# first time writing forum member ever



## JaneC (Nov 25, 2016)

Hello all! 

I am very excited to be here. I have recently decided to start writing my first book, but now find myself wondering if I have what it takes. To be honest, I don't have much as far as education regarding creative  writing which I think is what is giving me pause now. I have written numerous short stories that were relatively well received on a few forums for other things, but they were not strictly writing forums. I have grown over the years and am hoping that this venture into writing a book will be well worth it. 

As for myself personally, I work in the medical field, trained and certified, and have been doing it for over 8 years. I like it, being that I can't imagine myself doing anything else right now; but am looking for more in my life. I am married, have 2 young daughters and am introvert but I often find myself lashing out when I lose control - I'm a red head with a hot temper at times, can't help it! 

I am hoping that  being here and getting some critiques on my writing will help keep me  going and give me some great tips on how to improve.

thank you so much!


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## Ptolemy (Nov 25, 2016)

I thought the same too, I'm still working on my first book and I have gotten snagged around 5.5k words in on a huge word slog that slows down the plot. So what I did is I'm taking a break writing a hundred words here and there. I also have decided to work on another project, remember your first may not always be your best.

I also have zero education in writing, that's what is great about writing, you don't need a specialization or a degree in writing to be a good writer. With proper techniques, critiques and willpower you too could write a bestseller. We are all here to help you with any snags you may have, it is a very open community of very skilled intellectual and intercultural people. 

I never started with short stories, they never feel finished to me, I go for the jugular. But that's me, not you. Starting with short stories is a great segway into book writing. I'm glad you got some decent feedback on those sights, (heck you should post them on this sight, you have me intrigued) 

Writing is not a very fruitful path, if you are writing a book, do it for fun. If it isn't fun then it will not be good. Nothing is good without fun and enjoyment in your craft. Never hate write, it never usually comes out good. 

If you can, climb a mountain, it is fascinating stuff for a person looking for more in your life, it will open your eyes to more in the world

Overall, you will get some A+ critiques on this site, it is one of the best sites for it. Thanks for coming to WF.

(Also PS after 10 posts, you become a member and can use exclusive member boards like the prose writers and poet's workshops, where the best critiques are.)


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## JaneC (Nov 26, 2016)

Thank you! That makes me feel a lot better about not having any background. I've been working on my book now for about 3 weeks...this one any ways. I started in October on a different one but couldn't quite get the grasp of the "threat" that was plaguing my main characters. Its there and I am getting closer, I just can't quite grasp it. I was just writing with that one. I had no idea where I was going to end up with the story and got frustrated since I felt like the story was going all over the place. After re-writing half of it several times, I decided to take a step back try an outline....that started out ok, but as I mapped it out, my brief notes turned into paragraphs themselves. I'm always afraid that I will forget this great line or note about something. Once I was done, my _outline_ was over 40,000 words. I was really excited to get back to writing it but I lost my mojo so to speak when I still wasn't happy with the "threat".

Then one night, a sentence kept going through my head - "I was once a human, turned shifter and made immortal by the magic, now I am a trained assassin on a mission..." I couldn't wait to start writing to see where it would lead me the next day! What came out was the first book in what I want to make into a series. A book that I will tie into the first project I mentioned (as a prequel) and have a book to follow. If I can get it finished that is. I am still lacking in length right now. The main story is mapped out, but I am still working on the details, the depth of the characters and such. I am losing myself trying to focus on a word count which is why I came looking for help. 

I have done some research trying to figure out the length it should be. I want it to be a novel, but I don't know if it will be considered that since I have read conflicting thoughts on the subject.

I have one piece that I would love to post here and get some honest feedback. Its a bit of an emotional piece which ultimately led me to trying to write my first book. I realized how much I love to dive into the emotions of my characters. The depths of their depression, anxiety and excitement. The way they see themselves, the way they look at their lives. There is so much I love to express. I used to have a blog about my life and had a post about the untimely death of my beloved dog. I was told that the way I wrote it literally had people in tears. People I knew of in life, but barely knew me. They had been reading and felt my pain. It was the first time that I truly felt that I could do it. 

