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GAF Writers who get things done. ✍ 👍

O-N-E

Member
Announcement!

Guys, please submit some writing prompts. We'll have it so that there are two writing prompts per week to choose from selected out of our submissions (by random number generator). For this round, everyone gets 2 submissions, just to keep things balanced (submissions that haven't been picked will stay in the pile for future use).

My two submissions:
  • A story involving the use of incredibly advanced technology (human or alien)
  • The final battle of a fantasy story
Looking forward to your submissions! (please)


Original Post:

Mission Statement: A feed where we state our writing project goals and keep each other up to date on our progress (drafts, revisions, word counts, deadlines, etc). In this group, we're concerned about the progress our fellow GAF writers are making in pursuit of completing their stated goals. We must hold each other accountable. Feel free to use call-out culture in here. We can post our works for critique, but objective completion is the highest priority in this thread. Let's get it done!

Personal Goal List:
  • Have outline and structure for novel completed by July 28th
  • Meet minimum 40,000 word count (Deadline TBD)
  • Complete first draft (Deadline TBD)
Use whatever method you see fit.

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O-N-E

Member
Currently writing my first Novella. Started on the first of July, currently 30 pages wrote. Aiming for about 65-70 pages in total.
I'm about 7 chapters in the first draft of my graphic novel, so this should be good.

Awesome guys. Make sure to keep us up to date on the progress.

I dont have a job so why not. Any tips on how to brain storm novel ideas?

Think of some stories you enjoy (from any medium - books, movies, comics, etc) and pick elements from them. Try to weave them in organically with each other and your brain will likely have a much easier time running with it.
 

bitbydeath

Member
Mentioned this in a few threads, I’m writing a series of novels. I‘m currently aiming to finish either late this year or early next. (Hopefully) I started two years ago and am loving every moment of it.

Once I finish I’m going to celebrate by moving onto the second.

I think I’m around 60K words and will be happy just to reach 70K.

I also work full time and have three kids so finding time to write is what slows me down the most.

Oh and I’m currently on my 2nd draft.

I dont have a job so why not. Any tips on how to brain storm novel ideas?

Think of a problem, find answer to problem, build a story around the problem.
 
I dont have a job so why not. Any tips on how to brain storm novel ideas?
What’s the most awesome shit you can think of? Come up with an epic scene and try build the context for it.
Mentioned this in a few threads, I’m writing a series of novels. I‘m currently aiming to finish either late this year or early next. (Hopefully) I started two years ago and am loving every moment of it.

Once I finish I’m going to celebrate by moving onto the second.

I think I’m around 60K words and will be happy just to reach 70K.

I also work full time and have three kids so finding time to write is what slows me down the most.

Oh and I’m currently on my 2nd draft.



Think of a problem, find answer to problem, build a story around the problem.
Can you share the premise with us? I’m always curious about what kind of stories forthcoming authors come up with.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Never had a problem getting things done, writing a #1 New York best seller is a long shot though.
 

O-N-E

Member
Mentioned this in a few threads, I’m writing a series of novels. I‘m currently aiming to finish either late this year or early next. (Hopefully) I started two years ago and am loving every moment of it.

Once I finish I’m going to celebrate by moving onto the second.

I think I’m around 60K words and will be happy just to reach 70K.

I also work full time and have three kids so finding time to write is what slows me down the most.

Oh and I’m currently on my 2nd draft.



Think of a problem, find answer to problem, build a story around the problem.

Great to hear. Progressing nicely. Please keep us posted.

Never had a problem getting things done, writing a #1 New York best seller is a long shot though.

Well, it's nice you're a productive guy, but the rest of us would appreciate some encouragement (and gentle prodding from time to time).
 

DKehoe

Gold Member
My friend writes smut, maybe I can borrow some stuff from him. He is pretty popular in those circles.

I hear that can pay really well if you find an audience with self publishing. I seem to remember that years ago there was someone on GAF who made a pretty lucrative career for themselves doing it.
 

Jubenhimer

Member
Question though, does the outline need a minimum 40,000 word count, or the first draft? Also how should we submit our work?
 
