What are you working on right now?

[stevejk]

So, I finished my research (30 years) and completed an over extensive character and story out line for two...yes, 2 of my books in my unanticipated trilogy. See what comes from a short story! So, I am writing both book 1 and 2 at the same time in alternation as both books reference and overlap each other in story plot and tech. I was thinking of 120K words each at first but am now planning on 150kish +or- 10K each. The are some linguistic issues that I have solved, but the rest I well research and apply as I go (darn dyslexia...sorry, lexdexia. Ha!). Left-handed mouse and right-handed 10-key...Drive's my family nuts! Then again, what takes my wife 10mins to type take me 4 HOURS to do...Past my obstacles and over my walls to a completed trilogy! With many a warn cup of aromatic tea in hand. And a good home brew on the off days.

 

[stevejk]

I'm writing two long stories and a short story. Yes, all at once, Yes, stupid.

I started the second because I struggled to find a good ending for the first. (I have since found it.) I wrote the short story to find out whether what I am writing is at all interesting to anyone apart from me. So far, I have found no one who will critique it.

Is this sort of madness common among writers? Happily, I have no deadlines and write for fun! Even though no one reads what I write, it satisfies my soul.

Hey Ho, back to my story..

 

[stevejk]

I'm writing two long stories and a short story. Yes, all at once, Yes, stupid.

I started the second because I struggled to find a good ending for the first. (I have since found it.) I wrote the short story to find out whether what I am writing is at all interesting to anyone apart from me. So far, I have found no one who will critique it.

Is this sort of madness common among writers? Happily, I have no deadlines and write for fun! Even though no one reads what I write, it satisfies my soul.

Hey Ho, back to my story...

Same here. My cuz is doing the same as you; writing for fun. Getting published is great but writing for yourself can be more rewarding for sure.

 

[Dragonsnark]

Same here. My cuz is doing the same as you; writing for fun. Getting published is great but writing for yourself can be more rewarding for sure.

Same here. My cuz is doing the same as you; writing for fun. Getting published is great but writing for yourself can be more rewarding for sure.

How do you find out if your writing is any good, or doesn't that interest you? I have given my work to a couple of people (family) but I don't think they read them, SF is a pretty niche thing. I would like some feedback even if it's "Get that crap out of here".

 

[The Judge]

I have given my work to a couple of people (family) but I don't think they read them, SF is a pretty niche thing. I would like some feedback even if it's "Get that crap out of here".

Family and friends can make for good cheerleaders if we're lucky, but unless they are themselves avid readers/writers in the genre, or in the writing business in some way, for most of us they won't provide the real feedback we need to progress, so your experience is probably shared by most of us here!

While you're waiting to accumulate your 30 posts for Critiques, if you want some general feedback on your writing, have another look at the Writing Challenges. I know you've entered the current 75 worder, but we also have 300 worders on a quarterly basis. See if any of the images of the last 2 or 3 of those interest you and try writing a story for one of them, then put the story up in the Improving thread here Improving our 300 Word Stories -- READ FIRST POST! where you can get immediate feedback. Obviously, it's not quite as helpful as getting comments on the longer SF stories you're working on, but if you read back in the thread you'll see how nonetheless the comments give pointers to such things as structure and word use which will stand you in good stead for longer forms.

 

[stevejk]

Family and friends can make for good cheerleaders if we're lucky, but unless they are themselves avid readers/writers in the genre, or in the writing business in some way, for most of us they won't provide the real feedback we need to progress, so your experience is probably shared by most of us here!

While you're waiting to accumulate your 30 posts for Critiques, if you want some general feedback on your writing, have another look at the Writing Challenges. I know you've entered the current 75 worder, but we also have 300 worders on a quarterly basis. See if any of the images of the last 2 or 3 of those interest you and try writing a story for one of them, then put the story up in the Improving thread here Improving our 300 Word Stories -- READ FIRST POST! where you can get immediate feedback. Obviously, it's not quite as helpful as getting comments on the longer SF stories you're working on, but if you read back in the thread you'll see how nonetheless the comments give pointers to such things as structure and word use which will stand you in good stead for longer forms.

How do you find out if your writing is any good, or doesn't that interest you? I have given my work to a couple of people (family) but I don't think they read them, SF is a pretty niche thing. I would like some feedback even if it's "Get that crap out of here".

Well, if you are writing for fun then it's up to you if it is good or not. Did you convey what you wanted to? It's all subjective to the writer, publisher and reader. I would do what The Judge suggested. Even try one now on your own just for your-self while getting to your 30 posts. First write it in your style, then in the style of a few of your favorite authors, but with your own twist to it. You won't get any reviews now but the writing exercise will add to your arsenal of creative writing. That what I do; I'm jumping into my novels headfirst with little writing skills to speak of, IMO.

