story idea

[miriam_e]

Yay! I already have my story idea for NaNoWriMo this year. I'll put a lot more work into preparation than I have in previous years so that I get a better result. I've always put quite a lot of time into working up aspects of the story beforehand, but this time I want to have the entire thing ready to just regurgitate. Each year I find my storytelling ability improves, (though I'm still not terribly good). Janet Evanovich wrote 11 books before she sold one, so I'm not letting my current inability worry me too much. I figure I'm still in the learning phase.

Only 4.5 months to go. Bring it on.

Comments

[rpeate.livejournal.com]

Do you know how to get a book published? I'd like to know.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Let's see... ummm... first you get a can of petroleum, empty it over yourself, then get a match and... oh, oops... wrong thing. Sorry. I think getting published on paper is probably as painful, but not as easy. :)

No. I jest. From my experience getting published on paper is a matter of contacts. You know the right people or meet the right people. Oh, and you need something really, really good.

It is my understanding that most publishers today are meeting the unprecedented numbers of new authors by cutting back on new authors being published. Yes, the publishing industry sees a whole new motherlode of resources as a threat instead of an opportunity. It is like the mining industry bewailing the discovery of a gigantic new deposit of very pure iron ore, fencing it off and preventing it being mined. Insane.

Getting through the defences of the shrinking, overworked staff of publishers to find someone who will take a chance on your work is harder than ever. Authors get paid less now than ever before too, while publishing executives are being paid more than ever before. The cost of books has increased much more than petroleum, yet the cost of the materials has dropped and the fraction paid to authors has shrunk. The math indicates the executives are killing the industry.

They are concentrating on "sure bets" -- established authors and prize-winners.

I think the era of paper publishing is coming to an end. Locked, encrypted ebooks will never fly in a big way. What will step into the gap? I think it will be self-publishing on the web. How can an author earn a living from that? There are a few, but not many yet.

Cory Doctorow
http://craphound.com/

Scott Sigler
http://www.scottsigler.com/

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

Oh gods Nano. I wonder what I'm going to write this year. I still have to finish the one that I did last year, even though I got to 50k words. It's going to actually be a novel rather than a novella. And I have two novels I have planned/started after that one. Although I don't like what I have done for one of them, which was at one point supposed to be a NaNovel but I didn't finish, so maybe I'll just start over with that one and go with that.

I'm not sure. I'm not even sure I'll have time to do NaNo what with University and all. But somehow I frequently end up adaptable and resilient, so I may just end up a Pesky Weed of a NaNoer.

Glad you're so far ahead with it all!

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Anything you produce will be worth reading. If you can't find the time to write much during Uni, then simply do what you can without exhausting yourself. Yours is a Talent.

Please let me know of anything you write. I'd love to read it.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know about that. But thank you. Much blushing on this end. I think my Talent is the constant flow of words my fingers can produce upon request (if they feel so inclined). I'll see if I can mold anything out of the words.

I'll try to keep you updated. I frequently forget. I sometimes update my writing journal kiwish_beat and you know my older NaNovel livejournal horned_fate. I'm trying to get that updated to where I am so I can properly finish it soon.

Wish I had more time for stuff.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Time... time... oh gods! Oh! That there was more time. We need at least a thousand years to do these minds of ours justice.

I must check your pages again.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

I concur. What's the longest you've ever written in a row with no break?

Ah, sounds good! Just don't let the words rot your brain. Grin.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

A month. Therein lies the beauty of NaNoWriMo. It gives me an excuse to let the rest of my life go. "Sorry, can't meet with you this month. I'm writing."... "Nope, no can do. NaNoWriMo."... "We'll have to make it next month. I'm busy."

Normally I won't stand up for my time, but NaNo changes all that. It lets me get away with it.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Same here. What's your longest streak as far as hours? It's always a curiosity of mine with different writers.

I need to find more time to write now. Need to get so much done.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I'm not sure. Perhaps 4 hours + few minutes break + 4 hours + few minutes break + 4 hours. So probably something like 12 hours broken by cups of tea and feeding the dogs.

I only eat twice a day, so it makes life very easy. I have a big brekkie of oats then rarely anything till evening when I have a big bowl of veges as a stew. I'm an absurdly slow eater so it takes me about an hour to eat dinner. Often I'm rested enough to get on with even more stuff at that point.

It is only during NaNoWriMo that I'm so conscientious though. The rest of the time I am so easily distractible that I would never hire me for anything. I'm the world's worst worker.

[clubhopper15.livejournal.com]

what do you mean you're still not terribly good? I loved your entry last year, you're great!

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

[blush] Thank you. I really appreciate that. You have no idea how much it means to me. I still don't think I'm much of a writer yet, but perhaps I should really say "I'm not as good as I'd like".
:)

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Yay! More stories! :)

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

heheheheh :D
I see your "Yay!" and raise you a "Woo hoo!"
:)

It warms me that you have that response. Thank you so much.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

:) Of course.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

And as an addition, you really are fantastic! I love reading your stuff. It's so well-written. You're truly a fabulous writer.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

heheheh :D Thank you. I don't think you're right, but [squeeee!] thank you. It thrills me to my toes.

[cranky--crocus.livejournal.com]

s'alright that you don't think I'm right. Smile. Looks like we're in the same place! And we both have thrilled toes. -Wiggles them.-

toeses

[revbobbob.livejournal.com]

We've only missed Wiggle Your toes Day by a couple of days. Plenty of time to celebrate.

When it comes time to sell it, it's conceivable "Helix" might not curl your... you know:

http://transcriptase.org/

OMG! All editors aren't saintly?

Are you done yet?

p.s., are you done yet?

Heinlein

[(Anonymous)]

Robert Heinlein's first two rules of writing are:

Rule One: You Must Write

Rule Two: Rule Two: Finish What Your Start

I have read your entries in previous NaNoWriMo's (and have enjoyed them) - but just when things were getting *really* interesting the writing stopped!

The window into another time and place was shut.

*I* wanted to know how the stories finished - but they didn't.

Can you promise to remember Rule Two?

Sorry,
MFG.

Re: Heinlein

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

I will finish this next story.
And I am still hoping to finish the previous one too. I actually only have a bit more than a chapter to write. Most of the final chapter is already mapped out. This second last one is the stumbling block. I'm about a quarter of the way into it and it has turned out more difficult than I thought. But it is really just a bump; once over it I can finish. Maybe I should let go of that and find a different way around to the end. The obstacle is not at all related to the story anyway. Hmmm... hadn't thought of it quite that way before.

Yes. I'll finish Selena City shortly.

Thanks for the push Michael. I very much appreciate it because my biggest failing is that I often don't finish things. It is a flaw I'm working to try and repair. Friendly nagging helps a lot.

Re: Heinlein

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

By the way, I might be incorporating the 2006 story chapters into the new story. Some of the future history may work well with it, but I'm not sure yet. If I do they will need to be completely rewritten. The 2008 story looks like it will probably be first person. I think you'll enjoy it.

Happydance!

[revbobbob.livejournal.com]

Another Miriamstory to read! Another Miriamstory to read!

Why aren't you done yet?

;-)

Re: Happydance!

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

heheheh :)
Workin' on it... :)
Lot of research to do. Just finishing reading a book with heaps of backgrounder material. Later this week I start consuming another. There is heaps I need to learn in order to write this one convincingly. The more I learn the more eager I become. The notes are looking really interesting so far. I hope I do the topic justice.