). My plan is to read through, mention any major problems, and deliver it back. My plan is to keep an active archive of what we've accomplished daily and weekly. We can trade chapters off for critique, but only if you have one ready to be critiqued. (Remeber, these are 1st drafts and need loose--fundamental--critiques. No line edits.)
Who's interested?
Low low low on the available time, though, but maybe having some partners in crime would help me.
My goal is to at least double my present 250 words a day. (I'm thinking to start simple.) This word count is brand new prose only--it doesn't include research, rewrites or editing. (BC, you could effectively work on another idea for this part.)
Post your goals.
At the end of the week we announce our progress, here. Keep a sort of running tab. All of our schedules are bound to change from time to time, and there's no penalty for not getting the work done, but there is kudos for achieving your goals.
I think we should start Friday (keeping track of our weekly goals). How about it?
When a chapter is finished, announce it. WHen the others have an available time, they will request it. (I believe, since we three have alternate affiliations, that we know each other's emails.) No line-by-lines (which is going to be exceedingly hard for me ). My plan is to read through, mention any major problems, and deliver it back.
Revisions/Edits/ReDrafts will have goals set when the need arises.
Any thoughts?
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 09, 2008).]
quote:
I'd like to get in on this, although the novel I'm currently working on is a present-time thriller. No fantastic elements. Can I still play?
1) I didn't say "speculative fiction" novels. I'm not writing a speculative piece (Mine's a Historical Fiction), so, Deb, the answer is yes.
2) If it matters whether or not the work is speculative, speak now or forever hold your peace.
3) Anyone can join. Anyone. So long as you're willing to abide by the rules, you are welcome.
I'll start a "Goals" thread on Friday, where everyone can post their week's goals. The following Friday, we'll report in on how we did and any new goals.
How's that sound?
Yes, please, can I join?
_______In________
All set?
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 09, 2008).]
I'm saying this because I've had mixed results with novel groups. It seems pretty important to have people who might enjoy the setting, style, and genre in which you write. Otherwise, the crits can be painfully demoralizing.
quote:
It seems pretty important to have people who might enjoy the setting, style, and genre in which you write. Otherwise, the crits can be painfully demoralizing.
I can see that. Hopefully, everyone is all for helping the others do their best--but, if there is an issue that anyone has with a certain genre, it needs to be addressed now.
So. Everyone list the genre that they're writing in, and a short synopsis. If anyone has an aversion to a storyline or genre, speak up now.
Mine is:
Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure
Tentative Title: Storm's Fury
Brief Synopsis: A young man is pulled into the American Revolution by the death of his brother and the events along the Battle Road. When he joins the Continental Marines, he is unwittingly assigned to a ship inhabited by a Royalist spy--a spy who recognizes him. Now he must not only survive his mission, but also survive the spy's clandestined attempts to kill him.
Next.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 09, 2008).]
Tentative Title: Harper Street
Sort-of Brief Synopsis: Addy Harper is a former party girl who has turned her life around. She now is the director of the Harper Street Shelter in Tucson. On her 30th birthday, ten years after the death of her estranged father, Addy and her brother Paul stand to inherit Ben Harper's fortune. A month before Addy's birthday, the police become aware of a link between a number of unsolved murders involving shelter regulars - big money insurance policies paying out to Addy Harper. Homicide detective Renner Cole poses as a street bum to find out who is killing the residents of Harper Street - and exactly how Addy Harper is involved.
Next!
[This message has been edited by debhoag (edited September 09, 2008).]
InarticulateBabbler
KayTi
BoredCrow
annepin
debhoag
Reagansgame
Gardener
Unwritten
Of course you know this is going to ruin my Nanowrimo plans. Ah, well, November is a long way away, and this sounds way more exciting, so...I'm in!
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited September 09, 2008).]
I have been plotting and planning for a NaNoWriMo piece for the past couple of months. My backstory work grew a life of its own and became YA novel that is now about 10K and 2.5 chapters. I plan to just keep slogging away on this while I continue to plan the NaNoWriMo assault.
I'd like to throw my backstory novel in this pot, if it would be okay that I plan to churn out about 1 chapter each month. Some weeks I only work on the novel for a few (2-3) hours and others much more.
