Author Support Thread

[Michael R. Hicks]

Hey, all -

I don't know if somebody started something like this yet (if so, my perfunctory search didn't find it), but I'd like to start a thread - hey, I just did here! LOL! - where authors can help motivate each other by posting their goals, things they're having trouble with (writer's block, plot resolution, whatever), etc. for works currently underway.

Here are what I'd consider a few ground rules to keep things relatively focused:

- While it's aimed at helping authors get their writing done, readers are certainly invited to join in!

- The topics of discussion should generally be confined to current works in progress, not things that have already been published, or (in general) things that are way ahead on the timeline.

- The nature of this thread is inherently promotional, because we're talking about our work. So anyone expecting to pop into this thread will be exposed to writers (and hopefully some interested readers!) talking about their stuff. But keep in mind that the main focus is on helping each other accomplish our writing goals, not on beating the drum for things we've already published (we've got our book-specific threads in the Bazaar for that).

Okay, enough of that! I'll start with mine: I'd like to get at least 1,500 words written tonight on In Her Name: First Contact, and I'm hoping to write at least 5,000 more this weekend (I'm up to 130 pages of text - almost exactly 500 words/page - with a very rough target of 170 remaining).  

[Carolyn Kephart]

'Author Chat,' started recently by vwkitten, is serving a general purpose, it seems to me. Too many Author threads take up space and scatter our forces.

We're very fortunate that self-promotion is encouraged here, but we have our own threads for that, as you noted (some of us more than one).

Just my view.

Writerly regards,

CK

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

'Author Chat,' started recently by vwkitten, is serving a general purpose, it seems to me. Too many Author threads take up space and scatter our forces.

We're very fortunate that self-promotion is encouraged here, but we have our own threads for that, as you noted (some of us more than one).

Just my view.

Writerly regards,

CK

Carolyn, Mike stated a very specific purpose for this thread. 

I think the focus tends to scatter with too many topics in one thread. 

[Thumper]

My goal this weekend: knock off about 10 (single spaced) pages, and get some research done. I hate research; I hate even more than if the Spouse Thingy happens to see my search history he'll wonder why I'm looking up men with low testosterone and spongy erections.

That would lead to explaining, which would lead to him wanting to see what I've already written...I really don't like anyone seeing my work before the 5th or 6th draft.

[Carolyn Kephart]

Carolyn, Mike stated a very specific purpose for this thread. 

I think the focus tends to scatter with too many topics in one thread. 

I see threads as conversations that dwell on one topic, and then segue into the next, as in the life called real; my comment was merely a suggestion that no one is required to follow.

Cordially,

CK

[Michael R. Hicks]

My goal this weekend: knock off about 10 (single spaced) pages, and get some research done. I hate research; I hate even more than if the Spouse Thingy happens to see my search history he'll wonder why I'm looking up men with low testosterone and spongy erections.

That would lead to explaining, which would lead to him wanting to see what I've already written...I really don't like anyone seeing my work before the 5th or 6th draft.

LOL! I enjoy the research part, although with the sort of stuff I'm writing at the moment it's fairly limited (one of the benefits, I suppose, of spinning a plot several centuries in the future). But I have a couple of historical novels planned in future, and that's going to be a lot more research work. On the good side, it's a lot easier now with the web - I can't imagine how much time people used to spend in the library (and still do) researching things!!

As for my effort today, I only hit 1K tonight, two-thirds of my 1500 word mark. I think I could've reached that, but some other important side discussions came up. However, I think I can make it up *and* hit my weekend goal as long as my wrists hold out...

[RJ Keller]

I hate even more than if the Spouse Thingy happens to see my search history he'll wonder why I'm looking up men with low testosterone and spongy erections.

That would lead to explaining, which would lead to him wanting to see what I've already written...I really don't like anyone seeing my work before the 5th or 6th draft.

LMAO!!!

I sympathize. My hubby "caught" me doing research on impotence for my novel a few years ago. It took him quite awhile to get over it.

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

My goal this weekend: knock off about 10 (single spaced) pages, and get some research done. I hate research; I hate even more than if the Spouse Thingy happens to see my search history he'll wonder why I'm looking up men with low testosterone and spongy erections.

That would lead to explaining, which would lead to him wanting to see what I've already written...I really don't like anyone seeing my work before the 5th or 6th draft.

I can see where spouse thingy might have a problem with that. 

LOL! I enjoy the research part, although with the sort of stuff I'm writing at the moment it's fairly limited (one of the benefits, I suppose, of spinning a plot several centuries in the future). But I have a couple of historical novels planned in future, and that's going to be a lot more research work. On the good side, it's a lot easier now with the web - I can't imagine how much time people used to spend in the library (and still do) researching things!!

