Please come and talk to me. Just for some general writing chat and support...

[BiglyBadgers]

I am about a third of the way through editing my stupidly long book (this'll teach me for writing epic fantasy) and need some chat!

I really loved the chat and support on the nano thread, but now novel writing month is long gone and I am alone! There must be other people out there bumbling along needing a friend to chat to...surely....I can provide coffee, cake and excellent free WiFi

Still feeling cross about him taking that shower...

TippetyTap I didn't really start doing more than occasional writing until I started working once my youngest was at school. But I did write things for my children.

Secondary characters tend to be based on someone I know. My main characters I have a very strong sense of their personality, so I find using someone I know good for a smaller part as I then know their backstory etc.

I completely understand Tippety. Writing is such a wonderful rewarding pursuit yet at the same time so up and down. And unrewarding in other ways.

I came home from holiday with a brilliant story idea for a thriller all mapped out, plot, characters, everything. Then read the Guardian books section and realised how terrible my ideas and writing are. Ha

The problem I have writing thriller/suspense is that I find it really hard to tell if someone who doesn't know what's in my head would find my plot twist or subtle foreshadowing really obvious, completely incomprehensible or just right. It's really hard to read it as the first time reader if you know what I mean, so I just can't tell whether it works or not.

I know what you mean about wanting to prove something to yourself Tippety. I feel sort of the same about the next ten months. Dd will be in school, I have no need to work, I really want to achieve something with my writing, but am not sure what exactly. I think I would like to have made some money even if it's just a few quid, just to prove I can, whether it's from fiction or nonfiction stuff. I would like to have some poetry or short stories published as well. I sort of feel this is the chance to decide if writing is something I do just for fun or actually make some sort of job out of it even if it's just for holiday money.

The problem I have writing thriller/suspense is that I find it really hard to tell if someone who doesn't know what's in my head would find my plot twist or subtle foreshadowing really obvious, completely incomprehensible or just right. It's really hard to read it as the first time reader if you know what I mean, so I just can't tell whether it works or not.

Exactly! I keep trying to tesy the plot out on DH and a lovely friend. Maybe I should change genre but it is all i generally READ!!!

Cracking on with a nice gentle short story to try and be more positive...

I would say keep going with writing for the next year- the more you write the more you will discover and want to write. If it doesn't work out you have tried or you can self publish for family and friends x

Exactly that bigly. It's like these wilderness years of being a sahp are the time to define myself. It doesn't make much sense practically speaking. As witchend says I'll probably have more time once the kids are older. It's just a feeling really. I don't want to go back to work and nothing have changed.

Haha butty, I do exactly the same thing. Browsing Waterstones used to be fun but now it's deadly. Every time I pick up a book I vow never to write again. My antidote is to visit the 'what we're reading' section on here and see a) just how much people love books and how important they are to people and b) that everyone has a different opinion, loving things that other people hate and hating things that other people love. Which all makes me feel much better and under less pressure to write a perfect book, because there is no such thing!

If I had a super power it would be to read my own work as a first time reader. How useful that would be! I don't write suspense but I guess all fiction needs to do that trick of giving the reader exactly the right amount of information (without seeming like it is). It's tough. And I hate anything that sounds vaguely like an info dump, and I'm also not a fan of detailed physical descriptions, especially of people, so I probably don't give my reader much to go on at all!

The problem I have writing thriller/suspense is that I find it really hard to tell if someone who doesn't know what's in my head would find my plot twist or subtle foreshadowing really obvious, completely incomprehensible or just right. It's really hard to read it as the first time reader if you know what I mean, so I just can't tell whether it works or not

Yes I totally agree. I also suspect that when I have a really clear view in my head I either over describe it because I want to give the exact picture, or under describe it because I know it so well I can picture it and can't tell that others can't.

Hi all, sorry haven't been back for a while, lost the thread for a bit.

Haven't done as much writing as I wanted recently. Decided to write a short story for this forum on and it took most of the last few weeks of August. Aimed for 2k and somehow it became a sprawling 5-6k beast. Now I remember why I want to put my energy into novel writing instead!

I did it for a bi-monthly forum thing where everyone writes to a prompt and then reads each other's work and votes on the best. Only in the end only me and one other person finished so at most I'll get one reader, perhaps none. Sigh. Reasonably happy with story though so am letting it lie for a few days then will tidy it up and find somewhere to submit it and get rejected.

In September I MUST MUST MUST focus on novels. Either of the two I'm working on would do!

Hope everyone is well. I read a lot of crime/suspense/even cosy crime but I don't think I could write any of it!

Hello! I had a bit of a post holiday crash and have been off the writing for a bit indulging in a crochet frenzy instead. But today dd is back to school so hoping to get back to the writing this week.

On the plus side the break has given me a chance to let the noir bed down in my head a bit and I think I'm starting to find the shape of it. I've been listening to loads of crime while I crochet which has helped a lot, though I am totally very morose misogynistic detectives. I love the genre, but I've remembered why I tend to go on and off it a bit. Anyone recommend some good crime/detective novels that don't seem to be focused around hating women?

Gah! Typos! That 'very' should be 'over'.

generic could you pretend each novel chapter was a short story ...

bigly glad you had a nice holiday. No recommendations - don't read those genres as bit of a wimp about anything dark or scary! Actually I did read the first few Rivers of London books (police procedural stuff but with magic). They're not great though, or not what I can remember.

