Public Group
active 4 days, 10 hours ago ago
Administrators
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Doug Lance
joined 8 months, 1 week ago
Writers
All writers are welcome here!
Talk about craft, publishing, or works in progress; or post links to interesting articles; anything writing related.
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Doug Lance posted an update in the group Writers 4 days, 10 hours ago
I am working on compiling an exhaustive list of book bloggers/reviewers. You can download / contribute to the list here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqAJiAxtCBKRdENjaGNoaUF1UE9ZQnRMZldyU2NVanc#gid=0
I will be using this list to send out review copies of eFiction and attempt to get some more eyes on our work. You can use this…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie posted an update in the group Writers 1 week, 4 days ago
When I was in ninth grade my English teacher tried teaching us how to come up with ideas to write stories about. This just proved that he didn’t know a bloody thing about writing. I never had any shortage of ideas, and I didn’t use a method. They just came. Well, tonight I am reading Stephen King’s On Writing, and he says the same thing. So…[Read more]
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Steven M MooreI guess I had better luck. In spite of “bad books” like Moby Dick, Silas Marner, and Giants in the Earth (yeah, I know, I’ll get some grief on that statement!), I was allowed a free rein to write sci-fi and thrillers even back then (our dowdy teacher called them “adventure stories”). Maybe it was because I pointed out “new music” like…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
I had good luck overall, Mr. Mathi was the only lousy English teacher. The rest were fantastic, and my 12th grade English teacher even discarded the curriculum in my case and had me write a novel for my grade during the second half of the year. Without such teachers I doubt I’d have become a journalist or be working on stories now.
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Ryan DorrillI understand where you’re coming from, Preston. I get a lot of my ideas in the shower or walking around the city. Still, brain storms and spider graphs work well for me too. They can be a great follow up to an initial idea. Start off with a basic concept – a city where the narrator is going crazy because the sun never sets – and then…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
Ryan, that’s good to know. You’re the first person I’ve heard from who didn’t hate the spider charts and has found them useful. But that’s one person enough to mean it can be helpful indeed. You are right, of course, that spider charts won’t create good ideas from the mind of someone with a shallow imagination. Personally, I’ve had to stop…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie posted an update in the group Writers 2 weeks, 2 days ago
I just posted a review of the magazine on Amazon. If people vote that it is helpful, it will move toward the top of the reviews. Currently the second-to-top review is the least flattering. http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A20ZATAQS3ZNW/ref=cm_pdp_rev_title_1?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R3PRT8F49OAMES
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Preston McConkie
I voted my honest reaction to all the reviews. Since I thought the high-ranked negative one was extreme, I voted that it wasn’t helpful.One or two positive reviews I labeled as unhelpful because they didn’t say anything informative or some such. When I went back to look at the reviews, the rankings had changed and the most negative review no…[Read more]
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Steve GrantWell done! I can’t beleive that I haven’t reviewed eFiction so far… That’s about to change.
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Preston McConkie
My review now pops at No. 4 rather than No. 18. The unreasonably negative review has also been pushed out of the top spots entirely.
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Doug Lance
Woohoo! We’re #1 Top Rated in our category and #9 overall. I want us to be #1 overall!
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Preston McConkie
Great news! What is eFiction’s category, BTW?
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Doug Lance
Arts & Entertainment. Wish there was a fiction category. We’d be selling much better there. On Nook we will be in a Writing / literature category.
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Steven M Moore
Following your example, I posted one too. BTW, I think you can even review individual stories…at least the October issue comes up when you search on ”Steven M. Moore” because I had a story there. So, maybe if you have a favorite story or poem, you can review it separately if you want. Just a thought….
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Ryan Dorrill
Looks like we lost our Wikipedia article due to low notoriety, but stuff like this will help change that. Thanks for writing another review Preston!
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Preston McConkie
I hope it can be resurrected before too long. I actually am still working on that news feature I hope to get published in a print rag. And, Ryan, my pleasure. I love eFiction and think it deserves all the exposure it can get. it’s a marvelous idea, helmed by a visionary, with some remarkably talented contributors, readers, and editors. I’m…[Read more]
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Damien Kelly posted an update in the group Writers 2 weeks, 3 days ago
Amazon’s ever lengthening shadow…
- 1 person likes this.
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Preston McConkie
That’s a fascinating article, Damien. The comments are just as interesting. Thanks for sharing.
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Alan W Jankowski posted an update in the group Writers 2 weeks, 3 days ago
Howdy Fellow eFictioners…I have to say that I am more than extremely proud that my story “The Birthday Party” which was published in eFiction back in August 2011 was chosen to be included in an anthology to benefit cancer research…the official launch date for the book is May 7, but you can actually purchase it now…here’s the…[Read more]
- 3 people like this.
