aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
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- Apr 5, 2007
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Six day streak.
My chapter is over 6,500 words now. Whoops.
My chapter is over 6,500 words now. Whoops.
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Watcha Writin'?
- Thread starter Zkribbler
- Start date
aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
- Joined
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- 20,112
I'm a little nervous these days about giving myself a strict timeline about when to post my chapter, because last time I tried I ended up in the damned hospital. (For an entirely unrelated reason, but y'know.) But I'm seriously hoping that if I can pull it off, I might be able to get up a chapter by the end of the week.
Earlier, my "Status" column in Scrivener had a weird jumble:
Earlier, my "Status" column in Scrivener had a weird jumble:
- To-Do
- In-Progress
- First Draft
- Revised Draft
- Finished
- Title Page (???)
Syno
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2006
- Messages
- 24,885
The Centre of Excellence and the New York Post are selling a bundle of creative writing classes at a major discount for the next week. Ten courses, $30 USD.
https://store.nypost.com/sales/ultimate-creative-writing-course-bundle
Of particular value to some here may be the creative writing, self-publishing, novel writing, freelance writing, and proofreading classes.
https://store.nypost.com/sales/ultimate-creative-writing-course-bundle
Of particular value to some here may be the creative writing, self-publishing, novel writing, freelance writing, and proofreading classes.
Zkribbler
Deity
Thank you. Synsense
Zkribbler
Deity
I have dug up The Paladin and the Dragon, an ancient D&D-type short story of mine, polished it, and will be submitting it to the Writers of the Future contest.
Ack! I almost forgot!
Zkribbler
Deity
I read an interesting article today in the LA Times about crime stories during the pandemic. 
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-30/coronavirus-outbreak-los-angeles-crime-fiction
The theory is that, during the pandemic, crime will fall due to the sequestering, etc. No crime = no crime stories.
However after the pandemic, we will enter a world of shuttered businesses, unemployment, and poverty. This is the fertile ground of noir tales.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-30/coronavirus-outbreak-los-angeles-crime-fiction
The theory is that, during the pandemic, crime will fall due to the sequestering, etc. No crime = no crime stories.
However after the pandemic, we will enter a world of shuttered businesses, unemployment, and poverty. This is the fertile ground of noir tales.
No crime? Baloney. Stores are being looted, and domestic violence is apt to rise, from the problems inherent when families are forced to spend all day, every day together. It's a real problem for the people at risk of domestic abuse, whether spouses or children.
Some people are literally stealing hand sanitizer from the stations set up in grocery and department stores (according to someone on one of my other forums who works the customer service desk at Walmart in New Brunswick.
Some people are literally stealing hand sanitizer from the stations set up in grocery and department stores (according to someone on one of my other forums who works the customer service desk at Walmart in New Brunswick.
Zkribbler
Deity
My post from the NaNoWriMo thread about my Count of Monte Christo parody:
Dumas' The Count of Monte Christo is an epic.
As such, I have attempted to mimic the ten main characteristics of an epic:
Begins in medias res.
My story begins just after the jailbreak.
The setting is vast, covering many nations, the world or the universe.
My story is set on three continents and in a dozen countries.
Begins with an invocation to a muse (epic invocation).
My story opens: "Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, couldn’t resist meddling in the life of Edmund the Dentist. After all, he was the most boring young man in the entire world.
Begins with a statement of the theme.
Battling boredom.
Includes the use of epithets.
Not really.
Contains long lists, called an epic catalogue.
No.
Features long and formal speeches.
No. There's only one long diatribe, wherein a deranged priest gets into an argument with himself whether God exists.
Shows divine intervention in human affairs.
Some. e.g. see the story's opening, supra.
Features heroes that embody the values of the civilization.
Heroes & villains,
Often features the tragic hero's descent into the Underworld or hell.
Never even considered.
Epics are known mostly for their epic length. Currently The Count of Monte Banco should come out at just over 60,000 words, okay for a novel but not really for my epic.
If you recall, my 16-chapter novel,The Count of Monte Banco, has sat nearly finished for months.The novel has three villains. Revenge is gained against one in Chapter 13; against the second in Chapter 14; against the third in Chapter 15; and Chapter 16 is the conclusion. My problem is that for months, Chapters 14, 15 & 16 are each less than half done. I've been thinking until my thinker is sore but I don't know where to go.. I had hoped maybe with the motivation of NaNaWriMo I could push ahead...but no
My plan is to now polish things up as possible and then look to my editor in Texas for adviceShe is a brilliant editor, and maybe she can give me insight.
Dumas' The Count of Monte Christo is an epic.
As such, I have attempted to mimic the ten main characteristics of an epic:Begins in medias res.
My story begins just after the jailbreak.The setting is vast, covering many nations, the world or the universe.
My story is set on three continents and in a dozen countries.Begins with an invocation to a muse (epic invocation).
My story opens: "Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, couldn’t resist meddling in the life of Edmund the Dentist. After all, he was the most boring young man in the entire world.Begins with a statement of the theme.
Battling boredom.Includes the use of epithets.
Not really.Contains long lists, called an epic catalogue.
No.Features long and formal speeches.
No. There's only one long diatribe, wherein a deranged priest gets into an argument with himself whether God exists.Shows divine intervention in human affairs.
Some. e.g. see the story's opening, supra.Features heroes that embody the values of the civilization.
Heroes & villains,Often features the tragic hero's descent into the Underworld or hell.
