Author In Progress

[Paranoid Wizard]

I'm hoping that copy/pasting a brief synopsis doesn't go against the, thou shalt not post your work here, commandment. If it does, I am sincerely sorry, but it honestly isn't that long. Plus, I can't very well link it to my Livejournal, because the entries are protected. (I don't trust the average person on LJ, I do, however, trust the people on this form. We're good people.)

"The family and friends of Elizabeth Marshall are sent into a panic when they receive the news that she, along with hundreds of other people around the world, have been struck with an unknown ailment rendering her in a coma. However, unlike the other victims of this phenomena, Elizabeth does not remain catatonic. Certain aspects of her genetics allowed her to wake up, but also ensured that she would be swept away into a government covered up genocide of all things fantastical.

Set in a world where there are two superpowers: Asia and North America. There are no freedoms, and there are no ways around the word of the government. A small group of young people, however, imbued with abilities from the government itself, stand in the way of the government to right the wrongs of their past and realign their future."

My friends have complained that there are too many repeated words, and I agree. How it stands, though, it is the same amount of words as the synopsis on Storm Front. That happened by accident, and I like to too much to change the count, right now. Of course, I'll fine tune this at some point.

Also, this novel is finished, it is 31 chapters long, and just over 300 pages. I am currently revising it, and posting the results on my Livejournal. If you have a journal, and would like to read what I have posted, my account name is Lovey_fee. If you leave a comment, and tell me where you are from, I would be happy to allow you access to the posts. (Like I said, I trust the people on this site.)

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and good luck with all your endeavors, be they writing related, or otherwise.

(EDIT - This is also my second book, so it is devoid of the mistakes that first novels are rife with.)

[meg_evonne]

(EDIT - This is also my second book, so it is devoid of the mistakes that first novels are rife with.)

And your third won't have the mistakes in the 2nd, and on and on.  I read somewhere that the typical manuscript that reaches a true hand with interest is the 6th... so hang in there and keep writing!  Yes, I'm being snarky...sue me, seriously congrats!

[Paranoid Wizard]

And your third won't have the mistakes in the 2nd, and on and on.  I read somewhere that the typical manuscript that reaches a true hand with interest is the 6th... so hang in there and keep writing!  Yes, I'm being snarky...sue me, seriously congrats!

Hey, if it only takes me six manuscripts to get someone's attention, I'll consider myself one lucky person. Thanks for the congrats, though.

[frankiebgoode]

I'm Frankie. I'm 22. I'm a lurker around these parts with the occasional comment to my name and I decided I'd introduce myself.

I've been writing in some form or another for about as long as I can remember, but I never really considered writing as a career until about 6th or 7th grade. Teachers and all that encouragement, you know, it felt easy for school assignments and such. I didn't really realize it was actual work for quite some time, and by then it was too late for me to try for anything else. And I'm sure if I did, I'd just go insane.

I've been writing Harry Potter fanfiction since the summer of 1998 during the long wait between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. The majority of it is complete rubbish, but it's a way to hone my skills if nothing else. I got a poem published through Bemidji State University's New Voices program in 2005.

I'm about 90 pages into my first draft of a story I've had rolling through my head for two and a half years. I'm not exactly sure where it belongs as far as genres go. It's about a sixteen year old girl who begins to develop ESP, Precognition, Psychic Powers, what have you, after her parents are killed in an accident and she goes to live with her brother who's a cop. She begins having dreams about a serial killer and has to deal with the dreams, a dubious brother, overly encouraging friends, and the usual high school melodrama. It's set in Minneapolis and the nearby suburbs since I live in the area.

I have a few other concepts running around, mostly Mystery/Suspense or Fantasy that are still too obscure to really describe to myself let alone on here.

I suppose that's all I have to say.

[meg_evonne]

Welcome Frankie!  Looking forward to having you add your 2 cents to the conversations in AIP!

[frankiebgoode]

Thanks Meg. I'll probably only comment when I have something interesting to say though.

[Delvalen]

Author in progress...That's definately how you could decribe me. I have ONE book done, the first in a duology, and am working on countless other writing projects, none of which I can settle on as my next undertaking....after my sequel of course.

As soon as I get my grammatical edit back from the english whiz father, I will be submitting the it for publishing. Which will, in all honesty, be a very big decider on my life. As I don't think I can handle working overnights any longer *from a health standpoint anyways*. All will happen as it will, I guess.

Good news? I've been read by an author friend of mine named Eldon Thompson, GREAT guy and a very good author who unfortunately isn't in the limelight as much as he should be. Anyways, he gave me OUTSTANDING reviews and a good pointer on how to tweak the ending so as not to end on such a low note.

So that's me. Luke Ganje. If I ever get published, I will track down all who have read this and browbeat you into buying a copy of my book. No idle threat. *throws on a mask of utter seriousness*. And as I am fast approaching 20, I can no longer claim "Teen phenom" so I'll be going for "Middle aged has-been who finally got published". Keep an eye out! One day I'll be taking the Bargain Priced shelves by storm!

[meg_evonne]

Welcome Luke.