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

I've been working on my next novel today. I suppose you could call it a reimagining of Orwell's 1984. But where Orwell was most concerned with the dangers of communism, a preoccupation that made perfect sense in his era, I choose to believe that unrestrained capitalism, libertarianism and what I call the 'freedom fetish' are greater dangers in the modern western world. Here is a brief snapshot:

Later, as he approached the gates of Autonomy University, Clement looked up at the electronic advertising boards to see the current vote offers. With the general election just two weeks away, Founding Corporation was offering one hundred credits for each vote. It was a good sum, but Clement thought the price might go higher yet. Of course, he could be wrong. When one consortium looked like it had enough to win, the value of unsold votes could crash to almost zero overnight. On the other hand, in a close race, the cost of votes could go ever higher as election day approached. The situation was always made more complicated by speculators buying up votes in anticipation of rising values or, indeed, as a means of manipulating the market. It was even possible to short sell votes or trade in vote options. Clement had examined such practises as part of his Freedom Studies degree course, but he would have been unable to explain them convincingly.

 

[Anne Martin]

I'm writing two long stories and a short story. Yes, all at once, Yes, stupid.

I started the second because I struggled to find a good ending for the first. (I have since found it.) I wrote the short story to find out whether what I am writing is at all interesting to anyone apart from me. So far, I have found no one who will critique it.

Is this sort of madness common among writers? Happily, I have no deadlines and write for fun! Even though no one reads what I write, it satisfies my soul.

Hey Ho, back to my story...

Hey, I've been overlapping my writing for years. You get an idea in the middle of something, and it won't let you go. I have learned to run with it, and as you have done, take a break on the one that just isn't working. Sometimes the break can be very long. The Cult of Hahn had a 4 year break and then a 10 year break, and I only just finished it. Now, I've started another that I have no business working on, yet I'm almost 14,000 words into it. I had planned on working on something else. Just go with the flow.

 

[Toby Frost]

I choose to believe that unrestrained capitalism, libertarianism and what I call the 'freedom fetish' are greater dangers in the modern western world.

I can't really talk about it here, as it's politics, but I have thought of writing something a bit like that. Have you read Jennifer Government by Max Gladstone? It covers similar territory and is pretty entertaining.

 

[The Big Peat]

I'm writing two long stories and a short story. Yes, all at once, Yes, stupid.

I started the second because I struggled to find a good ending for the first. (I have since found it.) I wrote the short story to find out whether what I am writing is at all interesting to anyone apart from me. So far, I have found no one who will critique it.

Is this sort of madness common among writers? Happily, I have no deadlines and write for fun! Even though no one reads what I write, it satisfies my soul.

Hey Ho, back to my story...

I think a lot of writers have overlapping projects, in that they'll outline one while writing another, or write one while editing another.

Actually writing multiple at the same time is rarer, but I do it. I do it more by switching projects than having everything go on by once, but it's roughly similar. I find it a good way of having something to do while working around roadblocks - trick is to make sure you do actually return to that roadblock and you're good.

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

I can't really talk about it here, as it's politics, but I have thought of writing something a bit like that. Have you read Jennifer Government by Max Gladstone? It covers similar territory and is pretty entertaining.

I haven't read it. I'd like to, but will probably leave it to one side, so that I can be sure it won't influence my own work.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Back to the drawing board with Gumgoogelly, which is an ongoing attempt at a Martian novel. I'm using the siege mentality in that if you keep hitting it eventually the thing will crack. This time it's an unreliable first person narration -I've avoided first person in the few years I've been writing as it just felt like the story could go down a cul de sac anytime ...hopefully someone unreliable can claim to be omnipotent and get away with it (a fella on a train once spent three hours describing to me the time he was in heaven and what went on up there, it was actually compelling so might work in a 'book').

 

[Phyrebrat]

Actually writing multiple at the same time is rarer, but I do it. I do it more by switching projects than having everything go on by once, but it's roughly similar. I find it a good way of having something to do while working around roadblocks - trick is to make sure you do actually return to that roadblock and you're good.

Knowing you as I do, I think you'd explode if you didn't have this option of working. It underlines what we were discussing the other day; @Venusian Broon and Peat were at mine about three years or more ago, we were just chilling, listening to music (probably Kate Bush and Pink Floyd), and drinking, and Peat was writing on his laptop the whole time. At one point I asked him how he was doing and he'd moved onto another project and later back again.

It's important to remember we all work so differently. Some can multitask like Peat, some can't (I think I could write a short whilst working on my novel, but not another novel). I think it's best to go with your own rhythm and daaance.

