Mad Scribblers

I worked this out yesterday for the first time, lol. According to Wikipedia (of all places, lol) calling it ‘new adult historical fantasy’ is totally ok. I then looked at Amazon’s categories and found that they have a sub category of fantasy called ‘alternate history’ which fits as well.

Either of those works :slight_smile:

Perry and Red, I added you on NaNo :slight_smile: I’m PierreSentMe.

I’m NaNoing as well this year. Won it in 2010 and 2011, didn’t give it a go last year as I had to focus on my dissertation but I found myself missing it so much I’ve decided to go back to it this year, regardless of the fact I’m starting a new job mid-[name_u]November[/name_u] and am not going to have anywhere near the amount of free time I usually do.

What sort of stories are you guys writing this year?

[name_f]Love[/name_f] historical fantasy! It’s on my agenda tomorrow to get into your book.

Good luck essjay! [name_m]Just[/name_m] write as much as you can at the beginning of the month. Regardless of where you are on [name_u]December[/name_u] 1st, you’ll be further than you were Novemeber 1st. Hopefully. :slight_smile:

I’m taking a poke at something I attempted a few years back. I’m doing a sort of western-fantasy based on the fairy tale Tatterhood. I have trolls and princess, but also gunslingers. The whole thing’s all mapped out in my head, which is rare for me, so it should be a breeze to write. I’m having issues with one of the names, because the last time I was writing this, I didn’t have my cat Oleander, and one of my main guys is named [name_m]Leander[/name_m], which is obviously almost the same name. He doesn’t feel like anything other than a [name_m]Leander[/name_m], though, so I’m going to have to sort it out.

I can relate to this. Perhaps not in the same area, exactly, but I have OCD, and I realized about my sophomore year of college (when I had a break in my depression and was feeling really good about life and writing and had about 4 plots I was SUPER excited about), I got to the point where I was so obsessed with having a perfect story and getting it right that I nearly had a nervous breakdown. Or hyperventilated. Or something equally awful. I remember sitting in my dormitory room, struggling to breathe, going cross-eyed, wondering how something I loved SO much and was SO wonderful could become so awful. I haven’t written since. And I graduated college nearly 2 years ago. :frowning: I have gotten to the place where I almost loathe myself for where I have become–ever since fifth grade, I KNEW writing was that one gift, that one thing I was REALLY good at and would always be really good at and was like this divine gift from God just plopped into my life that was destined to do great things. To break down barriers and heal hearts and change the world. And it makes me sick to think that I haven’t truly written in nearly five years.

I rarely even think about it because I don’t want to think about the amount of self-loathing, self-disappointment, I have in myself, and how much I feel like I’m letting God down, because I believe He gave this gift to me. But between the depression (which put me in a bad place mentally, and I couldn’t write how I felt I should–I felt my writing was a gift from God meant to encourage people, and with my depression, I was anything but encouraging) and the OCD, I have been in no place to write for the past five or six years.

I’m slowly trying to make a better life for myself, though–I’ve gotten my faith and my whole outlook on life (and relationship with God, which is most important to me) on better terms, I am working on losing all the weight I gained from my depression days (plus all the other extra weight I had before), I’m working on my dream to open an organization (The [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m] Project!) to encourage people and do kind and silly things to make people feel loved and treasured, and I’ve not stopped job-hunting and looking for a job in my field until I can open my dream organization (and become a novelist and an adoptive mommy). I feel like I’m in the best spot for me that I’ve been in the past six or so years, and the closest to being able to write again. I had taken up fanfiction for years (and apparently was very good at it, because loads of people were quite disappointed when I stopped), but I found that that didn’t put me in a very good place, mentally, either. Fanfiction is a world I respect in its own right and still love it quite a bit, but I don’t think it’s meant for me. So I’m slowly trying to ween off of the TV and movies to let my own inspiration for stories flow (plus, there’s no need to watch that amount of telly each week, regardless), and I hope and pray that someday soon, I’ll be able to write again.