So you're going to let one manuscript, even with great reviews, decide the fate of your life?  Ah, the optimism of youth!  You've gotta toughen up there kid. 

Colin Powell has 13 rules of life, #3 Avoid having your ego so close to your position that, when your position falls, your ego goes with it.   Not bad advice that...  :-)

As to letting one manuscript decide?  I'm 55 and just submitting my first serious attempt to agents. I've been writing since I was 12.  If the writing bug is in your genes, it will never, ever, go away.  You physically, mentally can't stop writing.  That's not called a talent, it's called an addiction!  The trick is to make sure you are ever increasing your craft skills. 

Have you visited Jim Butcher's blog yet for writers?  You'll love it!

We'll all be glad to be brow beated to buy your book as soon as it hits the shelves!  Welcome again, Develan!

[Delvalen]

  I meant merely the direction that my life would be taking! Believe me, writing is my dream so I'll be pursuing it at all costs. HOW I go about pursuing it is what this will decide. Thanks for the words of advice though! And I'll see to it that EVERYONE knows what happens with it, I plan on waging a campaign that the world has never witnessed!

You hear that ringing? That's me tapping titanium plated armor. I'm as tough as can be, so no worries there. And I have read Jim's blog on writing and find it fantastic. Another source of good help is a podcast called WRITING EXCUSES hosted by a favorite author of mine and two friends of his, it's HILARIOUS and helpful.

[Apocrypha]

Hello folks,

I've been a writer since at least the 4th grade where I wrote stories about talking hot dogs.  Either way, I've had the bug in me quite a while and now that I'm finishing my undergraduate degree I decided that I should spend the summer on my craft.

Though I am a large fan of the Dresden books I don't write in a fantasy or crime story genre.  Primarily I write regular fiction and Science Fiction (though some don't realize that there is a difference between Science Fiction and Sci-Fi) and only dabbled with fantasy novels when I was younger.

I've had ideas for novels before but mainly left them as very detailed notes and reference materials.  Primarily I am currently working on short stories with intent  (or is that attempt) to try for getting published in some magazines.  Mainly I focus around using my science fiction work as social commentary and my fiction is based around parts of my life which are apparently interesting and have drawn a crowd among a local writing group.  Not sure what else to say but I was quite surprised that when I joined these forums that I found this section here to help those of us with the hope to write.

[meg_evonne]

Welcome Twiggen...

As to determination Develan--WRITE ON!  And yes, someone around this forum suggested that site and it was awesome.  Welcome again!

[Wyld Fae]

I am a wishful writer. I have many, many ideas and I just can't get them past the brick wall on my shoulder that stops the ideas from getting to my hand!!! UGH!!! I am however a GREAT editor and proofreader. I have been proofreading since I was 11-12, my Step-Mom was a writer. I guess I'm better at picking out mistakes than creating something wonderful....wow that was woebegone, sorry 

Any suggestions fellow authors in progress?

[meg_evonne]

Be kind to yourself--turn the editor off.  Remember a first draft, is just a first draft.

Some here have suggested (works) that when you sit down to write, edit the chapter you just finished the night before, then move on--always remembering the goal is the first draft not edit perfection.

Oh, and how can you edit the cr** out of an outline?  I'm sold on them now.  Get your ideas into a rough outline format.  If you can't write without editing, move onto your next outline.  When you're ancient looking for a hobby you can go back to this wonderful set of outlines.  (No I'm not ancient, but I feel that way sometimes!) 

You might want to set up a new thread to keep this to writer intros.  I saw your AWESOME dragon on the frapper map! I think that was yours?  The black/white/ink dragon? I so want you to do one for me if you made it???  :-)  Look around for a thread call gallery or something.  Lots of neat artwork that people have shared!

[Wyld Fae]

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate the advice. Been trying to get past this issue aince I was a teen (approximately 1 million years ago). As soon as this semester is over I can work on my writing and other art projects. Outlining does help with college papers...(scratches chin) so maybe, just maybe those profs actually know something that I can use in the "real" world. Brilliant!!!

Alas..that Dragon is not one of mine. I thought it was a great idea for a tattoo though. My husband and daughter are the drawers in the family. My son and I like to write. I do work in polymer clay, papier mache, metal, wood, etc.

[Phoenix_Kayden]

Hello, hello!

I'm 21 years old and well I've been writing since pretty much the day I came out of my mother and only in the last year or so have I been focusing on trying to write a book (which I hopefully will get published). It's set in my own made up world where mages, vampires, and so forth exist. It's a non-technologically advanced society since most everything is done using their powers. The main character, Kayden, is kind of my alter-ego. She's pretty much an oxymoron because she works to protect the citizens in her world and yet she's part of a secret elite group of assassins.

That's pretty much my story, a lot has to do with defining what is "good", what is "evil", and knowing the difference in one's self as well as the complications and struggles about race.

I'm also a poet and I'm trying to get a compilation of the 150+ poems I've written in the last 10 years or so and get them all into one book. Which I will probably publish then sell to friends, family, and anyone who just wants something to read lol