The Writer's Circle
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Re: The Writer's Circle
No problem OR, I'll keep posting them here anyway. I should be getting the next chapter up later today.
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Not written that much lattly but I do kind of have 2 sort of developments in my writing life... One I now have a writting partner who I will be doing some stuff with which I am really looking forward to, shes also my somewhat new girlfriend but we have been friends for a long time, overall its making me very very happy in lots of ways.
The other is someone having seen my work wants to get me to adapt an idea they have in to a story which they can then adapt in to a screen play for an indi film... not sure how far this will go or if I am the right man for the task as what they want is quiet far away from the stuff I do, so it may go nowere but its still kind of cool.
The other is someone having seen my work wants to get me to adapt an idea they have in to a story which they can then adapt in to a screen play for an indi film... not sure how far this will go or if I am the right man for the task as what they want is quiet far away from the stuff I do, so it may go nowere but its still kind of cool.
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Hello everyone,
I must apologise to anybody who might be following 'Life in the End Times', as since I have returned from uni last week I have been very lazy. I am also going on holiday tomorrow, so this will be postponed until early July when I return. Fear not though, everything is in order for this to continue smoothly, and we are nearly one-third of the way through the story.
I must apologise to anybody who might be following 'Life in the End Times', as since I have returned from uni last week I have been very lazy. I am also going on holiday tomorrow, so this will be postponed until early July when I return. Fear not though, everything is in order for this to continue smoothly, and we are nearly one-third of the way through the story.
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
It's summer which means it's that time of year again where I say I'm going to finish a book, write like three chapters then completely forget about it. BUT hopefully this time I'll actually manage it. Going through what I've already written of Underworld (posted a lot of it here ages ago before I dropped it) and editing bits here and there to polish things up and change some ideas, will probably post them in bulk when I'm done.
@OR that calculator looks really useful, definitely going to dig that out if I ever go back to my medieval fantasy stuff.
@Hyder, I've read up to chapter 4 of your story and it's really good, you have a lovely flowing style of writing with some brilliant description going on. My only advice would be to make sure it doesn't get too bogged down in description to the detriment of moving the plot along but so far you've kept a good balance so keep up the good work!
@OR that calculator looks really useful, definitely going to dig that out if I ever go back to my medieval fantasy stuff.
@Hyder, I've read up to chapter 4 of your story and it's really good, you have a lovely flowing style of writing with some brilliant description going on. My only advice would be to make sure it doesn't get too bogged down in description to the detriment of moving the plot along but so far you've kept a good balance so keep up the good work!
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
- Aren142
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Re: The Writer's Circle
I'm having massive problems with my own novel. My second draft has 2 and a bit chapters and I haven't touched it since March. In that I haven't even opened the Word Document since then. I can't bring myself to look at it for some reason. I was finally starting to get back into thinking about it and renewing ideas. Today I've had a fairly vivid image of a critical fight scene floating around in my head. Things like that. I managed to actually write something relevant to the characters in my writing course on Monday. Thought I might be building up the confidence to maybe go back to it.
And then I had a look at something I'd seen a while ago that my writing tutor brought back to my attention this week. It's called the Snowflake method. It's a thing about using structure to design your novel and pick out any holes in it. Things like that. And it has completely demoralised me. Because it once again reminds me that I don't really have a "plot" or a central concept that I can build around if I were to hypothetically follow that structure. All I have is characters and story events. I don't know how to link the events or what to do with them. I had previously tried reverse engineering a plot or concept from what I had. And that basically resulted in me concluding that the main driving force behind all the events was the main antagonist and the progression of his plans. So thought that could be my plot, but it doesn't fit with what seemingly everyone ever who's written things about novel writing says. Because my protagonist doesn't really want anything. At best, she doesn't want things that happen to her to happen. But she has no active motivation or goals and she and everything else just seem to be pushed along by the antagonist's goals.
