Hi, I'm new here, so sorry if I break any rules.

I have a couple of questions for louise, just on a few publishing issues. I've finished writing a fantasy story and done the whole editing deal a dozen times on it, and the manuscript is getting nearer the standard I want.

I was wondering on some of the industry requirements these days. What is a good word count? I have pretty much 100 000.

Do fantasy books need to be part of a trilogy?

I have not read any of your work louise (sorry) so I read your prologue on the site. I noticed you had a lot of thought sentences. I'm more an action, re-action writer and so my sentences are not entirely...poetic, more functional. I was wondering if you think that may be a problem. (Anyone here can answer that if you like)

Oh, incidently that envision thing looks to be very nice.
Hope you guys have fun.

Sam.

Hi, Sam,
Wow, you've only just arrived on the messageboard and you've already written a novel!! Very exciting!! We love hearing about people's writing on here. Not that anyone gives much away - it's all a bit of a secret until a book's published, just in case of plagiarists.
However, we love word counts, or chapter counts, and some of us, namely me, love titles. You can reveal a bit more on Sunday chats because they aren't recorded anywhere, and we know who is watching.

Louise has great advice for publishing on her website and so does Sara Douglass, I've found.

Anyway, welcome to the messageboard, and good luck with your novel!
Luv Wendy

A big hello, Sam.

Don't worry about breaking rules... very flex here!
I think the only rule we have, is to enjoy the written word... be that writing your own book or reading a great book that another has written.
And as you have already completed writing a book, we know you will fit in fantabulously.

By the way are you a male Sam or a female Sam?

deb

deb

Thanks Wendy and Deb,

I am a male sam. Yes, louise does have some great advice, although I had encountered most of it already along the way to writing my book. One of the reasons I search the web is to try to find if there are any other common writing mistakes I don't yet know about. (I've writen up a personal document about them)

I don't consider plagerism a big issue. I find the creative part of a story to be the easiest, the harder bits being actually writing the damn thing. So I find it difficult to believe that there could be many people on the prowl searching for ideas to steal that would be able to write some elses story at a publishable standard.

I think people get published more because they are professional, rather than because they are especially creative.

Don't you think?
Sam.

Hi Sam and welcolme!
Yes, it does seem that many people say that you can be a brilliant writer and never manage to get anything published. I think that if you want your work to be published, it is vital that it is a 'tight' as possible.
Have you thought of getting your manuscript professionally looked at by an editing company. I think they can offer various services to comments/ edits etc. I haven't tried any myself as I'm not quite ready for it but I think I will seriously consider it when I am.
KylieS

Sam, sorry it's taken me a little while to reply.  I tried yesterday but after having written a long reply and it disappearing into the ether, I got a tad discouraged.  Must be a few glitches in the network this week as our chat didn't work on Sunday night either. 

But it's all good now.  Re getting a book ready for publication, I do have a page on my website about that, which might help you.  I'm a firm believer in getting assessment before you send it off, as it's very hard to see your own problems unless they're pointed out.  With regard to internalisation (revealing characters thoughts), I think each writer has a different style and needs to find their own balance.  My stories are very much character driven so I try to put in as much internalisation as I can without slowing down the pace of the story, that way the reader will understand my characters and why they do what they do.  Internalisations also help make the characters real, rather than cardboard cutouts.  So some internalisation is helpful - if for no other reason than that people often act in a way that is contrary to their feelings at the time - ie they're frightened but they act angry.  Naturally, characters can reveal themselves through dialogue, but in the real world there aren't many people I know who are honest enough to admit aloud how they really feel.  So this is the reason I use internalisation. 

Having said that, I know there are many successful writers who use mininal internalisation and rely mostly on action to move their plots along.  So if those are the sort of books you love and you naturally tend to write that way, go for it.  You'll always be more successful writing what you love than trying to fit a market that looks lucrative.  But the trend nowadays seems to be towards revealing at least some emotion.  Even James Bond movies, I see, now have tender and vulnerable moments, which is quite a departure from the love-em-and-leave-em stories of the past.

Hope this helps

P.S.  Thanks for all the advice you guys gave Sam while I wasn't here.  Very valid, and much appreciated 

I got distracted with talking about internalisation and meant to add something in when I was talking about assessment and finding your own mistakes.  I know some writers work well in a critique environment, while others do better to work alone and you need to find which works best for you, Sam.  If you do like to work alone and need to find areas for improvement in your work, I can heartily recommend "Self Editing for Fiction Writers" by Renni Browne and Dave King.  It's a very simple to read book with heaps of examples to make understanding easier and chapters like "Show and Tell", "Characterisation and Exposition", "Point of View", "Dialogue Mechanics", "Voice" etc.  This is my bible for self-editing and I know heaps of published authors who swear by it. I got my copy from the American Bookstore in Brisbane but I'm sure it's readily available in other states or online.  I still maintain that writing heaps and daily is the best way to become a good writer, but reading good how-to books is helpful too.