Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

[SanyuXV]

Congrats Lugo! You're the real MVP

[Maximinus Thrax]

Not very many gold medals get handed out, it shows talent and a real dedication to the Study, congratz.

The talent is extremely important, naturally, but the real secret here is to enter the WS competitions as often as possible. I stopped at silver because I didn't like the design of the gold medal.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

It's been a while... hope everyone is doing well.

[Lugotorix]

It's been a while... hope everyone is doing well.

Doing just fine- finishing a WRE H campaign in Attila. Good to see a fellow gold....member. And a legend and chieftain of the Bodemloze at that.

[Lugotorix]

It's been a while... hope everyone is doing well.

Doing just fine- finishing a WRE H campaign in Attila. Good to see a fellow goldmember. And a legend and chieftain of the Bodemloze at that.

[Alwyn]

Welcome back, Robin de Bodemloze! I'm reading your epic Takeda, it's an inspiring story. The relationship between Nobushige and Takanaga is very interesting to watch as it develops.

Lugotorix, congratulations on joining the select few who have achieved a Gold Writers' Study Competition Medal!

[Tigellinus]

Robin . . .

It is you.

My God.

"Bows down"

I have been well, and you my friend? How are you?

Thanks

Tigellinus

[Merchant of Venice]

Ahh the master returns to check on his grasshoppers.

[Maximinus Thrax]

Just my two cents regarding the writing competitions and the very few voters they seem to attract.

Considering the current number of local moderators (there are at least ten active moderators on these subforums), I think it would be a good idea to send each of them notifications every time a poll is up, because it's clear that these competitions need more attention from a voting stand point, and who else to set a better example than the people in charge of this place. All of you guys are also writers, therefore I'm sure you can empathize with those competitors who don't manage to acquire not even a single vote, not because their work was weak, but because there simply weren't enough voters around to spread the votes more evenly. It's really disheartening when that happens, no wonder these days there are fewer entries than in the past.

Just for the record, I wouldn't mind receiveing such PMs each time a new poll is up. I can easily spare a few minutes to read the entries, because I know there are many talented writers around.

[Tigellinus]

Just my two cents regarding the writing competitions and the very few voters they seem to attract.

Considering the current number of local moderators (there are at least ten active moderators on these subforums), I think it would be a good idea to send each of them notifications every time a poll is up, because it's clear that these competitions need more attention from a voting stand point, and who else to set a better example than the people in charge of this place. All of you guys are also writers, therefore I'm sure you can empathize with those competitors who don't manage to acquire not even a single vote, not because their work was weak, but because there simply weren't enough voters around to spread the votes more evenly. It's really disheartening when that happens, no wonder these days there are fewer entries than in the past.

Just for the record, I wouldn't mind receiveing such PMs each time a new poll is up. I can easily spare a few minutes to read the entries, because I know there are many talented writers around.

This is a very good idea! Anyone may feel free to send me a PM to notify me of such competitions!

I will try take more initiative regarding them, however.

Thanks

Tigellinus

[Merchant of Venice]

If people wanted I'd be interested in running a PM sort of newsletter where I'll send out a PM to whoever wants one whenever a new competition is put to vote. All new MAARCs and MCWCs and whenever they go to vote will also be put up onto the WS blog so you can check there as well.

[Alwyn]

Good idea, Maximinus Thrax! Thanks Merchant for offering to PM people when a competition is put to vote - good idea about drawing attention to them on the WS blog as well.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Fellow writers,

How do you revive a dying plot?

I'm currently in a rut. My main guy was, in the beginning, a slave, then a leader of the revolution, kinda like Spartacus.
Then, I wanted to make him a King, then he became a son of a tyrant, then he became two-sides personality psychopath.

My current plot features the survivors on a ship (kinda like Argonauts) and I tend to like this one better, because you root for the underdog. I want my readers to be captivated.
Yet ... I can't seem to find original ideas. I've been on this project for 7 years now.
When is it enough?

[Alwyn]

I'm sorry to hear that you're in a rut. How can a writer revive a dying plot? You had lots of ideas for your main guy. Were you planning or writing? My first thought is that I can plan, and plan, and plan endlessly - the result is sometimes that I feel more and more confused, and less and less clear about what to write. For me, the way through this mess is to write, even if I'm only writing a bit and even if I feel sure that what I'm writing is the worst story ever. Your current idea sounds good. I like rooting for the underdog. Seven years is a long time to spend on a project. Are you bored of it, do you need a break? Sometimes I get ideas when I stop trying to write and go for a walk, read a book or do something else. I have no idea whether any of this will help - I hope that you find the ideas which you're looking for.

[General Brewster]

Fellow writers,

How do you revive a dying plot?

I'm currently in a rut. My main guy was, in the beginning, a slave, then a leader of the revolution, kinda like Spartacus.
Then, I wanted to make him a King, then he became a son of a tyrant, then he became two-sides personality psychopath.

My current plot features the survivors on a ship (kinda like Argonauts) and I tend to like this one better, because you root for the underdog. I want my readers to be captivated.
Yet ... I can't seem to find original ideas. I've been on this project for 7 years now.
When is it enough?

Alwyn said it all.

Just wondering though, after 7 years how large is your project ?

[Ngugi]

Fellow writers,

How do you revive a dying plot?

