/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.16372353]

How's that novel coming?

[Anonymous No.16372402]

>write half of a novel five years ago
>have a lot to say but hit a wall
>stopped writing at all
>almost thirty now
>the ideas I'd wanted to express still burning
>reread the novel
>prose is strong and interesting but the plot is lacking
>in a sleepless night draft up a whole new plot to convey the feelings and experiences I'd wanted to express
>feel like I've really matured since then and am better equipped to say what I want to
>feel hesitant to begin writing

[Anonymous No.16372814]

>>16372353
66 rejections. A few have complimented the premise, but prose didn't grab them. Maybe I should hire an editor.

[Anonymous No.16372985]

>>16372402
Fucking do it faggot.

[Anonymous No.16373230]

>>16372814
I'll be your editor

[Anonymous No.16374740]

>>16373230
Link to publisher's marketplace page?

[Anonymous No.16374747]

>>16372353
almost done.

[Anonymous No.16374785]

>>16374740
what is "marketplace page"?

[Anonymous No.16374797]

160 pages in, about halfway. First one was rejected countless times for being too (((vulgar))) despite not using any swears or things like that, so I said fuck it and just used amazon so I could at least have my own copy. Pretty happy with the quality, feels good to be able to hold your own work instead of reading it on a computer screen.

[Anonymous No.16374798]

>>16372353
>publishers asking about social media follower amounts
>follower engagements
I have no social media
I have a book
This is gay

[Anonymous No.16374802]

>>16374785
Where agents post their contact info. Example: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/LindsayDavisAuld/

[Anonymous No.16374807]

>>16372353
I'm going to write an introduction to a certain fellow who needs it, but I don't know whether I'm just going to stay stuck at this pathetic level-- I NEED A POETRY OF MY OWN!!!!!!!

[Anonymous No.16374810]

>>16374798
Tell them exactly that

>I have no social media
>I have a book
>this is gay
>Look to my book.

[Anonymous No.16374925]

>>16374810
>>16374798
This. You might not get approved but at least you'll get a based from me.

[Anonymous No.16375026]

>>16374798
What are you writing? Social media is important for non-fiction. Most debut fiction authors are unknowns.

[Anonymous No.16375044]

>>16372402
You're not supposed to get published before 30 anyway.

[Anonymous No.16375051]

>>16372402
what’s it aboot

[Anonymous No.16375072]

it's finished (x2)
i've posted both of them to 4chan once or twice and then forgot they exist
it's better that way
the life of a mainstream, or even cult, artist, producing work for the sake of attention/praise, is just depressing
I make what I make for the sake of making

[Anonymous No.16375078]

bros when will I feel confident enough to move out of the planning stage and into the actual writing stage? It seems like whenever I feel like I'm ready to start putting words on the page I get some really good idea to change something in the plot to be better, which I then have to refine.

[Anonymous No.16375097]

>>16375078
sounds like your plan isn’t all that watertight bud

[Anonymous No.16375112]

>>16374810
>>16374925
Thanks guys. I’ve had a lot of awkward Skype calls with people where I say this then they ask me how I stay in touch with friends.
>>16375026
The whole thing started as me writing down my inner monologue so I could be less neurotic then it became a book about a guy slowly going crazy.

[Anonymous No.16375129]

>>16375078
You need to write and learn how to pace a chapter. Planning stage should be short, about concepts and themes and voice. Each chapter has a couple sentences for an outline (or the first 10 chapters to get you going). The fine details are discovered as you go, in my experience.

[Anonymous No.16375166]

>>16375129
Good advice anon, thank you

[Anonymous No.16375197]

>>16375112
It's always a harder sell (to publishers) when the book isn't written to market / a specific genre. That might be why they are more interested in social media.

[Anonymous No.16375502]

Anyone here interested in a weekly or bi-weekly flash fiction thread? It's low pressure, just fun and a good way to exercise writing skills or get in the zone before your own writing session. Last thread was fun >>16347500. I'm wondering if making it a regular thing would get people more interested.

[Anonymous No.16375506]

>>16372353
>finally get an idea for a plot
>stole it from a post here on /lit/
>200 pages in so far
no regrets

[Anonymous No.16375532]

>>16374802
Thanks, useful stuff. I wonder how many of them charge reading fees.

[Anonymous No.16375542]

>>16375072
Behead All Satans? Basically Live Blog but even more boring. Quite a feat.

[Anonymous No.16375557]

>>16375506
Post the post you stole

[Anonymous No.16375811]

>>16375197
Yeah they tell me I need to make the sex scenes sexier and some other dumb stuff like that, they sent me an example and it’s borderline porn. They’re definitely looking for a specific product rather than books in general

[Anonymous No.16375997]

>>16375811
You should make the changes, anon. 99% of books go through revisions, some major, before publication.

