Any Aspiring Fantasy Authours Out There? - Page 4

Willow Oran · 08-06-2002, 03:04 PM

Oh the joys of writing. I'm a writer, or I'm going to be. I have about 80 solid characters and a world floating around in my head and I have a story started.

When I'm having trouble figuring out where I want a story to go I usually write timelines. You know the timelines in the back of Return of the King? Writing down the events of the story in that format really helps to organize your thoughts. As for characters. Make up a character, make up another character. Put them together. Characters like to breed, let them. Write family trees for them figure out what race they are and where they live. And make up a world for them to live in list the types of plants and animals and the geographical features and the cities and countries and everything that you can possibly think of. Think of how the countries in your world relate to eachother politically. And be detailed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's my rambling on the subject have fun.

osszie · 08-07-2002, 04:46 PM

I've been a writer (tho' unpublished) for about the last 7 yrs or so.

three usful tips given to me were-

For descriptive writing- always remember that your characters have 5 senses, don't rely too heavily on just sight to give your readers a feel for the places u describe. Also remember what is above a characters head and below their feet.

For dialogue- practise your characters dialogue in simple situations (rise in the price of bread, chatting to a friend about the weather etc) This really helps u to automatically gauge characters reactions in many circumstances, honest.

Give your work to as many people as possible to read. Take advice and criticism at face value tho', your work is yours first and formost and if u stop enjoying it, you'll stop writing it

Elbereth · 08-11-2002, 09:44 PM

Good advice, osszie!
And when taking critiszim, remember that while other people's opinions matter, only use what you think will make your piece like you want it. This way you are in charge of your writing.
If you are having dialouge trouble, try writing a play. It's really fun to get to know your characters through what they say.
forgive me if this is confusing, i'm half asleep.

Brokehorn4000 · 08-16-2002, 10:03 PM

That is very useful, osszie, thanks a lot! I'll remember that next time I write (if I ever remember to keep writing that is!).

TinuvielChild · 11-02-2002, 11:43 PM

Hey guys, for those of you that like to write but can never finish - here's an incentive to finish! It's the National Novel Writing Month! The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. It might be late to sign up (as NaNoWriMo started yesterday), but you could give it a shot anyway! I've started mine, using all the tips given here, and nobody shall read it until it's finished! Mwahahaha!

Anyway, yeah. Check it out. It's for those of us insane enough to actually do something like this.

Coney · 11-02-2002, 11:51 PM

They ask for $10 to admit your novel and not a word on the site about who claims the copyright of your work? Not for me thanks

Oh and you can enter up until the 30th November.

TinuvielChild · 11-02-2002, 11:53 PM

You actually don't have to pay the $10...they just like you to. I'm not. And you get the copyright. You write it for yourself and for fun.

TinuvielChild · 11-02-2002, 11:54 PM

Grrr. This is annoying. I have a character called Nimue, and I just discovered that one of my best friends has named her main character Nimue! Evilness!

Fred Baggins · 11-03-2002, 12:38 AM

Introducing yours truely, Fred Baggins, author of The Beggining of the End of the Quest. It is about...well I can't really tell that right now, otherwise I would have to kill you. And I am to lazy to figure out were EVERY Single one of you lives.

Lief Erikson · 11-03-2002, 01:15 AM

I am certainly not planning on fantasy writing as a career, but I am working on the middle book of a fantasy trilogy which I invented. It is called The Uirlon Cord, and is so far about 270 pages long. I've recently finished part 1 of it, so obviously it's a long one. I'm still trying to finish editing part 1 so that my family can finish reading that part.

When I started the book, I didn't know that it would be the middle segment of a trilogy. But luckily, it is a pretty flexible plot, so none of my plans for the prequel or sequal will get in the way. As a matter of a fact, many of the things that I put into The Uirlon Cord turned out supporting the other two, simply by my good luck. I haven't finished plotting the third book, but I know some of the basic things of it.

The first book takes place from the perspective of the parents of the characters in The Uirlon Cord. It has a deeply detailed plot and a good deal of action, political maneuvers and character interaction. It sets the stage for The Uirlon Cord.

