will end up rewriting most of the first pages you write. But if you take too long over it you will find yourself constantly rewriting and editing. It will never have consistency. Just get it done. -
Angel_Treats 11,070 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 18 years agoReckon the only way there'd ever be a novel in me would be if I swallowed one .gif)
I'm just not very good at writing unfortunately. I never even kept a diary as an angst-filled teenager (preferring instead to take out my agression with a copy of SFII and a much-battered SNES joypad).
I do agree that there's far too many of those girly books (quiet at the back) nowadays. I've read one or two on occasion when I've wanted something to read and people have lent me one, and I think they're all a pile of shite tbh. Same flipping story in all of them, give or take a few details like character names and what chapter they get dumped in. -
bef wrote:
UncleLou wrote:
My rule of thumb is: if you have the talent to be a good writer, you will have written a lot, because you have to write, and you will probably have finished a lot of stuff, even if it hasn't been published. Most famous authors start very young.
So if you're 30 or older (or maybe even 20), and think you should write a book, but haven't actually written anything yet, chances are you're not an author, and never will be..gif)
Here in the Netherlands the average age of a literary debutant is around 35.
I dare say that is probably the average age of authors that ger published for the first time. Note my "even if it hasn't been published" disclaimer above. Someone who gets published at 35 has probably written tons of unpublished stuff before.
The only author that immediately comes to mind that started very late (over 60 I think) is Louis Begley. There are certainly a few more, but it's not the norm. -
Captain-Fetid 659 posts
Registered 17 years agomarilena wrote:
I can't remember any spectacular late debut at the moment, but I'm sure there have been some.
Just read about it the other day, but Annie Proulx debuted at 53. -
My brother has written three novels and is doing an English and History degree. I think he was accepted on the courses due in part to his writing of novels. It takes a lot of time and dedication. He used to write over 50'000 for each one.
His books weren't brilliant but they were passable and quite entertaining, his problem was structure and general literacy. He had ideas, lots of them but he couldn't put them down on paper as effectively as possible. That's where I came in, I used to really enjoy beautifying his script while he dictated. That was good fun.
I couldn't write a novel, I've tried but I really don't have it in me. I've tried writing poetry, novels and song lyrics, I just can't turn off my crap o meter to perfect my craft. Everything I attempt to write I think is nonesense, it probably is but I wish I could stop doing it.
Edit: My bro also spent ages trying to get published but it is very very difficult and a lot of people (including agents) string you along for a long time.
Edited by Mr Sleep at 11:17:57 02-03-2005 -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoWriters write.
Simple as.
I'm still working on mine. Sometimes in my sleep I see my main character waiting for me to continue the story.
Mrs Nem writes. She's also jus' got a months work at a decent fashion magazine. She also goes to writing classes and a female reading group.
Whereas I dream, she does.
/is a bit lazy -
sam_spade 15,745 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 20 years agoKalel, I think you have to take heart in what, I think, Hemmingway said, "There are no good writers, only good rewriters" -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoBill Door wrote:
a female reading group
Sounds a bit like an enticing lesbian collective
/sets up a webcam -
Was it him who said 90% of everything written is shit. You have to do a lot of writing to find that 10% which is worth reading. -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoDoes anyone else find really good reasons why they aren't 'ready' for writing the book?
When I think on it, I wonder if my English is good enough. Should I go do an evening course....is it gonna help...etc etc etc. -
I'm writing a novel. Well I'm just about to start writing it, I've gotten the structure down and roughly what it's about and now all that's left to do is actually write the thing. I'll be putting it up on my blog in (hopefully) weekly installments, just like that Dickens fella did, like. Well he didn't put it up on a blog, he put it in the paper, but you know what I mean... -
marilena 8,238 posts
Seen 1 day ago
Registered 18 years agoNemesis wrote:
Does anyone else find really good reasons why they aren't 'ready' for writing the book?
When I think on it, I wonder if my English is good enough. Should I go do an evening course....is it gonna help...etc etc etc.
Yeah, unfortunately I do have good reasons. There is a lot I need to learn, because what I studied at the Uni had no conection to writing whatsoever. I can't decide whether I should just go on with writing or start studying seriously, wich means I'm not doing much of either at the moment. -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoWhere does one start, though? Is it worth following the path of reading/writing groups? -
eviltobz 2,609 posts
Registered 18 years agoboo wrote:
excellent
Apparently there are three main game thingies. The playstation is rubbish but everybody has one. The gamecube is brilliant but nobody has one. The Xbox is good but nobody can carry one.
i thought about trying to write something once. realised i didn't have any ideas. gave up. -
Nemesis wrote:
There are some good authors that have awful literacy and then there are authors like Martin Amis who are exceptionally good with their creative writing.
When I think on it, I wonder if my English is good enough. Should I go do an evening course....is it gonna help...etc etc etc.
I never read pulp novels expecting any dazziling metaphors but they're kind of natural in an Amis book, so I'd say it depends on what you're writing.