Since I like to write historicals, I have to do a lot of research.  My current project spans about three years, so I have to keep a strict time-line. 

As for my effort today, I only hit 1K tonight, two-thirds of my 1500 word mark. I think I could've reached that, but some other important side discussions came up. However, I think I can make it up *and* hit my weekend goal as long as my wrists hold out...

I wear a soft brace on my right hand.  (Walgreen's $10). 

I have some things to finish up tomorrow, and then I have to get past the point I've been having a problem with.  My plan is to read the whole thing from the beginning and see if my H&H leads me anywhere.  I think I may need to shake them up ... a lot.  They don't know yet that they are mfeo. 

[Michael R. Hicks]

I wear a soft brace on my right hand.  (Walgreen's $10). 

Nah, I have to be very careful and not even get to the point where I need a brace of any kind (and all the ones I've tried have been very uncomfortable, anyway). I have to do a lot of typing at work, plus I have to take into account the stress that some exercises I do put on my wrists. So when they start feeling like they've had enough typing, I gotta stop.

I have some things to finish up tomorrow, and then I have to get past the point I've been having a problem with.  My plan is to read the whole thing from the beginning and see if my H&H leads me anywhere.  I think I may need to shake them up ... a lot.  They don't know yet that they are mfeo. 

Okay, I have to ask: what the heck is "mfeo"? And if you *really* need to shake them up, I know an empire full of blue-skinned sword-wielding amazon types who would be happy to help...

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Nah, I have to be very careful and not even get to the point where I need a brace of any kind (and all the ones I've tried have been very uncomfortable, anyway). I have to do a lot of typing at work, plus I have to take into account the stress that some exercises I do put on my wrists. So when they start feeling like they've had enough typing, I gotta stop.

The brace I use is all elastic; no metal inserts.  It's very comfortable.  I used to do nothing but type on computers all day, and that little item saved my hand. 

Okay, I have to ask: what the heck is "mfeo"? And if you *really* need to shake them up, I know an empire full of blue-skinned sword-wielding amazon types who would be happy to help...

Made for each other.   

Blue skins in England go back a few hundred years before the 15th century.  I'll bet Boudicea painted her face blue when she was weilding her sword.  I may need to borrow Tesh Dar, but she's got to promise not to slaughter the horses. 

I think I'll get a good night's sleep and tackle this problem in the morning.  I'll let y'all know how I'm doing. 

[Debra Purdy Kong]

Hey, all -

I'll start with mine: I'd like to get at least 1,500 words written tonight on In Her Name: First Contact, and I'm hoping to write at least 5,000 more this weekend (I'm up to 130 pages of text - almost exactly 500 words/page - with a very rough target of 170 remaining).   

I don't really focus on word count at all when writing. This week, I finished the 3rd draft of my current work in progress and am putting it away for a month while I work on other things. The process took a long time, partly because I didn't force myself to edit a chapter at a time, and maybe I should have. I'll try this approach next time around. Honestly, this draft took months to complete and I'm struggling to find faster ways to edit a 340 page book.

[Michael R. Hicks]

I don't really focus on word count at all when writing. This week, I finished the 3rd draft of my current work in progress and am putting it away for a month while I work on other things. The process took a long time, partly because I didn't force myself to edit a chapter at a time, and maybe I should have. I'll try this approach next time around. Honestly, this draft took months to complete and I'm struggling to find faster ways to edit a 340 page book.

I had the same problem when I wrote the original version of In Her Name (now the omnibus edition) (680 pages - which I'm now breaking down into a trilogy!): it took months to go through and edit.

For the book I'm working on now, First Contact, I've got some help from a couple of very nice (and sharp-eyed!) folks to read over the draft chapters as I finish them. That's made the basic proofreading a lot easier, and I've also gotten some great suggestions on more significant editing changes, so I'm hoping not to have to make many major changes by the time I get through the first full draft. <fingers crossed!>

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

I don't really focus on word count at all when writing.

For the type of books I write, 100,000 words is just about right.  Tracking the word count gives me a goal and let's me know where I'm at. 

This week, I finished the 3rd draft of my current work in progress and am putting it away for a month while I work on other things. The process took a long time, partly because I didn't force myself to edit a chapter at a time, and maybe I should have. I'll try this approach next time around. Honestly, this draft took months to complete and I'm struggling to find faster ways to edit a 340 page book.

I don't think I could put something away for a month and come back to it without completely losing the thread.  That's just the way my brain works. 

I write straight through.  Go through for a second draft.  But if I start to read it a third or fourth time, I want to throw it in the garbage and start over.  I'm still new at this and don't have a lot of confidence in my work. 

