Hello people. I was told to post an introductory thread... so here it is. I'm male, 18 and from Cornwall, right down the bottom of England. I've been working on the same novel for about four years (with constant revisions) and I'm literally a couple of weeks away from sending it to a publishers. Over the summer I plan to try and get some short stories published in writers magazines and then go on to study creative writing. I know it's cliche but I really have been writing stories for as long as I can remember, as my teacher in primary school used to give me blank exercise books for me to write stories in, and I was always in need of new 'rough books' in secondary school because of the stories and pictures of elves/goblins/dragons that quickly began to cover the pages. I enjoy fantasy, although I actually have a great trouble reading books. I'm not dyslexic or anything, I just have trouble with it! I'm also a stand up comedian, and have done a few small shows here and there. So there we go, just a little bit about me. The short story I've put on here is my first one in ages, as I have been devoted to my book. But hopefully more will be coming very soon. Thanks for looking, and fun writing. Rewan.
hey and welcome! we've got a lot in common. I'm 17 and from "the bottom of" America (Arizona). That's really cool about your novel. I've got one in the works I want to finish over the course of this summer. I'll be studying Creative Writing at college in the fall. Looking forward to reading your writing!
Thanks. How long have you been writing yours? I couldn't believe how many times I redrafted mine. I even changed the plot completley after getting to 50,000 words! Now it stands at 130,000 or 204 pages of A4.. I realy hope it gets published.... But if not I'll just write another novel about a writer that can't get published.... That's what a real writer would do, right?!
Thank you. It's good to finally get into a writing community, rather than just sit at home doing it by myself.
That is impressive. I've got mine all sketched out and outlined chapter by chapter but I've only started fleshing out chapters one and two. I got the idea a few months ago but was in school and had zero time. I guess it's pretty ambitious of me to want it done before I start college - all I want is a rough draft, something down on paper, and the plan is to rework and revise all through college and look into publishing after I graduate. And haha yeah, there'd be plenty of readers who could relate!
Hello Scribe, Welcome to the Writing Forums. 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 reviewing as a critical 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). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Welcome, Rewan. And that is very impressive! I'm the kind of writer who can't write things of anywhere near that length easily... so congratulations on your novel Look forward to seeing more of your work around.
Thanks guys! It was defintiley very hard at some points. The thing I find hard is that no matter how many times I rewrite/draft/edit/proof read, I always end up wanting to change it and rewrite it, because I know that if I do it'll be better. But I just figured that now would be a good time to go 'that's enough' and so soon it's going to a publishers. It sounds like you've made it easier for yourself than I did companionableills. I didn't plan my chapters or even the story. I just knew roughly where I was going and then developed it more and more with each re write! I'm going to start my next book soon regardless of whether my first one gets published, and I may try planning it this time, but I doubt it!
Rewan, I do exactly the same thing as you. I must've rewritten this same part of a novel I'm working on 8 times by now, and I'm still not content with it! Anyhow, welcome to writingforums.org!
I used to work things like that, and managed to finish one novella (it's awful), but after I got some training in working backwards with theses and outlines (woo IB lit classes and mock trial) it just made everything come together easier for me. what's your novel about, or is that a secret?
I'm not sure if it's a secret or not, to be honest! I can't decide whether to post a smaple chapter up here or not. It's a fantasy comedy that's basically about a broken prophecy that was meant to produce a hero to defend humanity (as it has done every century for thousands of years), but instead ends up producing a man trapped in a penguin's body (It's a long story!). I suppose it's actually about the troubles of teenage years hidden beneath a lot of action and battles and stuff, and the main character George (the penguin) is struggling to come to terms with who he is and wishing he looked different, which is something I suppose all people my age can relate to. I want to post a sample chapter, but I'm just slightly worried about it being pinched, not that I don't trust the people on here.
Wow! That sounds super cool! I don't know about the other members, but I'm not one to steal. I'd love to read a sample chapter. If you don't want to post it on the site, can you PM it to me? I won't steal, I swear.
Honestly Lucy i would love to either post it here or send you a chapter, but i'm really sorry I can't. This book has been my life for 4 years now and my dream is to get it published, and i just dont want to risk it getting anywhere out of my sight/ control. Please dont be offended, believe me i do trust you, but i'm just too worried about. With any luck though, in a after i've sent it off to the publisher in a few weeks, in a couple of months time i may be able to PM telling you that it'll be published, and then i'll send you a sample chapter. I just need to keep hold of it until it's been established in the world as being my work. I hope you understand. Sorry. Rewan.
The novel sounds unique enough that I'm sure I'll be able to find it on the shelves in a little bit. Good luck with the entire publishing bit.
