The Author's Hangout Valentine's Day 2012 Support Thread

[TxRad]

Welcome to the one and only "The Author's Hangout Valentine's Day 2012 Support Thread"

Please come on in and enjoy.

Any other Contest thread you might see is a fake so don't be fooled.

 

[Darkniciad]

Thanks for reminding me. I need to get a character list and profile sheet together for an upcoming project. Duh! My memory only likes to remember the easy stuff.

I'm going high-tech with mine. I'm already coding character profiles from my main storylines for my website, so I'm going to add a private back-end page that I can slip characters into and just tick a "private" box to keep them off the main site.

Fill-in-the-blank entry, searchable database, with quick linking to stories, maps, and any other information I have up for the win No more sifting through text document folders.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm going high-tech with mine. I'm already coding character profiles from my main storylines for my website, so I'm going to add a private back-end page that I can slip characters into and just tick a "private" box to keep them off the main site.

Fill-in-the-blank entry, searchable database, with quick linking to stories, maps, and any other information I have up for the win No more sifting through text document folders.

Oh yeah? Well I have this ratty ass black notebook with hand written notes about all my characters so there.

 

[Darkniciad]

You don't want to see what my handwritten notes that I scribble at work look like *laugh*

I think I posted a scan of one many a contest ago. Not only is the writing damn near illegible, but I put any "not work safe" words or phrases in a pictographic code I developed back in the late 80s.

It's time intensive, because it's made to look like simplified Egyptian Hieroglyphs, but I can write whatever I want and not worry about who's squinting with smoke coming out of their ears while trying to read over my shoulder.

Always wanted to turn it into a font, but I lack the skill.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Oh yeah? Well I have this ratty ass black notebook with hand written notes about all my characters so there.

Yes! Gotta love hand written notes.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I'm going high-tech with mine. I'm already coding character profiles from my main storylines for my website, so I'm going to add a private back-end page that I can slip characters into and just tick a "private" box to keep them off the main site.

Fill-in-the-blank entry, searchable database, with quick linking to stories, maps, and any other information I have up for the win No more sifting through text document folders.

And well... my mind clouded when I read "back-end" ...

 

[TxRad]

I have a character sheet on my laptop that I need to get a clean copy of for you guys.

 

[PennLady]

I gave in and started the story I was thinking about. 3400 words so far; I have a feeling this maybe in the 10k area, a little short for me, but kind of a nice feeling. I'm taking PennGirl to the library today, wonder if I can bring the laptop along and work on it there...

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I've got this idea brewing for twisting another set of fairy tales. I've done this in the past, with 10 all together (if memory serves me right) and there's one that is just begging me to take it apart and rewrite it for erotic fiction.

Also I need to come up with an idea for the old and dusty "On the Bus" chain, as well as spin around some ideas for a new chain that TxRad is thinking about co-launching with me.

And now for my every so often proclamation: I love writing.

 

[TxRad]

I've got this idea brewing for twisting another set of fairy tales. I've done this in the past, with 10 all together (if memory serves me right) and there's one that is just begging me to take it apart and rewrite it for erotic fiction.

Also I need to come up with an idea for the old and dusty "On the Bus" chain, as well as spin around some ideas for a new chain that TxRad is thinking about co-launching with me.

And now for my every so often proclamation: I love writing.

It will have to wait until after the contest as it is one of my contest stories.

Then the real fun can begin as writers run amuck with it.

 

[estragon]

She would go from loathing to loving because she is a woman. Love hate relationships are a common theme there.

LC68, Yup, that's what I did. Now just waiting for the starter's orders.

 

[Darkniciad]

The official thread is up. You can more or less submit stories as soon as that goes live with the proper line in the "notes" section.

So, no real need to wait any longer, if you already have your story done.

 

[PennLady]

I am nearly finished my V-Day story, I think. Gosh it's nice when that happens.

 

[Dual_Triode]

The official thread is up. You can more or less submit stories as soon as that goes live with the proper line in the "notes" section.

So, no real need to wait any longer, if you already have your story done.

Forgive me for asking a stupid question. Must the required phrase in the notes field include the quotation marks? I suspect not, but then I've never entered a themed contest before.

Also, submitting the story before Jan 20 is legal? That would be helpful since I may be busy next weekend.

Thanks for the information.

