# Big step forward



## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

Today I have handed in the script of my book to my writing coach. This is a 42.372 words (126 pages) document describing in detail what will happen in each scene of the book. Who will be in them, what they look like, act like, feel like, what part of their personal history will be shown in that scene, what the enviroment is like and so on. She will critique it for structural mistakes as they are a lot easier to change in this document than in the actual book. After that I finally get to do what I like the most and that is write the book itself.


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## TKent (Oct 22, 2014)

Woo hoo!!!


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## Bishop (Oct 22, 2014)

Congratulations! But damn, 42K words of planning? Sounds like Kyle M's dream and my nightmare


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

you wrote a 42,000 word document about what your book's going to be about? oh my god. there's something twilight zonish about that to me for some reason.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

TKent said:


> Woo hoo!!!


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Congratulations! But damn, 42K words of planning? Sounds like Kyle M's dream and my nightmare



Then I imagine the 59K research document (with information from piles of books I read, 42 pages of character profiles and the eight page list of websites I consulted) would really have you waking up screaming in the middle of the night 

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dale said:


> you wrote a 42,000 word document about what your book's going to be about? oh my god. there's something twilight zonish about that to me for some reason.



Yeah, I guess so. What can I say... I'm a control freak


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> Then I imagine the 59K research document (with information from piles of books I read, 42 pages of character profiles and the eight page list of websites I consulted) would really have you waking up screaming in the middle of the night


 i'm not a fast or easy writer. it's really torment for me to write, to be honest. and my novel was only 52,000 words. but it was 52,000 words of pure hell to me. that's why it's messing with my head that you did that. i'm picturing myself tearing my hair out.


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## dither (Oct 22, 2014)

Good luck Misti.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

dale said:


> i'm not a fast or easy writer. it's really torment for me to write, to be honest. and my novel was only 52,000 words. but it was 52,000 words of pure hell to me. that's why it's messing with my head that you did that. i'm picturing myself tearing my hair out.



With the actual writing of the book I would be like you, but this is different. This is just research. Trying to figure out how to make the story work and what needs to be explained in what chapter so that in the end it all comes together just right. Because of this work I now know Lily's (my main character) world better than I do my own and that will make the actual writing far easier. I don't have to think about what she would say in a dialogue, because she is nagging in my head all day. I don't have to think what she might look like, because her picture is in my head. I know what her house looks like in every detail and I know what she eats for breakfast. Her world is real to me and I can now write about it as though I am in it.

This still wasn't easy though. Only took a few years 

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dither said:


> Good luck Misti.



Thanks


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## Deleted member 56686 (Oct 22, 2014)

Good going Misti * stares wide-eyed at computer screen* :smile:


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

mrmustard615 said:


> Good going Misti * stares wide-eyed at computer screen* :smile:



Thank you  I keep forgetting to add that witch and especially in this thread that shouldn't be forgotten since the book is about witches


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

oh my god...if you really wanna know hell on a keyboard? go to elance and get a content writing job. i swear i felt better slaving in a factory than i did writing that crap. you know all those reviews you see for products? never believe them. that's some sap like me getting paid pennies to praise products i've never owned or used. i once wrote great reviews for ASICS women's shoes. got paid $15 as a man writing reviews for women's shoes. i ,also wrote reviews for high tech military corporations on how great they are for their communities. that was a hard one, because their websites are so secretive about what they really do. so i basically just made nice shit up about them and they bought it. but content writing is a REALLY mind-numbing, soul-draining experience.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

dale said:


> oh my god...if you really wanna know hell on a keyboard? go to elance and get a content writing job. i swear i felt better slaving in a factory than i did writing that crap. you know all those reviews you see for products? never believe them. that's some sap like me getting paid pennies to praise products i've never owned or used. i once wrote great reviews for ASICS women's shoes. got paid $15 as a man writing reviews for women's shoes. i ,also wrote reviews for high tech military corporations on how great they are for their communities. that was a hard one, because their websites are so secretive about what they really do. so i basically just made nice shit up about them and they bought it. but content writing is a REALLY mind-numbing, soul-draining experience.



I have to admit that doesn't sound nice. So let me get this straight, you wear woman's shoes whilst you test out this company's new weapons??? You have a facinating life :rofl:


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## Deleted member 56686 (Oct 22, 2014)

dale said:


> i once wrote great reviews for ASICS women's shoes. got paid $15 as a man writing reviews for women's shoes.




That's okay as long as you didn't try them on


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> I have to admit that doesn't sound nice. So let me get this straight, you wear woman's shoes whilst you test out this company's new weapons??? You have a facinating life :rofl:



lol. it's not fascinating. it's horrible. all a content writer is? a low paid professional liar. kind of like a lawyer, only you don't get a mercedes.
some people think fiction is lying. but in my fiction? i always tell the truth. it's been my supposed "non-fiction" projects where i always lie.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

dale said:


> lol. it's not fascinating. it's horrible. all a content writer is? a low paid professional liar. kind of like a lawyer, only you don't get a mercedes.
> some people think fiction is lying. but in my fiction? i always tell the truth. it's been my supposed "non-fiction" projects where i always lie.



