Writer's Survey

[Tan 91]

Any pony here writing something serious? I don't mean a Fimfic(not knocking that if it's your cup of tea), I mean something you intend to publish through a publishing company.

 

I ask because I am wondering how many aspiring writers are here. I always loved telling stories, but I didn't take writing seriously until I was 20(I'm 22 now.). I would like people to discuss literary devices with, and talk about the greats like THE legendary David Xanatos for example. You don't have to be an aspiring writer the moment you read this, but if this post inspires you to take it seriously I would like to hear about it.

 

I am looking for people who are interested in the craft to discuss it and share their perspectives. I would also like a few new faces to be a sounding board for what I am working on, but that might be asking a bit much. If you're interested, great, if not, great. . . Don't let my wishes be a turn off, I mainly want the discussion part anyway. Sorry to put you on the spot like that.

[Kerberossz 1,929]

I have been working on a Fimfic for a while and I have some short stories I have written but I have never meditate about publish a novel. I would like to but I don't think I have the skills for that but I really enjoy writing. 

[Shanks 10,816]

Yes, there are several ideas I have for books I actually intend to publish most of which are non fiction/commentary. I intend to publish books both about my experiences on the Autism spectrum and since I have aspirations to teach history (I am going for my masters and possibly PHD in that) I also have multiple ideas for books revolving around that. One of them is about how the founding fathers didn't always get along and that some of them like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson even outright hated each other.

 

The presidential election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson was one of the nastiest in American history, John Adams said that if Thomas Jefferson were elected that rape, robbery, murder and incest would be openly practiced and taught. Thomas Jefferson called John Adams a "bald, toothless old man" that wants to start a war with France. I am probably going to call it The Fighting Fathers.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Darth Bane

[nolongerabout 403]

Publishing a novel or book in general seems very daunting. Though, truthfully, I've never considered anything I have written worthy enough to be published even on fimfiction/fanfiction/whatever. The process also seems like a struggle. Many famous book series,such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter were refused by publishers numerous times. But it is the highest aspiration for any writer; make your Mark on the world, leave something behind. Even if your book is not an astounding success. You have succeeded where countless others have failed. At least, that's what I think about the publishing industry.

 

As for your work, I'd love to be involved. Just PM me if you'd like my opinion on anything.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,302]

Generally speaking, I'm not the type of writer who plans.  Or who dreams of being published between two hard covers.  The type who, over time, meticulously fashions some elaborate foundation on which to ultimately build a story; a living world in which to place his characters and steer them towards adventure and triumph or sorrow and defeat.

 

Not at all.

 

I'm the kind of writer who has a sudden moment of inspiration - sometimes out of practically nowhere and as a result of seemingly little - and sits and writes.  Or merely sits on the idea until I feel adequately compelled to share it with a page.  And while I think I take writing seriously enough, I avoid taking it too seriously.  I write to write.  First and foremost, for myself; with the frequent and always noteworthy exception of my personal Muse. <3

 

Being ever self-deprecating, writing is one of the very few things I feel I can do well.  An audience is, of course, appreciated.  The time a reader devotes to a piece of mine is similarly regarded.  But I don't particularly care if I'm ever published outside of the likes of deviantART or other digital venues, and I've no real intention of making a profit from my writing.

 

I just write.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I'm a Creative Writing Major right now, in no small part due to this fandom inspiring me to turn my life around. Since then I've written several original stories for classes, some of which I plan to turn into proper comics or features. 

[LordSwinton 759]

I've written a lot of things over the years. Some completed, most left to rot. I've never thought of publishing them. I don't usually plan what I write and that's probably why I never finish them. On a bad day I'd just write a short narrative for the fun of it. Wrote about a slice of bread once.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Oh right. 

 

I do plan to publish and my current teacher actually promises to help the class with that.

[Jackie Snack 1,498]

I use Fimfiction as practice and to keep myself writing whenever I have major writer's block, but I am currently writing a short story and a novel. The former will be used to get my foot in the door for publishing, and might determine whether or not I finish my novel.

 

I'd like to discuss more with you, but I'm typing this one-handed cuz I'm holding my newborn. After she falls asleep, I can provide better responses. <3

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

I dabble in writing, as far as taking ideas I like and splattering them together on a word document goes.

[InactiveHooves 256]

I have ideas to write, sure. But I lack the skills to actually write anything worthwhile.

So sadly it is out of question for me.

[Lunatic Cake 1,618]

I would love to write one day. While I may not be the best writer, I would probably intend to write to tell the world about how I see this world opposed to many others. Perhaps even a story that I've been having in mind for a few months now but feel like it's not going to turn out well compared to other stories because I lack the storytelling element.

