The Writers' Network! discussion

I've been feeling a rather odd mixture of elation and nervousness lately. I think I'm actually starting to get used to it. I'm sure I'm not alone -- work on a book for what seems like forever, pour your heart and soul into your work, finally start sharing it with people...

...and get nervous how it will be received.

But hey, when you come that far you've got to keep on going no matter what, right? I say the same to anyone in a similar situation.

I had a few review requests this past week from another group. I know my writing style is not for everyone. I am just nervous that they will rip my babies to shreds. :(

Sounds intriguing though, Djinn. What about your style makes you say that it's "not for everyone"?

Pissed at the world. End of story.

Whats up?

Scott wrote: "Sounds intriguing though, Djinn. What about your style makes you say that it's "not for everyone"?"

Not everyone likes sci-fi fantasy. It is geared towards a certain age and gender. (though not intentionally.)

I have heard and read about the horror stories of people just tearing the writing down to nothing. Honestly how is that really constructive? I can understand a "I didn't enjoy it because of..." To me that should be followed by "They could have improved by..." not "They should just stop writing all together."

I tend to worry for the sake of worrying. I am my own worst critic. :(


@ William. :) Yay!

See, I don't think people who tear books apart care about whether it is constructive or not. Sadly there are just people in this world who want attention, and that's how they get it. Remember the biggest troublemaker you went to school with? He or she probably had a bad reputation, but people were still talking about them. A destructive-all horribly bad review has little to do with actual reviewing of a book. It might be a personal attack, but more than likely I think it is just somebody who wants to be a jerk. I'm in a promotion group on facebook where I recently posted a blurb about my giveaway this week. The next day somebody thought it would be a good idea to make ELEVEN consecutive, individual posts to the group about his blog tour, which pushed everybody way down on the page. I want to give him a piece of my mind, but that wouldn't accomplish anything other than to make me feel better for a few minutes, and it would probably do my own reputation as an author more harm than good.

Though, Djinn, I meant what about your style don't you think people would like? Sci-fi and fantasy are just genres of writing -- they can be done in any sort of style. I don't know that I can agree that sci-fi and fantasy are geared towards a certain age or gender bracket. Look at Star Wars and Star Trek. People all over the world in all walks of life are fans of big names like that. Perhaps fans of such genre are a bit more weighted in one gender than the other, but that's just an opportunity to break the mold, isn't it? :)

Scott wrote: "See, I don't think people who tear books apart care about whether it is constructive or not. Sadly there are just people in this world who want attention, and that's how they get it. Remember the b..."

He posted Eleven? That is a bit extreme. One or two I can understand but 11 is just spamming. Things like that make people not want to pay attention, subscribe to groups or even buy someone's work. Reminds me a bit of the old perfume girls in the mall that would spray you as you walked by and then try to get you to buy it.



I meant what about your style don't you think people would like?

I had a bad habit of using little to no description with tons of dialogue. You would see Bob enter the room and start talking to Dave, but you wouldn't know what the room looked like or even the character to some extent. (I have since stopped most of that.)

The flow isn't as smooth as I would like (that has also improved some) and I tend to over simplify words. I write for those who are on an 8th grade reading level. Only because I want everyone to be able to enjoy it. (Though some trollish people don't care one way or another. If they didn't write it or think of it then it is worthless to them.)

I didn't mean for my work to be geared toward a certain age and gender. It just went that way much to my dismay. I personally wouldn't classify myself as a YA author because I know where my series winds up. But I have ended up stuck in that genre. :( To me I write Fantasy with pieces of Sci-Fi tossed in, not some life lesson or coming of age story. Hopefully, when part three comes out I'll have moved away from it.

I think lots of dialogue with little description can be done well. If I can get to know characters through that dialogue, I'll form my own image of them anyway.

Lots of adults read so called YA fiction, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Twilight being massive examples. I think often YA is more experiental/imaginative and I like that. I often end up reading YA books that I wouldn't have noticed had my son not brought it home (I like to know what he has read, so we can talk about stuff it raises if necessary) and I bet lots of other parents do,which opens your work up to a much wider audience. Don't be dismayed, Djinn, you are doing really well, just keep faith in your own style :~)

Eh, YA is pretty speculative, too. You can be distinctly different from middle grade and still be very different from other YA titles based upon the age/grade level specified. A couple of years makes a lot more difference in your life when you are a teenager. Like my book for example -- I believe it to be approximately a 5th-6th grade reading level. YA? I think it is, yes. But it's not the same sort of thing as a YA book written for say, a high school reading level. Both types of books can be (and often are) enjoyed by adults too.

What's interesting Djinn is that you seem as though you used to have the exact opposite problem that I used to have. I would describe too much, not leave enough freedom for the reader to fill in some blanks on their own, and then not include enough dialogue. These days I try to balance it out by describing a few key points of rooms/people/etc, not not telling you "everything" about them.

