My medieval story sounds very similar to yours in the fact that there's no real mention of religion, but my Christian beliefs do manifest themselves in different ways. For example, I mention more than once in dialogue that all things happen for a reason. I have a character who acts as a sort of guide for my protagonist, and she's turned out to be the "guardian angel" type of character who looks after him and helps him through his troubles. There's mention of an afterlife too. And, of course, my characters act in a manor suitable to a Christian novel. But I'm writing my book to be read by a wider audience so that it can influence those readers in a positive way.

Sometimes, lack of religion does cause some trouble though. Like, I'll be writing dialogue and one character will say something along the lines of "Thank heaven you're okay." Then I'll stop and think to myself, But does that make sense in the context of the story? I'll also start to write something like, He silently prayed that the door would make no noise when he opened it. But who is he praying to? I've tried replacing words, but it still doesn't sound right somehow. Hmm...

Silver the Wanderer, I've seen many stories that mention praying or heaven like that and I wonder the same thing. It doesn't seem right in some places but authors add it anyways. But then again, it happens in real life as well, with people saying those kind of things just as an expression.

Yes! exactly! We are like mini gods when we create a story. Its amazing how much we reflect our creator in that respect.

Popping in, even though I am not a writer , to comment on what Valiant and Fencer mentioned about our inventiveness being a reflection of the Creator. In this regard, a favourite term of mine for our human ingenuity comes from Tolkien—"sub-creator"—as he strongly recognized and openly acknowledged that all our creative aspects are founded in the One who created creativity and embodies it—God!

Just had to put in my 2 cents there. Carry on.

Oh, I do prefer that term, Jo! Sub-creator. That's neat. We're kind of a conduit for the inventiveness that ultimately has it's root in God.

Neat.

Okay, i am decidedly a writer, but i haven't followed this thread much at all - chalk it up to my insane on-line shyness.

I've been writing since i was about six or seven years old; or even younger. It's always been a big part of my life, and continues to be now. There are some times when i can't not write. I've done NaNoWriMo for the past three years and intend on doing it again this year.

Just a couple questions that i hope haven't been answered so many times that you guys are all sick of them -

1) Anybody else have extreme trouble finishing stories? I have completed some, don't get me wrong, but most of my ideas seem to die on me before i got anywhere with them. I can't tell if i'm just not the sort of person who can write long stories, or if i'm not approaching writing the right way or something.

It just seems to me that every author i hear about has finished at least one novel. The only "novel" i've finished isn't long enough to be a novel, and i pretty much hate the plot, so ...

2) Anybody here write fan-fiction? Lately, it seems like that's all i write. I like a good fanfic, but it would really be nice if i actually wrote something using my own characters/universes/etc.

1) For some reason I always have the perfect ending line, but I always have trouble getting to that part. Oh and I tend to write more short stories, because I get bored with my stories sometimes so I'd rather just stick to shorter, but finished stories. I'm working really hard to try to finish a longer one. It's been tough, but I haven't gotten distracted yet so thats a good thing. You could make a book filled with different short stories, Arwenel. It'd still count as a book.

2) I don't really like writing fanfic. It's much easier for me to write using my own character and my own universes. I like to make things up as I go but I have to keep track of what I say so that I don't contradict it later. Some people though are really good at fanfics. And don't worry about writing only fanfics, Arwenel. At least you've been writing something. I've had so much schoolwork, homework, tests that I haven't been able to write anything decent.

1) Anybody else have extreme trouble finishing stories? 2) Anybody here write fan-fiction?

1. YES! YESYESYES. I've finished three, but while that does mean that there's a "the end," it also means that I'm not particularly fond (read: hate, especially those of the first two) of the endings. And I have dozens that I haven't finished.

I'm very good at starting stories.

2. ... Kind of. I used to write more, but then it came down to choosing my writing time as my own stuff or fanfiction. So now I only write FF when I can't help myself.