[CaptainDoubloon 856]

There was one time I considered writing a book involving werewolves and then I didn't. Then Twilight was released and everyone was like "vampires and werewolves omg!" >.>

 

I turned my idea into a werewolf rpg instead on a forum and it went well for 3 years and then ended really badly with some of the members and the story spun out of control.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Seeker Dragonheart

[Steel Accord 6,660]

 

 

One of them is about how the founding fathers didn't always get along and that some of them like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson even outright hated each other.

 

That would be news to people?

I would love to write one day. While I may not be the best writer, I would probably intend to write to tell the world about how I see this world opposed to many others. Perhaps even a story that I've been having in mind for a few months now but feel like it's not going to turn out well compared to other stories because I lack the storytelling element.

 

Well what's the idea? Some of my best stories, and the one I'm working on right now, come from such places of thought. A transhuman sci-fi space opera, a mashup of eastern and western genre conventions, and a massive narrative "TAKE THAT" to horror.

[Shanks 10,816]

That would be news to people?

Yes, you would be surprised just how many people that is news to. I am sure it wouldn't surprise most people that the founding father had disagreements but most people don't realize just how profound a lot of them were. Most people also don't know that there was a constitution before the constitution (Article of Confederation) or just how chaotic the political climate in early America was.

 

People either have this image of these infallible perfect statesmen sitting down and discussing things like gentlemen or a bunch of rich racist scum who only cared about lining their own pockets when the truth is much more gray and complicated than that. Simply put they were men with dramatically differing agendas, far more so than most realize and most don't realize just how close they all came to tearing the young republic apart. The Civil War was caused by many complex unresolved issues about the role of government from before the constitution was even written.

 

The point of my book be to un deify the founding fathers to make the point that they are humans like us who made a good yet imperfect document as well as all the different thoughts, opinions and ideas that went into it which most people are completely and utterly clueless about. So many of the things taught in school are either half truths, outright lies or so hideously oversimplified that people get barely even a fraction of the full story.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

 

 

Most people also don't know that there was a constitution before the constitution (Article of Confederation) or just how chaotic the political climate in early America was.

 

Nowadays I'm almost wishing the Articles remained and the Constitution wasn't penned. One must admit, a lot of what Patrick Henry feared would happen has come to pass.

 

 

 

The point of my book be to un deify the founding fathers to make the point that they are humans like us who made a good yet imperfect document as well as all the different thoughts, opinions and ideas that went into it which most people are completely and utterly clueless about.

 

At the same time, yes they were men, but I think they were great men. Some of the best of their time. I would hope you don't drag them through the mud whilst making them bleed. 

[Lunatic Cake 1,618]

Well what's the idea? Some of my best stories, and the one I'm working on right now, come from such places of thought. A transhuman sci-fi space opera, a mashup of eastern and western genre conventions, and a massive narrative "TAKE THAT" to horror.

It's a story of a man who has the superpower to turn people back into babies. Basically going around the world, catch criminals and turn them into a baby, get them adopted by a family and basically instead of sending them to prison, give them a second chance in life.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

It's a story of a man who has the superpower to turn people back into babies. Basically going around the world, catch criminals and turn them into a baby, get them adopted by a family and basically instead of sending them to prison, give them a second chance in life.

 

That doesn't sound like a bad idea for a novel. Although it depends on how you present it, execution is everything.

[Tan 91]

Better late than never. Thanks for all the replies guys and girls. It was great reading all the varied views.

 

 

You know, it's funny. . . I thought I wasn't worthy of getting published either. Then I looked at the best selling books of recent years and 2 were such astounding pieces of garbage that I was utterly befuddled and vexed got published. Usually books have to be reasonably good to get published, but from the success of Twilight and Fifty Shades, they publish ANYTHING now. Think about it. Twilight completely butchers vampires and werewolves, condones abusive relationships(and even pedophilia in the last book), and is chock full of sues. What about Fifty shades? It butchers BDSM and condones abusive and manipulation and weak females. If that wasn't bad enough it began life as fanfiction, and if that isn't the nail in the coffin it was TWILIGHT fanfic. They let Twilight fanfic, and Twilight itself get published. So in my eyes, it's not getting published, it's finding one that will be the challenge.

 

When I first took writing seriously, one of the first things I learned wasn't about standard procedure or proper formatting, it was avoiding the sue type character. I always loved making up characters and stories but I didn't take writing seriously until recent years. And besides a bunch of cliches, flawed characters was the first thing preached other than show don't tell. Back when I was in school, The first Twilight movie was coming out, and many girls were carrying the book and talking about it. Being an average teenage boy, I knew nothing about it. The only thing I saw was the cover of one of the books, and the red headed chick on it was kinda hot. She looked like Katrina Crane from Sleepy Hollow and was even wearing an archaic dress. I didn't see the movie, but I did do a little research. One of the first complaints I heard was "vampires don't sparkle" so I wikied it and the more I read, the more the work disgusted me. I like real vampires, like Christopher Lee's Dracula. Then twilight sexualized them and made them stereotypes of stereotypes of stereotypes of stereotypes. So many characters are boring sues and it has one of the weakest female protagonists ever. Didn't actually read the books but I did wiki them.

