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Righters' Club
Free Republic discussion ^

Posted on 03/23/2007 11:44:31 AM PDT by Eleutheria5

Squarebarb:

There were some of us including GOPpoet who were thinking of starting a writer's thread here on FR. There's a horse thread, a football thread, a Hobbit Hole thread, so why not a thread for us writers?

And mainly sticking to fiction otherwise the discussion tends toward politicsa iinstead of the craft of writing.

Okay Eleutheria5, YOU start the thread."

Eleutheria5:

On it. Could use some help from someone who knows how to do HTTP and other techy stuff, though. Tried to learn, but drat that right hemisphere dominance we creative folks have. I've actually been running a board on the aol writers' club since 1996 called Conservative Writers' Club. Mostly it simply fights flame wars with liberal writers, though, and all the conservative contributors, including me, burn out. It'd be great to get away from that and just swap ideas with people who DON'T wish every one of us a flaming death.

(Excerpt) Read more at freerepublic.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: conservativewriters; creativecommunity; righters
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To: CharlesWayneCT

Oh isn't that true.

I'm the writer, but everyone and their brother is an "editor".

Touch my words and lose your fingers!


61 posted on 03/23/2007 1:06:42 PM PDT by Al Gator (Refusing to "stoop to your enemy's level", gets you cut off at the knees.)
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To: squarebarb

Yes, it's fine to copy your heroes as an exercise.


62 posted on 03/23/2007 1:06:55 PM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: Oberon

That's why I always try to write in the style of me.

Not that I'm narcissistic or arrogant. :-)


63 posted on 03/23/2007 1:08:51 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Oberon

"This is CRAP!" My next thought was "Heck, if that guy can get published, I'm a shoo-in."

Exactly my thought as well. Except I haven't gotten published yet. Mine is not a case of laziness as I am re-writing even now. It's a good story but I've come to realize that I needed to hone a few skills and trust my BS meter more. I think I'm almost there.


64 posted on 03/23/2007 1:09:06 PM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Crom! Non-Sequitur = Pee Wee Herman.)
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To: squarebarb
He pulled the brim of his fedora lower on his forehead. The early spring rain was cold, he could feel the chill creeping through his bones. Then, almost by accident, perhaps the gods were sporting with him, his eyes fell upon the address he had looking for.


What the heck is drabjous? I looked it up, but no luck.
65 posted on 03/23/2007 1:09:42 PM PDT by Scourge of God (Remember, liberals, 'baaa' means NO!)
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To: Eleutheria5

I might regret this, but could you add me to the ping list if one arises? I know you said fiction writers, and I'm an opinion writer, but I'm not that good at it if that helps me here......


66 posted on 03/23/2007 1:09:47 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: CharlesWayneCT
(Al Gator, running to dictionary again, finding same result)

"No results found for drabjous."

Not wanting to embarrass myself, but I've never heard of the word before! Who invented it?
67 posted on 03/23/2007 1:10:05 PM PDT by Al Gator (Refusing to "stoop to your enemy's level", gets you cut off at the knees.)
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To: Al Gator

'You can now get your beerer stuned'.

Hey Baby. I wish.

Seriesly it's from 'The Jabberewocky', Alice In Wondereland.


68 posted on 03/23/2007 1:11:30 PM PDT by squarebarb
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To: squarebarb

Uh, that's Jabberwocky and Wonderland


69 posted on 03/23/2007 1:11:54 PM PDT by squarebarb
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To: squarebarb

And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callou! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.


70 posted on 03/23/2007 1:16:29 PM PDT by squarebarb
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To: squarebarb

"Seriesly it's from"

Typo-twittery strikes again!! Its that time of day for me too, my fingers fly in any direction they want just about now.

Time to log out and find a refueling station that deals in a variety of different types of ethanol.

The Jabberwocky. Heard of it, never read it. Now I'm educated. Thanks.


71 posted on 03/23/2007 1:17:15 PM PDT by Al Gator (Refusing to "stoop to your enemy's level", gets you cut off at the knees.)
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To: Al Gator

" a variety of different types "

Horrible visions of Sister Ann Christine, ruler in hand, forcefully explaining the meaning of the word "redundant".


72 posted on 03/23/2007 1:20:33 PM PDT by Al Gator (Refusing to "stoop to your enemy's level", gets you cut off at the knees.)
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To: Lee'sGhost

As I said above I think people who are struggling with a manuscript and/or story ought to ask themselves which writers they really enjoy
---and then read the writer carefully and see how he/she does it

--- and then try the same thing as an exercise.

For instance, there's a rhythm between sections of dialogue and sections of narrative summary. It makes a good balance and keeps the reader moving along.

Check out Hemingway and/or McCarthy. You'll see long sections of dialogue, and after that, there is a move to another scene but that scene directly afterwards is written in narrative summary, not dialogue.

You need to balance three things
----direct description of action
---scenes with a lot of dialogue
---narrative summary.

Never too long in any one mode, never follow a scene with a lot of dialogue with another scene with yet more dialogue.

Check out your favorite writer and watch how they balance these three elements.


73 posted on 03/23/2007 1:21:12 PM PDT by squarebarb
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To: Lee'sGhost
There's tons of markets out there, too, small ones and large ones, ones that pay a lot, ones that pay a little, and ones that don't pay at all.

It's not terribly hard to start small, maybe even with a non-fiction article or two, just to get some professional experience and business contacts.

If getting published is your goal, there are LOTS of ways to skin that cat.

74 posted on 03/23/2007 1:25:32 PM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: Oberon
I decided to become a writer one day in my college dorm, when I tossed aside a paperback sci-fi novel I'd paid good money for at the campus bookstore and thought "This is CRAP!" My next thought was "Heck, if that guy can get published, I'm a shoo-in."

I had exactly the same experience the first time I read a David Drake novel. He's got great ideas as far as plots but his writing is just not so great. That's why I'm still trying (albeit with poor success) to write my own novels. I have about 4 good ideas to work from. My problem is that I seem to get started out strong then run out of steam by about the 4th chapter...
75 posted on 03/23/2007 1:27:19 PM PDT by JamesP81 (Eph 6:12)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
Not that I'm narcissistic or arrogant. :-)

You'd better have at least a little of that. I think it's essential to success. =]

76 posted on 03/23/2007 1:27:24 PM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: Oberon

I've been published. I want to get my novel published. No vanity press, please.


77 posted on 03/23/2007 1:29:19 PM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Crom! Non-Sequitur = Pee Wee Herman.)
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To: Oberon

C:Not that I'm narcissistic or arrogant. :-)
O: You'd better have at least a little of that. I think it's essential to success. =]

No, none of it. I'm just a really great writer :-)


78 posted on 03/23/2007 1:29:24 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: JamesP81
My problem is that I seem to get started out strong then run out of steam by about the 4th chapter...

You want some advice?

I'd just give it...I've been doing it throughout the thread so far...but it occurred to me that unwanted advice can be awfully annoying.

79 posted on 03/23/2007 1:29:49 PM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: CharlesWayneCT
No, none of it. I'm just a really great writer :-)

Well, good. After all, if you didn't believe in yourself, why should anyone else believe in you, or read your work?

80 posted on 03/23/2007 1:30:56 PM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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