[Anonymous No.16376061]

>>16372353
I was laid off for two months and made massive progress but now that I'm working things have slowed down. I wish I could be a NEET again, even if it's just temporary
>>16372402
DO IT FAG, LET IT ALL OUT

[Anonymous No.16376076]

>>16372353
At this point I'm trying to position myself so I can get some writing done. My efforts are split between pursuing a job that affords plenty of money and free time, and reading.

[Anonymous No.16376222]

>>16372353
No book, but I have 5 trillion shitty concepts I'd love to share if anyone wants to write but has no ideas.

[Anonymous No.16376274]

>>16375051
It's about a guy in his late 20s who realizes the life he was building doesn't make him happy so he leaves his wife abruptly and starts making drastic changes. In a funk he invites himself along to a cruise that his brother's family is going on, despite their resistance. He eventually meets a woman onboard that shows him what love can actually mean to him, but they're from different states. Through long talks with his brother and interactions with his family he finally begins to understand what is important to him and how he should begin rebuilding his life. It ends with him losing his only source of hope as the woman won't let him move to be closer after having been together only a few weeks. He returns to the remnants of his old life, now even emptier but with the knowledge of what he really wants as he begins to build, at last, a life he wants to lead

[Anonymous No.16376291]

>>16376274
it sounds really good honestly. Finish it!! end with a cliffhanger if it's too much work to finish and allow yourself a part 2 should you choose to write it!

[Anonymous No.16376294]

>>16376274
I should add that I'm taking a bit of inspiration from Job as I'll have him meet and talk to different passengers who express different values to him. I'll break it up with port trips as well.

[Anonymous No.16376480]

>>16375542

[Anonymous No.16377033]

>>16375532
Very few. Decent amount of ghosting.

[Anonymous No.16377823]

>spend 5 years going back and forth on a novel
>too many internal contradictions and plot threads to keep straight
>too overwhelming to edit

i keep telling myself i'll finish it some day and it's gonna be great but... well maybe it'll be discovered as an unfinished masterpiece after death

[Anonymous No.16378102]

>>16375506
Based

[Anonymous No.16378120]

>>16374798
sad truth of all creative stuff these days. i used to make techno music and the same thing applied.

[Anonymous No.16378148]

>Have a bunch of cool ideas for characters and some story elements
>Can't decide on my main plot

[Anonymous No.16378414]

>have 7000 words written
>trying to get it to around 25k-30k
>have the setting, some scenes, the 'point' but little in the way of actual plot

I feel like there's no journey for the characters yet, I've just been laying out the fictionalised version of the real events the story is based on, but there's nothing going from A to B yet, the characters haven't grown or changed at all

[Anonymous No.16378422]

>>16372402
do it faggot, whats the worst that could happen?

[Anonymous No.16378444]

>>16372402
Write 500 words today, even if it's just 'penis penis penis', just get the ball rolling, then it'll come out

[Anonymous No.16378448]

>>16375502
Yeah I'd be up for that, weekly is good

[Anonymous No.16378487]

>write script of caricatures of two of my friends
>one is a surfer dude
>the other is an autistic engineer
>continue writing script on and off for months
>lose interest
>year later start writing another book
>try to integrate script as side characters
>realize the two plots are totally opposite in every way
>realize I like the script as a book better than the other book
>novelize the script
>add more characters and interactions
>15k words of little scenes of different characters flowing in and out of each other
>stop writing b/c life keeps happening
>a year later and any time I open it I get horrible anxiety about all the edits and grand interweaving narratives I want to include
>hate that the setting and characters are based on my old life I no longer live
>reread what I have and it's actually pretty neat
>close document
>open it a few months later
>get anxiety again
>close document

I fucking hate myself so god damn much.

[Anonymous No.16378503]

How short can a book be before publishers will start rejecting you for it?

[Anonymous No.16378667]

>>16378414
>the characters haven't grown or changed at all
Character growth is strictly necessary in coming-of-age stories. I guess it's become a meme because teens are great cash cows to cater to, but otherwise "character growth" doesn't happen that often in real life. Don't be afraid to try the flat character arc if a positive arc doesn't work. Make a character complex from the start, and think more in terms of how their personality affects the plot, rather than the other way around.

[Anonymous No.16378707]

>>16378667
Suggestions on a book that happens all in one day?

[Anonymous No.16378714]

>>16378667
Interesting perspective, thanks m8. I'll see if that might fit better

[Anonymous No.16378966]

>>16378120
How do you share and promote music without social media? Especially in such a saturated environment?

[Anonymous No.16379016]

>>16378503
https://blog.reedsy.com/how-many-words-in-a-novel/#:~:text=A%20story%20that%20is%20over,you're%20in%20good%20company.

[Anonymous No.16379214]

>>16379016
That's very helpful. thanks