What are you writing at the moment?

trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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Between Christmas and the New Year I started writing my first novel. Last night I finished Chapter 3, I am now 12,000 words in and really enjoying it as well as getting into the flow of it.

It's a post-apocalyptic tale with echos of 1984.

So who else here is currently writing?
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  • BrumBallBrumBall Posts: 2,060
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    12000 words in 3 weeks is extremely good for a beginner. I write at a snails pace, far too easily distracted!

    I'm writing a horror, about 4 chapters, 15000 words in. Also my first novel, although I've done a few shorts. Started off quite gruesome so far but I'm hoping to make it creepy, a look into the dark corners of the human soul!
  • frightleverfrightlever Posts: 1,272
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    trphil wrote: »
    Between Christmas and the New Year I started writing my first novel. Last night I finished Chapter 3, I am now 12,000 words in and really enjoying it as well as getting into the flow of it.

    It's a post-apocalyptic tale with echos of 1984.

    So who else here is currently writing?

    Echoes.

    My less important advice is that you should write for your own amusement and assume no-one will ever want to read a word you've written. You won't be disappointed if you stay true to that.

    Probably more important, pick up a copy of Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style". Unless you have a solid grounding in grammar you're never going to be taken seriously. The original (Strunk only) text is here:

    The Elements of Style

    But that's a little more hardcore than the E. B. White revision.

    Don't listen to people who tell you that writing more will make you better. Reading more will make you a better writer. Writing more will make writing easier. It may well be crap but it'll be easier crap. Only critical analysis of your writing will actually make it better. And if writing is ever easy, you're doing it wrong.

    Publish your writing freely at first (it takes, on average, ten years for a writer to be published and the accepted rule is that you need to write a million words of crap before you know what you're doing - own this. What you write at first is worthless as anything but a springboard for improvement). Welcome opinions. Value criticism, and dismiss praise. People are wormy sheep and don't want to upset you. One valid criticism is worth a hundred people's empty praise.

    Keep writing. Write like your life depended on it. Only by writing can you make yourself happy. These are just three lies wannabe writers tell themselves. Get a hobby, meet people, do things. Then write about it. If writing is your life, your life sucks.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    I am primarily writing for my own amusement anyway. I reckon I've written more than a million words of crap already, I've been keeping a diary daily since 1987 and I've writen a bi-monthly magazine article for the last 15 years.

    But you're right, everyone whose read it so far has told me it's good. One person pointed out a couple of repeated words and a mixture of tenses in a sentence.

    I read about 2 books a week on average.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    Good luck with your writing everyone :)

    Sadly I am creatively malnourished :(

    If any of you ever self publish for the Kindle I'll give you a read. Been some little gems I've found on their freebie/70p/99p self published stuff. A couple who have then gone on to write a second novel that I've happily paid full price for.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    I was actually thinking about Kindle, but I've not looked into any form of publishing as yet. I want to have at least half the manuscript first. I self-published my dad's book using Lulu a few years ago and that was relatively easy. Not sure whether I'm vain enough to self-publish my own work though!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,187
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    trphil wrote: »
    Between Christmas and the New Year I started writing my first novel. Last night I finished Chapter 3, I am now 12,000 words in and really enjoying it as well as getting into the flow of it.

    It's a post-apocalyptic tale with echos of 1984.

    So who else here is currently writing?

    I would love to be able to write, but sadly I'm rubbish. :D I do however love a good post apocalyptic tale so feel free to send yours my way if you want an honest opinion. :)
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    poppycat wrote: »
    I would love to be able to write, but sadly I'm rubbish. :D I do however love a good post apocalyptic tale so feel free to send yours my way if you want an honest opinion. :)

    I have PMd you. :cool:
  • GiraffeGirlGiraffeGirl Posts: 13,619
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    I'm trying to finish a fanfiction I started over a year ago. I know, fanfiction is a bit geeky but the likelihood of my ever getting anything published is minimal (not least cause I'm really inconsistent at finishing anything) and it entertains me.

    Finishing this is a goal for 2013 though!
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    Finishing this is a goal for 2013 though!

    Good luck with it. :cool: What's the basis of your fanfiction?
  • GiraffeGirlGiraffeGirl Posts: 13,619
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    trphil wrote: »
    Good luck with it. :cool: What's the basis of your fanfiction?

    The musical Rent. It starts about 2 years after the musical finishes.

    I've done dozens of Doctor Who fanfictions too and started (though not finished!) some Narnia ones.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    The musical Rent. It starts about 2 years after the musical finishes.

    I've done dozens of Doctor Who fanfictions too and started (though not finished!) some Narnia ones.

    That sounds very interesting. You'd probably have some luck with getting the Dr. Who ones published though?

    Where did you slot your Narnia ones in?
  • GiraffeGirlGiraffeGirl Posts: 13,619
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    trphil wrote: »
    That sounds very interesting. You'd probably have some luck with getting the Dr. Who ones published though?

    Where did you slot your Narnia ones in?