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O-N-E

Member
Question though, does the outline need a minimum 40,000 word count, or the first draft? Also how should we submit our work?

Haha, sorry you misunderstood. As it says, that's a "personal goal", as in my own. I'm not dictating what you should submit here. The most important thing is just keeping us up to date on how far along you are in reaching your own personal goals. :)
 

Jubenhimer

Member
Haha, sorry you misunderstood. As it says, that's a "personal goal", as in my own. I'm not dictating what you should submit here. The most important thing is just keeping us up to date on how far along you are in reaching your own personal goals. :)
Okay, thanks, I was a bit confused as to what those quotas were for. Also, how do we post our work when its done? Do we just do a normal post, or link a doc file?
 
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O-N-E

Member
Okay, thanks, I was a bit confused as to what those quotas were for. Also, how do we post our work when its done? Do we just do a normal post, or link a doc file?

However you like.

Google docs allows for easier commenting though. You'll get all our comments neatly in one space.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
I've always wanted to write a novel but I feel like it'd be a huge time investment with very little return. I've never had like "the perfect story that must be written down" or anything.

My brother has wrote a few novels though, so I get to live vicariously through his experience I guess.
 

TrainedRage

Banned
I hear that can pay really well if you find an audience with self publishing. I seem to remember that years ago there was someone on GAF who made a pretty lucrative career for themselves doing it.
He has built up a pretty large community that follows him. Im not sure I want to plug the site here, but its a major erotic literature site. So If this story needs a sex scene or something.... darker. Hit me up. I will see what I can use from him. Im sure he would love the exposure.
 

CAB_Life

Member
What a cool thread—didn’t even realize this existed. I work full time as a published author (5 books, working on the 6th now) and as an occasional columnist for a literary magazine. I don’t need help with the craft myself, but I’d be happy to look at drafts and offer feedback or insights to any aspiring authors.
 

O-N-E

Member
where's da fugging content, m8s

you writers should be hammering out something every day

LOL, calm down, Tess.

For future writing, I'll be relying on family / friends for critique of the actual work. People can submit publicly here if they feel comfortable. Of course, it might be a good idea to have a small writing prompt assignment weekly here, no? What do you guys think?

But just for you Tess, here's a tiny sliver of a very weird thing I wrote a long time ago. Basically a meta introduction to the narrator of the story. You can clearly see it was heavily inspired by a certain poem.

6NTPrzO.png


What a cool thread—didn’t even realize this existed. I work full time as a published author (5 books, working on the 6th now) and as an occasional columnist for a literary magazine. I don’t need help with the craft myself, but I’d be happy to look at drafts and offer feedback or insights to any aspiring authors.

Cool! Feel free to share any tips as things progress among the writers here.
 

bitbydeath

Member
Can you share the premise with us? I’m always curious about what kind of stories forthcoming authors come up with.

I would love too but I’m paranoid about putting details up too early on the internet.

What I can say is that it’ll be heavily action oriented but otherwise a splash of all genres including elements of horror, sci-fi and fantasy while trying to keep it as realistic and down to earth as possible. The first novel has six different POV’s because I don’t want any characters to be seen as ‘safe’ even as I write it.

While I’ve outlined all five novels there’s still a chance for situations to evolve and that has already happened once before.

I’m very excited to write it, oh and for the second I’ve started writing a song which if feels right may get included.
 

MaestroMike

Gold Member
Penny "Scarface" Pickles - Who put the screw in the tuna ?