All in all, it's a total mess and anything I did now would be totally unrecognisable from the first draft, which is for the best tbh. But to actually d anything GOOD and even worth considering to sent off in an effort for publishing.... I don't think I could get anywhere near that in this situation. I don't want to abandon this idea because it's my baby, but it would have to become even further removed from what it is until it's not even my baby anymore to be able to do anything with it. So yeah, I'm stuck and struggling. And I don't even have any alternative ideas that might be easier to pursue in terms of a story to write. That's partially why I'm so stuck to the current one.
And then I had a look at something I'd seen a while ago that my writing tutor brought back to my attention this week. It's called the Snowflake method. It's a thing about using structure to design your novel and pick out any holes in it. Things like that. And it has completely demoralised me. Because it once again reminds me that I don't really have a "plot" or a central concept that I can build around if I were to hypothetically follow that structure. All I have is characters and story events. I don't know how to link the events or what to do with them. I had previously tried reverse engineering a plot or concept from what I had. And that basically resulted in me concluding that the main driving force behind all the events was the main antagonist and the progression of his plans. So thought that could be my plot, but it doesn't fit with what seemingly everyone ever who's written things about novel writing says. Because my protagonist doesn't really want anything. At best, she doesn't want things that happen to her to happen. But she has no active motivation or goals and she and everything else just seem to be pushed along by the antagonist's goals.
All in all, it's a total mess and anything I did now would be totally unrecognisable from the first draft, which is for the best tbh. But to actually d anything GOOD and even worth considering to sent off in an effort for publishing.... I don't think I could get anywhere near that in this situation. I don't want to abandon this idea because it's my baby, but it would have to become even further removed from what it is until it's not even my baby anymore to be able to do anything with it. So yeah, I'm stuck and struggling. And I don't even have any alternative ideas that might be easier to pursue in terms of a story to write. That's partially why I'm so stuck to the current one.
<Kaeetayel> Go for a team entirely composed of Eeveelutions
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
- Aren142
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Re: The Writer's Circle
I managed to get something down. Only 500 words. It's another thing that could be relevant, might not be, worth at least trying. I'm not completely happy with it after going over it, but no idea what I could really do more without the context of the rest of the story before it.
<Kaeetayel> Go for a team entirely composed of Eeveelutions
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Finally motivated myself to start editing what I already have from my last attempt at this story, got the prologue and first chapter done so far. Ended up not having to change much luckily, just a bit of spit and polish and some minor detail changes.
The Underworld Chronicles
Prologue - The Key
Chapter 1 - Luke
The Underworld Chronicles
Prologue - The Key
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Another chapter done and dusted, actually ended up pretty much rewriting this one unlike the other two.
Chapter 2 - Rescue
Edit - and another one
Chapter 3 - Answers
Chapter 2 - Rescue
Chapter 3 - Answers
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
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Re: The Writer's Circle
I have returned from holiday, and so I can now resume writing. 'Life in the End Times' is on a break, as I have decided to offer a different sort of narrative to allow a greater insight into the world of that story. Also, I don't want it to get too stale so veering off into another sort of writing style will help clear up my approach when I return to it.
Thanks Rik for your comments. I am aware that the description might sometimes become too cumbersome, but at the moment I think I have found a suitable balance. In any case, I am consciously elucidating the descriptive sections for stylistic as well as narrative purposes, so I am glad that you like them so far.
Sorry I haven't been offering any of my own feedback, in the next few days I'll definitely read through the recent contributions and offer some thoughts.
Prooimion to the Timeless Chronicle
Thanks Rik for your comments. I am aware that the description might sometimes become too cumbersome, but at the moment I think I have found a suitable balance. In any case, I am consciously elucidating the descriptive sections for stylistic as well as narrative purposes, so I am glad that you like them so far.
Sorry I haven't been offering any of my own feedback, in the next few days I'll definitely read through the recent contributions and offer some thoughts.
Prooimion to the Timeless Chronicle
- Fabong
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Re: The Writer's Circle
My favourite thread of sonm. Honour to browse its pages, hope to contribute to it some day but until then I'll suffer.