In The Uirlon Cord, the battle which was begun in book 1 continues, although without as intense of character vs. character struggles. But the difficult thing for the good guys in that one is that in the beginning, they assumed that the struggle was already over, while actually one remaining bad character was hatching an evil scheme.

The third book takes everything to an entire different scale than the previous two. Those others had a lot of political interaction and excitement on a more down to earth level. This third one includes an incredible exploration which reveals another side to everything, and shows the very nature of magic and the war that is going on. So that one brings everything to another level completely, quite a few scenes of which don't exactly even take place on the planet which the other two were happening on.

Well, there's a few of the basic ideas to these three books, and I just hope I end up being able to write them all. Forget publishing them, I simply want them written!

mirial · 11-03-2002, 01:42 AM

Well, I am currently trying to write a fanfic for
www.schnoogle.com
but it isn't going well, the more fanfics I read, the more mine seems to get crappy, or the less ideas I have.
I have written several short stories based upon a girl who falls into a parallel universe. They are pretty good. If I may say so myself.
I also wrote a Fantasy last year about 405 pages, it was about time travel, but not really time travel. (you'd have to read it to understand)

NE way

Pippin Skywalker · 11-05-2002, 05:27 AM

I'm working on a 19th century fantasy sea story. Inspired much by Moby Dick.

Celebrian · 11-05-2002, 05:31 PM

I am working on a fantasy novel right now, but it is going really slowly. Everyone says it is good, but I am not even sure what is going to happen next.
I am also working on a story with two other people. we have a plot and so we are taking turns writing a page each. I sounds really strange but it's working. The one other person who read it liked it, and even offered to look for a publisher!

Silverstripe · 11-06-2002, 01:49 AM

I'd like to be a writer, I'm supposed to be pretty good, but my poetry is better than my prose. I've gotten a couple of poems published. I have tried to write fantasy novels but so far I've only been able to finish some short stories. The closest to novel-length I got were three short stories about time travel.

AudrentheRanger · 11-07-2002, 06:18 PM

I am going to be a writer. I love to write stories and poems.

Lief Erikson · 11-07-2002, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Silverstripe
I'd like to be a writer, I'm supposed to be pretty good, but my poetry is better than my prose. I've gotten a couple of poems published. I have tried to write fantasy novels but so far I've only been able to finish some short stories. The closest to novel-length I got were three short stories about time travel.

That sounds great, and I wish I could do it. Alas, I have trouble writing short stories now. Almost all of my more recent works are novels

.

Actually, that's really great that you can do something with poetry. It'll help you later on, and if you ever do end up writing a fantasy book.

Laurelyn · 11-08-2002, 06:10 PM

I am a writer.
Unpublished, except in a school literary collection, but believe me, I write.
I write a lot.
I exist on paper.

I've written a large amount of short stories, mostly versions, shades, and nuances of myself. I'm working on two novels at once; one of which isn't truly prose, and the other of which is. Both have the same hope for completement: someday.
Go figure.
See, I'd spend every waking moment writing if I could. But no, I have to have a life.

Oh, well.

Liviaine · 11-09-2002, 02:01 PM

I'm currently working on an Arthurian tale.

TwirlingString · 11-09-2002, 06:19 PM

I like to write, and somehow have ended up in the middle of 4=5 stories at the same time. When i'm online it lokks really strange because I'll have all of them up on word+ I'll be working on the story of my neopet, 4rose4, on it's petpage. I don'tthink I'm any good but at least all this practice makes me better. Have you noticed that a lot of bookworms want to write?

TinuvielChild · 11-09-2002, 09:20 PM

Aaaaaah! *shrieks of despair and pain* TS, how many times have I complained about misuse of 'its/it's'??? One would think you'd know the difference by now, or at least not to misuse them in my vicinity! Look, I posted the difference on some thread, I think it's the venting thread, go check it out. Please. For the sake of my sanity. *sobs of grammatical torture*

