Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

Also write-everyday people can comment with their word count on this post

And Happy birthday to dragonydreams. Hope it was a great one.

And L'shanah tovah to all my friends who celebrate it.



So, this came up on Queer Sci-Fi this week, the idea that it's all be done before. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 1:9 . Given how old the source of this quote it, it's been true for a LONG time.

It falls to the author then to come up with something new....ish. We need to find a new twist to present old material and make it look fresh. It can be done. It can even be done well. It is not always easy, mind you. And there is no way you can please everyone with your new take. That's impossible of course. Some things feel very played out, at least to me. Other things will seem that way to you.

Right now if the blurb mentions she was raised by assassins/thieves, I keep right on scrolling past. You really have to convince me a dystopia is worth my time. For others, if they see another vampire/werewolf story they're sure they'll scream. Whole subgenres are built on these tropes (looking at you cozy mysteries).

So how do you work out your new take on an old theme? Read. Do it a lot. Many authors far more successful than me have espoused the idea that you can't write well if you don't read. I've seen people get pissed off about but me, I'll defer to their experience. How can you know what's being done if you don't read?

But for me one of the biggest thing is to talk to the readers in your genre. If you've spent more five minutes on line, you've probably found at least one group of like minded people. ASK them. I've done this twice in the last two weeks and came up with more ideas than I can use, and most of them I've not seen done.

There's a big pool of sameness out there. You need to stand out. Sometimes it doesn't work. If Soldiers of the Sun is any indication historical readers don't want urban fantasy and vice versa. I've seen vampires in space which doesn't work for me personally. Blood sucking aliens, sure, Stoker-esque vampires not so much. I've yet to read a goodreview or amazon review page where there has been a book that hasn't had some 1 or 2 star reviews. They might be lonely in a sea of four and five star ones but they're there, proving the point you can't please everyone.

I finished the very rough draft of my first chapter of the anime con love story. Anyone want to look it over?



Day One Tally

cornerofmadness - 185 words
kiramaru7 - 795 words
plaid_slytherin 3800 words (now that's the way to edit!)
esteliel - editing exchange fic (hope the reveals go great)
trobadora - 4600 words!!
navaan - 1500 words
auroracloud - 1000 words (on a new story!)
afrozenflower - 550 words


Day two - 175 words, just coming in dribbles

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

976 words. On a fan story for 3 October. :D

And reading always helps.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yay, its that day one or day two?

reading helps

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Yesterday, so day two.

Today, 70 words. Whee.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

even I did better than you (actually I did pretty good for a change)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I didn't count the handwritten stuff that hasn't been typed in yet...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

well there you are. so do you want in the word count pile or the hey i did shit pile

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Ummmm...since I didn't count the handwritten stuff and don't know how much is in it, "I did stuff" pile

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

do you forever wish to remain in that pile

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

No, I will happily proclaim my words when I write them so they can be counted. :D

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

good with me

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

So tonight I edited stuff. :D

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

and so you did. thanks

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

[auroracloud.livejournal.com]

I started kinda late, so I got about 350 words on the story I began the day before. But it's okay I didn't have time for more, I need to figure out what comes next anyway. (I have the rough idea in my head, but not everything.)

And a big fat YES on needing to read a lot if you write! Well, at least I find it helps, and writers much better and more experienced than me keep saying the same.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I've barely started myself.

I don't see how you can want to write but not want to read. It seriously strips my brain's gears.

[fan-girlishness.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I kept away from stories in my own fandom, because I keep questioning my characterization choices otherwise.

Now this week, I've read a lot of other things, and once I get over the "omg everyone's a better writer than I am"-whine, it really does help. *g*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

There is that with fandom.

I hear you on the 'everyone's a better writer than me ' whine

[auroracloud.livejournal.com]

Though sometimes you may get "Even that got published? Hell, I'm better! Why does that get published and not me?" *g*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Oh I know that feeling. Going thru that with a very popular book put out by my publisher and I'm like THIS is so inaccurate and wait I did this exact same thing in mine and you told me to redo it. *narrows eyes*

[fan-girlishness.livejournal.com]

Oh noes, I have to get used to commenting again.

On October 1st, I did some editing (for my beta's comments), and the wordcount did not go up.

On October 2nd, I was ill and only wrote an alibi sentence (20 words).

Today, October 3rd, my brain is chomping at the bit to get some words out, lets see if I can transform that into an actual wordcount.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

got you. Yeah I spent last night editing what my publisher gave me and no the word count didn't budge either.

here's hoping day 3 goes well

[fan-girlishness.livejournal.com]

So far, luckily, yes! I have had a little over one hour undisturbed writing time so far, and maybe I can make another hour possible.

I've got 400 words now, which is already above average for me. I write slowly, and usually I have less than an hour a day to write without interruptions.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I understand entirely. good luck.

[trobadora]

Is this for the 2nd? I have about 1600 words.

And about reading/writing - I have no idea how you're supposed to be good at writing if you don't have much experience with writing? Stories don't exist in a vacuum.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it is and so noted. Fantastic.

exactly so. You need to read

[tinhutlady.livejournal.com]

Over the weekend, I added a little over 800 words to the book. Which is funny because I thought I was editing - cutting stuff left and right and then streamlining certain scenes. (laughs)

I agree about reading. You can write all you want to, but the more you read others' work (and the more you interact with other writers), the more your brain starts working on different levels and improving what you produce. Hey, even if you only write for yourself, it's always nice to tell yourself a better story.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Hey I often add a lot as I edit.

Exactly my thought on the matter

[zippitgood.livejournal.com]

A friend and I have decided that this month is "Finishing Month" so I've created a list of things I want to finish this month.

Here's to finishing out the year strong.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Man I have SO many things to finish. Good luck with yours

[dragonydreams.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was a pretty good day, for being a working Monday.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Glad you had a nice birthday