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Post by Jolly on Sept 7, 2017 1:43:59 GMT
I wrote a novel not long after I heard that Louis La Amore died, just to see if I could pull off a Western. About half way through, my wife insisted that she was gong to edit it and send it in to the Southwest Writer's conferance contest. I was just having fun, creating a universe where everybody had to do and say what I wanted, but she was taking it seriously, so why should I argue? It finished up at 90,000 words, we let friends and family read it to much biased aplause, she sent it in. Got a call sometime later that it had been selected as a finalist...she was on the phone talking to the gal, and I figured it was a con and asked how many entered the contest....they said about 50 in it's division, which started me to takiing it seriously. Anyhow, it won the western and historical division, much to the burning anger of at least one of the compeditors who had taken a year off from her job as an english lit teacher to finish her novel about a Mexican Dynasty. Surprised me, too, and the judge was an editor from Berkely books, who said she would make an offer on it if I would shorten it to the length of a Louie Lamore, which I declined. Not like they are going to pay a first time author enough to change his life, anyway, so it is still laying there, waiting for one of the kids or somebody to get it ready for print at Lightning source and into Kindle Books format. I had my fun from it. I DID, also write a love poem to my wife a few years ago, in the shower, when we only had a single bathroom and had to use it at the same time. I habitually get up first, start in the shower, would hear her come in..... It went; "OH, my dearest darling Companion to my heart I did not know that thou were nigh 'Till I heard thee softly fart." Nothing like honoring what talent one has by taking it seriously, working hard, doing something worthwhile... .....Joe A good editor will help you shorten the novel. Some people are like onions...peel away one layer and you find another. Many layers of talent, not always apparent at first glance. You, sir, are an onion.
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Post by joebill on Sept 7, 2017 2:45:21 GMT
Why, thank you. whoda thunkit?
Always thought of my self as a kumquat.....Joe
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Sept 7, 2017 16:04:56 GMT
I enjoy writing, but as you can tell, I'm lousy at it. I was once told my writing reads like an Ikea assembly manual. I blame it all on a lifetime of writing business letters and bid proposals, where they need to be concise, precise, and specifically inclusive of parameters. That, and a total lack of imagination.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 17:29:24 GMT
I enjoy writing, but as you can tell, I'm lousy at it. I was once told my writing reads like an Ikea assembly manual. I blame it all on a lifetime of writing business letters and bid proposals, where they need to be concise, precise, and specifically inclusive of parameters. That, and a total lack of imagination. Your writing is very good and enjoyable when you take the time to flesh it out. I have trouble writing because, in undergrad, they want you to expound and write stuff out, and it has to be your original thoughts. In grad school, they want you to be concise and quote sources ad infinitum. So far, haven't been able to find the middle ground.
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Post by joebill on Sept 7, 2017 17:53:01 GMT
I enjoy writing, was told by the editor that I was especially good at dialog and that I made first-person writing look easy, which it is not supposed to be, but I lose patience with those who want to order up a specific story per length, content, etc. If they know exactly what they want, they should write it themselves.
I'll never alter that or any other novel to suit an editor. If I market it, it will be as I wrote it, with just editing for the common mistakes and to fit the format. Too many people out there who would cut off an arm to get into print for any editor and I to have to get along with one another. Let THEM deal with one aonther.
I may do more of it and actually market it in the future if I can ever get used to being retired. Can't seem to get past the conviction that I should be in the shop turning out parts that sell for money.
Speaking of which, here I go....Joe
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2017 22:24:30 GMT
I enjoy writing, but as you can tell, I'm lousy at it. I was once told my writing reads like an Ikea assembly manual. I blame it all on a lifetime of writing business letters and bid proposals, where they need to be concise, precise, and specifically inclusive of parameters. That, and a total lack of imagination. Bet you'd be really good at writing query letters. I'm dreading the day I have to write one to market it out to an agent. joebill, That's really awesome you won the contest. I've submitted to contests before and got nothing, but, my work probably was pretty terrible. If you sit down and write out some novels what kind of stories would you put out? I've got too many story ideas circulating in my head. I'm working on a Fantasy novel right now titled: The Last of the Asterians. I've been working on that for 10+ years now. I know, that's a long time, but in my defense, I didn't know how to write for, like 7 of those years. It's been rewritten probably seven times already. Actually, I'm in the middle of rewriting it now and I'm still not done with it. *sigh* And then I've got a Time-Traveling Historical Fiction I'm rewriting titled: The Herbalist. That one is a ton of fun. Three kids are sent back to 1675 and have to get back to the future. Each book is them in a different time period: Egypt c. 950 BC, The French & Indian War and/or the American Revolution; American Civil War, Titanic, WW2 and then the final book is them reaching present day, except they've completely botched up history and have to go back to 1675 to fix the problem. I've also got ideas for two detective stories the first is for children: Whisker Sherman Cat Detective and then the other is for an adult audience: Logan Pierce ________ (detective something or another. It's a title in progress). Unfortunately I'm a big thinker and they are all a series of stories. The time-traveler series is probably my favorite as far as it being fun to write.
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Post by themotherhen on Sept 7, 2017 23:41:31 GMT
@toni, those ideas sound great! Do you draw the illustrations yourself for the children's books?
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Post by Ozarks Tom on Sept 8, 2017 0:04:30 GMT
Well, I've just now decided to add another portion to my "Blackout" story here in our Storytelling forum. Don't expect too much of it, but at least when you're finished you'll be able to put an Ikea bookcase together.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2017 19:44:16 GMT
@toni , those ideas sound great! Do you draw the illustrations yourself for the children's books? Unfortunately I can't draw to save my life, but if I ever decide to illustrate my brother is an exceptional artist; I might be able to con him into doing it for me. Lol.
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