08-06-2002, 03:04 PM	#61
Willow Oran Deus Ex Machina Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,951	Oh the joys of writing. I'm a writer, or I'm going to be. I have about 80 solid characters and a world floating around in my head and I have a story started. When I'm having trouble figuring out where I want a story to go I usually write timelines. You know the timelines in the back of Return of the King? Writing down the events of the story in that format really helps to organize your thoughts. As for characters. Make up a character, make up another character. Put them together. Characters like to breed, let them. Write family trees for them figure out what race they are and where they live. And make up a world for them to live in list the types of plants and animals and the geographical features and the cities and countries and everything that you can possibly think of. Think of how the countries in your world relate to eachother politically. And be detailed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's my rambling on the subject have fun. __________________ "5. Plain Rings with RUNES on the inside. Avoid these like the PLAGUE. -Diana Wynne Jones Tough Guide To FantasyLand ...it's not much of a show if somebody doesn't suffer, and preferably at length. Suffering is beautiful in any case, and so is anguish; but as for loathing, and bitterness... I don't think they belong on the stage at all. - Isabella, I Gelosi

08-11-2002, 09:44 PM	#63
Elbereth Elven Warrior Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rivendell Posts: 122	Good advice, osszie! And when taking critiszim, remember that while other people's opinions matter, only use what you think will make your piece like you want it. This way you are in charge of your writing. If you are having dialouge trouble, try writing a play. It's really fun to get to know your characters through what they say. forgive me if this is confusing, i'm half asleep. __________________ A! Elbereth Gilithoniel! 'Fate goes ever as fate must.' Beowulf (Seamus Haney's translation) FRODO LIVES!!!

08-16-2002, 10:03 PM	#64
Brokehorn4000 Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: America, Land That I Love! Posts: 179	That is very useful, osszie, thanks a lot! I'll remember that next time I write (if I ever remember to keep writing that is!). __________________ ****************************** "Even if you're going in the right direction, you'll get run over if you just sit there."-- Paraphrase of a quote from some famous guy.

11-02-2002, 11:43 PM	#65
TinuvielChild Padawan Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The Barony of Carolingia Posts: 2,176	Hey guys, for those of you that like to write but can never finish - here's an incentive to finish! It's the National Novel Writing Month! The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. It might be late to sign up (as NaNoWriMo started yesterday), but you could give it a shot anyway! I've started mine, using all the tips given here, and nobody shall read it until it's finished! Mwahahaha! Anyway, yeah. Check it out. It's for those of us insane enough to actually do something like this. __________________ There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: ONLY LOVE. Dance as though nobody's watching. Sing as though nobody's listening. Dream as though you'll live forever. Live as though you'll die tomorrow. EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMEDDCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO and proud! FRODO LIVES!!!!!

11-02-2002, 11:51 PM	#66
Coney The Buddy Rabbit Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Trapped in the headlights.. Posts: 3,372	They ask for $10 to admit your novel and not a word on the site about who claims the copyright of your work? Not for me thanks Oh and you can enter up until the 30th November. __________________ Blessed are the cracked, they let the light in Beatallica Last edited by Coney : 11-03-2002 at 12:05 AM.

08-07-2002, 04:46 PM	#62
osszie Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 409	I've been a writer (tho' unpublished) for about the last 7 yrs or so. three usful tips given to me were- For descriptive writing- always remember that your characters have 5 senses, don't rely too heavily on just sight to give your readers a feel for the places u describe. Also remember what is above a characters head and below their feet. For dialogue- practise your characters dialogue in simple situations (rise in the price of bread, chatting to a friend about the weather etc) This really helps u to automatically gauge characters reactions in many circumstances, honest. Give your work to as many people as possible to read. Take advice and criticism at face value tho', your work is yours first and formost and if u stop enjoying it, you'll stop writing it

11-02-2002, 11:53 PM	#67
TinuvielChild Padawan Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The Barony of Carolingia Posts: 2,176	You actually don't have to pay the $10...they just like you to. I'm not. And you get the copyright. You write it for yourself and for fun. __________________ There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: ONLY LOVE. Dance as though nobody's watching. Sing as though nobody's listening. Dream as though you'll live forever. Live as though you'll die tomorrow. EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMEDDCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO and proud! FRODO LIVES!!!!!

11-02-2002, 11:54 PM	#68
TinuvielChild Padawan Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The Barony of Carolingia Posts: 2,176	Grrr. This is annoying. I have a character called Nimue, and I just discovered that one of my best friends has named her main character Nimue! Evilness! __________________ There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: ONLY LOVE. Dance as though nobody's watching. Sing as though nobody's listening. Dream as though you'll live forever. Live as though you'll die tomorrow. EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMEDDCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO and proud! FRODO LIVES!!!!!