 

Fifty Shades. It butchers BDSM, and condones being weak and submissive along side straight up abuse. This one isn't as bad as Twilight because it doesn't butcher supernatural stuff. Arguably it's worse while being less extreme than Twilight. The stuff featured in that book isn't accurate and is abuse, and that is not okay. The characters are boring and it is really bad fanfic. Fanfic shouldn't be an insult, but in this case it's a fanfic of something that was garbage in the first place so no hope of being good. In my story one of the main 3 characters actually had the surname "Gray" before I heard about this garbage. The name was symbolic of the character's nature, teetering on the line between good and evil with questionable and reprehensible acts that are motivated by a selfless end. It was the perfect name for my character and then Fifty shades ruined that name and I can't have my main being a Gray now. I am mad at mrs James for that one. And of course, anything condoning abuse and submission is not cool, but that was at face level. The name thing was just an extra knife twist in my back.

 

Despite how I feel about Fifty shades, I still want to read it oddly enough. I have to see the bad writing for myself and learn from it. I learned important things from other giant success like stick to your guns from George Lucas, and it's a really good idea but not essential to plan out everything before hand from Jk Rowling. I personally don't care for Lucas, but I have nothing but respect and admiration for Rowling.

 

I  haven't read the Harry Potter books, except the first one. I have them digitally and physically and do plan on reading them, but I seen every movie. . . I really do love HP alot. I keep hearing the books are so much better than the movies and I seen how with the first book, because quite a bit was cut from that. So Order of the Phoenix  must be like utterly ridiculous with all the extra content that wasn't in the movie. . .

 

Sorry for the rambling. You guys are awesome.

[ARagY 1,152]

I've been working (slowly) on this series that I intend to finish writing in the next 5 or 6 years that's pretty dark and not pony related. I probably won't even add any references . I have a lot to cover and I'm not so sure what the theme is. It's not so much a cliché good vs evil as much as its a grey-area tale that I'll probably end on a rather melancholy note. It's supposed to be about 4 books worth and I've got most of the important characters for the first set up. The main problems that I have are names and detailed story so it doesn't seem like there's a bunch of faceless nobodies just added to progress it, but that they are what actually decides how the story turns out. I'm actually behind schedule now, but I'll be up to Chapter 10 hopefully by the end of summer. That's probably about half the first book. 

 

I also have some side projects that I want to work on as motivation or practice to get into it and get some criticism without feeling like I failed one of the biggest things of my life. Some of these things are pony-related but most of them will probably turn out to be short stories about anything that I feel at that particular time

Edited June 4, 2015 by ARagY

[Shanks 10,816]

At the same time, yes they were men, but I think they were great men. Some of the best of their time. I would hope you don't drag them through the mud whilst making them bleed. 

It won't be a hit piece, any idiot can write a simple hit piece while I intend to go much deeper than that.

 

 

You know, it's funny. . . I thought I wasn't worthy of getting published either. Then I looked at the best selling books of recent years and 2 were such astounding pieces of garbage that I was utterly befuddled and vexed got published. Usually books have to be reasonably good to get published, but from the success of Twilight and Fifty Shades, they publish ANYTHING now. Think about it. Twilight completely butchers vampires and werewolves, condones abusive relationships(and even pedophilia in the last book), and is chock full of sues. What about Fifty shades? It butchers BDSM and condones abusive and manipulation and weak females. 

Even though 50 Shades is a bastardization of BDSM and the main character is a total Mary Sue I do understand why some people find some of the stuff in it hot even if it may be poorly done. You can say it justifies abuse but I don't think it does because it is a example of fantasy not always lining up with reality. Without going into detail there are certain fetishes I have that I find hot in fantasy but would probably not do in real life.

 

I do know that I can do way better smut than 50 Shades though, I recently published my first clopfic on fimfiction and it really wracked up the favorites and watchers fast. Part of that though is because the title is a major attention grabber and features a fetish most people have never heard of (though I do have personal experience in). Part of me also wants to make another version of it so it can be published just to prove it.

 

I will never understand the appeal of Twilight though, it is the most blatant example of Mary Sue and Gary Stu characterization I have ever seen anywhere in addition to royally screwing up even the most basic and well known lore of both werewolves and vampires.