It is perfectly fine to not really be able to write a full-length novel. And for the record, a 'novel' is classified at 60k words or more. Some people are simply better at shorter stories. One things that writer's should never do is write filler material for the sake of being filler material. Only during NaNo should that happen and that's simply to reach 50k in 30 days.

I've been on both sides of this. Needing to add more for story and take it out. Between my '3rd' and '4th' drafts, I rearranged the back 1/3 of my book to make a climax scene closer to the end of the story and as a result, I needed to expand the story by about 20 pages. But in my most recent draft than went to Lighthouse, I decided to take two chapters out for the sake of pacing.

I know both of those examples involved already finished stories, but if your story is getting close to where it is now and the desired climax but there is nothing you can think of to add, that is fine. Maybe you don't need 10 more chapters to make the bridge. Maybe you just need to head straight for the finale. But ask your self about your characters. Are they in position with thier development to go to the finale? What do they need to do or learn before the end? I had one character in a separate story that had to learn about his family's history and who he really was before he could lead the final batte. That story still need a lot of work, but if you are stuck, think about where your major characters are at and where you want them to be. Action scenes should only be included in this if they are used to develop the characters, not for filling up space.

Another thing to think about is loose ends. Is there a character or plot aspect that you haven't visited in a while? A friend of mine handed me his partial manuscript for review and he was stuck. He had two things I saw. His revenge-seeking character was getting close to confronting the main villian. But the character needed a little more developement, and he left another villain unattended for some time. So I gave him some suggestions on how to make the developements and reminded him of his forgotten sub-villain. These are just a couple things to think about and hopefully it may get your creative juices flowing. It may help for NaNo as well.

Hello! I like to write and draw. Since I'm a dreamer I have stories going through my head 24/7. It's really cool, especially when one or more of my ideas turns into a full-fledged story or movie concept.

Thanks, jo, for stopping by! I like the idea that as writers (or artists, or whatever) that we're 'sub-creators.' It's both a humbling, yet exhilarating concept.

Anybody else have extreme trouble finishing stories?

Sometimes I do, though maybe not for the usual reason. I'm just not always ready to say good-bye to the characters or their world. I get around this by writing other stories set in the same universe with some of the same characters.

Anybody here write fan-fiction?

I confess that I do - in fact much of my recent work has been set in a fan-fiction universe. But the main characters are my own, with original canon characters making the occasional cameo. (Arguably, since I've introduced new characters I'm writing in an alternate fan fiction universe). I've been criticized on occasion for this lack of originality, but I enjoy it, it sharpens my writing skills, and at the moment I don't have any publishing intentions. So it's all good.

Fencer makes some good points. My NaNo last year was large enough to be a novel, but some of my stuff set in the same universe is brief. It's okay to write short stories...a few of mine probably qualify as short-short stories, only a few pages long. Yet they explore a new aspect of the universe or the characters (Molly learning to fly is an example I've used before).

Brutal editing to reduce or eliminate filler material is a must - at least during times other than November. The beauty of NaNo is that it gives 'freedom' to write stuff that we might normally consider sub-par, without our inner editor/proofreader/etc coming to the fore. November is for getting those ideas down on paper or monitor; the editing and polishing can come in December. [/rant]

Well, I am quickly going from about to be published author to advisor. A girl in my church, who is in her freshman year of college, has recently notified me of a contract offer she got from Tate Publishing. Having gone through quite a bit of the process myself, both she and her family have sought me out for advice. I've talked to them briefly before and after church on Sunday and I have a tentative meeting with their family this weekend to discuss thing about getting published, things to watch out for, and such. So while I am on the topic, here are some of the things I will be mentioning.

The contract from Tate involved a $4,000 down payment that will be reimbursed after 5,000 copies are sold. That is a dangerous red flag unless you are willing to fork the money. The average book in America only sells about 500 copies. I believe that includes the mega sellers and the ones that don't do a thing. So while it is possible to sell more than the 500 copy average, it is not wise to assume selling 5,000 or more. If it does, great. But you are going to have very high hopes for a first time author to get those kinds of sales.

