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Calling All Writers!

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by Sebby45, Apr 1, 2017.

  1. Aspen

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    It's young adult high fantasy, yes. Roughly 85,000 words.

    BookScan is widely used to look at hard numbers for how a book is selling, but it only captures a portion of the market. It's by no means an accurate picture of sales. I'm not sure that's going to be much help when it comes to comps, though. You want books that are similar to yours in some way--whether that's characters, writing style, tone, etc. Less "my book is going to sell well because these books do" and more "this book would appeal to fans of these books."
     
  2. Sebby45

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    Anyone know of some legit writer's contests?
     
  3. Shorthaul

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    I don't know why I haven't jumped in this thread yet. I have a few dozen stories in various stages of completion... Though only two of them I am considering publishing as the others are more for practice and concept... and involve a lot of sex.

    All of them are fantasy or science fiction mixed with fantasy. Of the two I would like to get published:
    The first is in four parts and roughly 450-500 pages, is about the daughter of a dragon who fell in love with one of the horsemen of the apocalypses. Ryann is hidden on good old present day earth and her own powers are locked away by powerful magic. A bit on the small side, she is 13, has average grades, but does well in ballet and gymnastics. This story is a bit dark, and in places Ryann uses some really powerful magic to do some brutal things. She gets bullied quite a bit in an orphanage (cliche I know, I try and really break other fantasy stereotypes later) but she ends up on a different world that is a mix of Tolken's LoTR, King"s Dark Tower with bits of steam punk and Final Fantasy vibs. The first creature she befriends on this different world is a truck sized wolf, with magic and machine enhancements. The wolf's name is Phoebus ( which is the name of one of Mar's war dogs) together they travel in search of answers and a new home for them both.

    The second is in lots of small pieces. I write in scenes and out of order most of the time. It might be 200 pages. It completely takes place on good ol earth. Kind of along the Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and Hellboy line of thinking. Magic and monsters and the like are all very real, they are just exceptionally well hidden. This story follows a short, slightly over weight, redheaded lesbian named Jenny. She has a college degree in mechanical engineering, and works for a medical equipment manufacture. Specifically she makes prototypes, other people design it, she actually makes it. Jenny is a fantastic cook, even better video game player, and took national championship in pistol marksmen twice, but is a terrible singer, doesn't think she is pretty, tried to commit suicide twice and was raped, she is 24-28ish... Unknown to her, because she thought it just an old myth, when her grandmother passes away Jenny becomes the next keeper of an ancient elemental dragon's prison. It just so happens to be a necklace her grandmother gives her. While the dragon has accepted its fate, others wish to release him, in hopes of gaining favors or immense wealth.

    A third I am really struggling with is more for the challenge of writing it and to tell a cute story. It is a furry story in which a short crossdressing male wolf who does ballet falls in love with a crossdressing female jackalop who is a welder. So the boy thinks he is dating another boy and the girl thinks she is dating another girl... And keeping the pronouns straight is the nightmare you might imagine it to be. Also F all the gender roles lol.
     
  4. ConnectedToWall

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    Those are some really cool ideas. I especially like the last one--seems like there's going to be a lot of chaos and confusion when they find out the truth.
     
  5. ConnectedToWall

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    Does anyone have a dream/favorite agent?
     
  6. ConnectedToWall

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    Usually schools or libraries have short story or poem writing contests that you can do to try and win scholarship money.
    My creative writing teacher had us do this contest: The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
    "The rules to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest are childishly simple:

    Each entry must consist of a single sentence but you may submit as many entries as you wish. (One fellow once submitted over 3,000 entries.)

    Sentences may be of any length but we strongly recommend that entries not go beyond 50 or 60 words. Entries must be “original” (as it were) and previously unpublished.

    Surface mail entries should be submitted on index cards, the sentence on one side and the entrant's name, address, and phone number on the other.

    E-mail entries should be in the body of the message, not in an attachment (and it would be really swell if you submitted your entries in Arial 12 font). One e-mail may contain multiple entries.