11-03-2002, 12:38 AM	#69
Fred Baggins Belladona Gamgee of the night sky Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: second star to the right and straight on till morning. Posts: 1,783	Introducing yours truely, Fred Baggins, author of The Beggining of the End of the Quest. It is about...well I can't really tell that right now, otherwise I would have to kill you. And I am to lazy to figure out were EVERY Single one of you lives. __________________ Emperor Cusco: Lemme guess. We're about to go down a huge water-fall. Pacha:Yep. Cusco: Sharp rocks at the bottum? Pacha:Most likely. Cusco:Bring it on. ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` Yes, I'm female. Fred Baggins is my NICKNAME! ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` "The reason of the unreasonable treatment of my reason so enfeebles my reason, that with reason I complain of your beauty."~Don Quixote ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` "Once upon a time there was a magical land where it never rained. The End."~from the movie 'Holes' ~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ()_))_Crayola_))_>

11-03-2002, 01:15 AM	#70
Lief Erikson Elf Lord Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fountain Valley, CA Posts: 6,343	I am certainly not planning on fantasy writing as a career, but I am working on the middle book of a fantasy trilogy which I invented. It is called The Uirlon Cord, and is so far about 270 pages long. I've recently finished part 1 of it, so obviously it's a long one. I'm still trying to finish editing part 1 so that my family can finish reading that part. When I started the book, I didn't know that it would be the middle segment of a trilogy. But luckily, it is a pretty flexible plot, so none of my plans for the prequel or sequal will get in the way. As a matter of a fact, many of the things that I put into The Uirlon Cord turned out supporting the other two, simply by my good luck. I haven't finished plotting the third book, but I know some of the basic things of it. The first book takes place from the perspective of the parents of the characters in The Uirlon Cord. It has a deeply detailed plot and a good deal of action, political maneuvers and character interaction. It sets the stage for The Uirlon Cord. In The Uirlon Cord, the battle which was begun in book 1 continues, although without as intense of character vs. character struggles. But the difficult thing for the good guys in that one is that in the beginning, they assumed that the struggle was already over, while actually one remaining bad character was hatching an evil scheme. The third book takes everything to an entire different scale than the previous two. Those others had a lot of political interaction and excitement on a more down to earth level. This third one includes an incredible exploration which reveals another side to everything, and shows the very nature of magic and the war that is going on. So that one brings everything to another level completely, quite a few scenes of which don't exactly even take place on the planet which the other two were happening on. Well, there's a few of the basic ideas to these three books, and I just hope I end up being able to write them all. Forget publishing them, I simply want them written!

11-03-2002, 01:42 AM	#71
mirial Enting Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: only in your dreams...or nightmares :) Posts: 93	Well, I am currently trying to write a fanfic for www.schnoogle.com but it isn't going well, the more fanfics I read, the more mine seems to get crappy, or the less ideas I have. I have written several short stories based upon a girl who falls into a parallel universe. They are pretty good. If I may say so myself. I also wrote a Fantasy last year about 405 pages, it was about time travel, but not really time travel. (you'd have to read it to understand) NE way __________________ Suogan (Or See-o-gon) Translation. (some of it) Sleep, my baby, on my bosom, Warm and cozy, it will prove, Round thee mother’s arms are folding, In her heart a mother’s love. There shall no one come to harm thee, Naught shall ever break thy rest; Sleep, my darling babe, in quiet, Sleep on mother’s gentle breast. Sleep serenely, baby, slumber, Lovely baby, gently sleep; Tell me wherefore art thou smiling, Smiling sweetly in thy sleep? Do the angels smile in heaven When thy happy smile they see? Dost thou on them smile while slumb’ring On my bosom peacefully.

11-05-2002, 05:27 AM	#72
Pippin Skywalker Enting Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 93	I'm working on a 19th century fantasy sea story. Inspired much by Moby Dick. __________________ Gimli: I'm Short! I'm Bad! I'm King of Khazaad! Note: That was not an actual quote from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel!