I'd be happy to commit to a level of crits that is above what I post. It would be great, in fact, I really learn a lot from all of your writing.
Thanks
Leslie
Tentative Title:Are you kidding? I can't even think of titles for my 13 line submissions, let alone for a whole novel!
Brief Synopsis:This will be a sequel to my first novel, but it follows a different set of characters. Drew has been in hiding for 4 years when he meets Heather, whose life was destroyed when her boyfriend killed her twin sister. This book will follow their romance and healing. It also follows Jenny as she learns to use the gift she discovered in the first book.
Tentative Title: Currently, we'll go with Untitled, I'm tossing around Blahbittyblahblah Redemption: Book two of the Search for Redemption Series
Brief Synopsis: lotsa stuff. In book two, some loose ends are tied up from book one, then an ultimate bad guy is set up with super powers and the trio of super not so average joe heros are established. Lots of underlying real world stuff at the same time where people are dealing with personal issues. Sounds lame, prolly is. But there's a black, full length leather jacket and kicking involved, which worked for the Matrix, so I'm holding out a little hope.
(I'll drink the jonestown punch before volunteering to write a decent synopsis. I bomb every time.)
quote:
Why would it ruin NaNoWriMo plans? Couldn't we weave NaNoWriMo into this?
I don't want to hijack this thread with my Nanowrimo pontifications, so I'll just say that I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's loads of fun, and it would probably dovetail with this group nicely.
Brief Synopsis: Grace, Liz and David have been friends since grade school. Grace and David grew up knowing that they are different, shape-shifters. Heck everyone is in their families but Liz is just a normal girl. One day, Liz zaps her computer and she realizes she can start fires, control fire, play with fire. She turns to her friends who also reveal their secrets to her. The next day Liz and her Mom disappear. But not entirely, Liz can communicate with Grace and David via text messages relayed through Facebook, Twitter and other sites. While she is not sure exactly where she is or how she got there, she has a pretty good idea of how to help David and Grace figure it out.
OK - my goals are to edit my current WIP novel that's had enough time on the shelf by now that I should be able to get friendly with it again.
It's not separated into chapters yet, though, so I'm laughing at the whole chapter thing. Right not it's just 53k of text all in a lump, typos and everything.
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Working Title: Convergence
Synopsis: Things aren't going very well for Anya in her first few weeks on the space station Convergence. The low-grav days at her school throw her for a loop - literally, and she seems to have gotten on the bad side of both the Queen Bee of the school and the Computer Science teacher. Her only friend is a computer, the central computer that operates most of the space station. Anya names her Isis and promises to keep Isis' existence, or rather awareness, secret-something that becomes even more important when she uncovers a plot to harm Isis. She eventually befriends a few humans, but will they be able to help Anya stop the plot to steal her computer friend, compete in the school's Wall-Ball tournament, and navigate the perils of high school life - in space?
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Tentative Title: Varanian
Brief Synopsis: Though Leanna is fated to destroy her city, she has no wish to do so. Now she has to try to explain that to the terrorists who have kidnapped her, and find a way to save her city and herself using a magic that is in no way suited for fighting.
And if I'm doing one in-progress too, it'd be this.
Genre: Futuristic Dark Fantasy
Tentative Title:
Brief Synopsis:
The human race, abandoned by God, is dying. The one chance lies in searching for a hidden artifact in a graveyard full of demons. The rules is that each human has one opportunity to search for it, but Celeste decides she is no longer interested in living by the rules.
[This message has been edited by annepin (edited September 10, 2008).]
Sign me up too.
The problem with using what we are doing here for NaNo is you can't have any of the story written for NaNo when it starts. Outlines, character charts, whatever, sure, but no story. If we start the writing date for 11-1 for those of us who want to NaNo (ME!!), we could do this for it too, but WIPs are out for NaNo.
So, with that said, I think I'm going to outline (*GASP*) the NaNo as well work on finishing last year's NaNo for this one.
NaNo 2007
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Erotica
Tentative Title: The Masquarade
Brief Synopsis: If she'd known that doing a favor for her best friend would change everything she thought she knew about herself and justice, Jenna, the youngest partner in a big Washington, DC law firm, would've worked late Friday night instead of going to the masquarade. Now, she's involved in a relationship that pushes her understanding of who she is and her simple bankruptcy case has become a federal criminal witch hunt which makes her wonder about the nature of justice.