    Entries will be judged by categories, from “general” to detective, western, science fiction, romance, and so on. There will be overall winners as well as category winners.

    The official deadline is April 15 (a date that Americans associate with painful submissions and making up bad stories). The actual deadline is June 30.

    The contest accepts submissions every day of the livelong year.
    Wild Card Rule: Resist the temptation to work with puns like “It was a stark and dormy night.“

    Finally, in keeping with the gravitas, high seriousness, and general bignitude of the contest, the grand prize winner will receive … a pittance.

    You may inflict your entries either by electronic or surface mail.
    "
    http://bulwer-lytton.com/

    It's fun but the prize is very minimal.
     
  7. Blackangel

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    I've written 2 full length novels.. The first one was the same style of story as what SE Hinton wrote. It's getting a major revamp right now tho. There was a whole chunk of the story I never liked since the day I wrote it. Why I kept it I don't know.
    The second book I wrote was about a group of Devil worshipers. It's a kinda dark story.

    I also have 3 short stories. Random stuff.

    Then I have a lot of poetry. I've tried to write some songs, but for some wild reason I royally suck at trying to write music. I don't know what the deal is with that.
     
  8. ConnectedToWall

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    I used to try to write songs but they would just turn into poems so I gave up on it.
     
  9. KenzyBell

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    Same.
     
  10. Shorthaul

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    Poems tend to have a rhythm, so it isn't hard for one to become the other.

    And the road becomes my bride
    I am striped of all but pride
    So in her I do confide

    Not sure why Metallica was the first example to pop in my head, but I'll roll with it.
     
  11. Lazuri

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    And there's no remedy
    For memory
    Your face is like a melody
    It won't leave my head.

    Your soul is haunting me
    And telling me
    That everything is fine
    But I wish I was dead.



    Dark Paradise - Lana Del Rey.

    And let's not forget the most beautiful lyrics ever written--Gloomy Sunday.

    Sunday is gloomy
    My hours are slumberless
    Dearest, the shadows I live with are numberless.

    Little white flowers will never awaken you
    Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you.

    Angels have no thought of ever returning you
    Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?
    Gloomy Sunday.

    Sunday is gloomy
    With shadows I spend it all
    My heart and I have decided to end it all.

    Soon there'll be candles and songs that are sad, I know
    Let them not weep; let them know that I'm glad to go.

    Death is no dream for in death I'm caressing you
    With the last breath of my soul, I'll be blessing you.



    Tell me that isn't fuckin' poetry.
     
  12. GalleyGirl

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    Definitely poetry, In fact a lot of modern poets, even very famous and well-known ones, make a lot of their money writing song lyrics. So modern songs can be seen as a modern form of poetry, in the same way a lot of film's theme tunes can be seen as modern classical music.
     
  13. KenzyBell

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    This is my latest poem:


    Don't Do It

    Don’t do it.
    Don’t get forced into doing things.
    Don’t let people control you like you have puppet strings.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t let people break you.
    Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t let anyone break your heart.
    Don’t think you’re not smart.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t cut your wrist.
    Don’t do whatever you can just to show people you exist.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t stress about what people say.
    Don’t force yourself to act like it’s okay.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t leave yourself all alone.
    Don’t make yourself unknown.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t let anyone make you fall.
    Don’t end it all.
    Don’t do it.
    Don’t listen to the hates.
    Don’t build mental gates.
    Don’t do it.
    So many people care.
    And want to be there.
    So next time,
    Don’t Do It.
     
  14. Lazuri

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    Yeah. Songs have always been a form of poetry. Just listen to one of the most famous ye olde songs.

     
  15. GalleyGirl

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  16. Lazuri

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    Yes. And it was a very interesting time. Nobody from that era really did stuff for fame. For example, Scarborough Fair is so famous today, but nobody has any idea on who wrote it or even which lyrics are the original, since a bard would hear it, travel and sing their own versions. It was the same for many other songs from this time.