Robinski Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 On 12/03/2017 at 6:31 AM, Wisps of Aether said: but I was wondering if this thread is the best place to go for getting new ideas about stories Ha, yes, Eagle rightly identified that I didn't answer the question!! I would agree and say 'no'; the forum is much more about exploring the ideas once you have them. Best source of ideas? Life. What angers you, what fills you with hope, what makes you smile / cry / scream? Pick a genre that you're familiar with/love, develop some good characters than start kicking them, especially when they're down - then see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Hi @Wisps of Aether, and welcome to the forum! We're mostly a beta reading forum, but you're most welcome to poke around as you like. We're always happy to have newbies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Hello all, Just wanted to hop over here and let you know that I'm taking a little break from commenting here in favor of trying to make myself DO WRITING rather than just be like, "Oh, I edited someone's work today... that counts as writing, right??" I'm hoping to come back when I get into a better writing routine, which has been thrown off by the start of a new job (selling baked goods at a bakery!) and some frequent traveling, topped off with a new germ pool. While I'm here, though, anyone have any thoughts about how to motivate yourself to keep writing new things? Especially when you have lots of your own projects that you could edit to death? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 2 hours ago, Hobbit said: trying to make myself DO WRITING Yay! 2 hours ago, Hobbit said: how to motivate yourself to keep writing new things? Especially when you have lots of your own projects that you could edit to death? Well, I would say that you have to want to write it. Really want it. For me that means being interested in / amused by / in love with the characters first and foremost. Then you need to want to finish it, get to the end to see what happens. I know that's not always easy. I'm not sure if it helps to have a plot through to the end or not. On the one hand, it's good to know where you are going, so you know which direction to take! On the other, knowing how it's going to end can be demotivating. I tend to formulate ideas that take me to the point where the characters are in deep doo-doo and hope I will develop entertaining / satisfying ideas for the last 1/3 or so before I get there. On the old projects, unless you are capable of being very disciplined, and going back to them to finish a first draft, but NOT start editing, I would suggest not going back. If you didn't love them enough to finish them last time, why will it be different this time? If you have old projects that are finished, do you love them enough to put one up on the alpha reader thread? If not, then maybe it doesn't deserve your attention in other ways either. I know it takes effort, but learning to not edit, but just continue to the end is such a great ability to have, I'm reminded of Dan Wells saying how he reads what he wrote the day before in order to remind himself why he loves the story to motivate himself for starting a new day's writing. I guess you have to reach that place where you are more excited about going forward than you are overcome by the need to go back. Perhaps it would help to think in the way of there being no point in going back, because you'll never be able to notice all the problems yourself, or you might fix something that was good. So don't go back at all. Starting to ramble - I hope that helps somehow. Now get writing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 20 minutes ago, Robinski said: Well, I would say that you have to want to write it. Really want it. For me that means being interested in / amused by / in love with the characters first and foremost. Fair. I seem to be getting too caught up in the "wanting to write" instead of the "wanting to write about something awesome." 22 minutes ago, Robinski said: Then you need to want to finish it, get to the end to see what happens. I know that's not always easy. But it's such a good feeling. I outlined my entire NaNoWriMo novel and it was very... comforting? But not as exciting as discovery writing. And the thing motivating me there was that little bar graph, not my intrinsic love of the process. I should have been a bit clearer - I have several finished drafts that have been through various amounts of editing. I keep thinking, "I really need to polish these so I can submit them somewhere," but what ends up happening is I'm not good enough at editing to fix all the problems I see, and I end up in a perfectionist spiral between Must Fix This and Can't Fix It Right. 24 minutes ago, Robinski said: If you have old projects that are finished, do you love them enough to put one up on the alpha reader thread? If not, then maybe it doesn't deserve your attention in other ways either. Hehe, calling my bluff. I'm thinking about it. But it's not perfect!!! (Sorry, is my perfectionism showing again?) Thanks Robinski! I will "now go write!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 7 hours ago, Hobbit said: how to motivate yourself to keep writing new things Honestly, the crit work here is what keeps me motivated! It forces me to open my computer every day and look at new ideas, and that, for me, is gold. 7 hours ago, Hobbit said: when you have lots of your own projects that you could edit to death? I set goals for myself. For instance, @industrialistDragon is going through ATD and doing serious LBLs right now, but I'm forcing myself to finish draft zero of TWD before I head into them. I'm doing this because I know I will get caught back up into the previous world, and will lose momentum in TWD. So maybe goals? Self-imposed deadlines? Also, having a CP is a MAJOR help. @Mandamon and I swap up to 10K weekly. It can be a demanding pace, but it keeps me writing and active, knowing that I want to have something to show him each Friday. Maybe a CP would help? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromancer Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 5 minutes ago, kaisa said: Also, having a CP is a MAJOR help. Mandamon and I swap up to 10K weekly. It can be a demanding pace, but it keeps me writing and active, knowing that I want to have something to show him each Friday. Maybe a CP would help? I second this. The only way I've gotten more than fifty pages into any given work is having people who were giving me weekly critiques, and the fact I needed to have weekly updates to send to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