Once upon a time in a small community of a few thousand, 23 year old Penny Pickles just finished his shift from the local grocery store We sell meat. It was a 10 hour shift where he was on his feet all day stocking the shelves, helping guests locate products and carrying groceries to the cars of weak, frail, old ladies. He just finished a 10-hr shift, hadn’t eaten all day and the only thing he could think about was going home, microwaving a Hungry Man tv dinner (fried chicken and cheese fries) and watch a movie since tonight was movie night! Penny has been on an Arnold Schwarzenegger binge and tonight’s movie is the family-friendly classic The Predator. He usually spends movie night with his 5’1” half mexican/half Korean girlfriend. She has the hips of kim kardashian, but she’s totally flat-chested, unfortunately. Her face is on point, though and has a little meat on her bones. She eats. They’ve been together for probably 10 months and they first banged after like 3 dates. Maybe 4. She was his 1st girlfriend and he was her 5th boyfriend. Anyways, she’s gone for the weekend hanging out with her family. Shes been hanging out with her family every weekend a lot lately. So he’s going to movie night by himself tonight.

Penny usually takes the long way home at night since theres more lights and people around but Penny is hungry as hel! and doesn’t want to walk the extra mile. So he’s going to take the shortcut under the bridge.

Brain is gassed I'll write something later.
 

O-N-E

Member
Penny "Scarface" Pickles - Who put the screw in the tuna ?

Once upon a time in a small community of a few thousand, 23 year old Penny Pickles just finished his shift from the local grocery store We sell meat. It was a 10 hour shift where he was on his feet all day stocking the shelves, helping guests locate products and carrying groceries to the cars of weak, frail, old ladies. He just finished a 10-hr shift, hadn’t eaten all day and the only thing he could think about was going home, microwaving a Hungry Man tv dinner (fried chicken and cheese fries) and watch a movie since tonight was movie night! Penny has been on an Arnold Schwarzenegger binge and tonight’s movie is the family-friendly classic The Predator. He usually spends movie night with his 5’1” half mexican/half Korean girlfriend. She has the hips of kim kardashian, but she’s totally flat-chested, unfortunately. Her face is on point, though and has a little meat on her bones. She eats. They’ve been together for probably 10 months and they first banged after like 3 dates. Maybe 4. She was his 1st girlfriend and he was her 5th boyfriend. Anyways, she’s gone for the weekend hanging out with her family. Shes been hanging out with her family every weekend a lot lately. So he’s going to movie night by himself tonight.

Penny usually takes the long way home at night since theres more lights and people around but Penny is hungry as hel! and doesn’t want to walk the extra mile. So he’s going to take the shortcut under the bridge.

Brain is gassed I'll write something later.

  • This is rather unconventional as far as style goes, not that I would discourage you from that, but from a subjective point of view (my own), it's usually a more pleasant experience when the writing feels more focused rather than wandering around various details. Could be it might work in the bigger picture, don't know.
  • I wouldn't use a "/" in the prose unless it's for something technical like a file directory
  • There's too much repetition. For example "...and watch a movie since tonight was movie night! Penny has been on an Arnold Schwarzenegger binge and tonight’s movie is the family-friendly classic The Predator. He usually spends movie night..." Repetition is fine if it's used effectively as a stylistic choice, but not so much when it feels like you've run out of words for a particular idea.
  • Make sure you have a firm grasp of who the narrator is. If it's third person, it seems kind of weird that the character is dwelling on how long he's been dating his girlfriend, when they fucked, her Kardashian features, etc. Usually, exposition can be inserted into the prose more naturally when something in the scene gets the viewpoint character thinking on it. If you have a more omniscient and maybe whacky type of narrator, you could get away with more exposition. And even more if the prose is dripping with charm, wit, style, humor, etc.
Here's an example from the beginning of a fantasy novel called Mistborn. Where I bold is where the exposition is placed organically. Something the character might naturally be thinking about at that moment.

"Ash fell from the sky.

Lord Tresting frowned, glancing up at the ruddy, mid-day sky as his servants scuttled forward, opening a parasol over Tresting and his distinguished guest. Ashfalls weren’t that uncommon in the Final Empire, but Tresting had hoped to avoid getting soot stains on his fine new suit coat and red vest, which had just arrived via canal boat from Luthadel itself. Fortunately, there wasn’t much wind—the parasol would likely be effective.

