The Review Club Forum The New and Improved Method Th..

For your forum pleasure, I've started a new method thread, since you all loved it so much last time.

I'm going to repeat some of the old questions. First, because I love this topic (thanks Anthony) full or empty stomach, or is it irrelevant? Next, where do you feel you are on the road to publication? (Thanks Julie.) Novels, shorts, or both, and why one or the other, and what do you think the challenges are moving between?

And, last, but not least, the million dollar question.

WHY DO YOU WRITE? Why do you play this game, with no guarantee of a payoff, no glory, and all the accompanying heartache?

(I'll answer all of my questions in another post.)

-cc

Full, empty, or hungover. I'm not picky. Lots of nicotene being the only requirement.

I've got stuff out on query. God help me, I've got to be getting closer than not, because I can't stand it much longer. ::biggrin::

Novels and shorts, although I prefer novels because I can't seem to keep stories short. I think the great challenge of shorts is compressing down under 7k or so. Usually I can't do it, or, rather, the story lacks focus, completeness, or something. I just tend to think in novel, apparently. The grand challenge of novel writing is getting enough plot but not too much, and surviving to the end, because, lord, I get tired around 50-60k.

Oh, and I'm not answering my last question right now. So there.

-cc

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That is how I feel about it.

full or empty stomach, or is it irrelevant? Next, where do you feel you are on the road to publication?

Maybe irrelevant, but the empty stomach bit can sometimes be great motivation. Write before you eat, Jeffrey! I feel maybe I'm a year and a break away from publication? I told myself I'd be published before thirty, which is this September, but maybe my writing isn't quite ready for something actually substantial. We'll see.

Novels, shorts, or both, and why one or the other, and what do you think the challenges are moving between?

Umm, hopefully both, although it seems I write more towards the short. I do have many novel ideas (wah wah wah wah), but don't quite have the endurance, yet. The challenges are as CC put them, with the short you are working towards a point immediately, and with the novel, timing and pacing become so important.

WHY DO YOU WRITE? Why do you play this game, with no guarantee of a payoff, no glory, and all the accompanying heartache?

Hmm. The quick answer is I write because I am a writer, good or bad. It's how I look at things. How something that might seem so innocuous to someone else looks beautiful and/or tragic to me. I write with delusions of grandeur in mind. In fact, I had an idea to try and put together a collection of all the speeches I've written in my head when I became famous. I write because I'm a closet martyr and to starve for art seems just the thing for a pompous sadist like myself. But, most of all - and why I think most male artists are motivated to do anything - I write to woo women.

My answer to my last question. Because I'm too lazy to retype it.

-cc

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Hmmm. Can't think of a better reason. ::tongue:: Of course, the readers I tend to attract are clearly insane (you know who you are), so there is that.

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Probably an empty stomach because I'm not much of an eater; heck when I was younger I'd forget to eat completely for a few days while studying or writing, or whatever. As long as I have a stimulant -- caffeine or nicotine. Been trying to give up the later but it's hard when I run a 10K in just over 50 minutes, even with a 1/2 pack a day habit. Although I do notice it affects endurance. Ugh!

I've a long way to go to publication of a novel. I lack the focus. My mind wanders and then I have to get ahold of myself and get back on track again. Realistically, I figure a year (hahaha! Aren't I the optimist?).

I've considered the short my genre. Pack it tight but something I can knock off in an evening, and edit over a few days. I need to get better at the longer pieces. The big challenge for me when moving to a longer piece is plot ... the bane of my existence. I'm all theme and character, and my plots aren't very good. I think I need to focus on driving stories more on plot. Ugh! Double ugh!

I write because of two reasons, I guess. First, I love the texture of language. Second, I love stories especially stories which cause strong emotional reactions.

Cheers!

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I would have guessed both of those from your writing. You have a wonderful ability to weaver texture and beauty from words. And the emotional conection is constant. I'd love to see how those play out in novel form.

So I'm going to answer why I write. I write because the characters in my head demand it. I write because I want to give them, and maybe a small piece of myself a voice. I love books. I love short stories. I love writing and the willingness of a writer to lay it on the line. I can understand how we get tangled in our stories, forgetting to pay attention to the 'real world'. But that is a small price to pay.

I write novels, shorts, and poems. Which form do I like most? I like novels because it gives me time to fully develop both the plot and the characters, not to mention time to make mistakes. Shorts are great too, because I get immediate gratification.

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Can't right on a full stomach. (period) My best writing is between meals. Don't write well with hunger pains but better than being full. With lots of fluids and smokes I can do 8 hours easily.

Publication... My rosy optimistic side says one year. My realistic side says at least 5.
My pessimistic side says 20.

I primarily write novels. I tinker with poetry (really just for the wife) every once in a while. Short stories are a mystery to me. My mind just roams and builds with no end in sight. However, I do think writing short stories are important. That ability to write a short could really help with pulling your chapters together. With short stories almost every line counts. And I think developing that eye for detail could help tremendously in a novel.

