I passed out of English 101 and I didn't get to write creatively at all in English 102 but I got an A (and it's not like my professor was easy) so hopefully I'm a good writer.
"Good" is a second draft concern. Especially when you're trying to write 50k in a month. Even working from an outline it's difficult to punch out something that isn't a complete mess. I wrote a novella a few years back and entire scenes needed to be cut or reworked. And I spent like five months on the thing.Yeah, I know; quantity over quality and all that. I just haven't written anything even remotely near this length before so what I mean is forgetting about foreshadowing and which things can do which things and all that. Although I'm currently writing an outline so that'll probably help a lot with keeping the plot straight.
Yeah, I know; quantity over quality and all that. I just haven't written anything even remotely near this length before so what I mean is forgetting about foreshadowing and which things can do which things and all that. Although I'm currently writing an outline so that'll probably help a lot with keeping the plot straight.
well ok here's my thing so far i just made it in like 5 minutes so yeah
Mine's about a salvage crew that goes out and dismantles derelict starships, scavenges anything valuable, and sells it to various second hand dealerships. They pick up two new crew members, after their mechanic and one of their EVA operators was killed by pirates in a raid.
Unfortunately, the mechanic is actually a genetically engineered 'Template' for a new line of cloned supersoldiers, and a lot of people want to get her and make an army of Helghast-esque clones and kill shit.
Made me laugh.
Another thing I want to mention: they don't have star fighters, so most combat is either dudes in bulky space suits grappling in slo-mo and using modified work tools to punch holes in the other guy's suit or giant mass drivers firing super-resilient pods full of boarding crews whilst missiles and gauss guns are firing.
Ham: That's just space combat trope. We don't have a recorded example or any academic study of how space combat should be. Starfighters probably aren't actually feasible in the first place.
And they're punching each other with the equivalent of rivet guns. IN SPAAACE.
Yeah, I know. What I mean is that if you have a departure from what your reader is probably expecting then you should have a reason for it (and perhaps even state the reason outright in the story, although you have to be a good writer to not make it seem like blatant setting exposition), even if it's just because it's cool or something.
Another thing I want to mention: they don't have star fighters, so most combat is either dudes in bulky space suits grappling in slo-mo and using modified work tools to punch holes in the other guy's suit or giant mass drivers firing super-resilient pods full of boarding crews whilst missiles and gauss guns are firing.
I find the opposite to be true. Fiction, to me, is about subverting the audiences expectations. If you're going to go with the standard model I think you should have a reason for doing it and it should be clear to the reader.
Actually, that is muddled. You should just have a reason for everything in the story.
http://altru.istic.net/nanowrimo/
I'm doing it to get myself started on writing for the first time. I desperately need to write more, I actually have a degree in writing and people can kick my butt with their recreational writing.A thought: unless you're going to be writing about writing you shouldn't think about writing while you're writing. Most people doing writing for fun are going to have thoughts about their lives and the lives of others flying around, instead of thoughts about "writing". Of course, the good books are made by writers who combine the two states of mind (among other things). However, I don't quite know the minds behind masterwork books, but that is part of what makes them masterworks. The author doesn't exist in the world he makes, so why would you see anything about him?
...has two theories about literature, and one set of instructions on how to write it.Guess who.
First theory: "The Cool Stuff Theory of Literature is as follows:
All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is cool. The reader will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the writer about what's cool. And that works all the way from the external trappings to the level of metaphor, subtext, and the way one uses words. In other words, I happen not to think that full-plate armor and great big honking greatswords are cool. I don't like 'em. I like cloaks and rapiers. So I write stories with a lot of cloaks and rapiers in 'em, 'cause that's cool."
Second theory: "The novel should be understood as a structure built to accommodate the greatest possible amount of cool stuff."
How to write like [the author]: "It's really simple. What you do is put up a sign on whatever wall you face when you're writing. The sign says; And now, I'm going to tell you something really cool.
-stuff-Do tell, please. I saw that quote, and began spreading it around as something awesome, but I've never seen the attribution. I'd like to know who said it.
[...]So many paragraphs for so few words on purpose? It doesn't look like it needs it for any reason.
5891 words done.
[...]So many paragraphs for so few words on purpose? It doesn't look like it needs it for any reason.
Writing an outline. Oh god, it's 14 pages long and I'm only a third of the way through.
Jeeesus. Does that include snippets about characters and settings or is it only a scene breakdown?
Yeah, it has a lot of notes on the characters' internal reactions, whether or not is was raining, and so on. There's even a description of someone's shirt cuff in there. Dialogue. It's a very fleshed-out skeleton of everything that happens, so that the direction and motivation of each scene are completely clear.
I did this once.Although it's probably too late to suggest anything... I'd say you did a fine job. Writing out a novella in a month will only get you a rough draft, you will have to put time into editing later. If immediately editing is too painful, put said novel aside for a while (I personally say a month at the most, I've heard six months by others, but good grief I can't wait that long) and review it later after your emotional attachments have worn off. The goal is to activate that part of the brain that says "this sucks! it would be a lot better if this was this and that was that," which is when you realize the first draft has a lot of potential.
Ended with a 50k word unreadable oh-god-what "novel" in which the descriptions of, well, everything were bloated as hell, a complete lack of pride, and an awful mindraping headache.
I have 25,000 words of outline that I wrote over the past couple days. Fuck me.
I have 25,000 words of outline that I wrote over the past couple days. Fuck me.
Lmao. Wow, I'm just edging over 10k in my story. Are finished with it yet?
Nope. Getting close, though... I think I only have 10 more chapters to outline...
;^;
Haha, sounds like you've fallen into the outline trap. You could just keep writing that until you get to 50k and be like "yes, it totally counts. ...bitches." But that's not very satisfying. Or you could just start writing now. 25k of outline should be more than enough to get you to 50k of story and once you get there you might find that you don't really need such an in-depth outline for the rest.
It's not "the outline trap" because it's an assignment for a novel-writing course in college, so... I do actually have to finish, and he said "detailed outline."
I just hit 50,000 for the first time. I've tried for about three years now, and this is my first success.I don't think I can put it strongly enough, but I need to read it!
Yeah, actually I expected it to be the best possible month for me - a month after we start uni, but a month before the exams start... only it seems every single possible task anyone could place on me felt the same way. Eh, it's over, at least - now I get a whole week of recuperating :)
Lawl, Graven. You must be a first year student or something. November is traditionally reffered to as 'Hell Month' by one and all.