Yeah, it does sound horrible.

I try to stay close to the truth in my viction. So the castle in my story - Duwisib castle - actually excists and most details I put in the story of that castle are based on reality. One of the reasons why I have to do so much research. Clearly I can't tell the truth completely as the red witches in my story don't excist. Or at least I certainly hope they don't or I would be number one on their hitlist for uncovering their secrets (they are very vendictive creatures)


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## dither (Oct 22, 2014)

dale said:


> oh my god...if you really wanna know hell on a keyboard? go to elance and get a content writing job. i swear i felt better slaving in a factory than i did writing that crap. you know all those reviews you see for products? never believe them. that's some sap like me getting paid pennies to praise products i've never owned or used. i once wrote great reviews for ASICS women's shoes. got paid $15 as a man writing reviews for women's shoes. i ,also wrote reviews for high tech military corporations on how great they are for their communities. that was a hard one, because their websites are so secretive about what they really do. so i basically just made nice shit up about them and they bought it. but content writing is a REALLY mind-numbing, soul-draining experience.



Is this an overture to a coming out?
Hey! It's cool. Okay? ;-)


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

dither said:


> Is this an overture to a coming out?
> Hey! It's cool. Okay? ;-)


  ha ha. i wear a size 12. i don't think they make womens shoes as big as my foot. i am gonna wear goth make-up for a halloween party in a few days, though. i'll put up a pic of it when i'm there.


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## Bishop (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> Yeah, it does sound horrible.
> 
> I try to stay close to the truth in my viction. So the castle in my story - Duwisib castle - actually excists and most details I put in the story of that castle are based on reality. One of the reasons why I have to do so much research. Clearly I can't tell the truth completely as the red witches in my story don't excist. Or at least I certainly hope they don't or I would be number one on their hitlist for uncovering their secrets (they are very vendictive creatures)



See, I look at this and just think, "Damn. Seems a lot easier to just make up a castle."


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## Kevin (Oct 22, 2014)

> ha. i wear a size 12. i don't think they make womens shoes as big as my foot. i am gonna wear goth make-up for a halloween party in a few days, though. i'll put up a pic of it when i'm there.


'kinky boots', I think they're from some island...seen it in a movie... Conan O'Brien lookin dude... save the factory.


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## TKent (Oct 22, 2014)

Hey Dale, oddly I am so happy to hear this. (that sounds awful doesn't it?? like misery loves company??). I am not a natural writer and I feel that every sentence, every paragraph is a fight that I never quite win. I love a challenge but boy I'd trade a little of the challenge for just a cupful of natural talent.



> i'm not a fast or easy writer. it's really torment for me to write, to be honest. and my novel was only 52,000 words. but it was 52,000 words of pure hell to me. that's why it's messing with my head that you did that. i'm picturing myself tearing my hair out.



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Easy is for wusses Bishop   I'm impressed Mistique...



> See, I look at this and just think, "Damn. Seems a lot easier to just make up a castle."


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

Bishop said:


> See, I look at this and just think, "Damn. Seems a lot easier to just make up a castle."



Making up a castle in Namibie (where most of the story is taking place) isn't that easy. You have to make it up in such a way that it suits that enviroment. If I were to create a cinderella castle in Namibie it wouldn't be that credible and that would probably annoy the reader (it certainly would annoy me if it was that obviously wrong). Besides this is a very cool castle.




It's so cool to have this mediaval looking german fortress in the middle of those mountains and the desert. It just looks like it has to be in a story.


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## TKent (Oct 22, 2014)

Plotters of the world unite!!



> With the actual writing of the book I would be like you, but this is different. This is just research. Trying to figure out how to make the story work and what needs to be explained in what chapter so that in the end it all comes together just right. Because of this work I now know Lily's (my main character) world better than I do my own and that will make the actual writing far easier. I don't have to think about what she would say in a dialogue, because she is nagging in my head all day. I don't have to think what she might look like, because her picture is in my head. I know what her house looks like in every detail and I know what she eats for breakfast. Her world is real to me and I can now write about it as though I am in it.
> 
> This still wasn't easy though. Only took a few years :wink:


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## Bishop (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> Making up a castle in Namibie (where most of the story is taking place) isn't that easy. You have to make it up in such a way that it suits that enviroment. If I were to create a cinderella castle in Namibie it wouldn't be that credible and that would probably annoy the reader (it certainly would annoy me if it was that obviously wrong). Besides this is a very cool castle.
> 
> View attachment 6728
> 
> It's so cool to have this mediaval looking german fortress in the middle of those mountains and the desert. It just looks like it has to be in a story.




LOL, see, this is why I write sci-fi, because my mind immediately went to "So just make up the environment as well!" When it comes to my books, I'm like Keyser Soze: "He made it all up!"


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## dale (Oct 22, 2014)

TKent said:


> Hey Dale, oddly I am so happy to hear this. (that sounds awful doesn't it?? like misery loves company??). I am not a natural writer and I feel that every sentence, every paragraph is a fight that I never quite win. I love a challenge but boy I'd trade a little of the challenge for just a cupful of natural talent.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



talent has nothing to do with it. not trying to be arrogant, but i consider myself a "talented" writer. but to put myself in that "mind-zone" where
the words flow like wine in my head, isn't easy to get to. and when i'm there? it's kind of a lonely and desolate environment. i don't like my "muse".
she reminds me of my ex-wife. cold, cynical, and dark.