#ff Garf
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Re: The Writer's Circle
The Early Years of Mandos IV
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Finally finished the edit, hurrah
Chapter 5 – Underworld
Chapter 6 – Feral
Chapter 7 – Slaughter
Chapter 8 – Max Newton’s Brief History of World Domination
(aka the infodump chapter)
Chapter 5 – Underworld
Chapter 6 – Feral
Chapter 7 – Slaughter
Chapter 8 – Max Newton’s Brief History of World Domination
(aka the infodump chapter)
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
And the other two because they wouldn't all fit in one post:
Chapter 9 – The Best Laid Schemes…
Chapter 10 – A Mask Amidst the Shadows
Chapter 9 – The Best Laid Schemes…
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
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Re: The Writer's Circle
I've just finished reading through your story Rik and I have to say that I have really enjoyed it so far.
You do well to blend the supernatural with the ordinary with ease, which is a skill in that sort of modern magical genre, so I never felt uncomfortable with terminology that might otherwise be arcane. The world your characters inhabit appears to be well thought through, with a clear backstory which I expect will be enriched in subsequent chapters.
Regarding the cast of characters, I don't want to offer too much comment since I don't think ten chapters is enough to go on to judge what are no doubt complex protagonists/antagonists/etc, but so far I think you do well to present a varied array of personalities amongst the central characters so far. I also appreciate the more subtle characterisation of Stone and the Shadowmaster, with whom you offer little in the way of words but by other means convey a sense of their persons. For me at least, the imagination is ignited.
On your writing itself I found it very accessible, and you get the impression of someone comfortable with the world and characters they have created, and basically enjoying the writing experience. The pacing of the narrative is appropriate to each individual scene, and I never felt that a particular episode or paragraph felt out of place. I suppose an example would be in Slaughter (my favourite chapter), where the sense of fast paced carnage really comes across in a visceral way. In the prologue I could feel Jeremy's trepidation as he stalked through his own home, then the panic of confrontation, and the ultimate detante at the end of the fight. It might seem a basic observation, but I think it is well executed and highly useful ability to be able to control the movement of the story as you do.
Finally, I will offer just one, ever so slight criticism, although you may well take it as a compliment. Although you are very good at balancing discourse and description, I personally would enjoy just a little bit more on the way of the latter. I commend your battle scenes, which I often find unwieldy, because when you do deploy more richly detailed passages you execute them very well and without too much embellishment. All I would ask is that you consider perhaps adding little droplets of information more frequent in an amongst other sections, just to spice it up. But then I am very partial to what I must admit is sometime cumbersome levels of description, so feel free to discard this comment. The lack of my aesthetic preferences certainly do not detract in any way from the overall quality of the story.
I look forward to the next chapter.
You do well to blend the supernatural with the ordinary with ease, which is a skill in that sort of modern magical genre, so I never felt uncomfortable with terminology that might otherwise be arcane. The world your characters inhabit appears to be well thought through, with a clear backstory which I expect will be enriched in subsequent chapters.
Regarding the cast of characters, I don't want to offer too much comment since I don't think ten chapters is enough to go on to judge what are no doubt complex protagonists/antagonists/etc, but so far I think you do well to present a varied array of personalities amongst the central characters so far. I also appreciate the more subtle characterisation of Stone and the Shadowmaster, with whom you offer little in the way of words but by other means convey a sense of their persons. For me at least, the imagination is ignited.
On your writing itself I found it very accessible, and you get the impression of someone comfortable with the world and characters they have created, and basically enjoying the writing experience. The pacing of the narrative is appropriate to each individual scene, and I never felt that a particular episode or paragraph felt out of place. I suppose an example would be in Slaughter (my favourite chapter), where the sense of fast paced carnage really comes across in a visceral way. In the prologue I could feel Jeremy's trepidation as he stalked through his own home, then the panic of confrontation, and the ultimate detante at the end of the fight. It might seem a basic observation, but I think it is well executed and highly useful ability to be able to control the movement of the story as you do.
