Novelists?

If you're currently writing a novel, or at least trying to, post here.
Writing a novel is a very difficult thing and i'm looking for someone to level with.

Maybe we could help each other, read each others work, set word count goals, shit like that.

 

i don't know if this will help but you should check out possible meetup groups in your area for writers! we have one in the city closest to me and i went with my one friend last yr, seemed like a cool group
meetup.com

 

Yup.

 

yup you agree about meetup or yup you're writing a novel?

 

A little from column A, a little from column B.

 

I've written one already, the results of which I'm thoroughly unhappy with. Rather than try to salvage what was, I think, a mediocre concept to begin with, I've started planning out my next one. I might get a start on the writing this weekend, actually. If you feel like discussing anything about the craft, etc., I'm up for it.

 

I have almost finished mine, but already have lot's of ideas coming into my head for rewrites. So I think will finish it and then have a look through and probably change a bit.

 

As I understand it, your result is quite common. Most first efforts at novels are substandard. Successful authors perservere and improve with their later efforts. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never attempted a novel yet, though I'm happy with most of my short stories.

 

I'm like 3/4ths of the way through mine.
Then I decided to go back and do some word-by-word editing. shits crazy.

Which author do yall find to be most inspirational?

 

George Orwell has been one of my greater influences. I love his writing style; very clean and uncluttered. I've been especially inspired by some of his lesser-known novels. Check out Burmese Days if you have a chance.

 

Hey guys. I'm a novelist too (couple of short stories published and my novel should be out in the fall) and I'd gladly join a Hip Forums writer's group.

Although having people on the internet review your work can be unreliable (in the sense that they might lose interest and not read it at all), I've found that anonymous strangers are a lot more honest when it comes to giving you a good critique.

I took a creative writing class once and wanted to vomit. It was like a circle jerk where everybody congratulated each other for being writers. Half the class wore gay wool sweater in what I think was a very futile attempt to look like Dylan Thomas. Shit was just waaaay to polite.

So what's up? How can we start a group? My editor set up a Yahoo chat group for the authors she works with. Shit's mad efficient. We could do that easily.

This might not sound cool (or very "writerly") but Stephen King inspired the hell out of me. His life story is wildly fucked up. Just a regular blue collar guy (he worked in an industrial laundromat before becoming a teacher, where he made even less money) who came from a poor background who basically busted his ass to get published.

Every time I'm stressed out from bills or my back hurts from work and I'm like, "Fuck I don't feel like working on this shit tonight" I just think of what King went through and it kinda jumpstarts me.

 

I don't try to write like him, but William Faulkner probably inspired me to write fiction more than any other single author. Joseph Conrad blew my mind pretty hard too. And Chuck Palahniuk, but more in a conceptual / philosophical way.

Also I'm not writing a novel.

 

I find Stephen King inspirational in his work ethic too yo!

 

I'm up to 25,000 words as of yesterday

 

I really like Dean Koontz. I burned right through the Odd Thomas series (anyone looking for a good read should pick up a copy immediately). I love how he can talk about dark matters, and still keep that hint of humor in it.

 

Capote. 'Nuff fucking said.

 

Quig:
Put a post on Writer's Forum asking for someone (not me) interested in reviewing a whole novel. Individuals, not groups, review novels. Maybe you can send the reviewer a small check in thanks for his time.

 

yea a friend (he has two published novellas) and i are collaborating on a novel and i'm writing another one on my own. i very rarely post my work online but if you want to PM me i'd be glad to read over what you've written and give honest critique. i can send you some of mine as well if you want.

good luck. the hardest part is writing the novel. with a good novel, it's almost guaranteed to be published. you just have to find the right publisher.

 

I can totally relate to the feeling of writing something and then not feeling so sure about it. Last year I wrote maybe 100 pages of a novel and it was pretty well written. Aside from not knowing where to take the story (In retrospect...I think I would have been able to figure it out) I had mentioned to some friends and aquaintances that I was writing a book. I got so many discouraging remarks and every once in a while different people would be like "So how's the novel coming along?" This irritated me to the point where I just couldnt work on that manuscript anymore. Well, I've been working on something completley different for about 6 months now and only like 2 people know I am writing and I havent said what about. That has made such a huge difference. I am about 2/3 of the way through it and am really liking where the story is going. I think at some point I will go back to the first novel I started working on but for now I'll let it be. Writing is very circular to me and anything that doesnt work now could always work later. I try not to delete anything but to just set it aside for later.

 

I would join a writers group, but it could be difficult online. You need to be very careful with electronic copies of your material b/c if they end up online you will lose firts publishing rights. Those are the rights that publishers want to buy.