Hi all. Writing is not something I've ever considered one of my strong points. We all have talents, and writing is just not one of mine. However, almost a year ago my spouse told me about the fact that he (she) was transgender. The story has progressed from cross dressing, to wanting to become a woman, to dressing as a woman full time, to starting on hormones. I've done some reading and talking to other people in the same situation and have found similarities and differences with my story. Although there are a number of books by people who are transgender, there are not as many by spouses. Many people I talk to have little knowledge about the subject and are genuinely intrigued about this story. I have started writing, but this seems like a monumental task. I've read here that this is not uncommon, even for experienced writers. I guess what I need to do is write the story, then take it from there. I'm concerned about the length of the book - too short in my case - and about poor writing quality. That's what editors are for, right? I've given up on this a few times, but each time I give up, I start again. is that a sign that I should just write? Any comments/suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!!
Hi KrisSchCom Your story sounds very interesting, and I must say you sound remarkably calm and well adjusted about what must have been a life changing revelation. From your 'voice' that comes through in this post I think there is a strong chance that you could tell this story well, despite whether or not you think you can write it. So, when you say 'poor writing', what do you mean? If it's just the basic nuts and bolts of writing such as spelling and punctuation, then an editor can sort that for you (although you should try and make it as polished as possible first). However, an editor is not there to tell the story for you, so you have to figure out what to put in and what to leave out, and how to organise your narrative. So, I say just get writing. Pour out your story as if you were telling it to someone you've just met, as I'm sure you've done countless times before in meeting other women in similar situations to you. then, when you feel like you've said all there is to say, put it away for a little while to give it time to breathe. Then look at it again and see if it reads the way you want it to. Redraft. Show it to someone you trust to cast an educated eye over it. Revise. Good luck.
Hey there and welcome! I agree with Kallithrix. Your story certainly does sound interesting. I'm actually very curious and intrigued by it and would love to read more (that's usually the hardest part). Why not try starting a blog and writing down your story chronologically? I'm sure a story like this that may be short at first would have much more to tell as the years pass. Writing a blog would be as easy as posting in this very forum and you seem to have a grasp on the story telling aspect. I'd say give it a shot. You've already got one follower.
Thanks for the suggestions. I have been blogging since this all began, a couple times a week at first, but less often lately. I probably should get back to doing more of that. I have parts of the book written also, but I also need to put more of it together. I guess I'm not totally sure where I'm going with all of this either. I'll keep writing and reading this forum.
Hi, First up that must have been a difficult situation to find yourself in, the decisions you would have to make, more so. Kudos to you for getting through it to the point where you can talk (or write) about it. I imagine if you've seen a therapist, they would have said that writing your story would have been good for you. Let it all out, that sort of thing. I'm sure they would probably have said the same thing to others. So my thought would be that if you're in this situation there must be others. Maybe it would be good to talk to some of them about writing a collaborative work. Some of them may be better with the nuts and bolts of writing and they would likely have a similar story to tell. If nothing else you might gain some comradery out of it. Best of luck, Greg.
Yes! The key to writing a good story is this: "Does your story need to be written?" From what you've written, that's not even in question, right? Your story is BEGGING to be written. You can't even give it up, because it nags at you in the back of your mind, doesn't it? And you keep at it, trying again from scratch. It's not only a sign that you should write it, it's also a sign that you are a writer. Learning how to write is difficult. You are going to get so frustrated with your work, and you will at times think you were never meant to be a writer. Those thoughts will be false. We all have that thought every now and then. You've already found this website which is great because if you ever have a question about anything, people will give you very helpful advice. It might take a few hours or days, but the advice will come. I would also recommend listening to the "Writing Excuses" podcast. Extremely helpful advice for all writing. I would also recommend that you start other "projects" from time to time, especially when you are getting overwhelmed with your current project. This will make you a more experienced, well-rounded writer, and you'll see huge improvements in your writing. Try getting out of "memoir" mode and write some fiction based loosely off your life. For example, someone getting married, or a man who is in his later years with grandchildren. It doesn't even have to be about a transgender person at all. I can't imagine what you've gone through, and are still going through. All of your experience gives you insight into much more than just transgender reawakening, and you'll no doubt come up with some ideas for "random" stories, too. For these other projects, you don't have to write the entire book, but get started on one. Short stories can be a great breath of fresh air when working on a massive project. To write your book is going to take a lot of work. But keep going, because your final product is worth the struggle. Imagine how many people it will inspire, how many lives it will change. The world needs your story, but it can wait until you're ready to share it.