NaNo 2008
Genre: Thriller
Tentative Title: Dead Reckoning
Brief Synopsis: MC is a young associate and she's just been handed a milk run for her first trial - a wrongful death case against the company that maintained the decedent's (dead guy's) airplane. Since the plane's engine blew apart and turned its occupant into sushi, it's a case even the corpse can win. Until, the widow refuses the settlement offer. Now, the mob, and a large pharmaceutical company want the MC off the case, permanently.
The NaNo 2008's going to be an outline project until November.
InarticulateBabbler
KayTi
BoredCrow
annepin
debhoag
Reagansgame
Gardener
Unwritten
LAJD
kings_falcon
Is that everybody?
_______In________
InarticulateBabbler
KayTi
BoredCrow
annepin
debhoag
Reagansgame
Gardener
Unwritten
LAJD
kings_falcon
Tiergan
Will fill out my brief synopsis and such later today.
Tentative Title: Unforgivable
Synopsis: Victor has an odd hobby. He likes to break into houses to admire works of art. His friend, Detective Anderson has been turning a blind eye for years. Until people start dying. A serial killer is using Victor to gain access to new victims. As the killings continue, Victor must find a way to stop an unforgivable present and an unbearable future.
Thoughts? Questions?
I think this sounds like a really great idea, and it could be what I need, since I have decided - foolishly or otherwise - to finish my novel. Is it a problem that I am some way through the novel already, as long as everything I've been writing is new stuff?
Otherwise splitting into two groups sounds like a great plan.
I think I'm going to focus on the unwritten novel (Graveyard), since I'm about to start torturing my in-person writing group with my written novel. I'm not sure what you think, IB, but I don't see why we can't swap revisions with new material just as long as we're not doing line edits.
InarticulateBabbler
KayTi
BoredCrow
annepin
debhoag
Reagansgame
Gardener
Unwritten
LAJD
kings_falcon
Tiergan
marchpane
That's 12. That makes two even groups, so welcome aboard, marchpane.
The reason I wanted to start with new works (as far as revisions go) is:
I'd suggest those of you that are at a polishing stage to form your own group (at least for that stage), and eventually we will be in that one, too.
As far as revisions...if they are a re-drafting, that would count as "new" writing. You would--in effect--be using your old manuscripts as outlines. And a re-draft would be the same as a first draft, only using a better thought out outline.
Agreed?
Dividing up sounds good, I don't do some genres so this will give me an opportunity to avoid them. I'm sure everyone writes lovely prose, but I just don't read Horror, you don't want me to read yours.
Seems like there's quite a few targeting the YA segment - perhaps we could form a group since we may be able to share market knowledge and other specifics with one another.
[This message has been edited by KayTi (edited September 11, 2008).]
KayTi and Deb. I don't know about dividing up like that, but (KayTi specifically) we'll definitely put you in a group without a genre you have an aversion to.
For the most part--until there's something to trade--it will just be a sort-of support group. It'll be a thread that you can say, "I've brought my current WIP up to 22,250 words!" or "I got another 1,000 words last night," or something of that nature. And we can say, "That's great, only 77,750 to go! You're doing great!" or "How long until you get that chapter done?" You know...
There's no limit to how many people we can do that for--no matter what genre. As far as critiquing chapters goes, that's when we'll have to break it down...
I would be happy to split into groups. I don't know if I would be an effective critic of YA. Does it have different rules from adult novels? I read some stuff on Critters that drove me crazy with the silliness and slang. Not sure if that is typical of the genre or just a very young writer.
I like most anything, as long as the characters are strong.
May be different for others, but that's my story. If reading about a younger protag (and the kinds of things she cares about - school, boys, LOL) doesn't interest you, then that's fine to take a pass.
I jokingly refer to my novel WIP as "Harry Potter in Space" if that helps qualify it. While the protag is a girl and cares about some stuff that is unique to her age, mostly she's trying to unravel a puzzle, solve a problem, and get people to accept her. Somewhat universal stuff there.
