@alanr
Active 4 years, 3 months ago-
Alan Rain replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop 5 years, 5 months ago
@raine that’s even better – assuming 50k is your target. You’re on track.
Like some others, I can’t write and leave mistakes in. It slows me down, but I’m not concerned. I prefer 25k good words rather than 50k error-riddled ones.And now I have a title for this supernatural story: The Never Never Item
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Alan Rain replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop 5 years, 5 months ago
Not actually doing this Nano thing in a formal sense, but by a remarkable coincidence, I morphed into creative/productive mode early in November. After a slowish start it’s coming together nicely and I have nearly 12k words down. Done 3k today alone.
Will it last? -
Alan Rain replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 5 years, 5 months ago
Good on you, @elle.
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Alan Rain replied to the topic Setting The Place in the forum Blogs 5 years, 5 months ago
Agree with all this. Use all 5 senses, and incorporate the sixth.
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Alan Rain replied to the topic Titles in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 5 months ago
Okay, good. No more indecision.
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Alan Rain replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium 5 years, 5 months ago
Thanks @elle and @philippaeast
I sent it off within two hours. I just had to tailor the letter a little. Interestingly, I’d already sent it to CB, but that didn’t seem to make any difference (I did ask).
I think this has sparked me into starting my 2nd novel. This one will be easy to categorise. I’m going for supernatural horror, with a rather…[Read more] -
Alan Rain replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium 5 years, 5 months ago
Thanks @raine @janeshuff and @elle.
Good to hear, Elle, that you got something positive from that particular course. I’ve never done a writing course of any description, so I’m keeping an open mind.
Had an out-of-the-blue message from one of CB’s agents today asking for my novel. Now, that is welcome, although it would be truly remarkable if a…[Read more]
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Alan Rain replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium 5 years, 5 months ago
Thanks @philippaeast @Daedalus @kazg @anna @hilary
I’m inclined to go for the finish and edit as by the time the course starts in January, I (should?) have made a start on another novel. I think not the pitching course, as I feel atm I’ve had my fill of cover letters and synopses.
Has anyone done these courses? -
Alan Rain started the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium 5 years, 5 months ago
For background:
Curtis Brown Creative hold a monthly tweet competition set by one of their agents or tutors. They started doing this around springtime of this year, and the winner gets a free place on one of their 6-week online courses (£200 if you book). Runners-up get a discount. (The 3 courses are: how to write a novel, how to finish it, and…[Read more] -
Alan Rain replied to the topic When to start querying (submitting) your novel in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for the link.
The advice that really counts is to ensure you remove all typos, formatting errors etc. as it shows you are concerned with detail.I’m not sure about ‘clean prose’, as everyone will have their own opinion about this, including agents. But if you interpret it as ‘no unnecessary words regardless of sentence length’, then fair…[Read more]
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Alan Rain replied to the topic Some notes on Dara Marks' Transformational Arc in the forum Blogs 5 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for this @raine and @philippaeast.
I think there needs to be distinction in the character’s behaviours and internalisations during these phases. -
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Alan Rain replied to the topic New title needed for 'Snatched' – help! in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 6 months ago
I like the word ’tilt’. I use it in my cover letter.
Should a title be specific, or suggestive, or opaque? I think I tend to prefer non-specific.
Some more ideas:The Tilting Girl
T.I.L.T (graphic artists could play around with this)
Time Tilt
Exile’s Tilt
Exile’s Shadowor mirror?
Exile’s Mirror
Tilted Mirror -
Alan Rain replied to the topic New title needed for 'Snatched' – help! in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 6 months ago
I like the idea of exile, and my previous suggestion came from that.
Time’s Exile
Exiled in Time -
Alan Rain replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop 5 years, 6 months ago
Ditto @Richardb
Niggles like an itch in a sensitive spot. Impossible to leave. -
Alan Rain replied to the topic Opinion about title in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 6 months ago
Thanks for your input @athelstone @seagreen @Janeshuff @kazg @Squidge @elle @Bellam
That 5 of you go towards YA / Children’s and the other 2 suggest SF / Fantasy tells me that the original name is still the one to use, although I will still make a minor tweak to it.
So, yes, it’s a literary-leaning novel about possession, with the MFC split.
To…[Read more] -
Alan Rain started the topic Opinion about title in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 5 years, 6 months ago
Help please,
I’m having a solo brainstorm – or maybe a crisis – about my title, having had the same one (AnGal) for years.Without me saying anything about my novel, what do these titles suggest / signify:
Angalina
An Galina
AngGalina
AnggalinaA YA novel? Children’s Fairy story? A novel about Hollywood?
A novel about possession and dual…[Read more] -
Alan Rain replied to the topic Controlling Idea / Downsizing in the forum Coffee Shop 5 years, 6 months ago
Philippa,
“when desire burns too hot, it destroys” is pretty close to the mark for Angal.
“When obsession takes root, it destroys.” Hmm. Hmmmm.Stories: Also to control … as with one generation instilling fears into the next with stories of the dark and its unseen creatures.
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Alan Rain replied to the topic Controlling Idea / Downsizing in the forum Coffee Shop 5 years, 6 months ago
I’ve often wondered what I would say if I was asked about my theme, or controlling idea. I can think of several words, but not a single sentence that I could trot out, and that’s not good enough.
I think it’s easier if you’re writing a specific genre. With genre-bending it becomes more difficult.
Must give this some serious thought.
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