Writing a Book

I have never written a novel, but I have found that screen plays almost write themselves once the characters are established.
I follow the "hero's journey" 3 act format.

Many script writers will follow up with a novel and vice versa as well.

We use this formatting application.

www.finaldraft.com...

My team will turn a novel into a screen play for authors that don't want to do it themselves....for a fee of course.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled on this 18 minute Kurt Vonnegut clip that I just love, it's Vonnegut speaking about the shapes of stories. Idk if it will help, but... it is enjoyable and I found it to be profound, even the story about his uncle at the end of the lecture.

"If this isn't nice, what is?"

I had a professor who once said something like, "write as if they know it, too." And then write to excite and interest yourself, because If you're writing something that you enjoy reading even when you already know all of it, then somebody else will enjoy reading it too. It helped me, hope that helps you now!

I'll be looking forward to your book once it's finished.

originally posted by: DISRAELI

originally posted by: infiniteMeow
ahhh. like you are using to many words to get the point across.
or not being direct to the point becoming lost in explanation.

its hard to write a good book. Good luck with this endeavour.

Check a dictionary for the correct spelling of "too".
"To" has a different meaning (or several of them).

point conceded.

Although I do admit my large fingers are having difficulty on this device designed for Elven slenderness.

You're only jealous my religion thread is better than yours.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I did something similar last year.

170k words which is large for a first novel. I might cut it into two.

You sound like you know what you need to know. I can tell you that this free editor worked great for me hemingwayapp.com...

Why haven't I gotten my novel (s) published yet? Here's where my knowledge might help. Publishing companies that are worth it will not even read your book unless it is completed. And I mean fully completed. You can't send just a pdf. It has to be a real book with art work and covers all completed. If anyone thinks I'm wrong about that please please point me to a good publisher that will except my novels without me first getting it professionally edited and then made into a physical book.

Now the reason i haven't got mine sent to a publisher is that professionally editing cost a lot. At least for someone poor like me. It's around 1000k per 70k words. I need almost 3 times that much. And I did save that up over the last year but then life happened and I had to spend it on something urgent and important.

The other option is to self publish a digital copy. But you are looking at way more work in the form of advertising. You have to advertise your own book vs having a company advertise on their already established network. And self publishing usually brings less money.

Unless your book is about a ct. You can self publish and get rich off that. Just ask hoagland.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

There are some parts where I get stuck though. I get stuck because I get too close to the story, so I know so much about it I start thinking it's boring (and kind of lose interest)

That doesn't sound good.
I've been wanting to write my novel for 20 years before I finally did. And the story never gets old for me. I even think about it randomly sometimes and smile about plot points.
Mine too is very close to me. In fact it's based on the life I lived while homeless for 6 years.

But that's not to say your story isn't awesome. there are websites were active readers will read anything that people post and tell you their opinions of it. They are a great resource for writers who want to flesh out story ideas. Check them out send in some stuff, see if other people find it boring or not. After all writing a book is more about the readers and the enjoyment that they get is it not?

a reply to: PhantomAntics

Hire an editor is what I think right now.

Can you suggest any good ones that would be willing to edit a story containing gangs, drug use, and street crimes?

Because , if your reading this clay, some editors wont edit dark material.

a reply to: pheonix358

Get the start, the first sentence, the first para, in your mind and then ... throw caution to the wind and start typing.

This^^

I have edited my book dozens of times now.
The first time writing it I wrote it all out in the span of a few days. It was so full of spelling mistakes and plot holes even I found it hard to read. But once it's all down you will find it much easier to get the real story out.

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

You realize by hand writing the book, you are performing a ritual of magic?

You craft your thoughts into words, and then you write them down on paper: binding the realm of thought to that of the material world. It is an incredibly powerful talent we all possess. Use it wisely.

I like that.

Wish I could give you more stars.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

And just remember that you're already a writer.

Anyone that is as active on a forum as you are is in fact a writer.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It's probably silly, but I have a reason.

You mentioned king. Well even king has a silly way of doing things. I think most writers do.
Me? I have to write as soon as I wake up. If I wait and do anything else my momentum just ends.

I use a combination of hand writing, typing, and voice to text.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
For a start you don't need an editor. They don't check your grammar or spelling, they try to tell you what parts they like or don't like to make your book their type to publish.
What you do want is a "Proof Reader", they check your grammar and syntax, (OOooo what a word that is). After the proof reader has gone through it THEN you try to find a publisher.
Good luck, i hope you succeed in your endeavour.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You realize by hand writing the book, you are performing a ritual of magic?

You craft your thoughts into words, and then you write them down on paper: binding the realm of thought to that of the material world. It is an incredibly powerful talent we all possess. Use it wisely.

...

But I think you'll do okay, FCD. Your comments here are lucid and by your description of self, you have had a lot of different experiences in the USA and other parts of the world -- all that is grist for a rich mill.

Cheers

Very interesting!

Can you tell me more about the 'magic' connection to hand writing? Maybe point me in the right direction with a link or something? My story already has elements of Zen and meditation in it, and I think some connections to magic will make for a very interesting addition.

Thanks in advance!

a reply to: scraedtosleep

.... there are websites were active readers will read anything that people post and tell you their opinions of it. They are a great resource for writers who want to flesh out story ideas. ...

I have heard of these. Do you have any links for good ones?

I have been contemplating possibly starting a writer's blog of sorts, but I'm kind of on the fence about it. On the one hand it seems like a good way to throw out some ideas and see what people like. It's also a way to "de-clutter" my mind of other non-related topics and themes (i.e. short stories, poetry). Kind of a 'parking lot' of sorts.

On the other hand, a blog is a big time consumer because it needs to be kept up to date to maintain interest, and there's already a billion other blogs out there. Probably nobody reads about 90% of them; why would anyone be interested in mine?

At any rate...so many ideas, so little time.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

Nah. I shouldn't have said the problems without a solution. Something that is detrimential to progress unless exhasted of options.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I have heard of these. Do you have any links for good ones?

I did. but recently lost all my bookmarks...sucks too because I never remember the names of websites I like I just bookmark everything.

But a quick search will work fine. They are popular sites.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I know nothing of blogs so I can't help with that. My writing experience is limited to story telling. Novels.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Can you tell me more about the 'magic' connection to hand writing?

I came to the understanding that hand writing ( writing in general) is a form of magic when I was 18.
I had a choice when I was 18 ether go down a path of violence and crime or start writing.

So on that day a homeless uneducated 18 year old kid said no to the criminals that wanted him to go rob someone and instead he found an abandoned old house went inside and wrote the first words of a journal that he would keep for the rest of his life. In turn those words coming from his mind and onto the page would keep the man sane and moral.

I'm so glad you made this thread. It's reminding me of my excitement about getting my book edited.

a reply to: crayzeed

wait? what? I've been looking at editors never thought of a proof reader.

What I need is someone to check spelling grammar and for plot holes I might have missed.
Your telling me that person is called a proof reader and not an editor??

This is why social media is so awesome. This one commit from cray got me reading about proofreaders and now I know that this is what I need, not an editor.


ty cray.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

PM for Flyingclaydisk.

Cheers

My two tips are to use Grammarly to type it, and then use a speech to text service to "listen" to what you wrote. Every time you hear something off, correct it. Hearing it will give you a different feel for how it reads.