I'm using the siege mentality in that if you keep hitting it eventually the thing will crack.

Often writing is just a sheer act of willpower. I had to write my first mess of a novel as a mess before I could look at it objectively -- I'm still deciding what to cut and change after an extensive feedback from a trusted writer friend (who I believe should be an editor, himself -- although I won't out him here as he's probably fed up of my entreaties), but what it's allowed me to do is let it be and work on subsequent novels using the knowledge I gained in the first novel's creation. I know it's a horrible slog, but know that there's an end and it's so good to be able to put it away for a while and reclaim your life or creativity elsewhere.

And speaking of... book three (possibly called) The Cross and the Chrysalis is currently:

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Great work, and some serious consistency.

writing is just a sheer act of willpower

It's a strange one, there is no specific goal (for me anyway). It takes a fair amount of effort to keep battering away -not sure if I'm ready to put writing away as there's a large chance that would be it done. I know one or two who were mad for writing for a while and took a break (one break has lasted 21 years and counting!).
Appreciate the advice, and good luck with finishing out TC&TC (gonna change 'Gumgoogelly' to 'Gumgoogelly -The TJ and Bowler remix' after the Critique -think it sounds cool

 

[belushi018]

I'm working on a speculative fiction story that takes place around 2050. The main character was born in a community that isolated itself from mainstream society in order to become self-sustaining. They don't use internet and live off the land. He was appointed to be a "coordinator" and so has to do his training in the mainstream, "inside" world.

 

[stevejk]

Ok. Finished the character descriptions and the extensive outlines for my first two books in my trilogy. And yes, like others, I am writing both at the same time. Mainly because the end of the 1st book will overlap in-part in the middle of the second book. Plus, as I said in my past post the 2nd book is the original story. Book 1 came about by accident from a writing exercise and just by chance answered some key problems/issues I had describing to start with. My outlines are more of a compass of key points and events for me to follow. How it will progress is up to letting the stories and characters have control of the outcomes and direction each story will take to the end. There is enough of a difference in place and time between the stories that writers block on one is an open door for the other. I did my reports in college in a similar way but story telling is not the same. That where my outlines come in as a compass to keep me in the right frame of mind while writing.

 

[M.P. VandenBerg]

Working on a pretty substantial analysis of the show Arcane for my new Youtube channel. (pretty well written with some of the best character work ever committed to animation). Going to be doing The Iron Giant next. My goal is to improve my craft by taking a deeper look at some of the stories that have touched me over the years. I can link the channel if anyone is interested in that sort of thing.

Other than that, I'm working on Act 2 of my space opera epic. It's a grind, but I'm loving it. 90,000 words, adding between 500-2000 words/day. Hopefully, I can get the manuscript done by the end of the summer. Really struggling with pacing and I'm having second thoughts about some of my character work. I'm working with an Iconic protagonist who has ridiculous tragedies happen around him, but I think he needs an extra layer. I'm exploring the relationships between siblings and a father/daughter dynamic, with romance taking a back seat. I want all the worldbuilding of a good SF, but with the emotional pitch that's more typical of fantasy.

 

[JunkMonkey]

I misheard something the other day and thought it would make a good joke for a comic strip but couldn't think of any way of doing it that wasn't either incredibly crude and unfunny or just plain offensive so I shelved it until I realised that my failure to make this this work was the joke* and I had a two page strip on my hands. Roughed it out on a piece of paper at work a couple of days ago, rewrote and tightened it up last night and I'll set to work drawing it tomorrow.


*90% of all humour is based on failure - the other 10% is knob jokes.

Finally got fed up with this one sitting around lying heavy on my conscience and finished it:

https://goshwowcomics.wordpress.com/2022/02/19/596/

 

[OuttaInc]

In the hopes of upping my short story game, I'm currently making my way through "Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story" from Masterclass.

So far, it's excellent. Her most useful tip, in my opinion, is "Burn through the first draft." She compares writing the first draft to a wildfire (it sparks, it blazes, it burns outward in several different directions, etc.) She suggests writing the first draft as fast as you possibly can, even in one sitting(!)

I'd never done that before but I've been trying it more with some of her exercises and, even though the first drafts are crap, it feels good to have something written. At least they exist, even if they stink. And they can always be revised into something better.

 

[psychotick]

Hi Guys,

With my energy returning slowly to me, I put out Gorgon's Run a few days ago - a month and a half late but who's counting! And then after struggling with Amazon's cover creator, I started on doing full covers and putting out paperback versions of my last few books - something I'd avoided because I couldn't work out how the new cover creator worked. Three done so far, and after some screaming, throwing things and pulling out my hair, I'm pleased with the results. Especiall Prince of Stars.

Cheers, Greg.