Although there are obvious differnces in genres, I don't believe that's true of writing. For example, Mystery and Suspense shouldn't cheat what a PoV knows (and therefore what the reader knows) to make a story more intriguing. If you don't want the reader to know, don't write in a PoV that does. So, any novel should have the techniques of good story writing. Granted, if you don't like bodice-rippers or horror, you shouldn't critique them because you'll have a predisposition against them.
Since this is a volunteer affair, it shouldn't matter what group you are in--if you don't dig the story, simply inform the writer why (as in the dislike of genre, or if something in the prose drives you away--so you can be as helpful as possible.
When I start the new thread, tomorrow, I'll cut and paste the list of group members in entirety and then my synopsis from here and my goals at the bottom. Under that, I'll list my preferences and aversions. I ask everybody else to the same, without interruptions, until everyone listed is done. That way, we'll have some basic organization.
In here, we can then decide who goes in which group. Some of us are fast readers (Deb) and critiquers (Me), and will have time to do more than our share/group. Any who wish to do so are welcome to request any member's story.
For, say "Aye!"
Opposed, say "Nay!" (And suggest something else. Because it's of no help to just vote "Nay".)
I think I'm more of a critiquer, but if I paid close attention to myself I could probably do fast crits too.
(I will post a synopsis soon, I promise! I'm having a hard time boiling my story down in a way that reflects what the book is.)
Given the rewrite "ruling" I'll pull Masq out since it's likely to have genre objections and substitute the second half of Falcon until NaNo, when Falcon goes on the shelf for a month and I start a draft of Dead Reckoning.
If none of you remember Falcon when the Query was up (tee-hee, it's fantasy.
Good Luck.
If not, they're here:
http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum21/HTML/000005.html
Violent and sexual content (I'll post this with every chapter so people know).
Title: War of the Wolves
Synopsis: When her mountain home is invaded, the princess Gwineth arranges a marriage which will end a long-time feud. But treachery forces her to choose between her family and her new husband. Now she must rally her people to fend off the invaders before it's too late.
Also toying with:
Genre: fantasy
Status: About halfway through the first draft
Violent and sexual content
Title: The Whore of Helias
Synopsis: Imara escapes from the oppressive temple with one goal: to become the most skilled courtesan and so win the emperor's love. But her heart has deceived her from the truth, and she realizes she must escape the monster who would claim her for his own.
(edited to add titles)
[This message has been edited by annepin (edited September 12, 2008).]
By the way, Anne, nice hooks--short and to the point. (You could trim a couple of words from the second one, though. <--I couldn't resist. )
Genre: Fantasy
Status: redrafting
Title: The Sorcerer’s Son (Until I think of something better)
Synopsis:
All sorcerers are evil, everyone knows this. So when Alina gets kidnapped by one she must find a way to escape before it’s too late.
Oh and Aye
quote:
(You could trim a couple of words from the second one, though. <--I couldn't resist. )
quote:
InarticulateBabbler:(You could trim a couple of words from the second one, though.
quote:
annepin:It's 'cause you're a writer, IB!
Or 'cause I'm an @$$.
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited September 12, 2008).]
I can do fast crits, but I'm going to be starting a degree in the next few weeks which might slow me down a bit come mid-October.
quote:
kings_falcon:But a likeable one.
Aww shucks. Thanks, but I gotta tell you:
You may get hate mail for that...
Aye, though I need to get caught up on a number of writerly things before I'll have anything to put out there for novel work, but I am hoping to have some hunker down time this weekend.
I'm slower. My new computer is making my eyes go wiggy - I have to jimmy w/the font sizes and contrast to get it working better for me.
Genre:Young Adult Fantasy Adventure
Tentative Title: Social Endeavors
Brief Synopsis: Grace, Liz and David have been friends since grade school. Grace and David grew up knowing that they are different, shape-shifters. Heck everyone is in their families but Liz is just a normal girl. One day, Liz zaps her computer and she realizes she can start fires, control fire, play with fire. She turns to her friends who also reveal their secrets to her. The next day Liz and her Mom disappear. But not entirely, Liz can communicate with Grace and David via text messages relayed through Facebook, Twitter and other sites. While she is not sure exactly where she is or how she got there, she has a pretty good idea of how to help David and Grace figure it out.
Goal: 1/2 chapter each week. [OK, its a stretch goal....8) but I have been doing about 1 chapter each month so not so far off.]
Do I just provide an intro on the other thread?