Writing Help-Group For Everyone discussion

Ever wanted to write a book? I know alot of people have!

Me, me!! I've actually got a few (read: to many to ever finish) started and am doing pretty well with one of them, I may have it finished by spring (when I say "finished" I mean it will be ready for the endless editing, rewriting and generally driving yourself insane to get it in a format acceptable to publishers)

lol. Well, hopefully you will get your story ready by Spring! It's nice to know someone is as enthusiastic (is that how you spell it?) as you. Published anything yet? :)

(spelling isn't my strong point, so I'm the wrong person to ask!) I haven't published anything yet but I have this great friend who has and she is always nice about giving helpful tips and advice so I can always pass those along :)

:) Great. I also made a Hints/tips Thread, but so far no-one's commented on it but me, hahaha. :P

Ooohhh, does your friend go on GR? O.o
Anyway, is your book exciting? :) My friend's sorta just trying to write the one story at the mo, but it's soo funny! :D

Unfortunely she isn't on GR.

I think my book is exciting, its a mystery/supernatural about a girl who disappears from her college and it is told from the point of view of her friends (because you're not supposed to know what happened to her until the other character's in the story do)

oooohhh!

Sounds exciting, just that description makes me wanna read it! XD

It sounds like a real story that actually hooks you in, making you wanna read more and more until you finish the whole book! :D :)

lol, thanks! Well, I will need at least one more person's views on it before I attempt to publish so maybe you would be interested?

Sure! Those types of stories always grab most peoples attention! :D

How's the book comin' along, anyway? ^.^

Jonathan wrote: "Yeah I have but the thing is I'm yet to catch on to something that for me will make it unique and powerful. I won't be satisfied unless I write something I like if that makes sense."

That makes sense....

Yes, I have. I am putting the finishing touches on my first novel and at the same time looking for a publisher. They don't like to take chances on new authors.The story follows the adventures of three unlikely companions who go forth to lend their help to a land that has cast aside the aid of higher powers by reason of unbelief. It is finished, though I've been editing it ceaselessly for months.

Agreeing with Jonathan on this (although quite honestly I would get two opinions on it because of course one person might really love everything and another might be more brutal pointing out the flaws, or of course they could both be really brutal which would be the most help of all!)

You guys are right. Thanks. It's just that, well, I am a tad bit leery. I have poured everything into this work. Years it's taken me. One must be careful.

Julius wrote: "You guys are right. Thanks. It's just that, well, I am a tad bit leery. I have poured everything into this work. Years it's taken me. One must be careful."

Absolutely right!!! And I wish you the best of luck ♥

Oooh! Tha's good! It's nice to know u guys are trying to get published. :)

Hi Everyone, I'm new to this group & to GR. I have spent all my free time completing my 1st book , and now that it is up on Amazon, I finally have time to get into these forums.
As Julius said, Agents and Publishers are less likely to take chances on new authors - especially in the YA genre. So after only sending out a couple of queries, I decided to self publish - I know this isn't right for everyone but it felt right for me.

Kelly wrote: "Hi Everyone, I'm new to this group & to GR. I have spent all my free time completing my 1st book , and now that it is up on Amazon, I finally have time to get into these forums.
As Julius said, Age..."

Hi, Kelly, and welcome to the group! It's nice to know that your first book is up on Amazon and you've decided to self-publish. :)

Thanks

Ur welcome. :)
Keep on writing books, everyone. It's one way fo learning from your mistakes.

Self-publishing is the future of publishing, for many good reasons. Good for you, Kelly, for making the leap.

Peg wrote: "Self-publishing is the future of publishing, for many good reasons. Good for you, Kelly, for making the leap."

Thanks Peg, I haven't been on GR for a while as I've been busy trying to write the sequel, but I think I need a little break.
I just read your intro to this group - Congrats on all your books you have had published. Did you go mainstream or Self Pub, or a bit of both??

Hi, Kelly. I published about 25 books with Harlequin and Silhouette in the '90s, sold worldwide in about a dozen languages. It was a great run, but I burned out on romance. So I returned to my journalism roots and did mostly non-fiction ghostwriting -- business, memoirs, inspirational/motivational, etc. -- in the 2000s.

My co-author (she published 30-some Regencies with trad publishers) and I just self-pubbed our first book, "In the Territory of Lies" (women's fiction with a little supernatural element; not romance) in the spring. I believe it's harder to build a following that way, but ultimately it gives authors more power over their careers. I just hope we all use that power to publish better and better books and expand the marketplace in good ways.

Wow, you really have accomplished a lot & congrats on your new book : )
Self Pub really has changed things for people wanting to get their work out there for people to buy. It wasn't until recently that I found out that an author (who is mainstream published) doesn't even have any say in their covers. So yeah, it is great for those who also want to have more control.

It also eliminates the sometimes very long wait between finishing a book and getting it to market, which is rarely less than 8 or 9 months in traditional publishing and sometimes as long as 24-30 months. It's good for self-pub authors to take the time for professional revisions & editing (which elevates the caliber of a book above what a critique group or beta readers can offer), but at least it eliminates the excruciating delays of traditional publishing.

Wow, that sure is a long time to wait! I agree about the editing & proof readers, I am in the process of doing an edit, and they sure know how to polish the novel.

I'm writing two boks that'll probably never get published.

I am writting a book that WILL become a best sellerr!!! so look out for "The Kingdom Of Ilca" in ther future!!!!

KK

:P

I like to write a book but just not sure if I am good enough to get it published.

Tiawni wrote: "I like to write a book but just not sure if I am good enough to get it published."

Of course you're good enough. In fact, if you give it a go, no-one can every say you didn't try. If you try and get turned down, try again. There's nothing wrong with that. :)

Coolkidrox123 {i have Mellontophobia} wrote: "I am writting a book that WILL become a best sellerr!!! so look out for "The Kingdom Of Ilca" in ther future!!!!"

kk, lol. :D

It's more about finding that one person you can trust to give it to you straight and edit it for you.

I agree, Tiawni.

Hmm. When me and my friend got bored, we sometimes edit eachother's stories. I found alota spelling mistakes in hers, hahah. :D

Any of you guys ever do that?

Most of my friends are not into writing. They think I'm nuts to even try.

Tiawni wrote: "Most of my friends are not into writing. They think I'm nuts to even try."

that's a shame. I can't seem to get one of my friends to STOP talking about her story.

(it has like kissing scenes in it. EW)

Kissing scenes are not bad, if, IF I say, they are written properly.

I tend to AVOID mushy scenes.

I can write good kissing scenes like that but my problem I can see in my mind how I would like the fighting scenes to play out but when I go to write them I mess them up. lol

Fighting scenes were one of the hardest things for me to tackle.

Tiawni wrote: "I can write good kissing scenes like that but my problem I can see in my mind how I would like the fighting scenes to play out but when I go to write them I mess them up. lol"

Lol. I can do neither! :D

I can see the happening in my mind but can't write it the way I want it.

You just have to keep at it. But it would help if you got info from some body who (and only who) knows what they are talking about.

I can understand that. I do fine on everything but the fighting part. Trying to find the right words to use for the fighting is the hardest part for me when it comes to writing.

In what style are your fight scenes written?

Like right now I see two fighting for control over a group and over a woman. I just don't know how to get it to the point where you can see it happening in your mind. I can write everything to where you can see it but my fight scenes.

Hmmm...

I know right