I'm currently in a rut. My main guy was, in the beginning, a slave, then a leader of the revolution, kinda like Spartacus.
Then, I wanted to make him a King, then he became a son of a tyrant, then he became two-sides personality psychopath.

My current plot features the survivors on a ship (kinda like Argonauts) and I tend to like this one better, because you root for the underdog. I want my readers to be captivated.
Yet ... I can't seem to find original ideas. I've been on this project for 7 years now.
When is it enough?

Know the stagnation of long-running projects well myself I can admit, as also limitations raised by the story itself (inherent rules and demands) can limit the creativity.

A tip that I can give, which may or may not work for you, is to write short stories related to, but not part of, your main story.

- Perhaps write a short story of a soldier in your main protagonist's army at any given point, what do he experience or discuss with his fellows, what are his views on what is going on around him and/or what events do he participate in that may be unrelated to the main story?
- A short story about a former love interest, what's her memories of past days compaired to what she knows today?
- A noble or some nobles, who plot to increase their power.
- A foreign merchant in a trading hub, seeing a strange ship in harbour that he look closer at. What do he see, from his POV?
- A later chronicle about the Last days of [the protagonist], either from a flattering perspective or neutral or hostile.
- About events in regions in the proximity of, but not directly involved in, the regions affected by the protagonist at any given time.
- A former companion bragging in an ale house to a crowd who both are impressed and sceptical of the tales.
- A scientific report about music or food or marriage customs or astronomy or medicine within the world (perhaps with a side note or anecdote about a famous musician/chef/tailor or priest/atronomer/medico who once was a slave once/aided the rebellion/was at court or helped a ship crew in a port once).

You can even write it/these with no reference to your protagonist at all (that may be even more useful to you for this purpose), but still just to some side character of the main story, or relevant region, or religion or something else. Like, some nobles plotting to overthrow the protagonists best friend (how, why, when?), or a former companion trying to tell the story of an adventure from his/hers perspective, leaving out the iconic protagonist as much as possible.
You get the point: it can be [about] whatever that springs to mind.


The purpose is to allow you freedom to write within the universe of the story, but not the story itself and with no need to actually be officially part of it, nay therefore not even serious or good. It's just writing whatever comes to mind for it's own sake.

One one hand it can help loosen some tight knots in how you relate to your creation after such a long time. This shall not be unerestimated, as the creative process can be a burden as much as a joy, and one often has to put it at an arms length at times, so it can be twisted on and approach from new - current - angles.

On the other, important, hand it can plant seeds. A few weeks after your written just a quick page, any small detail, as a few words or a line, written just as you went along with no long considerations behind it, that was of no certain improtance then, may still intrigue you.

-Why did character Y said the ptoragonist reminded Y of that other guy? (And who's that guy? An historic person, someone they knew, a legendary person? How do it hint at things past or things to come?)
- How come that army had never been to the capital, as soldier X revealed?
- Why did the ship had a rudder of black wood?
- If toxic honey can cause mad honey disease, did the companions ever used that in any cunning way?
- If this event occured, is that why/how did it affect events that the protagonist experienced?
- If the last character Z ever saw of the protagonist, was him leaving the cabbin into the night, what had occured just before that? Did anyone else ever saw him again?

And so on. Embrace that. In that way the main story's continuation, or development of the existing parts, become an evolution from a creative world larger than the narrow main story it will end up in and as, providing you new energy and inspiration.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Wow, thanks a lot, gents for your advises!

I did not expect such a warm reaction. Also, I feel like I evolved just reading what you guys said.
So, without further ado, I give you Crimson Talon
This wasn't an AAR as a mere exercise for my other project.
My focus was on the Noble Family of Hades, ancient dudes that once founded the Dominion.
The only problem was that my main characters kept dying and I had no way of establishing a believable continuation.
I was pumping up a hero, then he was gone. Then came another, and so on.
I started this as a POV story, then that character died as well.

I thought I was going good, but there were too much funerals. And failed heroes.
In my other project, the similarities are that the main guys are monsters, bestial warriors that have fought or are being hunted by humans.
I did not want my protagonist to be some sort of Jesus figure.

And this project has evolved (devolved sometimes) over the years.
I loved Dune, but I hated when I end up repeating it.

My guys were aliens, on an alien planet, which pretty much was Arakhis.
So I changed it to a medieval fantasy story.
Then added some Sci Fi elements.

I got 3 Races, so far.
And I figured that, for the sake of my story, humans should be extinct. I did not want the reader to go ahead and just root for humans.
So yeah, this is where I am at, right now.

Also, like Ngugi said, I figured that some short-stories about random warriors in this universe, might speed the process up.
But I AM ALWAYS AFRAID THAT THE STORY AND THE BACKGROUND LACKS ORIGINALITY.

So I am always stuck in concept art... always re-modelling, re-branding...
It sucks.

[General Brewster]

I'm dissapointed to say my project of 2 years isn't even half the size of your AAR

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

I'm dissapointed to say my project of 2 years isn't even half the size of your AAR

So I shouldn't give up then?

Because I got all the plot mapped out, I know how this ends.
It just feels that there aren't anymore likable characters left in it...

[General Brewster]

Of course you shouldn't man !

I can pretend I had time to read it all, but I did read the last two and it was pretty captivating. I would say push on!