Its tough to keep a good balance of dialogue and details. I think I tend to go more toward having more dialogue and then I have to go back and add details.

Right now, I'm trying to motivate myself to start writing the next book in the dark deception trilogy. I have the basic story line together. Now, its just a matter of typing it up :).

So, to answer the original thread question, I guess I'm feeling "unmotivated".

Ah, sorry William. We're all told that we should expect bazillions of rejections before the golden ticket comes along, but that doesn't make any of it easier to swallow.

I'm not doing query letters at all right now. For one the book is already published, and from what I have read, even if it is just self-publishing, publisers are loathe to pick up a book that has already been "out there" unless it's already a proven hit and they're going to do a new edition. Secondly, I don't know...I guess I have my head in the clouds, but since the book is out there now, I want to see what people really think. You never know, right? Maybe it will become successful and popular, and if it does, I figure I might actually regret signing with a smaller press.

Anywho, neither self nor traditional publishing is easy, as well you know. I guess perhaps these are the times that really weed out the serious writers who are going to stick with it. Totally understand what you're going through, so stay the course :)

Well, I'm not trying to say that small-press publishers aren't worth it. I wrote a lot of query letters just like many others have, and I got the usual bevy of no response (typically) or a few rejections. I got tired of putting effort into writing the letters and decided I would rather use that time for exposure. Now the book is published, and I don't think I'm ready to commit to a publishing contract. I want to see what I can do on my own.

Scott wrote: "Well, I'm not trying to say that small-press publishers aren't worth it. I wrote a lot of query letters just like many others have, and I got the usual bevy of no response (typically) or a few reje..."

Wish you the best of luck!

I'm new here. I'm traveling around the country in an RV with my husband and feeling totally cut off from friends and fellow writers, so I came up with the idea of joining a writer's group on line where I can vent a little (hopefully, not too much) and exchange thoughts and ideas. I was writing practically every day for over five years, then about three months ago stopped. Can't seem to get started again. I'm not sure what it's all about. I was happier when writing.

Been working on my cover today. All squeally excited and have a tummy infested with butterflies :~)

Karen wrote: "I'm new here. I'm traveling around the country in an RV with my husband and feeling totally cut off from friends and fellow writers, so I came up with the idea of joining a writer's group on line ..."

I think keeping a diary can help get the words flowing again, if only because it gets you back into the habit of sitting down to write each day :~)

Will show you guys first (just have to wait a few more days for boring reasons lol)

Hmmmmmm....pining, pining...

You know what the worst part of promoting is, at least to me? Playing the waiting game. I had a decently successful freebie promotion last month where I distributed about 330 copies (20 in the UK). I'm planning on doing another next month, now that I've learned more about how to promote something like that.

Since then, I have a total of five people who have gone as far as to bother to contact me to say they have my book, are about to (or already are) reading it, and plan to review it. I think it's very nice of them to actually take the time to personally contact me to tell me that, but now...I just need to wait. I can't expect anybody to just drop everything they're doing to read my novel. I know a few reviews are out there on the line, but I need to sit down, shut up, and let it be.

@Karen - Interesting way you found this place! I like this group myself. It's active and not so huge that it feels overwhelming. I found I was happier writing too, but I ended up writing myself into a corner. I actually have another novel I wrote before the one that's out now, but I don't want to release that one because it's dark erotica that I wrote at the time with a specific publisher in mind (who ended up passing on it in the end). I don't think it would do well for my image to keep touting that one when I am trying to get somewhere as a 5th-6th grade YA author!

@Victoria - Good luck with the cover! Covers are the first impression, so they're a lot more important than people think :)

Scott - The one I'm having trouble with is my first try at writing a novel that I later tried turning into a YA novel. I read everything about a good YA novel, and trying to decide what to delete and what to change and how to change it is what has got me stuck, I think. I've started to consider maybe I am not happy with it as a YA?

I liked the group being a little smaller, too. I feel I'm coming in closer to the beginning and perhaps getting to know folks better that way.

Maybe you should use a different name for your erotica. I've written some erotica and thought I would use a different name--I've seen it done that way before.

I can see what you're saying. Sometimes it's tricky figuring out what makes YA...well, YA. Appropriate content and all that. Not just from a "clean" standpoint, but what sort of situations, characters, et cetera will appeal to your target audience. In my opinon YA is different for nearly every age level. A few years means a lot more when you're in your teens than it does in your thirties.

As for whether or not you're happy with a specific genre...for me, I've been learning that through trying them out. I've written at least short stories (or other unpublished novels) for horror and romance, as well. Some genre just pour forth from the tip of my pen, while others come more difficult to me. There are still more I haven't even tried. My two cents on that is to try writing for several different genre and see what "feels right" to you.

I think I'm just going to keep the erotica buried for now. I am very happy with my current book and want to put my creative efforts into writing the rest of the saga.