industrialistDragon Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 8 minutes ago, kaisa said: but I'm forcing myself to finish draft zero of TWD before I head into them So that's why I haven't heard back from you. For me, it's about having the right tools. I've found that I have more trouble staring at a blinking cursor on a screen than I do staring at a blank piece of paper in a notebook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 8 hours ago, Hobbit said: Hehe, calling my bluff Right, consider it properly called. I'll PM you my email - send me something you want alpha-read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Aww, thanks everyone! You all are the best. 12 hours ago, kaisa said: I'm doing this because I know I will get caught back up into the previous world, and will lose momentum in TWD. I can definitely relate to this. I need to mentally put some projects aside so I can focus on other, new things. 12 hours ago, kaisa said: Also, having a CP is a MAJOR help. @Mandamon and I swap up to 10K weekly. WOW! That's a lot! Do you do edits on all that for each other too, or is it mostly an accountability thing? 12 hours ago, aeromancer said: The only way I've gotten more than fifty pages into any given work is having people who were giving me weekly critiques, and the fact I needed to have weekly updates to send to them. So far I've only been giving old stuff to my writing groups. Maybe I need to start submitting new stuff so I have to keep writing it! 12 hours ago, industrialistDragon said: I've found that I have more trouble staring at a blinking cursor on a screen than I do staring at a blank piece of paper in a notebook. I can really relate to this, too. I do prefer the laptop for most things, but my to-do lists MUST be on paper or else my brain doesn't feel any urge to do anything. 7 hours ago, Robinski said: Right, consider it properly called. I'll PM you my email - send me something you want alpha-read Alrighty! Let's do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 45 minutes ago, Hobbit said: Do you do edits on all that for each other too, or is it mostly an accountability thing? We do LBLs / broad crits, depending on the quality of material swapped on any given week. For instance, this week we both just had rougher stuff, so comments were LBL, but broader stroke. Some weeks we have nearly ready to sub here stuff, so we pick it over more. A good, reliable CP is worth their weight in gold! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamon Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 4 minutes ago, kaisa said: A good, reliable CP is worth their weight in gold! Agreed! I can tell my writing has gotten better even in the few months I've been CPing with @kaisa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 3 minutes ago, Mandamon said: I can tell my writing has gotten better Same here. I also don't get stuck as much, because I get pretty regular light shining on the gaping plot holes. And of course, every CP brings something different to the table. @industrialistDragon is a slayer of all things trope, and smacks my plot around until it resembles something worth reading. Also, her polishing LBLs are killer. I'd never have gotten picked up to publish without her cleaning help on AFD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Who has two thumbs and is getting reviews? This person! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) I've just been provided with a major distraction by my mother-in-law who, in clearing out after my father-in-law's death in May last year, has sent me an envelope containing some of his correspondence with Arthur C. Clarke, and with Poul and Karen Anderson. My father-in-law Dr. Er!k T. P*terson (the T is not for Tiberius), was a GP in Canada, but also a keen astronomer, SF author (unpublished) and fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, as was Sir Arthur. He met Poul Anderson on an organised trip to South America and they corresponded for many years. The really fascinating element that I came across in just skimming the letters was a reply from Poul on reviewing one of Er!k's manuscripts - his masterwork, and an immense tome at some 300,000 words. Apart from the length, Poul recommended more action and less talking!! Some things never change. I was also delighted that he cited Jack Vance as an example of how to convey chilling cruelty without resorting to violence and gore. Vance is probably still my favourite author, criminally underrated and unappreciated, imho. This quandary of spending the weekend reading through the correspondence is not the real issue though. I have access to my father-in-law's work, a considerable collection of about 6 to 10 novels, 20 odd shorts stories and outlines for many more novels and stories. Part of me is just itching to wade in there and try an edit... I mean taking notes from Poul Anderson, even secondhand, from beyond the grave... Also, as I've never been