11-05-2002, 05:31 PM	#73
Celebrian Enting Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Calgary Posts: 75	I am working on a fantasy novel right now, but it is going really slowly. Everyone says it is good, but I am not even sure what is going to happen next. I am also working on a story with two other people. we have a plot and so we are taking turns writing a page each. I sounds really strange but it's working. The one other person who read it liked it, and even offered to look for a publisher! __________________ All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost. Tall ships and tall kings, three times three. What brought they form the foundered land Over the flowing sea? Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree.

11-06-2002, 01:49 AM	#74
Silverstripe Empress of the Writewraiths Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Running around somewhere inside my head. So what are YOU doing here?! Posts: 1,546	I'd like to be a writer, I'm supposed to be pretty good, but my poetry is better than my prose. I've gotten a couple of poems published. I have tried to write fantasy novels but so far I've only been able to finish some short stories. The closest to novel-length I got were three short stories about time travel.

11-07-2002, 06:18 PM	#75
AudrentheRanger Enting Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Grey Havens, Middle Earth, in my own special place, a world unknown and magical, or perhaps of questing and flying like an Eagle with Gwaihir Posts: 74	I am going to be a writer. I love to write stories and poems. __________________ "Strider is too poor a name, son of Arathorn," he said, "Wingfoot I name you....Hardy is the race of Elendil!" The Wings of the Wind are swift indeed. I am a bookworm. "Fly you fools!" I'm no fool, but I would gladly fly!

11-08-2002, 06:10 PM	#77
Laurelyn Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Valinor, right next to Telperion . . . what did you expect, Michigan? Posts: 1,315	I am a writer. Unpublished, except in a school literary collection, but believe me, I write. I write a lot. I exist on paper. I've written a large amount of short stories, mostly versions, shades, and nuances of myself. I'm working on two novels at once; one of which isn't truly prose, and the other of which is. Both have the same hope for completement: someday. Go figure. See, I'd spend every waking moment writing if I could. But no, I have to have a life. Oh, well. __________________ The Third Age of Entmoot has begun. Angel of music, guide and guardian! Grant to me your glory! The country I eat and spend the day in is by no means the country I sleep and dream in. Define patriotism. Hold the boat, you spastic monkey! ~ Elenka

11-09-2002, 02:01 PM	#78
Liviaine Elven Warrior Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ithilien Posts: 203	I'm currently working on an Arthurian tale.

11-09-2002, 06:19 PM	#79
TwirlingString Elven Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: My mother would say somewhere between the adult mystery section and the YA sci-fi Posts: 489	I like to write, and somehow have ended up in the middle of 4=5 stories at the same time. When i'm online it lokks really strange because I'll have all of them up on word+ I'll be working on the story of my neopet, 4rose4, on it's petpage. I don'tthink I'm any good but at least all this practice makes me better. Have you noticed that a lot of bookworms want to write? __________________ "The Astels are an emotional people. They cry at the drop of a handkerchief. Their culture is much like that of Pelosia. They're extremely devot and invincibly backward. It's been demonstrated to them over an over that serfdom is an archaic, inefficent institution, but they maintain it anyway--largely at the connivance of the serfs thmselves. Astellian nobles don't exert themselves in any way, so they have no concept of human endurance. The serfs take advantage of that outrageously. Astellian serfs have been known to collapse from sheer exhauston at the very mention of such unpleasant words as 'reaping' or 'digging'." ----------------------------------------------- “They lost him?!” Lupin asked , amazed. “Voldemort has been after Harry for 15 years, and then he misplaces him?!”

11-09-2002, 09:20 PM	#80
TinuvielChild Padawan Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The Barony of Carolingia Posts: 2,176	Aaaaaah! shrieks of despair and pain TS, how many times have I complained about misuse of 'its/it's'??? One would think you'd know the difference by now, or at least not to misuse them in my vicinity! Look, I posted the difference on some thread, I think it's the venting thread, go check it out. Please. For the sake of my sanity. sobs of grammatical torture __________________ There are only four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same: ONLY LOVE. Dance as though nobody's watching. Sing as though nobody's listening. Dream as though you'll live forever. Live as though you'll die tomorrow. EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMEDDCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO and proud! FRODO LIVES!!!!!

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