Finally, I will offer just one, ever so slight criticism, although you may well take it as a compliment. Although you are very good at balancing discourse and description, I personally would enjoy just a little bit more on the way of the latter. I commend your battle scenes, which I often find unwieldy, because when you do deploy more richly detailed passages you execute them very well and without too much embellishment. All I would ask is that you consider perhaps adding little droplets of information more frequent in an amongst other sections, just to spice it up. But then I am very partial to what I must admit is sometime cumbersome levels of description, so feel free to discard this comment. The lack of my aesthetic preferences certainly do not detract in any way from the overall quality of the story.
I look forward to the next chapter.
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Re: The Writer's Circle
The Establishment of the Rule of Mandos IV
- OmegaPit
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Re: The Writer's Circle
So, I was bored and after reading too much Jim Butcher I felt like taking up the pen again. Here's a little something I just wrote:
- Aren142
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Joe smells.
<Kaeetayel> Go for a team entirely composed of Eeveelutions
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
<Princess> that's effort
<Princess> I need to buy the stones/go to rocks/make them happy/touch Eevee
<Kaeetayel> The last one doesn't sound too bad
- Blaxel411
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Re: The Writer's Circle
I've been gooseberry fool around with an idea for an animated show for a few months now. Written 20+ pages on world building, characters etc. Think about it all the time. God I really hope i can get this made someday. Sadly i don't know anyone that's willing to read through 20+ pages so i don't know if i'm just crazy and everything about this idea sucks. I've forced my brother to isten to me rant about it and he at least thinks it's fairly good. And he's a cynical chelsea bun.
I think we can all agree that i`m a great asset to the human race.


- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Short thing I wrote at tonight's weekly creative writing society meeting at uni, we were given a list of odd phobias (since it's Halloween) and had to write something about whichever one your partner chose for you; I was given the fear of clocks. Only had about quarter of an hour to do it so it's not much but I'm pretty happy with it, ages since I did a short story and it's nice to do something a bit more grounded than my usual fantasy eton mess.
Also considering doing NaNoWriMo and finishing Underworld off at last, it's kind of cheating since I've started already but hey if I get 50k extra done it still counts right (also it probably won't happen but hey I'm in a glass half full mood)
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
- Kriken
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Decided to rewrite a series I wrote years ago. I could maybe find it on the ONM archives but I'm just going to do it from memory since I will be making huge changes to it (it's basically going to be a different story).
Tricks
Chapter 1
Tricks
Chapter 1

- Kriken
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- Kriken
- FKA liberal
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- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
Those are pretty good Kriken, look forward to the next chapter.
Did another thing I liked this week at cresoc, they had us doing those sort of palindromic poems where you can read the lines in reverse order to get one with a different meaning, I'm not that great at poetry but I managed this:
Like the thunder of my mind
The world runs ceaseless, and I don't
Feel so bad, not right now
Some friends call me along but I
Happily decline, too busy, too occupied
Though if I could I would
Life beckons me
For now I sit with my thoughts
Edit - and also thanks to Cresoc a night of word wars has made me finally get another chapter of Underworld done, hussah
Chapter 12 - Detective Work
I realise I've not actually put chapter 11 up yet but I'm still deciding on how to end it, they both take place at basically the same time though so doesn't make much difference (apart from Samantha gets introduced in 11) (she is short and can teleport people)
Did another thing I liked this week at cresoc, they had us doing those sort of palindromic poems where you can read the lines in reverse order to get one with a different meaning, I'm not that great at poetry but I managed this:
Like the thunder of my mind
The world runs ceaseless, and I don't
Feel so bad, not right now
Some friends call me along but I
Happily decline, too busy, too occupied
Though if I could I would
Life beckons me
For now I sit with my thoughts
Edit - and also thanks to Cresoc a night of word wars has made me finally get another chapter of Underworld done, hussah
Chapter 12 - Detective Work
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
- Rik
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Re: The Writer's Circle
holy eton mess NaNo might actually get me to finish this after all
Chapter 11 - The Quiet Before
Chapter 11 - The Quiet Before
Pokeforum Random Battle Tourney - come for the battles, stay for the saltGhost wrote:and since when has "being dumb" been a sin on the internet?
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