good at doing the hard yards on the science side, I feel like my love for style, attempts at flare and penchant for pithy dialogue (I hope), might marry really well with Er!k's greater interest in the science. I think I might try a short as an experiment. Opinions, any? Edited March 25, 2017 by Robinski 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle of the Forest Path Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I say go for it, @Robinski ! Just make sure to credit your father-in-law. That is so cool you get to have those letters. I'd probably frame them (or frame copies and keep the originals in an airtight vault). What I find most tragic about Vance is that because his magic got co-opted by D&D (and subsequently copied by every derivative wannabe RPG studio) it feels really unoriginal. The cruel irony of course, is that Jack Vance basically pioneered the concept of subjecting magic to (at least some) consistent rules, which was an incredibly inspired innovation in it's day. (...the quadruple 'in-' alliteration is pure coincidence, btw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Eagle of the Forest Path said: Just make sure to credit your father-in-law Without a doubt. If anything came to pass from it, I would put his name first, in bigger letters 1 hour ago, Eagle of the Forest Path said: Jack Vance basically pioneered the concept of subjecting magic to (at least some) consistent rules I would send anyone looking for world building advice to read Jack Vance in a heartbeat. I pick a book from my shelf at random, Lyonesse (1 - Suldrun's Garden). First line: 'On a dreary winter's day, with rain sweeping across Lyonesse Town, Queen Solace went into labor.' BOOM You've got setting, atmosphere, political structure, the start of character and the beginning of a time-line (its winter) - all in 16 words. The man was a master, and yet is underserved by history when others, less able but more 'fortunate', became synonymous with the genre. I will name no names. Thanks for your thoughts, Eagle. I will keep my powder dry until I have finished Edit #1 of TMM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamon Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 @Robinski - that's amazing! I would love to see some experiments! Still need to read some Jack Vance...still haven't gotten around to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kais Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 8 hours ago, Robinski said: Opinions, any? What a treasure trove! I say go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromancer Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 On 3/25/2017 at 5:29 AM, Robinski said: I think I might try a short as an experiment. Opinions, any? Yes, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Excellent, that sounds like a plan! I'm 40 pages from the end of Edit #1 on TMM. After that, I'll take a break from it (apart from submitting here) and start on a new story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle of the Forest Path Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 I think I remember reading the word blaster in books by Asimov. Starship and speeder sound pretty generic. I'm pretty sure podracer is Star Wars-specific, though. No idea about repulsorlift. Why do you ask? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromancer Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 8 hours ago, Ernei said: I've got a question for sci-fi fans here, and it's actually about terminology used in the books. I mean, I know that obviously lightsaber is, but what about blaster, starship (spaceship? I've seen both, though I suppose spaceship is the ordinary world here), speeders, podracer, repulsorlift and so on? Are they generally sci-fi, like elves and dwarves are for fantasy, or are they Star Wars-only? The names 'Lightsaber' and 'podracer' are both Star-Wars specific. Also, most people won't use speeder, they'll use something like hoverbike but there's nothing inheritly wrong with speeder. The concepts are general, though. Feel free to use an energy-based sword, just don't put it out as a plot device or something. It's kind of like hobbits. Legally, JRR Tolkien owns the name 'hobbits', so they're usually called Halflings if other fantasy authors want to use them. Also, just want to point out that a lightsaber is not, in fact, a light saber (i.e. lightweight cavalry blade). It's a plasma estoc. Sabers, by definition, have a curved blade, something that light waves cannot do. Star Wars has a habit of using horribly named sci-fi concepts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinski Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 1 hour ago, aeromancer said: something that light waves cannot do Lol - I feel like this is a challenge. Light refracts, of course, but only when passing from one transmitting medium into another, so there would need to be a serious of different media close together, which would just be silly, because how would you walk, fight, breathe, etc. in it/them. Then there's diffraction, bending light around an obstacle or through a slit. The Wiki page actually cites the example of diffraction "when a light wave travels through a medium with a varying refractive index", but it's still not going to produce the desired effect for the purposes of an actual lightsaber. So, lightsword then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
industrialistDragon Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 14 minutes ago, Ernei said: Well, I honestly I can't think of any reason why a character should use a sword, even energy-based one, in a high-tech environment You're forgetting the most important reason: they're cool as heck. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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