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

I started worrying I needed to have more backstory and am now joyfully cutting loads of it out. This is one of the areas where I had a 50/50 split on scrib about whether to have more of less, so in the end I have gone with what feels good to me.

Maybe just go with it for now and then review them in editing. Really this is something where there is such a mix in books that as long as you don't put it in so that it breaks tension do what makes you happy is my view.

That's a nice age Noeuf. Old enough to be interesting, but young enough that you don't need to worry about writing sex scenes

By the way, thanks to everyone who recommended World War Z. I've just finished it and really enjoyed it. I love it when someone takes and idea and really, really goes to town on it. I confess it took me a while to get past the interview structure, but then I started looking at it as a series of podcasts (I was listening to it on audiobook) rather than a novel and it clicked.

Yes exactly that.

I don't worry about back story too much. How much do we know about anyone? I like books with passing characters.

A lot of intertwined relationships and family tension in this one Noeuf so it seems relevant but it might not be by the end

World war z is quite fantastic. May I put you onto koji suzuki next? I just finished one of his novels and immediately ordered another. The endings tend to be strange but I'm quite enchanted with his writing

Oh I see. You think you have me hooked by the zombies and are trying to sneak me onto some horror now! Generally I avoid horror as my imagination is a little to vivid. Though DH claims he loves watching horror films with me because I squeal, which he says adds to the atmosphere no end.

I'm currently on Mortal Engines, which seems like a pretty fun concept. Maybe if I'm feeling brave I might try Suzuki next.

In return I offer you the best SF book I have read in years: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It is big, but my mind literally expanded reading it.

I actually just finished Paradise which is far from horror It's sort of an anthropological love story across time. The ring series is, contrary to the films, imo not horror. It goes very sci fi in some weird and wonderful ways.

Edge did scare the shit out of me though, I find physics very scary and it played on that

I shall consider your recommendation but mainly because I like the name Tchaikovsky I'm an easy sell

Hmmm....OK. You may be winning me over, but if I read one of his books and don't sleep for a week I will hold you personally responsible

Don't read edge had a very intense nightmare after reading a throwaway sentence in that 😂

I remember wondering where the horror was in ring. The first one is a bit horrorish I think but sadako is a lot more human in the books, I don't remember being at all freaked out by it and by the second book it's pure scifi. Worth sticking out I may be biased.

I've seen the film and that was pretty freaky, so I assumed the book would be similar. I'll build myself up to it and think strong and brave thoughts.

It is much less ghosty and much more mutating virus-y. The series ended so far from what I was expecting. Tempted to go back and read it to double check but I've just found out there's a fifth and sixth one and I think I'm too impatient

I've also downloaded Parasite Eve which I'm quite excited about. I hadn't realised it was a book

I don't suppose any of you guys know any anatomy and physiology and also happen to have some sort of mind melding device to transfer your knowledge into my brain via the internet? I have an exam tomorrow and I maybe should have spent more time revising and less time writing fantasy.

Nope but I'm pretty good at last minute studying for just this reason 😂 if you haven't already grab a practice test or topic list and scan through giving brief answers. Note any weak areas and study those.

Well, I survived the exam. Hope I passed and never have to do it again!

Good luck!
I've just joined Scribophile and have your chapter up for reading when I've time!

Costumes have gone from the house and it only looks like the aftermath of a jumble sale not mid way through it. Although that does mean the rubbish is left I suppose.

Congrats on surviving! good luck on the results

Phew! Well done Witch! The whole thing sounded chaos and mayhem. I am sure that costumes are amazing, with exactly the right level of sparkle

Morning! My chapter 2 is in the spotlight on Scrib, so if anyone needs some points knock yourself out

Hey ho folks. How are people this evening?

I've only had 3 crits on chapter two. They are all positive, but don't say much. One person told me off for using single quotation marks. I confess my main source of annoyance so far has been a few Americans correcting my spelling or grammar when they are perfectly correct British English. I ended up dropping this one a note to say single quote marks are the norm in the UK, so she might want to be aware next time she crits a UK author.

I'm trying to assume that the lack of lengthy crits on this one is because it is so amazingly perfect nobody can think of much to say except to gaze in awe and wonderment. That sounds reasonable, right?

Perfectly reasonable, bigly. And thanks for cheerleading. Must have done the trick as I got a few scenes further on. Now at bottom of next hump. I like fantasy so will read your chapters when I get time (might not be soon unfortunately).

Re backstory I think for first draft it's helpful to write it all in so you at least know it, then you can edit it down to salient points on second draft. I often need to write 1000 words to work out what I actually wanted to say in 10.

Witchend your name isn't Malcolm Saville related by any chance? Probably not but I remember the name from one of his books. Wings over Witchend?

I had no idea single quote marks were the norm. I thought it was double and that me using singles reflexively was a hangover from coding

I got some writing done but got struck down by a rogue sinusey thing mid scene so didn't get as far as I'd hoped

Glad it helped Tippety always happy to dust off the imaginary pompoms.

I believe double is the norm is the US, but the UK is happy with single. Just did a very quick survey of the two books nearest me and one is double, one is single. I mainly just got annoyed with the slightly snarky way she told me double were better. I prefer single personally. It's less in your face, but really who cares.

Sinuses are bastards!

I hate writing. I completely suck and i keep reading other peoples things and wanting to cry. I spend all my time trying to work out how to finish current piece and wonder what life would be like if i wasn't putting myself through this!!!

Bigly, I would like to read your chapters at some point but I am currently re-writing a chapter of my book and it is slow progress - currently procrastinating (probably something like 4-1 in favour of using valuable time browsing around mumsnet versus writing!) However, I have made some progress over the past few days but only managing to work in short bursts (I am currently editing/re-writing 8th Chapter of about 14).
It's interesting when you say that you have had all positive critiques that don't say much - unfortunately that is what is happening in the writing group that I belong to and I'm not getting a lot out of it - probably giving more than I am getting to be honest and I am unable to work out whether it is because it is a wonderful storyline etc. or if they are just being kind in a disinterested sort of way. However, it does motivate me to get my next chapter up to scratch for someone to at least critique.

My punctuation is terrible and somebody will go to town on it if ever they are asked to professionally edit it (I also prefer single quotation marks too).
Hope you sinuses will stop playing up soon.

I hate writing. I completely suck and i keep reading other peoples things and wanting to cry. I spend all my time trying to work out how to finish current piece and wonder what life would be like if i wasn't putting myself through this!!!

I think everyone feels like this quite a lot of the time sometimes. I spent last night in a huge strop because I realised chapter 3 just isn't right. The timelines didn't work and it was just all terrible and I was going to chuck the whole thing out. Today I've started rewriting it and it is much better. I'm still a bit stroppy though as I realised I will have to rewrite lots of other bits as a consequence of changing this bit. On a thread on Scrib someone was saying that some bestselling author or other said she rewrote her novel over 40 times. I can't decide if this makes me feel better or an even bigger sense of overwhelming despair.

I don't know what to suggest really except to keep the faith and chug on with it. Have you shared what you have done so far with anyone? It might help to have some feedback.

User the positive feedback is a bit of a no win situation. If I don't get it I feel crap and when I do get it I don't quite trust it. Maybe try sharing it outside the group and see if you get a similar response.