Bard raised a good point on my last post that publishers may not be willing to take on my novel if it has been released for free on the web.
It's a good point, and one I have considered very seriously.
For me the decision worked like this.
1. The chances of publishing an unwritten novel is 0%
2. If I don't find new ways to motivate myself (20 years remember) the chance of the novel being written is 0%.
3. Therefore I need to find new ways to motivate myself.
4. I found the feedback from writing my blog, motivating.
5. I will try to harness this motivation and use it to write my novel.
However
6. Putting my work online risks someone stealing my work.
7. Anonymity is a higher risk for new writers then theft.
8. There are legal avenues to address theft, if it were to occur.
Additionally
9. I am a fantasy lover, I want to write a trilogy or more.
10. Publishing Book 1 online may just get me enough to be noticed and read by an 'important' person who will pay me a lot of money to write book 2 and 3.
11. Since I don't yet have a written novel I will publish what I do have as a serial in the hope I can use 5 to achieve 10.
Ummmmm...... yeah right.
Dreams, dreams, dreams
Monday, 21 November 2011
Sunday, 20 November 2011
With fear and trepidation I release my opus... sort of...
About twenty years ago, I started writing a fantasy novel with a friend. It was based on a D&D campaign I was dungeon mastering. My friend used the ideas, characters and my plot outline, to write and I then rewrote his initial words, until eventually we had a 1st draft of Book 1, at near 1000 pages.
My co-author grew less interested but I've never given up. I've also never finished the project. Over the last decade I started re-imagining it, and rewriting, and rewriting, and rewriting; starting at the beginning over and over again. I'm further from the end of Book 1, then I was a decade ago.
The novel is now far removed from anything recognisable as D&D, and is very much my vision; and my torture.
By age 40 I vowed to have Draft 1 ready for publication. That vow passed uncompleted in January 2011.
I want this story out of me. I want this dream realised.
But my motivation is fickle, and family and work life all encompassing.
As has been said, 'writing is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration'.
I noticed while blogging how comments you all gave me, and seeing a few followers appear, inspired me to write more.
I started to wonder if this might be what I need for my novel. Writing to my own strength of will, has brought me nowhere. Perhaps I need to try a different tack.
So I've joined scribd. And uploaded the prologue of my novel.
I have nine chapters written, around 200 pages. My intention is to release one chapter / month, like a serial, and hopefully, here's really hoping, I will find the perspiration to just keep writing.
So click and read Mandorla: Gods and Elves - Prologue - The Death of Stem Faar
And feel free to comment, correct and criticise - either via this blog or a new email address I have started
mandorlastory@gmail.com
It is thus with great fear and trepidation, I attempt once again to see this dream realised.
My co-author grew less interested but I've never given up. I've also never finished the project. Over the last decade I started re-imagining it, and rewriting, and rewriting, and rewriting; starting at the beginning over and over again. I'm further from the end of Book 1, then I was a decade ago.
The novel is now far removed from anything recognisable as D&D, and is very much my vision; and my torture.
By age 40 I vowed to have Draft 1 ready for publication. That vow passed uncompleted in January 2011.
I want this story out of me. I want this dream realised.
But my motivation is fickle, and family and work life all encompassing.
As has been said, 'writing is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration'.
I noticed while blogging how comments you all gave me, and seeing a few followers appear, inspired me to write more.
I started to wonder if this might be what I need for my novel. Writing to my own strength of will, has brought me nowhere. Perhaps I need to try a different tack.
So I've joined scribd. And uploaded the prologue of my novel.
I have nine chapters written, around 200 pages. My intention is to release one chapter / month, like a serial, and hopefully, here's really hoping, I will find the perspiration to just keep writing.
So click and read Mandorla: Gods and Elves - Prologue - The Death of Stem Faar
And feel free to comment, correct and criticise - either via this blog or a new email address I have started
mandorlastory@gmail.com
It is thus with great fear and trepidation, I attempt once again to see this dream realised.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Links to Wisdom: Alive and 560 links kicking!
I know there have been some concerns about the demise of some OSR blogs. My own blog posting has fallen to zilch.
Blame no gaming group, work, family, Civilization 5, my fantasy novel opus, Civilization 5...
Whatever the case, Links to Wisdom is still going strong.
Just look below at the number of links to the contents below
Blame no gaming group, work, family, Civilization 5, my fantasy novel opus, Civilization 5...
Whatever the case, Links to Wisdom is still going strong.
Just look below at the number of links to the contents below
- Introduction (to the game) 15 links
- Player Character 135 links
- Spells 45 links
- The Adventure 47 links
- The Encounter 44 links
- Monsters 109 links
- Non Player Characters 16 links
- Treasure 44 links
- Preparing and Running the Game (Dungeon Master Information) 86 links
- Inspirational Sources 22 links
Now I haven't checked every link but probably have checked more than 200. Of the links I have checked only one closed blog (sadly Axe and Hammer) and one link that needed fixing. That's not bad.
So provided Alex Schoeder isn't going anywhere (don't go anywhere Alex) the Links to Wisdom wiki is strong and here to stay. It's for everyone who wants to help preserve some of the memory of the OSR blogosphere. Feel free to add to it at anytime.
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