I’m currently mulling around the idea of a pastor ([name_u]Spencer[/name_u] will be his name, I think?) who has been in love [name_u]FOREVER[/name_u] with this girl, who was always best friends with [name_u]Spencer[/name_u], and their best guy friend. I think she’ll be [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]. Maybe. Maybe nn [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], although that doesn’t seem entirely feasible for the generation she was born into? [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]/[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] is dating their mutual best guy friend ([name_m]Liam[/name_m]???), and she likes him, but [name_u]Spencer[/name_u] can see he’s all wrong for [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]. She’s been his one-and-done, his only girl, since they were in middle/high school. [name_u]Spencer[/name_u]'s a pastor of a local church (probably a large one–he’s probably either the music minister or a youth minister or something–not a main one), and he’s blind. But he sees [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] better than anyone else ever has or ever will. And that’s about as far as I’ve gotten–it was inspired (embarrassingly) by a One Direction song, and I feel like it needs more plot, more excitement, because I don’t do strictly romance. I do romance. And faith. And some other story arc thrown in all together. Maybe suspense, maybe not. But I don’t want the third arc to be too forced. And I feel like I’ve used up all my good story arcs on stories that I need to take a breather from. And usually all the good story plots come to me–if I have to think it up or get inspiration from others, it usually seems too forced and I just ruin it. But that’s what I have so far. If I can ever get the rest figured out, I might be pretty excited about it. I have about seven other stories I am super excited about, too, if only the depression and OCD and such don’t ruin them–I just feel like I’m paralyzed by that fear, and can’t get past it. :confused:

Aw, [name_u]Ash[/name_u]! That sounds really tough. I want to encourage you to write anyway even if it turns out terrible and depressing, but if that really is too much for you, then it’s best to wait. Mental health is most important!
It might be hard, but do your best to remind yourself that your writing doesn’t have to be great at first, and you can’t ruin what hasn’t been written yet. A messy draft is better than a blank page no matter what you judge the quality of writing to be! Writing is frustrating, painstaking work. If your first draft turns out terrible, that just means you have a lot of revisions to do for draft two. Break it down into pieces. If you’re a planner, plot the novel step by step, and then just complete one step at a time. If I’m stuck, that’s how I work sometimes. It makes the task of writing a lot less daunting when all you have to do is get that one bullet point written. Take it slow. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t rush. And most of all, remember that mental health is more important!
Of course, that’s just what works for me; I’ve had depression, but not OCD, and even when I was depressed I used writing as a catharsis. Your situation is different, so if I’m only saying stuff you’ve already tried and doesn’t help, then I apologize. But I hope you can find something that works for you so you can start writing again! [name_m]Just[/name_m] don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do things before you can handle it. Oh, and don’t worry; I’m sure God isn’t disappointed in you. He knows what you’re going through, and He’s probably more patient about it than you are, haha. So take your time and do what makes you feel comfortable; if anything, He’ll be more sad if you made yourself more stressed out for His sake. So when He says you’re ready, don’t hold back out of fear. You can do it!
I’m rooting for you! Good luck! :slight_smile:

I’ve always loved making up stories, but nothing I ever write feels really serious to me, if that makes any sense. I recently joined Wattpad and published a story over there that I spent ages planing out and working on, and the whole thing came up to just over 15,000 words, which makes it a novelette. Sigh. For some reason length is important to me. I’ve started working a new plotline now, hopefully I’ll be able to make it about 2000 words per chapter (that’ll make it a novella. [name_u]Baby[/name_u] steps). I’m a fantasy/paranormal person. The last time I wrote realistic fiction was two years ago, now for some reason every time I think of a new idea it always has a ghost or an evil queen or a were or something in it. I have no idea why.

I joined Wattpad, but I didn’t really like the website. :frowning: It seems to be made up of mostly teens. Besides, everything I write is long enough to be considered epic fantasy. My first novel is almost 140,000 words and the second is only a little less and I still have to do edits. So I think my stuff is too long for that site anyway. I really wish I had a good site that would be appropriate for what I write so I could get some nice reviews.

I’m excited to be a little braggy and say that I had some great ideas for the gods of my world when I rewrote my prologue before sending it back to the editor, and yesterday I started The God Chronicles book one, which is creation of the gods up to human beings introduction to the world. I’m up to 5,000 words :slight_smile:

And rather than talking to each individual person, I want to encourage you all to write if that is what you love or you feel you’re called to do. The only way to move past those negative feelings are to push through and find the thing that you can write that won’t feel that way. Perhaps you haven’t found your right genre yet? Write in small amounts and get bigger until you find something you can love. :slight_smile: <3

@[name_u]Calypso[/name_u] - [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about length. I started off writing really short stories, filling the pages of A5 school notebooks and calling each one a book, even though it was six handwritten chapters of five pages each. When I got my first laptop I was struggling to reach 10k on stories but gradually worked my way up through chapter fan fics, the longest of which topped the 20k mark. From there it was a bit of a jump to 50k on my first NaNo, but I made it, and the most I’ve written on one individual story is 65k. [name_m]Just[/name_m] write as it comes, forget about how long it turns out - you’ll probably find yourself going just that little bit longer each time as the length feels more manageable and less daunting. Also there’s less pressure if you’re not writing to a specific word count to come up with enough ideas to fill however many pages, but at the same time if an idea comes to you as you’re writing that you didn’t plan, roll with it and count the extra words as a bonus.

