Hello everyone, I just joined a few minutes ago and have already read some incredible feedback in some of the threads. I'm just an insecure writer from New York with a little experience in screenwriting. I'll open up a little more so that whoever reads this has an understanding of my experience. A few years ago, I wanted to be a film director, but then realized I preferred something that kept me more behind the scenes. I started writing short scripts until finally, one was produced in late 2013 for me. It was an abstract horror film with no dialogue which had me crossing my fingers and hoping that I'd get some positive reactions from. Unfortunately, the final-cut of the film was screened at festivals and had a poorly edited ending. I never really received much acknowledgement for my effort. I know that when it comes to any art, the average person isn't going to really sit there and wonder about the time it took for you to craft it. Well, after numerous attempts of trying to trust many selfish and unreliable producers to see more of my work done, I've decided to pull the plug. One thing I have always been interested in is self-publishing. Call me crazy, but I do have a passion for fantasy as well so I went out on a shopping spree around Christmas for some classic and modern titles. Some that were highly recommended in blogs and forums for aspiring authors of fantasy or sword & sorcery, etc. Out of the 26 books I purchased, I'm only 20% into the third one. So there you have it. For now, I thrive on old Conan The Barbarian films and the rip-offs from the 80's, as well as some Game Of Thrones to keep the fire burning. I'm an aspiring fantasy author and quite recently, I began writing a short-story about an elven high-priestess who plans on making a deal with gods who eat her kind as an offering to buy some temporary peace in their realm. Hopefully, I didn't put anyone to sleep.
Hi Mordred, and welcome to the forum! Didn't put me to sleep, no. It's fascinating to read of other's people experiences in the writing world, and sounds like you've already gained some valuable experience! Here's our New Member Guide to get you started. Have fun, explore, and participate! -Kat
Hey, Mordred! Welcome to the forum. There's tons of information on here and people are pretty good for answering posts.
Oooh, if you like fantasy, have you read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan? It's very detailed and pretty masterful.
I think you're taking the right path at the moment. However, if you want to write fiction, you need to read fiction, to get a feel for how good written stories sound. If you base all your experience on watching films, your writing is unlikely to sparkle or grab. You'll probably find yourself just writing down what you see, as if you're watching a film. A fiction writer has many unique tools in the toolbox ...but they need to create the feel of their story with words. They don't have pictures and actors to provide this dimension. So ...describing a character by telling us his height, weight, hair colour, hair style, eye colour, etc—that doesn't work in written fiction. There has to be less of that kind of visual description, and more of the character's inner workings, if the story is going to grab a reader. What is the essence of that character? That's what you need to work on creating. Screenwriting and fiction writing are very different disciplines, although both of them tell stories. Keep reading, and maybe cut down on TV and movies, till you get the hang of it.
Hi there, thanks for welcoming me to the forum! It sounds like you have a unique perspective on writing; I look forward to hearing your ideas.