This is great, now I'm inspired again! I'm an emotional roller coaster when it comes to writing this book. I start out enthused, thinking about telling my story, then begin struggling, then go down into the giving up stage. Eventually I'm out of that stage and start struggling to write again, then something gets me to believe I'll be rich and famous (meaning I'll make more than $1.00 and there will be more than one person reading the book). Anyway, the roller coaster with my emotions goes up and down. I've been through that with my life over the past year, so I certainly don't need the same thing with writing. My blog is www.transconfused.com where you can read some of the story and see samples of my writing. I will say the writing has improved over the course of the year. My early posts probably still have some spelling errors and typos. I'm very happy to have found these forums. This will certainly help. Thanks everyone.
Very interesting premise for a novel (or novella/novelette). I read the example of the story on your webpage, it is very good. But at the same time I'm a bit skeptical as to how it will work. Do you have an "end" point in mind? If you're not already doing so, make sure you keep a journal while all of this is happening.
I had some down time in a hospital last week, so I was reading and in between the reading I was people watching. I know its nothing new to say that people are glued to their smart phones, however, this got me thinking. The generations growing up now, are using google, Siri, Wiki, GPS units, and other methods to find information, instead of thinking for themselves. The efforts of the human brain are bypassed by technology. For example, several years ago, if a student had to do a book report, he/she had to read a book, and then research his topic using more books or magazines, and actually go to a library to do this, and cite his sources. Today, kids google away, they have a web based bibliography, and they are done in a short period of time. Do you think these advances in technology could impact the quality of stories to come? Will people grow complacent with the advances of technology, and not research as much, or restrict all their research efforts just to the Web? Or, perhaps stories may become more intriguing, with all the resources available on the internet. How do you think technology impacts the quality of writing?
To be honest all books now are being transefered to screens hence ebooks and ipod and Kindles. At this rate if one is not careful the only mean of reaching out to language is via a screen. My partner for example has stopped bying books/newspapers to read. Everything is done online. Health wise,meaning eyes wise, it might have repercussion because the human eye is not used to look off a screen 24/7. When you think now even money(cash) is plastic. Things like cheques books and foreing currencies are beginning to disappers under one currency in europe whihc makes people dealing with cash quite difficult because you reach out for a bank card or a pinnumber. Learning in classroom is also taken up by technology meaning children would write less and less and would become reliant on a laptop to do everyhting. The meaning of what a pen mean and writing would become a thing of the past. I am not so keen on these changes. I much prefer a book to a screen and a pen to a keyboard and of course cash in my hand then a plastic card. As to seeking knowledge the best ways for me is to research through books/libraries/and of course people(communication is key).
I do a lot of my novel research online, and I have to say it is a frickin marvel of modern communication. You do have to be careful how you treat your sources as there is a lot of crap out there, but just being able to google and get the answer to a question in minutes is an absolute godsend. You can also look up visual sources easily, and find pictures of just about anything you want to write about, meaning that you no longer have to guess about the far off places or people you are describing. I don't think this detracts from the imagination required to describe them, it just provides better accuracy and inspiration. You can also contact people who are specialists in the field you're researching, and get quick responses to inquiries. It just makes knowledge and people more accessible, so I see the internet as a huge positive on writing, leading to people being more willing and able to research rather than detracting from it. However I don't think it will ever fully replace books, as there are somethings that are just not available on the web - but it can point you in the right direction via bibliographies etc. I probably do about 60% of my research online, 40% published sources.