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Preston McConkie
Congratulations, Alan. I hope to comb back through the archives and read your story.
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Alan W Jankowski
Thanks Preston…you could just read it here if you like…it’s only 1208 words, btw…practically flash fiction…:)
http://www.storiesspace.com/stories/flash-fiction/the-birthday-party.aspx
It was written for that contest, btw…
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Preston McConkie
Thanks for the link, Alan. That was a great story, with an unexpected twist.
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Alan W Jankowski
Thanks Preston…that story is my most widely published at the moment, with eFiction being the first magazine to publish it though…this book is the first time it’s in print, though it will be in a print journal next month…obviously I like to get a lot of mileage out of a story…
Interestingly, that story was never rejected until…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
The story was pretty mild, almost unremarkable, for some distance. I’m guessing whoever wrote that rejection didn’t read to the end. The nice thing about an anthology is, you tend to put your trust in the judgment of the editor. Even if a story doesn’t grab you by the scrotum from word one and yank you out of your chair, you’ll keep reading…[Read more]
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Alan W Jankowski
No, you will never please all the editors all the time, and frankly I don’t even try…a couple of bits of trivia regarding this story that will probably only be of interest to other writers…first, the story was started the first night they announced the contest, but I didn’t finish it until after midnight, hence the May 27 date at the…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
I don’t know where my writer’s soul ends and my reader’s soul begins. I’ve always been a critical reader, listener and viewer. It’s a rare great work that captivates me to the point that I stop analyzing and get lost in absorbing the artistry. And when I’m being asked to read critically, I’m especially on the hunt for any speed bump in…[Read more]
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Marie Glendenning posted a new pictureWrote this ode today and scribed it over a Googled photo. OdetoGaia
- 2 people like this.
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Preston McConkie
Love it, Marie. Good words, and with both meter and rhyme!
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Marie Glendenning
Danke schoen, my eFiction friend!
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Stasey Norstrom posted an update in the group Writers 2 weeks, 5 days ago
What many of us will be looking forward to:
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Marie Glendenning
That was a ton of fun to read and, where true, must be a ton of pain to live through!
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Preston McConkie
Makes one consider the joys of independent publication.
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Valerie Gillen posted an update in the group Writers 3 weeks, 3 days ago
Hi all- I was interviewed at the internet radio show, Authorshow.com, for their Children’s Authors show. They say some folks have gotten really good results from this. Anybody on here ever done an interview with them? Mine is running today and tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I see any sales bumps.
- 3 people like this.
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Preston McConkie
Give us a link once it’s available in an archive, please.
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Valerie Gillen
The web site is TheChildrenAuthorsShow.com. It played Monday and Tuesday and Then I think this weekend, all the weekly interviews play again, and then after that I guess it will be archived, but I don’t know if youhave to pay to keep it there or what. Well so far, I have not seen any kind of spike in sales from this. Perhaps the YA genre is is…[Read more]
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Steven M Moore posted an update in the group Writers 3 weeks, 3 days ago
You learn something new every day: I was just reading Bobbie Christmas’ newsletter and learned about “mass nouns.” I knew about “collective nouns,” but apparently these are just special cases of mass nouns. Always something….
This is what I love about writing–always some new wrinkle on how to ply the trade. Some come in the form of…[Read more] -
Doug Lance posted an update in the group Writers 4 weeks, 1 day ago
Just a reminder: get somebody to review your book and we’ll run it in the next issue! Tell them to send it in here: http://efictionmag.submishmash.com/submit/4568
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Tyler D. FindlayIf someone reviews my book, I’ll send them a free copy. Any takers?
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Preston McConkie
Absa loot lee (emphasis on ”loot.”). prestonmcconkie@gmail.com
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Preston McConkie
Finished the book and an email interview with Tyler. Enjoyed both. Now — we write!
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Tyler D. Findlay posted an update in the group Writers 1 month ago
Its late. I’m delirious. Pounding out some new stuff for the first time in a while. I blame the storm outside.
- 1 person likes this.
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BuckHi Tyler. Cool. I’d like to see your work become available in Kindle format.
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Steve Grant
I second that!
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Randy AttwoodDoug, I’m showing that service unavailable. Problems?
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Tyler D. Findlay
Thanks. Suppose its about time I do that.
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Preston McConkie
And now it IS in Kindle format. Look for my review of Soft Rot in your May issue of eFiction Magazine! eFiction is available on Kindle for $3.99 per issue or $23.88 for a full year’s subscription, conveniently billed at $1.99 per month. Don’t be a cheap schmuck. Get yours TODAY!
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Buck posted an update in the group Writers 1 month ago
Hi everyone. Are there any Dramatica users here?
