Novel support thread...

[deathlynx]

So, Stella mentioned novel-writing groups in another thread, so I thought, "Hmmm, we should have a thread for that here."

So, for those who've succeeded in writing a novel any advice?
Anybody have one writen that they haven't done anything with?
What kinds of novels have you writen or are on your mind?

Let me start, I've written a couple but they all fall into the second category, haven't done anything with them yet...Actually haven't even proofed them for editing...

As for style, I currently have a Science Fiction novel, and a non-erotic story with potential for erotic sequals...Actually they're both the start of serieses...

 

[jomar]

I might find this thread useful. Thanks, deathlynx (Your AV gives me whiplash every time I see it). I have an action/adventure type story I want to complete and see what it can do. I have a lot to learn about writing though, so it's a looong-shot seeing as how I'm new to this.

 

[slyc_willie]

I've got two and a half parts of a science fiction trilogy that, like yours DL, needs some serious editing and polishing. Not sure when I'll get around to finishing them. Part of the first manuscript was read a few years ago by an agent, who said he liked it and wanted to see more. But that was right before I hit a pretty low point in my life and stopped writing for a while.

I have been thinking about reviving the old story, however . . . if I can find the time to do so. In which case, i'll be anxious to hear any advice others might have on getting novels published in the mainstream.

 

[impressive]

I envy y'all who write long. I have yet to finish any single title over 30K -- with or without a partner.

 

[slyc_willie]

I envy y'all who write long. I have yet to finish any single title over 30K -- with or without a partner.

It's not an easy thing to do. I can't have any distractions when I'm writing something of that length. My Pretty Baby series here on Lit is just shy of 800 kb, and I had to take off a full week from work to do it. I almost never left my apartment during that time. Most of my friends thought I was in the hospital.

that's a sacrifice of time and companionship that it isn't easily made.

 

[marifree]

I envy y'all who write long. I have yet to finish any single title over 30K -- with or without a partner.

My problem is the opposite. The short EC just bought was an exercise to make myself finish something under 40K…. Hehhe

I’ve got three. Two complete novels and one in the works…

I recently spent a great deal of time editing and polishing an Urban Fantasy (160K). It’s not erotic, but it’s damn close. I pitched it around RT and entered in a contest. It won second place and a request for the full ms by the agent that judged the contest. I sent to him and a couple others places about three weeks ago.

The second part of that one is in the works.

I wrote a horror a while back that I’m just about to start doing some editing on in order to put it out for sale.

On top of those, I’ve got a three novella- paranormal erotic- series that is completely plotted and outlined. The first one is about 2/3 complete…

Just try and get me to shut up.

 

[cloudy]

I have two unfinished novels swimming around on my hard drive. One of them I'd love to finish, but I don't know if I ever will.

 

[impressive]

My problem is the opposite. The short EC just bought was an exercise to make myself finish something under 40K…. Hehhe

I’ve got three. Two complete novels and one in the works…

I recently spent a great deal of time editing and polishing an Urban Fantasy (160K). It’s not erotic, but it’s damn close. I pitched it around RT and entered in a contest. It won second place and a request for the full ms by the agent that judged the contest. I sent to him and a couple others places about three weeks ago.

The second part of that one is in the works.

I wrote a horror a while back that I’m just about to start doing some editing on in order to put it out for sale.

On top of those, I’ve got a three novella- paranormal erotic- series that is completely plotted and outlined. The first one is about 2/3 complete…

Just try and get me to shut up.

Show off.

 

[jomar]

I envy y'all who write long. I have yet to finish any single title over 30K -- with or without a partner.

Hmm. I'm sort of surprised. Have you tried to write long? I do have a sense about how a story "takes over and is as long as it needs to be kind of thing." But I would think you could take one of your stories and flesh it out. If you've got 30K why not whatever? This new thing I have coming out is a fun story idea and has potential to really be expanded to novel length. But the idea of doing so feels a bit grandiose for a lot of reasons. I need all the help I can get so am interested in seeing where this thread goes.

 

[impressive]

Hmm. I'm sort of surprised. Have you tried to write long? I do have a sense about how a story "takes over and is as long as it needs to be kind of thing." But I would think you could take one of your stories and flesh it out. If you've got 30K why not whatever? This new thing I have coming out is a fun story idea and has potential to really be expanded to novel length. But the idea of doing so feels a bit grandiose for a lot of reasons. I need all the help I can get so am interested in seeing where this thread goes.

I'm just not wordy. I'm very concise.

Yes, I do have a couple of novels-in-progress with story lines that will carry them to at least 50K ... but they don't hold my attention long enough to finish.

 

[deathlynx]

Somewhere around there's a thread FtF started with lots of links to Publishing info...I'll look around for it and link it to the first post here when I find it...Personally I've found my writing has improved a lot since coming here...That's one of the reasons my Modern, Non-Erotic, Supernatural novel needs serious editing...I started it about a year or two before I came here so the older parts of it need some work It also needs a heck of a lot more description...

I can do either short or long stories personally...I actually have a handfull of stories (some of which posted here on Lit) which could fit together in an anthology for the Modern series...

Personally I'm mostly nervous about deadlines and whatnot if I get published, so I want to make very sure I have a couple of novels in the bag before I approach anyone with the first...That way I could focus entirely on it as a profession if it panned out...

 

[jomar]

I'm just not wordy. I'm very concise.

Yes, I do have a couple of novels-in-progress with story lines that will carry them to at least 50K ... but they don't hold my attention long enough to finish.

Concise is good. So you're a sprinter, not a marathon runner? If so, I know the feeling.