I have waited so long for a post like this to show up! This really helps me get out my opinion on writing and my feelings about it. As a young writer, I have yet to actually write a story. I have so many ideas, but my thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations. One day I am choosing the setting for a forbidden romance, the next I am searching Nameberry for names in my dystopian story. I can get started with the plot and I will figure everything out, but once I am ready to start writing, I come up with another idea that I see better than the last! This reminds me of the time I tried to keep track of all my story ideas and how many I have, but I lost count when the number entered the hundreds. I just wish I could find an idea to stick with and just go with it! As famous writer [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] [name_u]Parker[/name_u] once said, “I hate writing; I love having written.” I love this quote. Does anyone have any advice for a young writer like me? [name_m]How[/name_m] do I start writing without stopping because of a better idea?

As for writer communities, I tested out Wattpad for a while, and I do not reccomend it. Wattpad is a site for younger writers and I was displeased to see that the awards go to stories that are the most popular, not the best-written. I am currently working in NaNoWriMo, but my issue is time. NaNoWriMo encourages writers to write a story in a months’ time, but unfortunatley, I am unable to accomplish this; I am far too busy. Also, I don’t believe that I could choose an idea out of the millions running through my thoughts.

After reading all the comments above, I am relieved and saddened simeoultaniously. I am relieved to know that I am not the only one battling depression, but deeply saddened to know that this horrible plague affects many others also. My writing is a way for me to escape life for a while, so I completely understand you, @ashthedreamer. I do not believe that conselours really help, though; the strength in each of us is found in ourselves and in God. I am happy for you, nonetheless, that you have someone to talk to. My parents are oblivious to my depression; my friends have no clue, therefore my anger and hatred remains bottled inside of me.

Anyhow, I am very joyed to see writers joining together and discussing. I am ever grateful to Nameberry for letting me rant about names. They have a lot to put up with. :slight_smile:

Rainierloner:

I started writing seriously at 13. It’s hard to focus, I get it. I have 6 different things I’m doing right now, but only a few I’m actually working on. I’m writing the third novel in my getting published series, I’m writing the first book in the God Chronicles which is about the gods of that same world. I’m planning out the series that comes 18 years after the first, I’m rewriting the book I wrote when I was 13, I’m doing NaNo…

Now for me, I don’t focus, I organize. I plan and organize and split things up into sections. This month I’m focusing on NaNo, but other times, [name_f]Monday[/name_f] I’ll work on The Devouring, [name_f]Tuesday[/name_f] I’ll work on Symphonies… [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] I’ll go back to The Devouring etc. I schedule things like it’s my job, which it is, and approach it like a job. I love it, but you have to treat it like anything else. You have to treat it like it’s necessary and that it is as important as your job or your homework. Try just writing for 30 mins a day, make a habit of it. Bump up the time as you see fit.

If you want to focus, you can take one idea and approach it like a project for school maybe. “I have to do this before I can work on anything” sort of mentality might work for you. I would try doing short stories before trying to tackle something too large. Take one of your ideas and short story it, then one day you can build on it. As the NaNo sight says, if you try to go too large, you never will. So start small. Try to get to 5,000 words. That’s just a few pages. Then try to go to 10,000. Before you know it, you’ve written 50,000 and you have a novella and before you know it, you’re where I am at 150,000.
Also, NaNo is for writing in one month, but it’s also supposed to be used to push you to start the story. Try to look at it as “This is to get me to start” and push yourself. :slight_smile:

I don’t know if I helped or if I just rambled but I hope I helped. If you have any questions about the publication process or anything else to do with professional writing, feel free to PM me. I’m going through the publication process right now and I’d be happy to answer any questions about that or other writing questions. :slight_smile:

Thank you for the advice, @dantea! I am going to take one of my ideas and just go with it. I may only write a few pages, but like you said-- start small. Thank you so much! I’m also going to check out your story on NaNo. It sounds really good. As I was reading your siganture, I fell in love with the name for your daughter-- [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] is one of my all time favorite names, but I don’t think I would have the guts to use it. [name_f]Elysia[/name_f] is beautiful also, and [name_f]Willow[/name_f] completes the amazing combination! I absolutely love children-- especially girls-- with three names! :wink:

[name_m]Ah[/name_m] thank you! I thought it was a good name :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m glad I could help. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you only get 2 pages, about 1000 words, it’s an accomplishment. Take everything longer than a paragraph as a win. Hell, take a cohesive beginning paragraph as a win too (beginnings are hard). If you find you can’t just dive in, an outline might help you. I’m one of those types of writers that just sort of jump in and don’t plan anything, but some people find outlining really helpful.