Its been a few years now and the desire to share my writing is still there. My husband is the one I give credit to for me even trying this adventure. So far, I am really enjoying myself, but i am scared to death that it will be awful. I'm sure that is normal, but I think it is part of what is weighing me down right now.


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## Ptolemy (Nov 26, 2016)

JaneC said:


> Thank you! That makes me feel a lot better about not having any background. I've been working on my book now for about 3 weeks...this one any ways. I started in October on a different one but couldn't quite get the grasp of the "threat" that was plaguing my main characters. Its there and I am getting closer, I just can't quite grasp it. I was just writing with that one. I had no idea where I was going to end up with the story and got frustrated since I felt like the story was going all over the place. After re-writing half of it several times, I decided to take a step back try an outline....that started out ok, but as I mapped it out, my brief notes turned into paragraphs themselves. I'm always afraid that I will forget this great line or note about something. Once I was done, my _outline_ was over 40,000 words. I was really excited to get back to writing it but I lost my mojo so to speak when I still wasn't happy with the "threat".
> 
> Then one night, a sentence kept going through my head - "I was once a human, turned shifter and made immortal by the magic, now I am a trained assassin on a mission..." I couldn't wait to start writing to see where it would lead me the next day! What came out was the first book in what I want to make into a series. A book that I will tie into the first project I mentioned (as a prequel) and have a book to follow. If I can get it finished that is. I am still lacking in length right now. The main story is mapped out, but I am still working on the details, the depth of the characters and such. I am losing myself trying to focus on a word count which is why I came looking for help.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a very intriguing topic, that one line has me pretty interested. 

The typical triple A novel, (Hunger Games, A James Patterson Book, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings) is in the ballpark of 100,000 words with 5,000 word chapters. Many double A books fall within the patch of 60-80k it is subjective, but I will say this, the more there is the more expensive it will be to publish and produce. 

I love that you want to go in detail about your characters, it's always to see the inside of a character, it lets us relate to the internal emotions of that character which is key to any book. 

Having doubts about is one of the biggest problems with writing, if you believe that you write terrible stories then you will write terrible stories. I bet they will be fine.


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## The Fantastical (Nov 26, 2016)

Welcome! 



Don't worry about not having officially studied writing, you would be surprised a how much you know already from reading and forums like these are always filled with useful info and of course there are the critiques!


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## Firemajic (Nov 26, 2016)

JaneC said:


> Hello all!
> 
> I am very excited to be here. I have recently decided to start writing my first book, but now find myself wondering if I have what it takes. To be honest, I don't have much as far as education regarding creative  writing which I think is what is giving me pause now. I have written numerous short stories that were relatively well received on a few forums for other things, but they were not strictly writing forums. I have grown over the years and am hoping that this venture into writing a book will be well worth it.
> 
> ...






Passion and dedication will take you as far as you want to go...
I am a glassblower, never had a lesson... no one in my family was a glassblower... But I had a passion for the flame, got my first torch and never looked back, 10 years later, my passion still burns....

Welcome to WF! I am so glad you are here, this is a fabulous place to find the tools you need to keep you moving forward, toward your goal.... explore and join in discussions and challenges... oh yeah, read and offer feedback to others, it is a wonderful way to get to know everyone, and it will be appreciated...


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## Madison (Nov 26, 2016)

Welcome to you JaneC 

I didn`t studied to become a writer either. But I think when we have imagination etc..it`s easy to make a plan for the whole story you want to write. The rest is technic I guess, so... it`s patience. Just write and write then correct ..etc

Welcome, I, new too, since today!


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## Bard_Daniel (Nov 26, 2016)

Hey there Jane! It sounds like you're definitely seated in the right direction. I wouldn't worry about not having formal writing education as there are dozens upon dozens of authors and writers who never did and ended up at the top. = D

I'll mention that we have a Mentor Directory and host Contests and Prompts that you might be interested in. 

If you don't mind me asking: What is your novel about? 

See you around the forums!


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## aj47 (Nov 27, 2016)

Hello, and welcome to our community.  I see you've already leveled up to full member status.  Keep reading the forum!  Keep writing the forum! 