Never even considered.Epics are known mostly for their epic length. Currently The Count of Monte Banco should come out at just over 60,000 words, okay for a novel but not really for my epic.
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Zkribbler
Deity
I think I have a plan. Ideally, each chapter should have at least 3,000 words.
Currently, Chap 14 has 1,000 words. However I left a subplot drifting in which a gnome is building an army of golems so he can conquer the world. I need a monstrous battle of 2,000 words in which his army is destroyed attacking the royal palace.
Chap 15 has 500 words. It consists of a sword fight against the big bad. I need to hextuple this duration. Back in Chap 5 I have a prolonged boxing match--it's no 3,000 words, but it can serve as a model.
Chap 16 is 1,500 words. I'm not yet sure how I'll extend this.
Zkribbler
Deity
Last night, I was thinking about Pizza Delivery Guy, my unfinished near-future thriller about a residential burglar who disguises himself as a pizza delivery guy.
Once the corona shutdown is lifted, will we even have pizza delivery guys or will they have been replaced by drones?
Once the corona shutdown is lifted, will we even have pizza delivery guys or will they have been replaced by drones?
aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2007
- Messages
- 20,112
aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2007
- Messages
- 20,112
The closer I get to the end of the chapter, the more that impostor syndrome/"oh my god what am I doing this is terrible" sets in.
Syno
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2006
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- 24,885
pls publish
Zkribbler
Deity
An instructional video on avoiding cliches begins: "Writers tend to use a ton on cliches." I didn't know that cliches are measured in tons. 
Zkribbler
Deity
I, being me, am galumphing off on another quest. 
Steam is selling a early access of Merchant of the Skies. It features air ships carrying cargo across an archipelago world. Most players like it. A few complain that there is no final goal. The game is early access so, yeah, it's not finished yet. 
I didn't buy the game, but I began pondering where the game would end up. Coincidentally, I watched the Ted Danson version of Gulliver's Travels, with Gulliver traveling from fantastic land to fantastic land. So yeah, like that. A quarter of the way through the story, a typhoon will blow my air ship off course, and it will become hopelessly lost. 
The ideas are coming hard and fast. I call it electro-punk, e.g. no gun powder or internal combustion engines but it does have simple electrical devices, such as electrical engines, tasers, and lightning harvesting.
The title is "Cursed Voyage of the Sky Ship Prodigal Lady." I hope to churn out 1,000 words per day, but no less than 500.
Day 1: 758 words [with no outline].
Steam is selling a early access of Merchant of the Skies. It features air ships carrying cargo across an archipelago world. Most players like it. A few complain that there is no final goal. The game is early access so, yeah, it's not finished yet. I didn't buy the game, but I began pondering where the game would end up. Coincidentally, I watched the Ted Danson version of Gulliver's Travels, with Gulliver traveling from fantastic land to fantastic land. So yeah, like that.
A quarter of the way through the story, a typhoon will blow my air ship off course, and it will become hopelessly lost. The ideas are coming hard and fast. I call it electro-punk, e.g. no gun powder or internal combustion engines but it does have simple electrical devices, such as electrical engines, tasers, and lightning harvesting.
The title is "Cursed Voyage of the Sky Ship Prodigal Lady." I hope to churn out 1,000 words per day, but no less than 500.
Day 1: 758 words [with no outline].
Zkribbler
Deity
Day 1: 758 words
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
I do most of my writing at night when everyone else is asleep. After two nights of this, this morning I woke up sick and suffering dizzy spells. IMHO, this is due to lack of sleep.
After all, I am no longer a young man.
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
I do most of my writing at night when everyone else is asleep. After two nights of this, this morning I woke up sick and suffering dizzy spells. IMHO, this is due to lack of sleep.
After all, I am no longer a young man.
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Zkribbler
Deity
Day 1: 758 words
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
Day 3: 051 words Slept well last night.
..........1641 total words.
OK, my MC has escaped from jail, has made it across town, and has snuck unseen into the city' aviary. Now, I must figure how she can fasten a saddle and bridle onto the giant albatross and fly away without being stopped.
She has neither weapons nor money. 
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
Day 3: 051 words Slept well last night.
..........1641 total words.
OK, my MC has escaped from jail, has made it across town, and has snuck unseen into the city' aviary. Now, I must figure how she can fasten a saddle and bridle onto the giant albatross and fly away without being stopped.
She has neither weapons nor money.
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Zkribbler
Deity
Day 1: 758 words
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
Day 3: 051 words Slept well last night.
..........1641 total words.
Day 4: 349 words
--------1890 total words
I think I might be wasting my time.
I had envisioned moving into a Gulliver's Travels type story once my MC catches up to the Prodigal Lady, but alas, I'm no Johnathan Swift.
Day 2: 832 words
..........1590 total words.
Day 3: 051 words Slept well last night.
..........1641 total words.
Day 4: 349 words
--------1890 total words
I think I might be wasting my time.
I had envisioned moving into a Gulliver's Travels type story once my MC catches up to the Prodigal Lady, but alas, I'm no Johnathan Swift.
Zkribbler
Deity
Day 5: 260 words
...........2150 total words
...........2150 total words
Zkribbler
Deity
Day 6: 0 words
In the words of the great American philosopher Yogi Berra, "Anyone who sets out not knowing where he's going will be embarrassed when he doesn't get there."
In the words of the great American philosopher Yogi Berra, "Anyone who sets out not knowing where he's going will be embarrassed when he doesn't get there."
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