    I imagine not, I like writing fluff about the Doctor and Rose :o:D

    The main one I've written is set during the time the Pevensies are ruling Narnia (i.e. the last section of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) and adds in a character of the Witch's ward who is placed in their care after she 'dies'. All very sentimental rubbish.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    Nothing wrong with a bit of sentiment, but that Narnia one sounds really good. I really like "The Horse and His Boy" for the very reason that it fits into that period.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    I've written over 2,000 words today, I was expecting this book to take me the whole year, but at this rate I'll be finished in the summer. :)
  • Elphie_LivesElphie_Lives Posts: 4,455
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    Working on various things for my course. A tv script about a dad and an autistic son dealing with the wife's death. Radio drama is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel (kind of). Short stories for LGBT youth. The start of a fantasy novel (though I've been building on the world for a few years). Oh and have to write a sitcom at some point.

    Takes the fun out of writing when I need to get all these in for around the same time.
  • HogzillaHogzilla Posts: 24,116
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    I don't write fiction but tend to kind of tell stories in my work, anyway, one way or another. I finished my first book a while back. It's due to be published in next couple of months - it was commissioned a couple of years ago. And am about to start researching my next one - also non-fiction. That's exciting, after being tied down to one project for so long; to start thinking about something new. I haven't sold this second book anywhere, yet, but am confident I can place it.

    My writing is very research-heavy, so I may spend weeks or months researching - but write very quickly. For the past two years, I have done 'book writing' interspersed with research and article writing. That means the writing is not very fluid, but I get bored of doing just one thing. I will live, breathe, eat, sleep it and then a week later, when it's gone, forget all about it.

    This week I am putting the finishing touches to something that will be part of a book a lot of people are contributing to, and will also go out as a stand-alone thing. That will probably generate more income for me than my own book! I enjoy collaborating with other people as writing can be very lonely. But since xmas I have slowed down a lot, as I was working crazily for months, before that.

    I've also written the intro to a re-issue of a 1940s' book, that will be coming out at the same time. That was exciting to do, but also scary.

    Will be working on some things that tie in (essentially, self promotion) for several magazines I already write for, but not for a couple of months. I tend to knock out a couple of thousand words in a couple of hours, and tend to work close to deadline so future projects sort of float round and percolate in my brain for some time before I get to writing them.

    Have an article to write in a couple of weeks, for a magazine I write for regularly. No idea what I'm doing, yet - but will come up with something. Have several more in the pipeline, and an editor I have written for in the past contacted me last week to ask for something new.
  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,305
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    Various macabre short stories.

    A link to my efforts is given below. Check them out, if you are so inclined.

    https://www.fictionpress.com/story/story_tab_list.php
  • MuzskiMuzski Posts: 809
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    I'm half way through my sixth novel, America's Trust. I never had any intention whatsoever to write until my step son couldn't find a book he wanted to read and I had an idea for a story.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murray-McDonald/e/B0046XZJMQ
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    Muzski wrote: »
    I'm half way through my sixth novel, America's Trust. I never had any intention whatsoever to write until my step son couldn't find a book he wanted to read and I had an idea for a story.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murray-McDonald/e/B0046XZJMQ

    Have just downloaded "Scion" onto my Kindle. You have some mixed reviews there :D

    Looks good, looking forward to having a read :)
  • MuzskiMuzski Posts: 809
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    Lizzy11268 wrote: »
    Have just downloaded "Scion" onto my Kindle. You have some mixed reviews there :D

    Looks good, looking forward to having a read :)

    Fantastic, thanks. I really do hope you enjoy.

    Yep, the wonderful amazon review system! You should see the American reviews, where 90% of my sales are generated, they take politics far more seriously than us and as such some interesting reviews!

    I try to write exciting thrillers, not aiming to win any literary prizes. So far sems to be working as I sell a few thousand every month.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 26,853
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    Muzski wrote: »
    Fantastic, thanks. I really do hope you enjoy.

    Yep, the wonderful amazon review system! You should see the American reviews, where 90% of my sales are generated, they take politics far more seriously than us and as such some interesting reviews!

    I try to write exciting thrillers, not aiming to win any literary prizes. So far sems to be working as I sell a few thousand every month.

    I'll let you know. Its next on my list after the one I'm reading. It sounds like just my sort of thing so hopefully my review will please you :D

    As for literary prizes, my exerience of books that win these is they tend to be quite dull :(
  • TheEricPollardTheEricPollard Posts: 11,582
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    I want to ghost write the story of my cousin's life. I haven't asked her. I might just write it.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    I want to ghost write the story of my cousin's life. I haven't asked her. I might just write it.

    Is your cousin well known? Sounds like a recipe for a family feud! :D

    I've hit the 21,000 word mark now in my book. Still going really well.
  • TheEricPollardTheEricPollard Posts: 11,582
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    It would be a flattering account. She's comedy gold. But also illiterate.
  • trphiltrphil Posts: 2,931
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    It would be a flattering account. She's comedy gold. But also illiterate.

    Sounds great, go for it. :) Good luck...
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