Tresting stood with his guest on a small hilltop patio which overlooked the fields. Hundreds of people in brown smocks worked in the falling ash, caring for the crops. There was a sluggishness to their efforts—but, of course, that was the way of the skaa. The peasants were an indolent, unproductive lot. The didn’t complain, of course—they knew better than that. Instead, they simply worked with bowed heads, moving about their work with quiet apathy. The passing whip of a taskmaster would force them into dedicated motion for a few moments, but as soon as the taskmaster passed, they would return to their languor.

Tresting turned to the man standing beside him on the hill. “One would think,” Tresting noted, “that a thousand years of working in fields would have bred them to be a little more effective at it.

The obligator turned, raising an eyebrow—the motion done as if to highlight his most distinctive feature, the intricate tattoos that laced the skin around his eyes. The tattoos were enormous, reaching all the way across his brow and up the sides of his nose. This was a full prelan—a very important obligator indeed. Tresting had his own, personal obligators back at the manor, but they were only minor functionaries, with barely a few marks around their eyes. This man had arrived from Luthadel with the same canal boat that had brought Tresting’s new suit."

Hope that helps.

CloudNull CloudNull @SLoWMoTIoN Tesseract Tesseract

You guys were looking for some content to critique. Let's do it!

GlaringClutteredHogget-size_restricted.gif
 
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I think my pills I take make it harder for me to focus on a project nowadays. That's my excuse at least. I've got ideas, some of them I've outlined, a few I've tried multiple paths to writing out... but I'm stalling lately.
 

MaestroMike

Gold Member
  • This is rather unconventional as far as style goes, not that I would discourage you from that, but from a subjective point of view (my own), it's usually a more pleasant experience when the writing feels more focused rather than wandering around various details. Could be it might work in the bigger picture, don't know.
  • I wouldn't use a "/" in the prose unless it's for something technical like a file directory
  • There's too much repetition. For example "...and watch a movie since tonight was movie night! Penny has been on an Arnold Schwarzenegger binge and tonight’s movie is the family-friendly classic The Predator. He usually spends movie night..." Repetition is fine if it's used effectively as a stylistic choice, but not so much when it feels like you've run out of words for a particular idea.
  • Make sure you have a firm grasp of who the narrator is. If it's third person, it seems kind of weird that the character is dwelling on how long he's been dating his girlfriend, when they fucked, her Kardashian features, etc. Usually, exposition can be inserted into the prose more naturally when something in the scene gets the viewpoint character thinking on it. If you have a more omniscient and maybe whacky type of narrator, you could get away with more exposition. And even more if the prose is dripping with charm, wit, style, humor, etc.
Here's an example from the beginning of a fantasy novel called Mistborn. Where I bold is where the exposition is placed organically. Something the character might naturally be thinking about at that moment.

"Ash fell from the sky.

Lord Tresting frowned, glancing up at the ruddy, mid-day sky as his servants scuttled forward, opening a parasol over Tresting and his distinguished guest. Ashfalls weren’t that uncommon in the Final Empire, but Tresting had hoped to avoid getting soot stains on his fine new suit coat and red vest, which had just arrived via canal boat from Luthadel itself. Fortunately, there wasn’t much wind—the parasol would likely be effective.

Tresting stood with his guest on a small hilltop patio which overlooked the fields. Hundreds of people in brown smocks worked in the falling ash, caring for the crops. There was a sluggishness to their efforts—but, of course, that was the way of the skaa. The peasants were an indolent, unproductive lot. The didn’t complain, of course—they knew better than that. Instead, they simply worked with bowed heads, moving about their work with quiet apathy. The passing whip of a taskmaster would force them into dedicated motion for a few moments, but as soon as the taskmaster passed, they would return to their languor.

Tresting turned to the man standing beside him on the hill. “One would think,” Tresting noted, “that a thousand years of working in fields would have bred them to be a little more effective at it.

The obligator turned, raising an eyebrow—the motion done as if to highlight his most distinctive feature, the intricate tattoos that laced the skin around his eyes. The tattoos were enormous, reaching all the way across his brow and up the sides of his nose. This was a full prelan—a very important obligator indeed. Tresting had his own, personal obligators back at the manor, but they were only minor functionaries, with barely a few marks around their eyes. This man had arrived from Luthadel with the same canal boat that had brought Tresting’s new suit."