I write because my mind wont shut-up and I have to release my creative energy. I'm never as happy as when I'm creating. It could be a story or some other project, as long as I'm creating.

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Full or empty stomach? Hrm... never really thought about it. I have to have coffee though. That is really a bonus for me :)

Well mostly I've written shorts. I'm trying to write a novel, but I've had almost the exact opposite problem that most people seem to express. I have a hard time getting a plot to stretch out over 80 to 100k. As far as shorts... well the instant gratification is really fun. And most of the stories I tell are small, just one or two events.

How close am I to publication? Well sooner rather than later I hope. But I don't know. Probably at least another year or two.

Geez. Why do I write? Because I would have an empty meaningless life otherwise, filled with nothing more than hours of watching movies and anime. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Otherwise that's about it.

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I prefer to write when I am not hungry, but since I have been dieting for a year and a half, I tend to write while I am hungry. I know your saying, what? Dieting for a year and a half? Okay, so now you know that I used to weigh 100 pounds more than I do now. So, I guess to answer the question, the food issue doesn't really matter to me. I do tend to do better with a little nicotine, but I quit smoking last week, I just hope that doesn't effect my writing.

Where am I on the road to publication? I think that when I get True Light to where I am completely happy with it, I will start seriously looking for representation. After that, who knows how long it will be.

I prefer writing Novels because it gives me the oportunity to truely develop characters and plot. I had not wrote any shorts until that contest a few weeks ago. I have to admit writing that short taught me alot about making every word and sentence count and is something that I can use in my novel writing.

Why do I write? I write to keep myself sane. I find it theraputic. I tend to write things that are fiction, but there is a bit of nonfiction in it as well and is my way of working things out in my head. Even if no one ever reads what I write and I never get published, I won't regret the time I spend writing.

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That was wonderfully put. And I have no doubts you'll get published and have a million readers.

OK. I'm usually too shy and reclusive to jump into these discussions, but I thought I'd challenge myself today.

I'm a creature of routine and this is pretty much my routine seven days a week:

I eat a breakfast sandwich consisting of an egg, pepper-jack cheese, bell peppers, jalepenos, and banana peppers on whole wheat bread, then I head to one of four coffee shops. I choose which coffee shop I go to based on my mood. I spend some time reading the paper and blogs and chatting with friends and the baristas. Then I roll up my sleeves, occasionally (ok, more than occasionally) I eat a special cookie made with my own special recipe, crank up some music for my headphones (usually i stream kexp.org) and write/edit/think for a couple hours.

Throughout the rest of my day, I write when it strikes me, though distractions at work keep me focussed on editing and rewriting more than putting anything new on the page.

I don't have a great answer as to where I am on the road to publication. I feel confident I can crank out a novel every year at the pace I currently enjoy. I have no doubts that eventually one will get published.

I'm not so into short stories because I can't escape into them enough. See the answer below.

WHY DO I WRITE? I write for two reasons:
I write to escape and I write to make sense of the world.
I can't lose myself as deeply by simply reading books by other folks as I can by writing my own. Ultimately, all of the characters I draw are some part of myself that I want to explore and come to terms with, so I use them to find some order to the world's chaos.

I too used to write to get women, but I found that unpublished writers only get women throughout their 20's. When a writer hits 30 the women quit coming around unless you are published. (I hate to be the bearer of bad news Jeff). So now I write to escape and I wear a Speedo to the beach if I want to get the chicks. ::cool::

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Best answer EVER!

Brent, so glad you joined in.

Great responses from all who have joined in. It is amazing how vastly different we are, but still seek to prefect our craft.

Actually, my wife (who is rarely very funny) suggested the answer would have been better if I had used the term "banana hammock" instead.

I think she may be right.

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Glad to see you joined in :) And that was a kick :)

Eeeesh. I hit thirty in September. No pressure, eh, Brent? Luckily, I look young enough and act immature enough to still pick up women in their early twenties so maybe I can ... okay, whatever, I need to get published.

Geeze, guys. Now you made me forget the questions. ::tongue:: (banana hammocks, indeed!)

Um.. full or empty stomach. I'm not sure that makes a difference. But, I HAVE to be alert. If I'm cotton-headed, you can fugetaboutit.

Published - yes, in newspapers, and POD

Novel, short story or poetry? I prefer novels - actually series of novels. (My characters don't know when to shut up.) I write poetry, but mainly to vent. I took down all my poetry from the Cafe, because people wanted me to review their poems. I HATE reviewing poetry, so, in fairness, mine got deleted.

Why do I write - sanity. Not kidding. If I actually manage to sell one of my books, that's just icing on the cake.

Now, for you guys who write to get the gals, they only wanna know if you can write a check for five figures (no decimals, please) and if it's good. ::cool::

(Hey! I'm older than you guys, so I can get away with saying smarmy stuff like that.)