As a member you now have access to some super-secret areas you couldn't see as a newcomer--feel free to explore them.  The Workshops allow you to post work that is not visible to non-members (including search engines like Google).  This protects your first publication rights.  

Also, you can now enter our member challenges.  We have fiction, nonfiction, and poetry challenges.  Look around, you'll see them and if you would like help finding a specific sort of thing, ask, and we'll be happy to direct you.

Again, welcome.


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## JaneC (Nov 27, 2016)

danielstj said:


> Hey there Jane! It sounds like you're definitely seated in the right direction. I wouldn't worry about not having formal writing education as there are dozens upon dozens of authors and writers who never did and ended up at the top. = D
> 
> I'll mention that we have a Mentor Directory and host Contests and Prompts that you might be interested in.
> 
> ...



I will definitely check those out. Thank you!

My book is a paranormal. It is mainly about a woman who was once human, now turned a wolf shifter and immortal (I'm still working on the logistics of that part). The first book will actually read like the second. Following her on the second stage of her life as a shifter. It is a story of revenge and finding a life worth living after the loss of her husband.   I started on her origin book first, but I had to stop when I couldn't get a handle on what I wanted the threat to end up being other than an abusive ex. I have a growing threat to the pack that took her in.

I mentioned that when I was frustrated, a line kept running through my head "I was once a human, turned shifter and made immortal by the magic, now I am a trained assassin on a mission..." which is what has given me a new perspective of my charecter and what her purpose is now. It has actually helped me figure out some of the problems I was having with writing her origin story, which is why I have decided to make it like a prequel. I also have the third book in mind as well, though I am debating on melding that into the revenge book since I hate cliff hangers.

I will be posting part of my intro soon for some to read and give me some pointers since I haven't been able to find a version that I am happy with yet.


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## JustRob (Nov 28, 2016)

Hi Jane. I can relate to much of what you've mentioned here and that's my only justification for commenting as I have no other credentials to do so. Quite out of the blue I wrote a novel of sorts a few years back and wondered whether anyone else would enjoy reading it as I'd never written any fiction at all before. The important thing is whether _you_ enjoy writing what you do. If others enjoy reading it then that's a bonus. Some people like to plan out plots initially while others just plunge in and see where the story goes. I just wrote what I felt like writing at the time, matching each scene to my current emotions. It's a good outlet for them. If you feel angry or romantic, pensive or whatever then choose a scene where your characters can feed off that feeling and there's a good chance that your readers will feel genuine emotions in the words. I can't understand how someone can write a story chronologically without regard to their own mood. That is synthesis and more difficult to achieve well. 

You may not be sure of the prominent theme to your story, how exactly it begins, where it begins even, but you can feel it taking shape in your mind, so just let it do that at its own pace. Write what you think is a part of it when you feel like writing it. Be prepared to omit sections that you've written oh so carefully and possibly brilliantly because the story has shifted its focus elsewhere. It's like carving a piece of wood; they say that the final object is already there inside it just waiting for the carver to reveal it. I started writing my novel as science fiction but now I see it as a romance. Once I had the technological background in place the characters' personal lives took centre stage and the strange science just created the complications that made them seek different solutions to their problems from people in more normal situations. There is a parallel in your story, that this woman is fundamentally still human within, or is she? In my story the question keeps arising as to what the essence of being human is and how much a person has to lose before they can't be regarded as one any more. There's also the problem of being immortal. Is that a good or bad thing? Can anyone live happily ever after when "ever after" means literally that? Your character is on a mission, but does even she truly understand what it is? Maybe if you aren't sure then she isn't either and you must follow her experiences to find out, taking the reader with you. What will really give her a chance of living happily ever after or is she doomed in some way?

Paradoxically writing about characters who deviate from the human norm throws into perspective issues about just what that norm is. It's an interesting mental exercise in itself and worries about one's ability to get the message across seem less important than deciding what that intended message is. Have fun with that. I did.


