I'm DOIN' it, baby

[ljlee]

I don't know what exactly moved me from inaction. Maybe it was a couple of recent experiences which convinced me that some published authors actually suck at this whole writing and thinking thing and I could do better if I put my mind to it.* Maybe it was the galvanizing examples of my friends, one of whom is working on her second novel and another

Comments

[loopy777]

You link to the most delightfully bizarre people. XD As I read through the Mary Catelli "debate," I almost got the sense she was annoyed that you had replied at all, that she wanted to make a quick'n'clever point with funny comic linked and then move on. Your wanting to engage on a wider point made her reply because it would have looked bad if she left you hanging, or something similar.

I wish you all the best luck in writing your book, and especially wish you continued enthusiasm as you grind through all that research. Do you have the plot and characters fleshed out, or do you need to do some of that digging before you can solidify things?

[ljlee]

Yeah, I definitely got that sense about five posts in, too. (Slow on the uptake, I know.) I don't get what's so hard about saying you're a nuisance, please go away. I guess in a way she did say that, except I didn't deserve to be told up front, only gagged. That's what third-person pronoun people get, I guess. XD

Part of my reason for writing about this publicly is to shame myself into continuing even when it gets too hard or my enthusiasm flags. I have a broad outline of a plot based on the historical events and my imagination, but I want to get a more solid sense of what these people's lives were like before I fill in the details. I'll be journaling about the research and writing process as I go. You've also done a novel-length fic, any thoughts of starting an original project of your own?

[loopy777]

Oh, sure plenty of thoughts, but I treat them like schoolyard crushes- something to be enjoyed secretly but not remotely taken seriously, and violently denied if any of my Bro friends ask about them. I even have a text file on my hard drive with ideas. (Random excerpts: "The Girl Who Killed Winter," "murder by way of a gun that shoots thoughts," "how Nina Ninja got her groove back while breaking a Traitor out of a sentient prison.") But then when the sun sets and the air grows cold, I remember that the reason I became a computer programmer is because I hate business stuff, and there's no such thing as publishing a book without diving below those waves

[fairladyz2005]

And so it begins...

It great to see you are taking the plunge. If you ever need "inspiration for writers" links, advice on good writing books, or have any questions from someone who has braved the waters ahead of you, don't hesitate to drop me a pm.

I'm so excited for you! You seem to have a plan with your historical research. I just read a lot of stuff and muddle through since it's not like I can afford a trip to the UK right now. Geographically speaking you are a lot closer to your target historical site. And short stories are a great way to cut your teeth. I hope to post a few things this year about my own writing journey so hopefully it will be of some help/inspiration to you.

[ljlee]

It begins indeed! Dun-dun-dun!! That sounds like a great resource, any thoughts about making a post? And thank you, I'll be sure to bother you once this process starts to bother me, as I'm sure it will. :)

Sherwood Forest to me is more a mythical place than anything else, defined more through the exploits of Robin Hood than the real-life forest in Nottingham. I guess it depends on how historical you want to make the book, though.

I'm not sure how true I can be to the history for my own tale, since what records remain are fragmented and obscure. Hence, tons of room for invention. :) Mostly I want to find out who these people were, these distant ancestors who lived on the northern plans of China, neighbor to the most advanced civilization in the world and powerful nomadic tribes.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm loking forward to your writing posts, too, I'm sure they'll be helpful in my journey.

[fairladyz2005]

Here the link, the vid never fails to inspire me: http://writeattitude.net/

One reason I like working in the quasi-mythical is that I have leeway as to how historical I choose to make my books. I admire you for having the patience to do a full historical.

You're welcome, any time you need encouragement just ask.

[ljlee]

Yeah, that is a nice video! I've bookmarked the site, thanks.

Partly I'm doing all this research because I have a devouring curiosity about Soseono as she might have been. The specific facts of her life will never be recovered--it was too long ago and there just aren't enough records--but maybe by learning more about her time period I can tease out a few more details of what her life might have been like, the context in which she made her choices.

On a less noble note, her history is very much a part of the Korean people's heritage and I'm pretty sure I'll be eaten alive unless I do my research. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be eaten alive either way. :P There's a reason I'm doing the book in English first. Partly because I'm more used to writing in English, but also because I hope to fireproof myself back home with whatever measure of success I can get in the English-speaking market.

[sohawkeward]

This post made me ridiculously happy - probably because I'm kind of psyched that you're psyched about writing that novel. I hope to one day find your book in my hands, but for now I wish you good luck! It's going to be one hell of a ride, but a fantastic one too. Good on you for taking that first step - someday I'll be in your position and I'll be pestering you for advice if/when I decide to try my hand at writing a book myself. :D

[ljlee]

Thank you for your encouragement, and of course I'm here to help however I can! For all we know, though, your book will be out ahead of mine with the humongous task I've set for myself. :P

[chordatesrock]

Wow, awesome idea! Good luck! :D

[ljlee]

Thank you!