Any other writers here?

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I worry about my characters and dialog too. When I first started writing novels, I'd say my characters were pretty wooden. I think I've progressed soon - I've been cultivating my writing skillsand reading various great novelists for the past ten years. I feel like I could write a publishable novel now.

I'm also considering writing a couple of children's books.

Hi Sorce

I must admit I've never been good at poetry - for some reason I always get bogged down into a desire to make things rhyme, rather than trying to express an emotional respose to the world. It's and obsessive-compulsive behaviour coupled with an avoidance of the emotion thing, I guess.

One of the things I've been considering is attending a writers course, but the thought of interacting with a group is seriously offputting. Every time I see an ad for the Clarion workshops in the US I get these whimsical feelings...

Has anyone out there done a workshop?

I write fanfiction and poems.

Have you considered an online workshop? http://www.critters.org has been running for years and is quite polished. Participants submit stories and receive critiques in return for critiquing others' writing.

As far as characterisation goes, it should improve with practice, but there are some authors with weak characterisation whom people read anyway for their ideas. E.g. IMO Asimov.

Ah, Asimov

One of the first authors I read - still have the paperbacks bought with old UK money (before decimalisation in '71). Only books I've still got which are older are a couple of Willard Price's Adventure stories, one or two Enid Blyton's Secret Seven, a hard back Tarzen (City of Gold) given to me by an Uncle, and a whole slue of Rupert the Bear annuals.

Favourite Asimov is The Gods Themselves. Fond memories of both the Foundation and Robot series.

i like writing novels and have two published. definitely fiction over nonfiction. i'm supposed to be working on a nonfiction and am really struggling.

i also write some poetry and short stores, but i like novels so much better.

i need to write. about the only time i feel alive is when i'm in my head or writing it down.
april

I think the first chapter was very well written. Not only do you have a good foundation for your story, you also show much potential as a writer. I'd post up the first chapter of my novel, but I take it that this is a family friendly site so I don't think it would be a good idea. It's about two brothers, one is a Crime Scene Investigator (Mark Jones) and the other is a small time dealer (Paul Jones). When Paul is troubled by a band of ruthless shylocks (loan sharks), Mark helps him pay off his debt to them. A year later, when a turn of unfortunate events plagues Marks entire life, Paul makes Mark an offer he cannot refuse. Together, they form a group that would become the biggest ring of narcotraffickers in the San Francisco area.

I think it struck quite a few nerves to those who have read what I have written so far, mainly because of the subject of the story and the twisted subject matter and themes. It is definitely one for mature readers only.

I've got a novel I'm almost done with, I write short stories, and I write all kinds of poetry. Click here to see some of the stuff, but warning: mature content!

I write... almost all the time. Most of what I write is fiction- longer stuff. I don't think I've actually ever really finished anything long yet. I also enjoy writing fan fiction (LotR and I'm going to try some Narnia stuff) and poetry.

Heh, I mostly write poetry when I feel a little down. Here is some of the work that I've written. It's my GJ, but I've done some poetry, which is displayed for the public to see. I'm also working on getting a site up so that I can put up all my work.

I love writing. I wrote a vampire trillogy when I was 13 and 14, but I didn't publish it. Then I started to write this book about a gryphon-riding paladin with a flaming sword, but it didn't get off the ground, and I wound up starting "Reality's Crusade," which deals with different views of the world, as well as asperger's and online relationships. (Very strange book. When I finish it--it's almost done--I'll try getting it published.) After that I intend on rewriting my vampire series, because my writing skills have improved so much and I've thought out the story so much better.

I personally enjoy writing dialogue and crafting characters. What I find is that my characters are usually quirky or neurotic, and argue with each other a lot. My problems are more stylistic: making sentances interesting, that sort of thing.

You can say that writing novels is an obession of mine but it's actually my passion. I love to writing novels. For me I write a mix of fantasy and science fiction. Ever played the Final Fantasy series well the books are a lot like that. I've written four novels so far and the first two I'm called just practice not the ones I really want to be publish. I series that I'm writing now has two novels so far I'm working on the thrid one now well its outline. I really wish I could find some where to publish my works. I just don't know where to look. I can continue a story where I left off without even looking back at what I have already written. I've been trying to get the thrid novel's outline finished but I'm get really distracted and I have other things that I want to do. Plus added to what I already told you my letters that I write to my fiance' are usually really long. I've written a nine page letter to her before. That's all that I write.

I write mostly poetry and song lyrics, but my favorite writing goes into my short stories. I don't often do it because I can never seem to get my plot to work write, but it's what I love to do. I'm working on it, and I really hope to actually write a group of them from the perspective of one of my characters, Keith McCuddy. We seem to have a lot in common, so it's fun to write with him, though it's hard because of the way I usually write... and I usually let the story develop its own tale. I'm gonna have to actually use an outline! XD

Anyway, that's why I said short stories instead of poetry, along with some digressing.

I tend to write poetry in times of questioning, when I need to work things out in my brain. I'm a big Bukowski fan, so many of my poems take on his simplicity of language. Please feel free to read some of them here:

http://www.animalu.com/Poetry/Poetry.htm

Jeff

I thought I'd share some of this stuff, since everyone needs their fanbase.

I'm a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer (and a recent recipient of a fiction writing grant from the city I live in). The following links lead down the rabbit hole to some of my bizzarro, outsider short stories that I've had published in various online lit journals.

Some of the stories have cussin'. And deal with the big themes of death and/or sex. So be forewarned: mature content. Ask your mom before you click. (Heh.) However, there's no elf porn (sorry to disappoint) or anything that's into NC-17 territory. Pretty straightforward, pseudo-literary, pseudo-out there stuff.

http://www.pindeldyboz.com/zhcome.htm
http://www.megaera.org/Megaera/spring06/houle.html
http://girlswithinsurance.com/fiction/income.html
http://www.wordriot.org/template.php?ID=535
http://www.wordriot.org/template.php?ID=481
http://www.gorillamag.com/hags.html
http://www.danforthreview.com/fiction/09_03/houle.htm
http://www.cerebralcatalyst.com/houle01.htm

I have that very problem