Hello all, Im Andy, a PhD (Cardiophysiology) student from Manchester Uni. I have had an idea for a book for about 3 years and only recently in the last 2 weeks have had the time and actually confidence to start writing as a realistic prospect. It's not a novel. It's a philosophical book exploring evolution from a different context than has been written about before. May sound arrogant but i'm sure it is a good idea. I would really love to hear from anyone else who has written in a similar genre and what your plan was for writing, if any? I'm really struggling getting my ideas onto paper without making it sound like an essay. Am getting better though, slowly. Anyway enough talking about myself - cheers.
Hello Andy, Welcome to the Writing Forums. If you're writing this as a novel, you'll need to define characters and a storyline, and plots to move your character along the storyline. I'm not sure how well that will meet the needs of presenting your philosophy of evolution, though, without it sounding preachy. Good luck with it. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Thanks for the response and the tips. No it isn't a novel but has a few relevant anecdotes. Looks like a good forum, cheers - will explore.
ave, andy! i'm a practicing philosopher [my 'day job'] with some pretty outré [only semi-frivolous] evolution theories of my own, that make up a significant part of my writings... i mentor aspiring writers 'on the side' [actually, all day, every day], so i'll be happy to give you a helping hand if and whenever you need it, on your path to book-parenthood... just drop me a line any time at all... meanwhile, enjoy the forums... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