The contract also listed several royalty rates. I didn't see the exact figures, but I have seen this before. If you sell a certain number of books your royalty rates increase. In a contract I have seen, I have seen three levels of this. This contract also stated the publisher retained the rights to editions. This is another red flag to watch out for. The publisher has the right to issue a new edition each time the author is about to reach the next threshold. Not every publisher will do this, but some will and it is something to be aware of.

This contract also indicated a massive amount of marketing to all kinds of bookstores, book signings, and even commercials. For my friend, she is in college and doesn't have the time to travel every weekend for a book event. But there is an even bigger issue that got both her and her parents wide-eyed. Unless the contract explicitly states it, the author would need to assume to pay for transportation and hotel expenses just to get to the venue. And that can add up really fast.

Although Tate claims to accept only 4% of submitted manuscripts, there are many that claim it but accept just about anything. I've mentioned before how PublishAmerica is one such publisher. Someone pulled a test on them and wrote up 30 pages of horrible trash, and repeated it over and over again to novel length. PublishAmerica accepted it, which easily translates to they didn't read it.

Some contracts offer different levels of editing. Beware of ones that want to do heavy amounts of it. Some contracts will make you accept what they do. Some publishers may put in something very raunchy because they think it will help raise sales. Others may put in something to push a particular agenda. And if you are bound by the contract, whatever is added will be stuck to your name. So in a contact situation with editing, make sure what type of editing they are doing and be absolutely sure your manuscript gets your approval before it goes to print.

There are some more, but these are important things to think about if you are considering publication.

Wow, Fencer, I didn't know all that!Thanks for the advice. I don't know if I will ever publish my works, but I will definately take what you have said into consideration if I do!
Geez, it's been a long time since I've visited this thread. I've been so busy lately...high school, dancing, and now I'm training to be a sword-fighter. (The correct name is fencer, but when I use that word most people think I'm training to fight with rapiers, when I'm actually learning 13-14th century sword fighting.) Because of all this busyness, I haven't been able to really hang around the forum lately. I'd do a little here and there on the Games and Blogs, but I didn't have much time to really post in the Spare Oom.
I've decided that I've bitten off a little bit more than I could chew with my novells "Betrayal." I haven't studied writing anywhere, except high school, and I think I need a bit more experience before I start writing something as complex as what I ahve in my head. So, in the mean time, I've decided to concentrate on essays and short stories to get some experience with writing, and also to read and study other writers' styles to see if there is anything I can learn. I still definately want to write it down, but later.
I have another idea for a story right now, that I think I will be working on for the time being. I don't have a name, or even a plot line really, just the idea. It involves a number of teens (I haven't decided how many yet, but more than two for sure) who live in a village in a valley, and who hear the Call of the Warrior Lord high on the mountain, and who go to follow it. I want to make it an analogy to the Christian life, following God's Call, etc. I want it to be medieval/fantasy character study, with epic battles. I also want to delve deep into my characters and the problems they will be facing. The ultimate goal I have in mind is writing a piece of literature that will inspire teens and young adults to follow God's call in their lives, whatever it may be. It's a monumental task, but I think I can do it.
Now that I think of it, this "story" may probably grow to a novel. I'm not sure yet, but I got the idea, and really want to try it.
I just want to thank everyone who ahs posted in this thread for all your tips, help, and advice! My understanding and knowledge of writing have increased so dramatically as a result of asking questions, receiving answers, and even just reading what other people have to say. I will probably be coming with some more questions as I get back into writing...and this is one place I know I can turn to for answers! Thank you all so much!

