***The Official OcUK Writers Thread***

I'm in the middle of (ok, at the beginning!) of writing a short story, possibly developing into a novellette. I used to write a lot of short stories at school, but have not written for several years.
I do hope to publish this one though, via the kindle route. If anyone is interested I could post an early draft extract here, for criticism and derision ;)
 
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Short stories are much harder than novels... it's a misconception for beginner-writers that the short length of a short story makes it inherently 'easier' or less of a commitment. The short story is a fearsome form indeed when used well. The short story is incredibly focused and every single word and sentence must be there for a reason - and for maximum effect. I would put some of Joyce's short stories, as well as Chekhov and Conrad's shorter works above almost all of the novelistic canon.
 
Uther said:
I'm in the middle of (ok, at the beginning!) of writing a short story, possibly developing into a novellette. I used to write a lot of short stories at school, but have not written for several years.
I do hope to publish this one though, via the kindle route.
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A novella, you mean :)
 
InKursion said:
Short stories are much harder than novels... it's a misconception for beginner-writers that the short length of a short story makes it inherently 'easier' or less of a commitment. The short story is a fearsome form indeed when used well. The short story is incredibly focused and every single word and sentence must be there for a reason - and for maximum effect. I would put some of Joyce's short stories, as well as Chekhov and Conrad's shorter works above almost all of the novelistic canon.
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Indeed. A short story done well is an incredible thing. I recently read and reviewed a brand new/upcoming one, Thin Men with Yellow Faces by British scribes Gary McMahon and Simon Bestwick, and the amount of thought that must have went into that (not to mention arguments between the two!) is astounding.

It's a chapbook, so in a mere 26 or so pages they manage to throw in setup, a home invasion, a tense excursion, a pulse-pounding chase and an explosive finale -- not to mention an extra little scene of character development.

Authors to watch out for, no doubt, and a great little piece to demonstrate just how much economy of wordplay truly goes into a short.
 
Yes, but in this case we are talking about a fledgling writer, not James Joyce. Writing short stories can help you learn the craft in numerous ways. It's laughable to think that everything someone writes would or should be published, so shorter pieces can be ideal - whether they are terrible or not. Lots of new writers seem to think that a novel is the only form of writing and such a large undertaking can break your spirit.
 
I am working on a semi-autobiographical Novel currently, I am a total novice at creative writing though so general pointers are welcome........
 
Edrof said:
Yes, but in this case we are talking about a fledgling writer, not James Joyce. Writing short stories can help you learn the craft in numerous ways. It's laughable to think that everything someone writes would or should be published, so shorter pieces can be ideal - whether they are terrible or not. Lots of new writers seem to think that a novel is the only form of writing and such a large undertaking can break your spirit.
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Oh, absolutely! Only writing, and writing more, can help you quite literally hone the craft.

But reading and taking the example of exemplary pieces is just as helpful.

There's never a point telling anyone "You're not as good as THIS!" because... well... even the best aren't as good as others in some respects!

I don't think anyone here is attempting to be disparaging to the OP or anyone else. It takes time, effort, and dedication to really get your writing down. The only thing I can say is never forget your voice. Never. It's what makes your writing "yours". Take the tips, take the influence, but don't imitate.

Also, in any creative endeavour -- be your own worst critic. "Good enough" isn't good enough for YOU.
 
Edrof said:
Yes, but in this case we are talking about a fledgling writer, not James Joyce. Writing short stories can help you learn the craft in numerous ways. It's laughable to think that everything someone writes would or should be published, so shorter pieces can be ideal - whether they are terrible or not. Lots of new writers seem to think that a novel is the only form of writing and such a large undertaking can break your spirit.
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The point being that the short story form is extremely compact and actually narratively quite demanding - a lot has to be done in a short space. A novel gives a new writer time to 'breathe', time to really show off some prose flair or properly develop a style - and enjoy playing around with wordplay, metaphor, allusion, all the rich things that give writing depth and texture. A novel also gives fledgling writers a lot more room in which to establish and really flesh out characters, which is an invaluable skill. A short-story form (with successful characters, that is) is an almost mystical thing. A short story is quite demanding: it's like hewing a well-formed narrative out of a lump of marble.
 