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## Gumby (Nov 28, 2016)

Welcome to the site, Jane.  I like that you are passionate, it can often translate very well into writing! We have a great group of members here, they are fair and honest, not to mention helpful. We work on a reciprocal basis here and the more critiques you offer, the more chance you will receive comments.


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## JaneC (Nov 28, 2016)

JustRob - Hello! thank you for your words of encouragement. Your book sounds pretty interesting. Is there a place I can read it? My book is a paranormal but has become a bit of a romance as well. Like you said, let the characters take you where they want.  I have been asking myself some of the same questions that you did. And have even put some of the answers in already. Immortality can be both a gift and a curse, its all on how you look at it. I am having a lot fun learning more about her and the way she relates to those around her. 

I have been writing kind of the way you mentioned. I definitely use my emotions when I write and I they can change as I write the scenes. Is it intense? Scary? Frustrating? I follow the character and let her show me how to feel. Hopefully that all comes out well.

Gumby - I am so glad to be here. I have actually already started going through some of the threads and reading and giving some critiques. I have really enjoyed it so far, though I am no pro, hopefully what I mention gives some measure of help. The best part for me so far is that I have read a few pieces that I wouldn't normally gravitate towards - a thriller for example. I also read through some of the entries of the monthy challenge and really liked those. Such a fun way to get the creative juices going.


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## JustRob (Nov 28, 2016)

JaneC said:


> JustRob - Hello! thank you for your words of encouragement. Your book sounds pretty interesting. Is there a place I can read it?



There's a free download available on my website. Here's the direct link to that page. http://www.menstemporum.uk/NUATmenu1.htm

There's also a longer version in another section of the website, but the latter part of that was only roughly drafted and never rewritten properly. Much of what I wrote about earlier here is actually in the later novels of the trilogy, of which only fragments are written so far. I have reached the point now where I know the characters and their story so intimately that I personally don't have any need to write anything down. They live their lives in my head. If anyone expressed a wish to read that entire story then I might be persuaded to write it, but I'm not motivated to do so at present. I find the story of how I came to write the novel much more interesting, if it can be believed. You are writing about the paranormal but I view what I'm doing as preternatural, that's using extreme aspects of the natural in a way that doesn't seem possible. What we generally call magic may be preternatural rather than supernatural, marvellous rather than miraculous.


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## JaneC (Dec 3, 2016)

Thank you! I've started reading it and really enjoy it so far. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I plan on reading it further shortly.


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## Carly Berg (Dec 4, 2016)

Welcome aboard, Jane.


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## JustRob (Dec 5, 2016)

JaneC said:


> Thank you! I've started reading it and really enjoy it so far. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I plan on reading it further shortly.



You enjoyed the early parts? That's promising. They are particularly weird, put there to deter unsuitable readers at the earliest opportunity so that they don't waste their time reading a lot more. If you get into it you'll notice how the chapters tend to be short stories in themselves, each leading into the next. This is my strategy for keeping the reader's attention, if they've overcome my initial obstacles, that is. That's why I think you shouldn't regard writing a novel as any more daunting than writing short stories. They just need to keep building up the big picture that you're painting. My story looks quite fragmented until all the pieces begin to fall into place and the reason for things being mentioned earlier becomes apparent. Some of that happens much later, in later novels even, though. The beginning of a story tends to carry a lot of information that the reader will need later, so it's a balancing act keeping things moving along while also conveying all that. The story that I gave you the link to is only the first of six, making up three whole closely interconnected novels, so it's inevitably a slow starter.

PM me with any comments that you choose to make. That's any comments at all of course. Silence is the toughest criticism to bear.


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## PiP (Dec 5, 2016)

Hi Jane, 

Welcome to WF and our creative community. Hopefully we offer something for everyone so pull up a chair and make yourself at home.

Have you checked out our newsletter?


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## JaneC (Dec 5, 2016)

JustRob - I definitely will! I have been trying to focus on my writing the past week (having a hell of a time lately) but I WILL get back to reading it soon and let you know what I think. I like what you said - *the chapters tend to be short stories in themselves. *I might have to try this approach...perhaps it will help me. 

PiP - I just finished reading it. What a great newsletter, thank you for the link! It was great getting to know more about you too!


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