Hello, I'm new to the forum. It looks like a great place to inspire & help with writing. I've never written a book before, but I've had a pretty interesting life. I was born and raised in Scotland, but when I was 17 I travelled the Middle East and married at 18. I then lived in Egypt for a while, very happily, before returning to my own country. I'm still in love, no Mid East captive story here. I have witnessed death, political oppression and abuse. Religion is a whole topic of it's own. But what sticks out above all, and what I hope to write most about, is that I know what it feels like to be stuck between two cultures. I want my book to be readable, not all sad stories and middle east gloom - I don't want it to be a biography either. It's said "write what you know" but it's also been said that it can be detrimental and can curb your motivation if you're not writing through eyes you haven't seen through before (escapism for the writer). I have so many vivid memories, that I feel so passionate about, that I have to get it on paper. From growing up in a tiny Scottish village with a very interesting sort of family* and then to having my first flat on the Nile, overlooking the pyramids, while studying for my degree. But I'm still very young - I don't want to write a biography and I actually want something easy-to-read and humorous, but with a serious edge. I want it to be for women. I don't know exactly what the point would be to the book. Growing up? Love? Do I want the central character to be exactly like me? Can my life be my plot? I was thinking of writing a book about a girl who left her country for a very different one. In her years as a foreigner, she longs to go back home, but when she gets there realises how unhappy she is and realises that this new country became her home. I just need something there in the middle, a pivotal moment. Perhaps she could contemplate running off with a man from her home country who wants to save her from her eastern lifestyle, and she gets caught up in the moment. Sorry for the long post, I'm just brainstorming here. I hope someone can give me advice - my head is swimming with ideas that I really want to get down on paper. (* an abusive father, an alcoholic grandmother, a gangster grandfather, lesbian Muslims in the family bringing up an in-vitro son together, an aunt converted to Hinduism, scandalously, and moved to India and married a man who was found to have had assassinated a famous Guru - who then stole my cousins and hid them in Australia. My own family subsequently bearing the burden of my aunt who went crazy.)
Hello Cleo, Welcome to the Writing Forums. As for your story seed, start by thinking more about your main character. What drives her, what temptations does she have to deal with, what interests does she have? These can provide a source of inner confict that can be exploited to move your plot forward. This thread may help: What is Plot Creation and Development? 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!
My advice is: keep the story simple. If you read farewell to arms you will see how hemingway turned his personal experience into a beautiful story.