Edit: I had a cogent point when I started writing this but sadly it's lost. A perfect example of what would happen if I tried to write a novel
Edited by Mr Sleep at 12:13:21 02-03-2005 -
Nemesis 20,312 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years agoThat reminded me I needed to order...On Writing by Stephen King.
Oh, I slipped Green Mile in the basket as well. I haven't seen the film, so no bugger spoil it! -
Shinji 5,902 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 20 years agoShinji's not going to be too happy when he finds out Boo's been cutting and pasting from his blog again though
I could never list my alcohol intake on my blog. It'd read like a fucking shopping list.
Oh yeah, obNovel: Waiting to hear back from agents. Drawer of rejection slips filling up. It's like setting out to become a journalist all over again, except that this time I know that rejection slips aren't the end of the world (and I'm not 14)
Edited by Shinji at 12:13:54 02-03-2005 -
mrharvest 5,718 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 18 years agosam_spade wrote:
Kalel, I think you have to take heart in what, I think, Hemmingway said, "There are no good writers, only good rewriters"
There's a bit of wisdom I agree with 100%.
The one advice I can give if you are considering writing a novel is to ask yourself:"Am I ready to use twice the time I originally thought this would take?"
I doubt anyone can really write a novel in one go, especially if you have a day job. So just write page a day. That's not a lot in terms of time but in a year you'll have a manuscript. Then use your next holiday to rewrite. Take a break until summer hols to rewrite it again. Then send it to all the publishers you know or you don't, read the "sorry your book's rubbish" letters and start writing the second one. Rinse, repeat. You'll get there eventually.
Taking the time to do it is important, not just the hours but the years to allow it and yourself to mature.
Another advice is in character driven material to research the characters until they are alive, to the point until you never need to figure out how the characters will react. At some point you'll just let the characters live their own lives and write down what shit goes down.
With plot driven stories... Well, who cares? All plot driven novels are rubbish* anyway.
*** Take this with a pince of salt. -
As an aside; Bridget Jones is considered to be one of the most important literary figures of the last few decades since she is a woman who knows what she wants etc and isn't afraid to talk about and wear large pants etc. Shame that she's a one trick pony though. -
Shinji 5,902 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 20 years agoAt some point you'll just let the characters live their own lives and write down what shit goes down.
That horrifying moment when you look up from what you've just written and realise that one of your characters has just gone and done something that completely derailed where you wanted to go with your chapter structure. It's not that YOU did it, your character did it. It's an odd sensation, that; you've created something which almost has a life of its own. Probably sounds completely ridiculous to anyone who's never experienced it too, but it's true -
Sounds like you've been at the Ether again -
rev9of8 66 posts
Seen 14 years ago
Registered 17 years agokalel wrote:
The story is an adaptation of Faust. A young boy doesn't get what he wants for his birthday, but he does get paid a vist by Santa's evil brother Satan Clause. Satan says he can get him the bike he wants now, but he forgoes all future presents from Santa, and will deal directly with him instead. He does, turns evil, gets redeemed yadda yadda.
I kind of hate the thing now, and as I say it's a mess. The tone and pitching are all over the place. The bits I filled in are dull and the intersting bits are over embellished. Plus I hate the bloody thing now.
I'm in several minds over what to do with it. A part of me thinks I should clean it up a bit and just try and get it published. Another part of me want to rewrite it knowing what I know now, and another part thinks I should just scrap it and do something new. Oh hum.
It actually sounds rather interesting. The best advice is probably to find someone else who does a fair bit of writing and get them to go through it and and have them comment and proffer up a whole load of editorial comment.
This can work wonders. Ever read Iain Banks' Use of Weapons? You'll know it has a rather interesting narrative structure whereby it has two alternating strands - one of which progresses forward through time and the other which progresses backwards chronologically before achieving its denouement at the point where the two strands converge. It works brilliantly - but this is nothing like the original drafts. The original drafts were an absolute mess and Banks even had it going in a straight linear progression chronologically. He showed it to Ken MacLeod who suggested what was to become the final structure of the novel. The result is a masterpiece. -
Iain M Banks has done that kind of weird structure before with his non sci fi stuff so it doesn't surprise me he could adapt it in his sci fi. I've been reading some Ken Mcloed recently and am very impressed with his scope and writing style. Great piece of knowledge btw. -
mrharvest 5,718 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 18 years agoShinji wrote:
At some point you'll just let the characters live their own lives and write down what shit goes down.
That horrifying moment when you look up from what you've just written and realise that one of your characters has just gone and done something that completely derailed where you wanted to go with your chapter structure. It's not that YOU did it, your character did it. It's an odd sensation, that; you've created something which almost has a life of its own. Probably sounds completely ridiculous to anyone who's never experienced it too, but it's true
"Soulmate!"
Yeah. That happens. Sometimes it might help to take a few pages back and write it again to see if there's any alternative paths it might take but I've often felt the first choice is more natural (though natural doesn't always equate interesting). Or then just keep at it and hope the grand scheme pulls it all together at some point.
That Gadda's detective spoke of a gliummero, a vortex of little things that all pull into a certain direction; there is no singular reason why someone kills another or commits suicide but just a big mess of things. -
Oh god, where do I start...?
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