Those are some awesome ideas, Narnian_Archer. I do sport fencing, so while very different than 13-14th Century broadsword use, the concepts of combat are quite similar. That experience will come in handy when you do your battle scenes. My fencing experience has really helped me understand the mindset of a swordfighter. And that in turn has helped understand not just descriptions of armor, but purpose of it. Battle scenes and strategies follow this as well.

If you need help when you get to that point, I am easy to find. I love the strategic side of pre-firearm battles and any chance I get, I study them out. But unless they are well described, I have a hard time visualizing them when I read them. So when I write them, I want others to get the same image I do.

On another note, I have heard back from Lighthouse. They have begun typesetting, which to me translates to they have finished editing. They said they will be giving me a timeline here very soon. It is hard to be patient at this time, but I know God's timing is perfect.

Also, I have decided what I will use for my pen name. I've spent some time deciding between three variations of my name. One is my offical name, which very few know me as. The other is my nickname, which is at the least, somewhat 'not-so-professional'. So I have decided to go the Lewis and Tolkien route and be known in the publishing world as "C. A. Wolcott". It is getting so close I am salivating over it.

Thank you, Fencer! I'll be sure to get in touch with you once I get to the fighting scenes. (By the way, have you ever considered writing a Guide for Beginning Writers? With all the information posted in this thread, you'd have a very good start, and I know you've probably got loads more of advice, counsel, and admonition! I'm sure it would be a hit!) And CONGRATULATIONS on your soon-to-be-published book!!!!!!

I have successfully gotten past the first page of my story. I have five characters down (in my head), with names and defined or semi-defined personalities, and the story is starting to take shape in my head. I'm also drawing pictures to go along with it (for now they're just sketches in my scrap book, but they really help me focus)
One thing I like about this particular story I am writing is that I'm learning to incorporate the personalities of people I know into my characters, which makes them more realistic, and not "fantastically perfect" as they have been in my earlier writings...it's a long, tough road, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

Interestingly enough, I have considered that. I am actually going to be exploring the prospect of offering my writing knowledge and experience for a possible seminar at the next Urbana (2012) Convention. When there in 06, and 09, there was no writing seminars and I had three writer's all right next to me in my Bible Study session out of 17,000 people. I know there were a LOT more. A number of the books I have looked at and have been suggested to me about how to write are simply little more than the author retelling his/her story about how they got into it. And that is how I would go about it. However, a lot of the books describe how to approach making a living at writing, and this is simply not for everyone. I don't intend to have my writing be my career and this true for many. So having that approach will be fresh for many aspiring authors. This has been an incredible journey and I am learning more and more at each step.

I have hit a major dilema with my writing. I have just 4 weeks left in my semester (including Finals) and I have two books that are really trying to take off right now. One is the sequel to the book about to be released. The other is a medieval action thriller I wrote before my spiritual warfare one that I did for practice.

My sequel is going to be different than the typical sequel of action stories, where it is the same characters with a new villian and attempts to make it bigger and better. My first one is plot driven and the nature of the subject matter calls for it. But my sequel is going to be much more character driven. I already wrote a first draft, but I had to stop it halfway through due to school and it went a different direction than I want it to. So I need to re-write the whole thing.

The medieval novel is still going to keep the same core plot line, but I think it needs to go bigger (in length) and delve deeper into the issues. My first draft is way too technical on the action in terms of terminology and it simply races from one action scene to another. It was my first real attempt at a novel but it got me going. For the re-draft, I plan to use the action scenes a little more sparingly but make it somewhat of a medieval style political triller as the fate of my fantasy world depends on the outcome of the decisions of my characters.

Both stories are calling to me and I want to make as much progress as I can on at least one of them during my 5-week Winter Break coming up. I could try to do both but that could be very interesting knowing my ability to hyper-focus (the reason I was able to do a NaNo style run when my I finished the first draft of my spiritual warfare novel at 135k in six weeks). This is very exciting and I have learned that the more I write, the more ideas come up. That is why aspiring authors are told to write, write, write (among many other reasons as well).