[Leslie]

I finished my novella a few weeks ago and sent it off to two beta readers. They gave me good feedback and I did a line-by-line edit x2. Then I put it aside for a few weeks. Jeff read it this week (thank you Jeff) and gave me some more good feedback so I am back to editing mode. Maybe this weekend.

I can't set targets of so many words per day. I need to write when the words are there. Some days I won't write a thing. Other days, I am on a tear. On this novella, I pounded out 6000 words in a 13 hour stretch (6 am to 7 pm). That was rather amazing, even to me!

At the same time I am finishing up this project, I am trying to work my next story out in my mind. I think I have settled on the names of the main characters: Dana Barlow and Sven Hansen. For the record, I love doing research! I have been busy reading up on the history of Maine lighthouses (Dana and Sven are assistant lighthouse keepers at Barnacle Ledge Light, somewhere out in Penobscot Bay). I found out there were "stag" lighthouses...lighthouses staffed only by men, not men and their families. Who knew?

I also need to find out how people traveled around the great state of Maine in the 1930s, if they didn't have a car. Was there anything like Greyhound buses? Anyone know? I need to get people from Aroostook County to Bangor, Rockland, and Portland at various points in the story.

L

[Jeff]

I also need to find out how people traveled around the great state of Maine in the 1930s, if they didn't have a car. Was there anything like Greyhound buses? Anyone know? I need to get people from Aroostook County to Bangor, Rockland, and Portland at various points in the story.

The Transportation Museum is located on Route 73 in Owls Head, Maine, just two miles from U.S. Route 1. We are two miles south of Rockland , eight miles south of Camden and apx. 85 miles north of Portland.

[Leslie]

The Transportation Museum is located on Route 73 in Owls Head, Maine, just two miles from U.S. Route 1. We are two miles south of Rockland , eight miles south of Camden and apx. 85 miles north of Portland.

Actually, I've been there. It's all about cars and planes.

The trolley museum in Kennebunk is helpful (I've been there too). I know they had light rail connecting places like Biddeford and Saco, Saco and Portland, and so on. But I don't believe that was covering longer distances of 100+ miles.

L

[Jeff]

I should have mentioned in my previous post that Leslie's novella is beautifully written.

[Leslie]

I should have mentioned in my previous post that Leslie's novella is beautifully written.

Thank you, Jeff. 

[RJ Keller]

Leslie,

My grandmother lived in Maine during that time. I'll send her an email and see what she has to say about transportation.

[Leslie]

Leslie,

My grandmother lived in Maine during that time. I'll send her an email and see what she has to say about transportation.

Thanks, RJ!

L

[Leslie]

Leslie,

My grandmother lived in Maine during that time. I'll send her an email and see what she has to say about transportation.

Thanks, RJ!

L

[Michael R. Hicks]

For the type of books I write, 100,000 words is just about right.  Tracking the word count gives me a goal and let's me know where I'm at. 

I don't think I could put something away for a month and come back to it without completely losing the thread.  That's just the way my brain works. 

I write straight through.  Go through for a second draft.  But if I start to read it a third or fourth time, I want to throw it in the garbage and start over.  I'm still new at this and don't have a lot of confidence in my work. 

Yeah, it would be tough for me to put something away like that for a while, although I guess coming back to it would give you a bit of a fresh look. After all, I put In Her Name under my desk for 12 years! LOL!

Okay, I got the pre-pub files of the second novel (Confederation) to CreateSpace today, so that's done. Now I have to get the Kindle version up, which I'm going to work on a bit right now...

[Michael R. Hicks]

Even though I was short on my goal for yesterday (I made it to about 1,000 rather than 1,500 words) on In Her Name: First Contact, I made up for it a bit today: I hammered out 4,000 words tonight and finished the draft for chapter 11 (my entire weekend goal was 5,000). Yay! Of course, I have no idea what comes next in the story. D'oh!

I was going to try and work on getting the Kindle version of Confederation set up on DTP, but didn't feel like monkeying around with HTML today after the five mile run/walk Jan and I did this morning, and all the running around we did this afternoon. So will try to get to that tomorrow or Monday...

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

You know, the weird thing about retirement is not being able to shake off the work schedule thing.  I always refused to do the whole Saturday errand/cleaning thing.  That was my day of rest.  I saved errands for after work and cleaning for Sundays.  I still can't seem to bring myself to work on Saturday. 

So, congratulations.  The most I did was transfer the work in progress from one computer to a flash drive so I could put it on the other computer.  I didn't even complete the transfer.  (sigh)  Be proud of yourself. 

[geoffthomas]

Good thread folks.
clearly serves a useful purpose.
I am only sticking my nose in here to give general statement of support.
You folks are creative artists (in words) and WE thank you for you efforts.
Some of you are becoming personal friends.
So be encouraged!