One thing I also thought could be useful for fledgeling writers, and brought up with Vadim Perelman (who wrote the screenplay adaptation for House of Sand and Fog), is to write your own adaptations of literary works.

For example, if you want to write novels, practice writing a novel adaptation of your favourite films. Add scenes to expand characters and really get deep into what you think is going on in there. Similarly, if you're looking to screenwriting, try adapting some of your favourite books into screenplays to make sure you can get the most important character beats and story events organically spread across 100 (or so) pages.

It obviously can't be used professionally, but it makes for excellent practice.
 
Thank you everyone, especially Edrof... I actually appreciate the criticism as it inspires me to try harder... I will keep on writing because anyway because it is something that is already giving me great pleasure.... being able to put my sometimes over active imagination to good use
 
The main advice I can offer is do it, don't think about it. :-) Ten minutes a day, an hour a day, two hours a week, whatever. Just make sure you set regular time aside to write, even if you only have rubbish to show for it when you've finished.

The podcasts here are useful for inspiration http://www.writingexcuses.com/

The authors involved are mainly SF/Fantasy, but the advice is pretty generic in most cases.
 
Pestilence said:
One thing I also thought could be useful for fledgeling writers, and brought up with Vadim Perelman (who wrote the screenplay adaptation for House of Sand and Fog), is to write your own adaptations of literary works.

For example, if you want to write novels, practice writing a novel adaptation of your favourite films. Add scenes to expand characters and really get deep into what you think is going on in there. Similarly, if you're looking to screenwriting, try adapting some of your favourite books into screenplays to make sure you can get the most important character beats and story events organically spread across 100 (or so) pages.

It obviously can't be used professionally, but it makes for excellent practice.
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Man, that is a brilliant idea. Why did I never think of that!

Yes, I too dabble with writing but it's incredibly frustrating. I've taken to writing stuff about my life. Breakups or job interviews, Christmases spent or conversations had. I CAN write, it just takes me forever to get the structure and flow right.
 
regulus said:
Man, that is a brilliant idea. Why did I never think of that!
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I'm not so sure it is a fantastic idea. I mean it may work for some developing characters and plot but personally I'd rather work on my own writing rather than attempt to continue others work.

The important thing is to write. That's often the hardest bit, somedays I get a couple of hundred words down. Other days it's thousands. As long as you keep writing its all good.
 
LordSplodge said:
I'm not so sure it is a fantastic idea. I mean it may work for some developing characters and plot but personally I'd rather work on my own writing rather than attempt to continue others work.

The important thing is to write. That's often the hardest bit, somedays I get a couple of hundred words down. Other days it's thousands. As long as you keep writing its all good.
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Yes, but I'm stuck for something to write. My brain finds it extremely difficult dreaming up plausible scenarios. I find I write much easier if I know what's going to happen and feel good about it. Perhaps I'll try something where the Titanic didn't sink.
 
regulus said:
Yes, but I'm stuck for something to write. My brain finds it extremely difficult dreaming up plausible scenarios. I find I write much easier if I know what's going to happen and feel good about it. Perhaps I'll try something where the Titanic didn't sink.
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Maybe a story where it did sink, but at the end of the film where Jack sinks away things take a very different turn...

The Adventures of Jack in Atlantis.
 
I've been writing music reviews for many years now.

I plan to write a book at some stage soon. I have my theme, setting and characterisation but need to expand on the plot.
 
regulus said:
Yes, but I'm stuck for something to write. My brain finds it extremely difficult dreaming up plausible scenarios. I find I write much easier if I know what's going to happen and feel good about it. Perhaps I'll try something where the Titanic didn't sink.
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It will need Nazis...and zombies.
 
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