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Post by buxom9sorceress on Apr 26, 2016 16:44:45 GMT -5
Here is the scenario for my tale, unfleshed. Brothers growing up on the frontier during Conans reign. The elder destined to the toil of a life as an apprentice black smith under his father's tutelage, the younger learning the wood craft of the forrest runners and woodsmen. The elder builds a shotty, but sound raft and disappears down the river. Years later where the tale truely begins, the elder returns. He is now a pirate captain. He regales his brother and his family with tales of adventure on the high seas (after an elaborate back story concerning his becoming a pirate). There is a mystery to his return, but I don't want to give to much away yet. His brother has now been elevated to comander of the forest runners(an institution founded by King Conan), and there will be contention between the two. He has a fine Aquilonian wife and beautiful children. I wanted the elder to cruise his ship and crew right up to the frontier country, but only if it's feasible. Hi ALHAZRED, that is a very good and interesting tale idea. to go far upriver, i would say that he knew about all the shallows and rapids, so he transfered some of his crew into 4 or 5 big row boats [ each boat carries 10 to 12 men + some supplies? ] [ + boats can be carried past any bad rapids ] he left his main big ship [or ships] well guarded in wide river mouth. -- is pirate going after the fabled 'treasure of Tranicos' ?? ==== hope you get time to finish it. Looking forward to reading it. ==== [[ now i must find time to read mirror-thief s latest big Sol-Kane tale... ]]
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Post by themirrorthief on Jul 7, 2016 12:29:15 GMT -5
my best advice is take up another hobby like golf, knitting, stamp collecting, or watching soap operas...fishing is good too.
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Post by Von K on Jul 7, 2016 13:44:52 GMT -5
Imho, one of the best places to look for initial advice for writer's just starting up is Jim Butcher's* series of posts on his livejournal. Google 'Jim Butcher livejournal' and it should come up. Read his articles from bottom to top in order of posting.
*(author of Dresden Files)
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Post by themirrorthief on Jul 7, 2016 20:20:06 GMT -5
listen people, writing is easy...if you want to do it, just go on. You learn by doing so go for it.
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Post by themirrorthief on Feb 1, 2017 1:31:40 GMT -5
I would like to write something for this forum but I cant figure out what people would like...I dont know if I could do conan...I like him to much
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Post by robp on Feb 1, 2017 5:13:01 GMT -5
I'm just writing my first fiction book (short ghost stories) and for one thing I'd echo the above advice - just write! I found I was spending all day on-line researching places, names and history (the stories are all set in a specific place) and wasn't actually doing any writing!
One other thing I find useful is to do a rough plot outline - almost like a story board for a film. Or, to go back to my RPG days, plot out a scenario. I find it good to have a strong opening and closing, then the inbetween bit is about joining those two dots together
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Post by themirrorthief on Apr 28, 2017 13:33:14 GMT -5
you arent a writer unless somebody reads it....??
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Post by BlackHeart on Aug 28, 2017 6:12:47 GMT -5
you arent a writer unless somebody reads it....?? I would desagree if someone says that, my friend. If you write with pashion, then you are writer. Is it satisfying or realy good - it doesnt matter, only matter is that one have will and belive in his goal. Skills will come as one go forward. My mother and my aunt were terrific short tale/flash fiction writers,they even have one unfinished novel which is left in shadow more then 20 years ago. Never published enything (few poems and thats it) but that doesnt mean they arent writers, right? Its something U have inside or you dont. When it comes to fan fiction... Well... Its a hard job, if someone ask me. Not imposible, but hard. If I create character, he is mine to develope him. If I take someone's character (Conan, for example) it becomes diferent game from start. My take over Conan and your, however Howardian would it be, in the end would have certain personal seal on character. Not say its bad or something, but its not as easy as it seems in begining. Belive me, I tried.
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Post by Voorqual on Aug 28, 2017 14:11:06 GMT -5
Odd thing about me is that aside from a basic high school and community college education, both of which I didn't care much for anyway, I ended up a decent writer purely by reading and sometimes studying lots of well-written stories and essays and I guess naturally absorbing some of their strengths. That's not to say I'm great—I'm a crude writer and could do better—but I was such a lousy writer before I started really reading stuff. I notice a lot of bad writers online tend to admit that they don't read much, or they only read bad stuff and are influenced by it.
So... Just as some people advise others to write write write, I advise others to also read read read.