I’m going to make a blog for my NaNo story so I can get a bit of feedback. So I’ll post that in my signature if you want to read on it later. :slight_smile:

I certainly check out your blog! Thank you! But, I have a few questions. Where do you get your inspiration from to write your stories? What kind of books do you write (fantasy, romance, dystopian, etc.)? Where did you get your inspiration for Kith nor Kin?

I may come off as a little strange, but I like to know more about other writers whenever I get the chance. :slight_smile:

I’ll PM you so this thread doesn’t become “all about [name_u]Angel[/name_u]” :stuck_out_tongue:

I’m a writer in my free time, but I never seem to finish anything except for my not-so-short stories. I’m doing NaNoWriMo for my first year ever- I only heard about it last year, but then it was halfway over and too late to start. My tales are mostly based around fantasy worlds. The one I’m trying for NaNoWriMo is not yet titled. My main character, [name_f]Clara[/name_f] (undecided name), dies and discovers that the dead can go back to the world of the living but they have to feed on the life energy of others to survive. She falls in love, and decides to die permanently to save her lover. Good luck to everyone!

Ooh, a soul vampire. Interesting. :slight_smile: [name_m]How[/name_m]'s the writing going for any Nano writers? I’m about 4,000 words behind where I’d like to be, but that’s okay because I set some pretty ridiculous goals for myself. Regardless of where I go from here, I have a little over 7,000 words I didn’t have 4 days ago, and that’s awesome.

Soul vampires does sound awesome.

[name_f]Fey[/name_f], congrats! I’m almost 6,000 into mine.

Here’s the synopsis of mine:

The bastard daughter of a king, her slave master, and her struggle to find a home and a family worth caring for.

In this village, the wolf-demon’s are the slaves and after a tryst with a particularly romantic slave, the queen gave birth to her daughter, [name_f]Glory[/name_f]. Knowing the child wasn’t his, the king consigned his queen and her child to slavery.

[name_f]Glory[/name_f] grew up a slave. She knows no other life. But as she grew, she fought back. As she gained her freedom, she found she had no other place to go. Not wanting to return to her former life as a slave, she took to dark work. After a string of curious close-calls, [name_f]Glory[/name_f] goes in search of the men following her and in turn, for her own retribution.

There’s a link in my signature for anyone who wants to read it as I go.

I’m up to date for my 500 words a day target. Struggling right now though. Still have 120 left of tonight’s and it is like trying to dig soft tar with a spoon. >_<

[name_f]Glory[/name_f] sounds like a really interesting character. [name_f]Love[/name_f] the idea of a bastard queen’s daughter being a slave, lots of room for angst and vengeance!

[name_u]Ren[/name_u], do you write consecutively? I used to only write forward, until I started getting annoyed when I struggled through a scene. I now write mostly forward, but if I’m stuck, I move on to a new scene. Sometimes I just bust out a ten page scene that’s way down the line in the story, but somehow writing it out helps with my current scene. I don’t always use the future scene, things change sometimes as I write it, but it still helps. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a thought. :slight_smile:

Does anyone want to help with my synopsis? It’s not flowing right for me but I can’t seem to make it work.

[name_f]Tamsin[/name_f] and [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] were born from magic: a spell their mother received from a hedgewitch. [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] was lovely and sweet, everything their mother had wanted. [name_f]Tamsin[/name_f] they called Tatter, a plain. rebellious girl. They were as different as two girls could be, but where one went, so did the other. The trolls were masters of the sky. They lived in castles made of glass, high in the clouds above the frigid northern mountains. When the [name_m]King[/name_m] of the trolls takes [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] as his bride, it is Tatter who follows. Guided by a gunslinger she’s forbidden to love, and with nothing but her goat and her pistols to keep her warm, Tatter braves the wilderness, racing to reach [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] before it’s too late.

The bold sentence in particular is sitting wrong for me. It’s terrible.

The underlined sentence feels forced. It’s an awkward transition, isn’t it? Should I take that out and skip right to ‘when the king of the trolls…’?

I’m 9,500 in, but I need to do a big surge at the start else I’ll have no chance of making the 50k by the end of the month.

@fey - [name_m]How[/name_m] about: “Despite their differences, they grew up inseparable. When the king of the trolls takes [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] as his bride, it is Tatter who follows them to the glass castles in the sky, high above the frigid northern mountains”?