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hossamHi Buck
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Preston McConkie
I know nothing of this Dramatica you speak of. Is it an excellent drug?
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Buck
Hi Hossan, Hi Preston.
I’m afraid this may sound like a sales pitch, so please know that I’m ot an employee of Write Bros. Software nor am I endorsed in any way (all opinions herein are my own): Dramatica is a theory of story created by Chris Huntley and Melanie Anne Phillips during the 1990′s. Write Bros. Software, creator of Movie Magic…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
Interesting. I must look into it. Thanks for letting me know all this.
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Phillip McCollum posted an update in the group Writers 1 month ago
If anyone is interested, I decided to do something a little different on my blog and threw up a Flash Fiction contest. It’s based on a random Youtube video prompt, 1000 words or less. I figure it’s just another fun exercise to get your writing juices flowing. Oh, and I should mention the top two stories (to be voted on via reader poll) get their…[Read more]
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Doug Lance
Link?
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Phillip McCollum
Sorry Doug, didn’t want to seem like I was spamming the group, so I just directed folks to my profile. But since you chimed in! http://beatbox32.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/flash-fiction-contest-1/
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Doug Lance
I submitted a piece that wrote in the comments box.
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Phillip McCollum
Sweet! Thanks Doug!
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Preston McConkie
I just submitted one.
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Phillip McCollum
Got it! Thanks Preston. I’m really excited about the response so far.
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Preston McConkie
My pleasure. That’s the first time I’ve written a flash fiction piece. I look forward to seeing the other entries (I read Doug’s already and it inspired me).
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Andromeda Edison posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
My next Writer’s Circle meeting is planned for Saturday, April 21st at 5pm in Hollywood. You can email me for details: andromeda@independentwords.com
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Kali Amanda Browne posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
When I was writing my first novel, my dreams took me to all the locations the story took place — but out of context, I was just visiting. As I finished my collection of short stories, the characters are popping into my dreams. It’s an interesting, slightly bizarre experience. They are all different women and I did not write physical descriptions…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
That’s fascinating. No, it hasn’t happened that I can recall.
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James DarrowI can honestly say that, a few times, I’ve dreamt about events or people from my stories. EXISTING stories, mind you. I haven’t gone all ’Stephenie Meyers’ on anyone yet.
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Kali Amanda Browne
Yeah, I have never dreamed the characters fully formed and then written it into a creepy, teen, glittery vamp story either…
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Phillip McCollum posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
As of Monday of this week, I began my first novel. I have strange feelings of fear and excitement…kinda hard to describe, but many of you probably know it. At least I can say, ”The adventure begins!” I’m chronicling the path on my blog if anyone is interested (you can find it on my profile).
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Preston McConkie
Best of luck, sir. I look forward to the results.
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Donna HoleNovels can be liberating to write, especially if you are used to the constraints of short stories. They can also be a word suck; as you develop setting, character and plot. An adventure indeed to see where it all leads. So, are you a plotter, or pantster, or something in between?
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Marie Glendenning
A Doritos fed novel? Seriously I wish you well in this endeavor!
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Phillip McCollum
Thanks for the encouragement everyone!
@Donna, I’ve definitely found myself an in-betweener. I find myself unable to finish an outline without writing off the cuff for a bit. But when I hit a wall on writing, I look back to my outline and ideas seem to pop out again. Not very clean, but it seems to work!
@Marie, Hemingway needed his rum. Though…[Read more]
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Joe RussellYou can do it, dude. The novel is an exciting challenge and very rewarding.
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Jay DebruyneGood luck dude
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Jonathan HansenGood luck! Don’t be afraid of turning out a first draft that is terrible, just keep going. Forward momentum!
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Preston McConkie
I enjoyed reading a bit of your angst about 300 words written in 30 minutes. I identify so much. I need a 1,500-word goal. I’d get a whale of a lot done that way. Completion seems the biggest barrier; once something is done it’s just work to reorder the story line, tweak some lines, chop a bit that doesn’t belong and add a new character or…[Read more]
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Kali Amanda Browne
Use the fear as fuel. And enjoy the moments of unparalleled creativity you’ll experience when the words just flow. It’s freaking awesome!
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Preston McConkie posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
I recently read a comment by someone else in here that going back and editing his written work led to paralysis, and he didn’t finish a novel until he suppressed his perfectionism and learned to barf out the words and just finish. We all need to edit, but doing it before we’ve finished the whole story can be counterproductive.
I just finished a…[Read more]
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Marty BeaudetSo true. Let the characters tell their own story, rather than the one you devise for them.