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## MzSnowleopard (Oct 22, 2014)

My hats off to you Mystique, while I have the background material floating around in my grey matter- I doubt I could accomplish what you have. Getting it all down, typed up, you name it- I don't know any other writer who's accomplished this. 

That's amazing.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

TKent said:


> Plotters of the world unite!!



Oh, yes, I am definately a plotter 

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Bishop said:


> LOL, see, this is why I write sci-fi, because my mind immediately went to "So just make up the environment as well!" When it comes to my books, I'm like Keyser Soze: "He made it all up!"



*laughs out loud* I can't do that. The kind of witches they are, they need to be in Namibia. I have a second group of witches - green witches - in Iceland, a third - yellow witches - in india and the forth - blue witches - in the US. In the story I mix the background of the witch tribes with real world history, so it will seem as though these witches have caused a lot of real life events. Its intertwined so strongly that it will seem as though these witches have been around forever and the rest of us don't really know about it. So I can't make most of it up.

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MzSnowleopard said:


> My hats off to you Mystique, while I have the background material floating around in my grey matter- I doubt I could accomplish what you have. Getting it all down, typed up, you name it- I don't know any other writer who's accomplished this.
> 
> That's amazing.



Thank you, that is so kind of you to say.


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## MzSnowleopard (Oct 22, 2014)

Personally, I love it when fiction weaves itself through facts. After reading this thread, I'm anxious to read the final product. 

After all of this work- is this just one book or a series?


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

MzSnowleopard said:


> Personally, I love it when fiction weaves itself through facts. After reading this thread, I'm anxious to read the final product.
> 
> After all of this work- is this just one book or a series?



It will be a trilogy. It start small with just Lily's world and her issues with her red witch family (her mum wants to kill her), in the second all the tribes get involved and in the third the world gets involved as the war between the tribes explodes.


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## Bishop (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> *laughs out loud* I can't do that. The kind of witches they are, they need to be in Namibia. I have a second group of witches - green witches - in Iceland, a third - yellow witches - in india and the forth - blue witches - in the US. In the story I mix the background of the witch tribes with real world history, so it will seem as though these witches have caused a lot of real life events. Its intertwined so strongly that it will seem as though these witches have been around forever and the rest of us don't really know about it. So I can't make most of it up.



Well, kudos on the authenticity. My own research is into things like binary stars, death and decomposition in space, and faster-than-light travel. And my noir novel demands research into what kinds of Fords the police drove in 1947, what brand of radio most homes had... things like that.


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Well, kudos on the authenticity. My own research is into things like binary stars, death and decomposition in space, and faster-than-light travel. And my noir novel demands research into what kinds of Fords the police drove in 1947, what brand of radio most homes had... things like that.



See, now you're talking about my worst night mare. binary stars? decomposition in space?? Faster than light travel???? That stuff would have my head spinning in no time!


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## Deleted member 56686 (Oct 22, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Well, kudos on the authenticity. My own research is into things like binary stars, death and decomposition in space, and faster-than-light travel. And my noir novel demands research into what kinds of Fords the police drove in 1947, what brand of radio most homes had... things like that.





Lucky you. I have to research something like ten thousand years of World History. Like how did you evolve to become "Secret Agent Man."


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## Bishop (Oct 22, 2014)

Mistique said:


> See, now you're talking about my worst night mare. binary stars? decomposition in space?? Faster than light travel???? That stuff would have my head spinning in no time!



Yup! The way I describe faster than light travel in my works is a simplified version of the theoretical Alcubierre drive proposed by the physicist of the same name. Decomp in space really doesn't much happen, because there's no bacteria/atmosphere to break the body down! You just kinda... float there, dried out by the vacuum of space. And binary systems are solar systems wherein there are two suns ^.^ That's the stuff I like to learn about and incorporate.



mrmustard615 said:


> Lucky you. I have to research something like ten thousand years of World History. Like how did you evolve to become "Secret Agent Man."



Easy. I AM that awesome already, so all you need to do is put a decoder and a walther PPK in my hand!


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## Mistique (Oct 22, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Yup! The way I describe faster than light travel in my works is a simplified version of the theoretical Alcubierre drive proposed by the physicist of the same name. Decomp in space really doesn't much happen, because there's no bacteria/atmosphere to break the body down! You just kinda... float there, dried out by the vacuum of space. And binary systems are solar systems wherein there are two suns ^.^ That's the stuff I like to learn about and incorporate.



Yep, there you go. *feels her head spinning like mad*


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## Firemajic (Oct 23, 2014)

Congrats Mistique ! I admire your dedication.


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## Mistique (Oct 23, 2014)

Firemajic said:


> Congrats Mistique ! I admire your dedication.



Thank you


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## Gofa (Oct 24, 2014)

Bishop 

not sure you will dry up in space as you are frozen pretty fast and to me a popsicle is not a husk.


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