Also having a bit of a writing blip. Mum life is wearing me out at the moment and generally feeling a bit blergh/lacking in oomph. Plus editing is so hard and not as much fun as just writing.

I read the first Rivers of London book and quite liked the concept. It's fun if you grew up round London, but the writing as it were was a bit meh. Nice ideas not so great execution. Always a shame.

I'm chugging through Inspector Morse while crocheting at the moment. I do like the crime elements, but it's full of guys randomly telling women they want to sleep with them or commenting on how sexy they are (this is women they hardly know or have never met before I add) and instead of the women cringing and thinking what a creep the guy is they inexplicably go all flattered and fall for it. At first I thought it was just a bit odd and then it clicked that this is honestly how Colin Dexter believes women think when he is an arsehole to them at bus stops. Yuk.

So far I have written a blog post this week and nothing else at all. On the plus side a journal messaged me asking if they can publish it as it for a bit of traction on twitter (in a very niche area so hardly bug numbers), so that's exciting.

Congrats on the blog article! That's awesome work. What sort of things do you blog about?

Yeah it's always a bit cringey when the writer's um, predilections spill over on to the page. I think that happened with Rivers of London too. Also the plots just got daft and flabby.

This one was on my student nurse blog and was a post about having to defer my studies for a while due to my health.

I'm trying to be brave tonight and go to a poetry evening thing, but my anxiety is through the roof at the moment. Ho hum.

Good luck bigly. Hope you manage to make it but don't beat yourself up if you don't!

I made it! It was really good. They had two published poets reading as well as open mic so a good mix. I did end up leaving half an hour early as it got a bit overwhelming and I wanted to catch the bus home, but I'm very pleased with myself for getting along. I might even take something to read to the next one.

Finally sat and read through what I've written so far for my noir. The writing is atrocious, but I think it could be worse... possibly...

lol that's the spirit bigly! Famous adage: the first draft of anything is shit.

Woohoo well done for going to the poetry evening! What happens at them? Is it just readings or is there discussion? I always imagine them happening in grimy underground jazz bar with a haze of smoke in the air...

I've just learnt that it's now possible to get a student loan to do a masters degree. So now I'm torn between the idea of doing a creative writing MA or something that might lead to a career and let me contribute to the household income...

I know this is a very silly question, but are you all just normal people? I love writing, but I keep telling myself that you have to be really amazing to get an agent or publisher. I can't complete anything because I constantly tell myself I'm not one of these "special, magical, amazing writery people" 😁.

I'm very normal. Well I suppose it depends on what you think of as normal "normal". I can't spell, and my English was not rated at school.
I haven't been published though.

I just enjoy writing stories.

This poetry evening took place in the kids section of the local library so about as far from smokey cellars as it's possible to get Tippety. It was reading, polite applause and general encouragement rather than a critical group sort of thing. All very nice and friendly.

I'm normal...well, depending on your point of view (nuff said)...however, I'm not published and don't have an agent so maybe that accounts for it. I write better if I do so without a view to getting it published, but I think I edit better if I do think about publishing at that stage (even if I never follow through) if that makes sense. I know a good few published writers (some full-time professionals making good money and everything) and they are all really very normal. Certainly not people you would meet in the street and swoon at their amazingness. They are just people who got a job writing stuff through a mix of hard work, getting lucky and genuinely enjoying writing and words a lot. I'm pretty sure no magic was involved, even if they might tell you otherwise.

Haha I will leave my black roll neck and cigarillos at home then if I ever get the courage to go to one

gettingsomewhere I'm definitely not special or amazingdecidedly mediocre at bestbut don't have anything published or an agent so I have no idea what actual real writers are like! I suffer from the exact same doubt. Currently struggling to carry on with editing my book because self-doubt has sucked all my motivation and energy. It's a bastard.

So after struggling for weeks to do even a word of my book, and deciding that outlining, fantasy and short stories are definitely not for me, I've just outlined an idea for a fantasy short story and I'm really excited about starting writing it tonight! Brains are weird.

Sods law Tippety

I've decided that I actually do need to do some real planning for this noir of I'm going to end up going round in circles and getting in a mess. I'm really crap at planning though. Ho hum. The new aim is to get a decent plan done for end of October and and then just write the darn thing for nanowrimo during November. My writing has just gone to pot recently and I'm starting to really look forward to getting a good kick up the backside in November and hopefully get started again.

That makes sense bigly. You were planning to write it for nanowrimo anyway, so really you're ahead of target!

My writing has also stalled ... zero energy. So tired from the dc waking half the night plus a bit of a low mood lately. Bah. Hopefully I can shake it off. My new plan today is to place a stash of sweets upstairs on my desk so I go there instead of flopping down on the sofa once the kids are asleep!

Oh...cunning plan Tippety. I like it.
I'm not surprised you're finding it hard to right with a non-sleeping child. It's bloody tough enough to get anything done, let alone things that involve thinking. Sweets are always a good motivator though...or cake...

I've currently got a body, a missing person, and a shortish list of suspects with a couple of people who act as sort of external forces to push the plot around occasionally. I'm now starting to do a bit of work on back stories, which mainly involves me lieing in bed thinking them through before I doze off or mulling it over while I crochet a blanket, but it does seem to be helping. The plan is to then do a little one pager for each character. I think the plot will then just fall out of that really. At least that's the hope!