 

[PennLady]

Forgive me for asking a stupid question. Must the required phrase in the notes field include the quotation marks? I suspect not, but then I've never entered a themed contest before.

Also, submitting the story before Jan 20 is legal? That would be helpful since I may be busy next weekend.

Thanks for the information.

I don't think it would hurt, but I've never included them and I've never had a problem.

 

[Darkniciad]

Don't include the quote marks - just the phrase itself. That's the way I've always done it.

I've put mine in pretty far in advance before - within minutes of the official thread posting. Never had a problem with them posting on the first day of the contest.

That thread is the starting gun, as it were, as far as submitting your stories for the contest goes.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

It will have to wait until after the contest as it is one of my contest stories.

Then the real fun can begin as writers run amuck with it.

Yeah, no rush. I want Kismet 3/4 or 2/3rds done before I start another chain.

I think I'll submit mine tomorrow and they can hold it till it is ready to go up.

 

[Darkniciad]

Mine's going to sit idle for a while longer while I finish ARS 19 and edit SOTM 18 before passing it off to my editor for final clean-up. I want both of those things done before the weekend is over.

Damn near there on both, though. Just have to run SOTM through spell and grammar check ( doing it in both Word and Wordperfect actually seems to flag things that are useful for me to give a second look amidst the mountains of useless suggestions ) and I'm on the final scene of ARS... I think. I think I may need a transition scene. Already have a character in mind, if that scene is necessary, and it should flow well with where I already had to move him anyway to mesh up with later chapters.

Not too shabby considering this is the first time I've worked a five day work week since Thanksgiving Showing up most of the year is worth it when I've got all that paid time off saved up to slack at the end of the year for a month and a half

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Mine's going to sit idle for a while longer while I finish ARS 19 and edit SOTM 18 before passing it off to my editor for final clean-up. I want both of those things done before the weekend is over.

Damn near there on both, though. Just have to run SOTM through spell and grammar check ( doing it in both Word and Wordperfect actually seems to flag things that are useful for me to give a second look amidst the mountains of useless suggestions ) and I'm on the final scene of ARS... I think. I think I may need a transition scene. Already have a character in mind, if that scene is necessary, and it should flow well with where I already had to move him anyway to mesh up with later chapters.

Not too shabby considering this is the first time I've worked a five day work week since Thanksgiving Showing up most of the year is worth it when I've got all that paid time off saved up to slack at the end of the year for a month and a half

I've read through mine several times, shared it with Luna and she liked it. So I'm happy. I'll know at least one person will enjoy it when it is up on the screen. I'm going to read it tomorrow again before submissions.

 

[Darkniciad]

On top of that, I still give priority to Sanctuary of the Wood for Earth Day. With a five year running tradition, I want to make absolutely sure that one's far enough along to be ready for the contest before charging forward on anything else.

With everything on my plate, me getting in this contest is still iffy

I will be tracking it ( barring unforseen circumstance ) though. Valentine's is the only contest I haven't tracked so far, so I need it to complete some data sets.

 

[TxRad]

One of mine got a proof read (Thanks Red) so now I need to do some editing on it.

Did I mention I hate editing but I'll do it because it is a good story and needs all the help it can get.

 

[PennLady]

Finished the Valentine's Day story. 8700 words in a couple of days. Now just need some beta reads and refining...

 

[DG Hear]

Finished the Valentine's Day story. 8700 words in a couple of days. Now just need some beta reads and refining...

Thanks to Estragon, my editor I have three short stories ready. Another almost ready. Guess I'll post one about every two days. All are in different categories. Should be a fun contest, seems like a lot of involvement.
The best to everyone.
DG

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

One of mine got a proof read (Thanks Red) so now I need to do some editing on it.

Did I mention I hate editing but I'll do it because it is a good story and needs all the help it can get.

You're welcome, but remember I'm not a pro and don't claim to be. So another set of eyes, if you're wanting a really deep deep editing is always an option. I only caught what jumped out at me.

I do think you've got the potential for a lot of naughty, steamy, dirty tales ahead of you.

 

[TxRad]

You're welcome, but remember I'm not a pro and don't claim to be. So another set of eyes, if you're wanting a really deep deep editing is always an option. I only caught what jumped out at me.

I do think you've got the potential for a lot of naughty, steamy, dirty tales ahead of you.

You did good as far as I've seen so far.

As for a lot of naughty, steamy, dirty tales ahead of me, promises. promises.