Hope that helps.

CloudNull CloudNull @SLoWMoTIoN Tesseract Tesseract

You guys were looking for some content to critique. Let's do it!

GlaringClutteredHogget-size_restricted.gif

I was just messing around lol thanks for the critique.
 

DrJohnGalt

Banned
I'm looking for somebody to collab on a project with. Into fantasy/satire stuff. Think Robert Jordan meets Terry Pratchet.

I'm the kind that gets the ideas down and the outlines drawn, the maps and characters created but kinda lose interest. I need a partner for the next project.

Not looking to write stories to sell so I'm not opposed to just putting them online chapter by chapter.

Anybody? Shoot me a PM.
 

O-N-E

Member
Announcement!

Guys, please submit some writing prompts. We'll have it so that there are two writing prompts per week to choose from selected out of our submissions (by random number generator). For this round, everyone gets 2 submissions, just to keep things balanced (submissions that haven't been picked will stay in the pile for future use).

My two submissions:
  • A story involving the use of incredibly advanced technology (human or alien)
  • The final battle of a fantasy story
Looking forward to your submissions! (please)
 

bitbydeath

Member
Oh, I’m a slow writer. I often only get time to write at night and I’m currently polishing a chapter which involves reading through as much as I can of a single chapter with constant re-writes, re-writes, re-writes. It’s like taking a mallet to words and trying to remove all the bumps, but then more bumps appear. Should be done with this chapter soon though.... hopefully.
 

bitbydeath

Member
After much consideration I’ve decided to go the self-publishing route.

Why?
-Control - This is the main reason, working with publishers means you hand over all your rights. Also since I’m writing a multi-book series I don’t want anyone to get in the way of my future plans for the series.

On top of that being my first novel I get even less sway (negotiating rights). I’ve bought a domain today and my wife and I will do all the advertising ourselves when the time comes.

-Covid - Less people will be out and about which instead drives them online.

-Art - This is kind of part and parcel with control but getting to create my own cover and advertise however I want is exciting.

In the meantime I’ve gotta keep writing.
How’s everyone else going?
 

CAB_Life

Member
I did (conducted) an interview with a long time professional acquaintance of mine, Kevin Tumlinson, this week. And even though you I’m pretty comfortable with my output these days he had some invaluable tips. I always considered myself prolific, but this dude is on another level—very enlightening and inspiring stuff.

I’ll post the interview here once it’s edited.
 

O-N-E

Member
After much consideration I’ve decided to go the self-publishing route.

Why?
-Control - This is the main reason, working with publishers means you hand over all your rights. Also since I’m writing a multi-book series I don’t want anyone to get in the way of my future plans for the series.

On top of that being my first novel I get even less sway (negotiating rights). I’ve bought a domain today and my wife and I will do all the advertising ourselves when the time comes.

-Covid - Less people will be out and about which instead drives them online.

-Art - This is kind of part and parcel with control but getting to create my own cover and advertise however I want is exciting.

In the meantime I’ve gotta keep writing.
How’s everyone else going?

That sounds like a great way to go about it. I've talked to a successful Fantasy Author who'd worked a lot with big publishers and he's transitioned to self-pub only for the reasons you've mentioned and more (including an important one - much bigger piece of the pie).

I did (conducted) an interview with a long time professional acquaintance of mine, Kevin Tumlinson, this week. And even though you I’m pretty comfortable with my output these days he had some invaluable tips. I always considered myself prolific, but this dude is on another level—very enlightening and inspiring stuff.

I’ll post the interview here once it’s edited.

Wow, that sounds awesome and extremely useful.

Can't wait to read it!
 

bitbydeath

Member
That sounds like a great way to go about it. I've talked to a successful Fantasy Author who'd worked a lot with big publishers and he's transitioned to self-pub only for the reasons you've mentioned and more (including an important one - much bigger piece of the pie).

That’s true. It’s a passion project right now but if I could earn real money from it I’d definitely become a full-time writer.
 
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