 

[impressive]

Concise is good. So you're a sprinter, not a marathon runner? If so, I know the feeling.

I'm much less of a sprinter than I used to be, though. I mean, I can still do a mean sprint ... but I'm improving my stamina for distance.

 

[marifree]

I'm just not wordy. I'm very concise.

Yes, I do have a couple of novels-in-progress with story lines that will carry them to at least 50K ... but they don't hold my attention long enough to finish.

I admire the ability to tell a story in a smaller number of words effectively… I’m just not good at it. I’m trying, just not there.

I do get bored with the longer works. I have to keep several things going at a time. If the characters in the UF’s start to feel flat or the story is not progressing as I’d like, I bump over to an erotic to get my creative juices flowing again.

 

[impressive]

I admire the ability to tell a story in a smaller number of words effectively… I’m just not good at it. I’m trying, just not there.

I do get bored with the longer works. I have to keep several things going at a time. If the characters in the UF’s start to feel flat or the story is not progressing as I’d like, I bump over to an erotic to get my creative juices flowing again.

I was surprised to hear several NYT best-selling authors at last year's La Jolla Writers Conference say that they found short stories THE most difficult thing to write.

When they learned that we wrote them ... and with sex, even (the 2nd most difficult thing to write) ... they were impressed.

 

[CeriseNoire]

I admire the ability to tell a story in a smaller number of words effectively… I’m just not good at it. I’m trying, just not there.

I do get bored with the longer works. I have to keep several things going at a time. If the characters in the UF’s start to feel flat or the story is not progressing as I’d like, I bump over to an erotic to get my creative juices flowing again.

That's how I got started with erotica (and short stories). I haven't gone back to my novel attempt (stalled at 40k) as of yet.

 

[marifree]

I was surprised to hear several NYT best-selling authors at last year's La Jolla Writers Conference say that they found short stories THE most difficult thing to write.

When they learned that we wrote them ... and with sex, even (the 2nd most difficult thing to write) ... they were impressed.

Does not surprise me at all… it’s hard to be concise and compelling, and it’s hard to make sex believable and arousing. I’m even more impressed with well-written poetry.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, what I want to do for the very first time, is write a romance novel. Or two. And I want to use basic plots, and create bad guys and get my protagonists into and out of trouble and have them hit bottom and redeem themselves. And fuck themselves sensless while they're doing it...

And what I've discovered is that I don't know how to do those things! I've gobbled books all of my life, and I assumed I'd have absorbed the vocabulary of plot somewhere along the line; but it just isn't coming easy to me.

I have scenarios aplenty, though

 

[CeriseNoire]

Well, what I want to do for the very first time, is write a romance novel. Or two. And I want to use basic plots, and create bad guys and get my protagonists into and out of trouble and have them hit bottom and redeem themselves. And fuck themselves sensless while they're doing it...

And what I've discovered is that I don't know how to do those things! I've gobbled books all of my life, and I assumed I'd have absorbed the vocabulary of plot somewhere along the line; but it just isn't coming easy to me.

I have scenarios aplenty, though

Well, it seems to me you do know about plots and creating characters.
Maybe read some writing books? I went back to doing that recently, and it reminded me that I do have the basic skills--it's just about combining them all into a longer piece.

Of course, considering my above post, I'm not the best person to give advice

 

[slyc_willie]

Well, what I want to do for the very first time, is write a romance novel. Or two. And I want to use basic plots, and create bad guys and get my protagonists into and out of trouble and have them hit bottom and redeem themselves. And fuck themselves sensless while they're doing it...

And what I've discovered is that I don't know how to do those things! I've gobbled books all of my life, and I assumed I'd have absorbed the vocabulary of plot somewhere along the line; but it just isn't coming easy to me.

I have scenarios aplenty, though

It's hard to write what has already been written, or to follow the same basic plot over and over and over . . . .

I don't know how Michener did it

 

[marifree]

Well, what I want to do for the very first time, is write a romance novel. Or two. And I want to use basic plots, and create bad guys and get my protagonists into and out of trouble and have them hit bottom and redeem themselves. And fuck themselves sensless while they're doing it...

And what I've discovered is that I don't know how to do those things! I've gobbled books all of my life, and I assumed I'd have absorbed the vocabulary of plot somewhere along the line; but it just isn't coming easy to me.

I have scenarios aplenty, though

There are several good aids for plotting. Angela Knight has just put out another ‘how to’ for erotic romance novels. Here's a link for master plot writing exercises http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/exercises/plot.html

There was another book/ program that my RWA chapter was going on about the other day… I’ll have to find it and get it to you.

 

[Vermilion]

I was surprised to hear several NYT best-selling authors at last year's La Jolla Writers Conference say that they found short stories THE most difficult thing to write.

When they learned that we wrote them ... and with sex, even (the 2nd most difficult thing to write) ... they were impressed.

I don;t understand... I can't write anything that's long and without sex... the two stories I *have* written without sex I personally think are not that good. I can't imagine anything more than 10k words and definitely not w/o sex...

BTW - what's the *first* most difficult thing to write?

x
V

 

[jomar]

I don;t understand... I can't write anything that's long and without sex... the two stories I *have* written without sex I personally think are not that good. I can't imagine anything more than 10k words and definitely not w/o sex...

x
V

Interesting how different minds work, huh? All that creative diversity.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Well, what I want to do for the very first time, is write a romance novel. Or two.

Why!??!

 

[Stella_Omega]

Why!??!

because!

"Romance" is an enormous genre, really, that covers a lot of bases. Don't worry, the characters will still be deviants and so will the sex!