I find they're different kinds of research. Some topics, like for work, I need to know about instantly in the most condensed way possible to be able to produce work for a client. Enter Wikipedia. Who won the Le Mans race in 1976? I don't know, but I know I could find out in a matter of minutes. Other topics, like the work it takes to create a Le Mans winning automobile, what the crew go through in preparation and the thoughts of the driver over the course of that grueling 24 hours- that's not something you can learn from a few clicks and glossing over a few articles. The internet is also a great way for settling those stupid debates we all get into and often don't have proof for at the time. You know the ones, when your sister says, "I just loved Sally Field in Sophie's Choice" and then you have to have a two hour debate correcting her. With smartphones, the issue is resolved instantly and we can all move on with our lives. Great stuff. Edit- sorry, reread your post. I think it stands the chance of affecting the quality of the writing if that's the only form of input one relies on. Some of my favourite sources of research are real life interviews, you get to hear someone's story exactly as they tell it in stream of consciousness. If I had to omit those as well as books, I think my stories would be as shallow and as one dimensional as the research that went into them.
This is what I am getting at. If children use plastic for money, they don't learn its denominations, or how to count it out. If they use a computer in their younger years, they miss out on hand written script. It makes me think about the elements of story, and what goes into developing a wonderful story. There is the author's voice, and the author's creativity tied with logic, that brings about a well crafted story. Will writers research what is easily found, and skip over the work it takes to pull out those touching nuances that aid in bringing a story to life? Will they settle for what they google in 5 minutes, instead of interviewing someone, etc., and if they do, will it change the quality of the work presented to readers?
Yes. This is what I am thinking of. There is a difference between reading an interview, or searching for facts, versus sitting down with a person and asking the questions, or just listening to them tell you about a time in their life. When you are sitting with someone, you can see how the events affected them, you can see if they tear up, or laugh boldly. You can see the little nuances in who they are, like raising of eyebrows, or shoulder shrugging. I think little things like that are bypassed on the techno highway, and I'm curious to see how stories will evolve.
I think that for the true writer, the story and the passion to write it are driven from within. I don't see a quality story as something resulting primarily from research of any kind. Moreover, the reader is more likely to respond to the genuine article than to something fabricated. Evans
On the plus side, one can find a source (human being) and contact them via email. This opens up a whole world of possible interviewees, most of whom one would never have known about before. Regardless of method, research is only as good as the person performing it. Some people will choose the easy route; others will really work it. The difference will be evident in their writing, just like always.
you basically need 3 things. a main character ( don't refer him by name), a goal, and opposition. some high concept shit is also good. be original. no more that 25 words. eat cake. lots of cake. Stupid example here : - character : Lawyer - Goal: save his wife from a street gang - Opposition: the street gang leader is his favorite famous rapper (ahahah this is sooo stupid sorry, i might be drunk ( not really )) So it could be: Trying to save his 2nd wife, a pessimist lawyer, must chose between his love for a woman or his love for gangster rap music. This, is how not to do a log line, i guess the best tip i can give you is try harder than me. take your time to think it thru. once you've got something, go try it on people. see how they react. do they seem interested?
If you have cable tv, read short infos on series and movies, they are usually really good examples of what you are asking about
This is a great idea. I heard that it is easier to write a log line if you write something longer than it needs to be and just keep cutting off bits until it's a better size. I also have heard that up to 50 words is good. Although I know from experience that it's a true talent to write log lines or a synopsis for that matter, a talent I don't really have.
for screenplays, loglines need to be 25 words or less... the tag lines you see in movie/tv listings are not quite the same, as they're meant to be more a tease, than a concise summary of the premise... i have a good 'how-to' on writing loglines, by a chief story exec at wm morris that i'll be happy to send you, if you drop me a line... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