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Preston McConkie
Cool. Is that how you work? I recently read this brilliant list of advice for writers:
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/03/27/25-lies-writers-tell-and-start-to-believe/
I recommend reading it, it’s insightful and hilarious. But there are at least two items I don’t agree with or at least have reservations about, including the idea that a…[Read more]
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Steven M Moore
Hi Preston,
I rarely outline but that creates a problem: I struggle to find a place to stop. I end up working a lot on a novel’s last few chapters and also the first few, but I fear that sometimes the result is like the overdone oil painting (my father was an artist and always struggled to leave well enough alone so the colors didn’t become…[Read more] -
Doug Lance
There will always be a certain amount of resistance to all creative endeavors. It is the writers task to recognize those forms of resistance and to obliterate them. Editing can be a form of resistance and so can outlining when it becomes excessive.
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ladyjaiI still struggle with my inner editor. I have always written shorts, never novel length, simply out of fear. Until now. Your idea of re-reading just to get reacquainted is perfect and I have to always kick myself when that editor rears it’s ugly head.
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Phillip McCollum
The inner editor can be that guy showing up to the party two hours early.. Nothing’s ready and he just gets in the way of things. I’ve found that writing daily with a conscious effort of ’pushing him out the door’ has helped me get there.
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Marie Glendenning
I found this thread very instructive, thank you.
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Joe Russell
The best advice I have ever read for the craft of writing is Stephen King’s “On Writing.” He really advocates writing as a job. I took his advice on my two novels and held myself to a hard 1500 a day word count. No matter what, I put down 1500 words. Even if they were shit. I found that the best method for me because like a lot of writers, I am…[Read more]
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Jonathan Hansen
I think everybody has to work the way that works for them. You have to find your own pace, but I also think that FINISHING is always the best thing for everybody’s work, so if you edit along the way, just be careful you don’t get bogged down.
Also, Joe’s right. If you haven’t read ”On Writing”, you should.
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Preston McConkie
Just added ”On Writing” to my wish list. Will add to my Kindle ASAP.
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Marty Beaudet posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
Who doesn’t like FREE? Know anyone who needs a good thriller to read over the Easter weekend? Mormons, Muslims, and Murder at the hands of assassins await…
The ebook version of By A Thread will be free to download from Amazon TOMORROW, Thursday, 4/5. Just follow the link below. As always, if you’d like a discount on the print edition, you need…[Read more]
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Preston McConkie
Marty, I’m just about to ”buy” this for my Kindle. I will say now, I HOPE this doesn’t turn out to be a clone of the book I started writing in 2008. If it is, I will hate myself for not finishing it. Yes, I shall.
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Preston McConkie
BTW, that wasn’t a suggestion that you didn’t come up with all your ideas independently. It’s just that I’ve had too many experiences of thinking I had a unique and wonderful idea, only to discover that our cultural milieu had produced it through some other, more enterprising artiste.
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Marty Beaudet
I think you’ll find it pretty unique.
I’ve had the experience you worry about. The sequel to By A Thread (as of yet unfinished and on hold) involves secrets from the Nauvoo Temple in modern day and a secret society of the Strangites, etc. A few months ago a novel was published involving secrets from the Nauvoo Temple and a secret society of…[Read more]-
Preston McConkie
Frustrating, ain’t it? And that’s a story I wouldn’t have thought would inevitably spring from the LDS zeitgeist. Hey, I’d love it if you could look at my novelette posted in the workshop, I believe, looking out for a little subtle temple lore. Here’s the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OD6-SlPare1ZQjhOistyC2wBC5Ax7pLrpsf8hEbXsqM/edit
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Stasey Norstrom posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 1 week ago
In which I clearly shouldn’t think so much:
- 1 person likes this.
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Preston McConkie
I have to agree. A first draft is like a scaffolding; the revised drafts are the building we create with that scaffolding; a fine, firmly built, decorated and furnished building that doesn’t rise above the ground until the ungainly scaffolding goes up.
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Sharon E Mamolo posted an update in the group Writers 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Hi guys,
I’m doing a guest post and poll on the Grave Tells Blog, would appreciate greatly if some of you could drop by and vote or leave a comment. Thanks in advance for any and all who can spare the time, I know how busy we all are.
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Jay Debruyne
Def #1
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Phillip McCollum
I put my vote in for #1 as well. They’re both very well done, but I’ve always been a bigger fan of grays and blues.
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Marie Glendenning
I much prefer cover #1; I tried to vote for it on the website using two browsers but neither worked.
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Sharon E Mamolo
Hey Marie, Thanks. The poll closed and cover #1 did win.
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Please only share this list with people you trust. As anyone can edit it and there is the potential for people to damage the integrity of the list.
Wow, this is something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. Thanks!!
@Steve – I am committed to giving the contributors to eFiction all the best tools to sell their work online. The more people we have making a living at this, the better off we’ll all be.
gnarly.
This sounds utterly fantastic! Much appreciated, Doug.