Write what feels right--that's the ticket.

I can respect that. There's something about quiet so deafening you can almost hear it that has a special feeling to it.

I feel the same way. Then my husband wakes up.

The lengths I go through to keep the kids asleep at night...

Why sad? :(

I am feeling a bit...lumpy.

I'm in the 4th revision of my second novel and I'm having mixed feelings about rewriting the whole thing or continuing on with it as it is. I had it read by several friends and they like it but I'm feeling it's needing something...something that I hope will come out in a rewrite.

I'm feeling itchy.

About to give a presentation on The Road - nervous!

William wrote: "Luke wrote: "About to give a presentation on The Road - nervous!"

Good luck"

Thanks, it went fine, relieved it's over now

Feeling like I've accomplished something...moving right along with my newest project; "Rise of the Zyfoids". So far, so good. :D

Feeling a bit restless. @Kyle, have house of leaves but have been holding off on starting it for fear of my mind exploding. How is it?

Happy Easter/Passover to you as well.

I'm feeling a bit like superman....by day, I write and by night, I save lives. Now, I'm exhausted!

Generally I'm feeling pretty good, writing-wise I'm a tad frustrated because I have a few projects on the go but I can't seem to get to the stage where they're really grabbing me.

Hakuna matata

Zack wrote: "Hakuna matata"

What a wonderful phrase

I feel like the true sense of enthusiasm,excitement and joy has departed from my life and what remains is this constant pause from this day to 28 of May when I have my O-level Mathematics Paper so wish me luck.
-Over and out
Rao Umar

Sorry to hear that William!

I'm feeling really good today!

William wrote: "The very best of luck Rao!"

Thanks

I have been wondering lately that we all are a part of a system like every good action is inspired by a bad happening and every new happening is deliberately involved an old misfortune where every joy is desperately recalled in extreme grief!
Who can bear to think of this thought that life is all about answer but add some questions and everything become an exclamation mark--everything becomes a vertex that leads to another point like we live for a while then we die forever where reincarnation is a figment and what is over reason to live is an enigma or just a part of the system.
-I hope it was not boring
Over and out Rao Umar

my allergies have been going HAYWIRE this past week. The pollen count must be astronomical right now, i dunno if it has something to do with all the bees dying or what, but every day I tend to get that tingly feeling in my nose like i'm about to sneeze, and if i dont blow my nose i feel like my head's going to explode.

anyway, hope y'all are feeling better than me.

Today, I feel a mixture of despair and determination. Just starting out: have published one non-fiction, one fiction and one other (experiment).

I hope I can actually find some time to live after all the social media, blogging, posting, surfing etc!

Today: trying to improve blog links....anyone want to link to my fledgling blog?....Nyla.

http://nylanaseer.co.uk

Nyla wrote: "Today, I feel a mixture of despair and determination. Just starting out: have published one non-fiction, one fiction and one other (experiment).

I hope I can actually find some time to live after..."
Dont be! I am actually very astonished by your contributions and I highly respect the way you write and I am aware of that bazaar feeling of hopelessness because I am myself in on a voyage to become a writer and I will be highly oblige to learn something from you.
-Looking forward for your blog
over and out Rao Umar

I feel very worn out by trying to get my head round how the hell to get a fan base! Has anyone cracked this and how?

Some places that purport to want to help: are even funded to help, seem very off-putting and assume that you can't be a good writer if you are an 'indie'...it gets even worse in the UK if you are not a typical demographic (you know what I mean). I know that there is some poor writing out there, but how do you get across that your writing is actually credible?

Apologies for the rant!!

I feel anxious maybe. I just finished writing a short story... mostly for fun. I haven't had anyone read it or look at it. Even friends. I'm nervous about it.

It is frustrating trying to get a fan base started. I am also struggling with that right now. I have been putting short stories on a website called readwave.com and have steadily built a fan base there. However, I haven't seen any increase in sales of my novels from it.

So, I'm just focusing on my writing for now.

I feel like one of the hardest decisions I have to make is whether I should kill off a character. I often feel that too many times writers will kill someone just to create a moment of drama. I feel that characters should die only if it enhances the whole book, not just a couple pages. I feel as though I should kill off this particular character but it breaks my heart to do so and I already have another character that has to die, so I do not know :( It's my most difficult decision right now.

Katie wrote: "I feel like one of the hardest decisions I have to make is whether I should kill off a character. I often feel that too many times writers will kill someone just to create a moment of drama. I feel..."

That is a hard decision to make. I always have trouble with that but I agree that a character should only die if it affects the whole story.

I feel...unprepared. Seems the easiest part was writing my book. Now I'm taking a step back, looking at the world, and realizing...I have no clue how I'm gonna get people to know my book even exists. I know nothing about advertising or marketing, so I guess I'm gonna have to learn. Oh well. It's all part of the adventure of writing a book, I suppose.