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Post by BlackHeart on Aug 28, 2017 14:54:03 GMT -5
With that I agreed. I think that one should read many diferent genres, something with soul and strenght, not junk or trash, to become complete writer one day. Im (as many people think) a good writer. Others (wich numbers is far less) thinks im a decent writer. Gues who's opinion I walue more?
One succesfull writer and a great poet, mr. Michel Boltres, once told me that I am a master of describing. Fine. Others tell me Im too moody and dark, violent in every aspect of the story/storyes, but I dont like fairy tales so happy ends are not my strenght. Mizantrop? Perhaps...
But also I can write werry romantic (yes, it helped me with girls in the past), Im in love with phylosophy (wich is somethimes the esence of my writing), I know to be ol' time style humoristic and so one. Still, I dont consider my self a Good Writer. As you said, everything could be better. Main reason im not finish my novel yet. There are parts that I like, some parts that I adore, and few parts I dont like that much. Not bad, but they could be A LOT better. I need to strangle my muse 😁 Just a litle
And so, once again we are litle of theme... 😇
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Post by themirrorthief on Sept 1, 2017 1:55:31 GMT -5
I write a lot but it seems like I hardly ever write anything. I have literally hundreds if not thousands of stories and poems and fragments, mostly posted somewhere on the web...many on sites I cant remember. Im not sure why I do it...I ask myself that all the time. For every story I have written I have two more in my head (along with tons of dust mites) I wish I knew what the appeal is cause I am always asking myself why I do it. Mostly I guess its something to do that is creative? Maybe I just like playing god and manipulating the lives of fictional people ha I do find a common theme with the great writers...they take you places where you meet interesting people, encounter new things, and often make you sad, perplexed, or enchanted. Howard had incredible power, somehow I dont think he realized it or surely he wouldnt have shot himself. IN the fantasy realm I like H Rider Haggard next to Howard. There are plenty of others I dig also. Some of my friends think they are writers but somehow they have a messed up concept of writing. I wish I could tell you what makes it great to read but I cant. You just need to make someone turn the page as they say.
This is turning into a novel...haha. If you want the advice of a wannabee like myself I would suggest you nurture you imagination above all things otherwise. HOw you do that is up to you but I suggest you try to analyze what makes something interesting to yourself. Some would say you should only write about what is going on around you and find some truth there. However truth is a concept of the mind so that never helped me any.
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Post by BlackHeart on Sept 1, 2017 5:21:56 GMT -5
This is turning into a novel...haha. If you want the advice of a wannabee like myself I would suggest you nurture you imagination above all things otherwise. HOw you do that is up to you but I suggest you try to analyze what makes something interesting to yourself. Some would say you should only write about what is going on around you and find some truth there. However truth is a concept of the mind so that never helped me any. I gues this is ment for me, so... My (will be) novel is historical fiction with some dose of supernatural elements in it. It is based on true historical events, in medieval Bizantinum empire, and has a good sum of real characters from that epoch. Lot more characters are mine, including the two main of the story. Its a conanic in some way, cause main guy is a Nordic mercenary traped during the atack of Rusian/Scandinavian army on Bizantinum. I know what I would write but from time to time my mind becomes barren as a brick. I write like hell and then just stop for month or two even. And then all of this comes back to me again and then I rewrite and continue with my story. Ill finish it one day, in not distant future. Its not the problem with idea. Problem is warm - cold periods of inspiration. But in the meantime I usualy work on some yarn or a poems. Then it came to me again and I go back to writing old stuff. When it comes to writing, I belive in certain aproach. "Write with blood" Nietche said "and you'll know that the blood is soul..." Action is important part of eny story, yarn or novel, but, also there must be phylosophical aspect (like Milius did in CtB with his ridle of steel) and I prefere to ocupy my self with personal psyhology of characters, then just to create solid litle tale. You just have to give to reader someone in who he can find litle of himself. All in all, writing isnt hard as it seems. It can be, of course, but in the end its not a road for everyone. So im glad to see all of you here walking on it. Writen word is one of greatest acomplishments of human kind. In a way it realy makes you a god while you write. And it is a greatest monument to someone. Howard is dead, but his storyes and poems will live forever. And while there's us to read it, I like to belive that he also lives again.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 11:11:43 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 11:31:42 GMT -5
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Post by Grim Wanderer on Jan 24, 2019 12:48:06 GMT -5
Excellent posts. Von K has summed up how to approach openings very nicely. It's very interesting to see how authors other than Howard approached the same problem. Certainly a great bit of kit to add to any aspiring writer's toolbox.
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