Anyone else trying to write a book

So does anyone else here have a hankering to write a book?

I certainly do, sci-fi book to be precise. It's very... steampunk I think the word is, combining Seven Years' War style society, weapons and technology with spacefaring empires and long distance starships. The spaceships in this universe greatly resemble 18th century ships of the line, with a canopy of thick glass to keep the air in on the deck and specialised energy fields to seal off the gun holes when they roll the cannon out. Anyways, the story revolves around the colonial wars between two empires, both human factions, as they discover a new solar system teeming with valuable resources and alien life, and the battles they fight over possesion of this star system on the brink of known space.

So, any other would-be authors in the forum, got any ideas for books you want critiqued?

Well, I think Lusted is in the process of writing a book

Lately i've been compiling a lot of interviews, and conducting plenty of interviews (along with other, archival stuff). My hope is to get a "book" bio etc, of what going to my high school is like. I've actually started, but if I actually get possessed to continue it for awhile, it will still take awhile to do.

It's one of those side projects you do on your spare time, when you are bored.

I've wanted to write for a while, I guess; but I never have any good ideas for subjects about which to write. I think I actually would have some ability to write pretty well, but I never actually get around to writing anything or even coming up with a good topic.

Everyone goes through a phase where they want to write a book. It lasts a couple of years, then you just accept it either won't happen or if it did it wouldn't be published anyway, and you get on with your 'life', such as it is, which is usually some mindless, meaningless garbage or other, with no purpose or value.

Think about it like this: Go to a medium-sized bookshop and take a thorough look around. Gosh, but there are a LOT of new books, aren't there? There are so many, in fact, produced by such a gargantuan number of authors - how many of them save an elite can actually be making a living wage out of it, never mind actually being 'successful'. Do you think there's something special about your ideas or talents that will make what you produce superior to this morass? Reconsider how you're spending your time.

Originally Posted by Cluny the Scourge

Everyone goes through a phase where they want to write a book. It lasts a couple of years, then you just accept it either won't happen or if it did it wouldn't be published anyway, and you get on with your 'life', such as it is, which is usually some mindless, meaningless garbage or other, with no purpose or value.

Think about it like this: Go to a medium-sized bookshop and take a thorough look around. Gosh, but there are a LOT of new books, aren't there? There are so many, in fact, produced by such a gargantuan number of authors - how many of them save an elite can actually be making a living wage out of it, never mind actually being 'successful'. Do you think there's something special about your ideas or talents that will make what you produce superior to this morass? Reconsider how you're spending your time.

Cluny is correct. A hard truth is that most probably NONE of you here will be published writers. Self publishing, obviously does not count. If you do manage to find a hard working agent who is willing to take you on, odds are you won't be doing writing for a living. You will also have little to no say in; the marketing of your book; its jacket illustrations; its font; its number of releases; and even certain creative aspects of the content. In addition, the publishing company takes all the rights for your book(s) and can decide to let you go should they predict a decline in the target market, or if you are not meeting your end of the contract, that is releasing subsequent content by a specified date or altering your book per the editor's whim. This has happened to the likes of David Wingrove, Gordan Norman, and others. Should your titles be discontinued and/or you want to move to another publisher it usually entails a long drawn out legal battle to acquire the rights to the very works you created. People don't realize what a gargantuan spirit-crusher the book industry is until they've been in it. The best thing is to write for yourself, or if you're fortunate enough, for friends who enjoy your work. I'm not saying give up, but don't expect a corporate monopoly to turn you into the next King or Cornwell.

I am writing a series of poems which I will later combine into a book with a Roman title and will also think about publishing it on TWC.

I'm writing one in Portuguese. I'm halfway through the third chapter. It's called EqCards and it's in Scotland, after Napoleon's rise to power.

I though sometimes of writing one or philosofical stuff or even poetry... But I didn't get any iniative to do it yet Lord Sigilus ir writing one, it has got now over 20 pages or more!
if u have any ideas of writing one, post plz

cya..

Actually, I have splitted up the book, so I have a chapter with some pages in the computer, a part of the second in a dossier and 20 pages on a notepad that I take to everywhere.

I tried to write one, only got a few pages done. I could show it, but its pretty crap.

That can't be true, Eric!!

I have quite the same idea (for a comic, though) for several months now. Well, in my comic it would more be Napoleonic stlye combined with future spaceships etc, but it's quite the same idea, I think. I have already made concept drawings for British and French soldiers.
(In the comic I'd really call the Empires "British", "French" and so on. Are your Empires fantasy-Empires?)
And I'd like to know how you describe soldiers and weapons. Are they more 18th century or more future-style?

It's really a mix. On the one hand, firearms and cannons fire an electric charged projectile that causes a small-scale explosion when it hits something, on the other hand they're still muzzleloaders, still flintlocks (but with an artificial sort of quartz instead of flint), still create obscuring smoke, and still so vastly inaccurate they require massed lines of musketeers to hit anything. Starships are shaped like 18th century frigates and ships of the line, they gather energy through their sails by harnessing solar wind, which powers engines set on the rear of the vessel. Battles are still fought the same way, ships manuever next to each other then exchange broadsides. I've got fantasy-style empires, but there are many similarities with my empires and England and France.

I'm going to write History books at some point. I'm goign to College next year to major in Classical Civ, so there's not much else I can do other than teach and write =D

But yes, straight History, but interesting, somewhat in the vein of Norwich.

Cluny is the only one being entirely truthful in this whole thread.

And I am constantly in the process of writing stuff. Not for other people but for myself. I don't waste my time on other people when it comes to my writings.

And I am including myself in this. Good night people.

Originally Posted by vizigothe

Cluny is the only one being entirely truthful in this whole thread.

Yes - everyone pay attention to Cluny! He knows best. There's a rat with some fresh ideas. A name of some importance, I understand, this Cluny?

I wrote roughly 80 pages of a world war two story when I was 13-15 years old. Its not high quality but for a kid writing his first real story I think its alright.

Link to the first portion of it:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...76#post1471776

Well, I just had to honor my name "Dumas". I'm a descendent of Alexander Dumas, so I decided to write a book. And when I started, I realized it ran through my veins, but it was asleep. I awakened it and I'm writing a book, two stories and a text about a fantasy Empire - the Sicilian Empire. And surprise, it starts in 1080 and ends in the start of the 1500's.

I am in the process of writing a series of books called "The Divided View". This series is about our (human) origins, why we are here, what's going to happen to us, and why it happened and also some back stories, which would add to the three I have planned. I'm not too far into it though, I've only written around 50 pages which isn't even a full 3 chapters, so I still have a lot of writing to do.

This thread might be interesting for most people here.

Originally Posted by turtle

I am in the process of writing a series of books called "The Divided View". This series is about our (human) origins, why we are here, what's going to happen to us, and why it happened and also some back stories, which would add to the three I have planned. I'm not too far into it though, I've only written around 50 pages which isn't even a full 3 chapters, so I still have a lot of writing to do.

Books like these I think are very flimsy. Is it a fiction or non-fiction? Is it your opinion or fact? What authority do you have to speak on the subject? I think that's an important question. Is it going to be bias? Have you done extensive amount of study and research on your topics? What type of credentials do you have? I think this is important too.

These types of questions should help you. It'll let you know if you're wasting your time or not. If your a nobody with no credentials who just wants to give his opinion on the aspects of life, I see no reason why someone should read your book. I see you're 20 yrs old, don't you think you should live and learn a little more before speaking on life? I'm just trying to help