Writing Discussion Thread

[モモンガ]

- What do you write? Prose or poetry? Novels or short stories?

Ussualy short stories but I dream of writing a real novel.


- Have you ever published anything or had success in other ways (performances, contests)?
no

- What is your ambition? Do you write just for fun or do you want to publish something and become a famous writer?

Rather for fun.

- What are your writing habits? Do you write every day? Do you think you should write every day? Do you prefer to write on paper or on the computer? Do you make schemes and use a programme like yWriter or do you just begin and don't even think about a plot and a story line?

I prefer the paper, but I often do it on the computer.

- And because this is unilang: in what language do you write? and:
- Do you ever use more than one language when you write?


Japanese, and sometimes Korean.
Even though I am not on the level to write in them... but since I write for myself... this way I am at least sure nobody will see and read it, since nobody in my family understands these languages.

[Заря]

Oh god, I've always wanted to write something. I made numerous attempts and every single one of them failed. My scheme: 1. I have great idea 2. I usually write for 2 weeks 3. I read it and think about it 4. I think it's awful and not so great I thought it would be 5. I throw it away 6. Artistic part of me is depressed until new great idea occures.

[Lur]

- What do you write? Prose or poetry? Novels or short stories?

Prose, I'm unable to write poetry even though I would love to. I write short stories, scripts for comic books, and I have some sketches for novels.

- Have you ever published anything or had success in other ways (performances, contests)?

Not really.

- What is your ambition? Do you write just for fun or do you want to publish something and become a famous writer?

I do it for fun. I would like to publich someday too. Not sure about the "famous" part.

- What are your writing habits? Do you write every day? Do you think you should write every day? Do you prefer to write on paper or on the computer? Do you make schemes and use a programme like yWriter or do you just begin and don't even think about a plot and a story line?

I never wrote everyday until now. I'm starting to just practive everyday to accustome myself. I've noticed that it can become kind of addictive.
I prefer to write on the computer but I also like take some paper and draw schematics or write random phrases or names or anything that helps me think.I usually like to know were a story is going beforehand. In occasion, in excruciating detail!

- And because this is unilang: in what language do you write? and:

Spanish. I also tend to translate titles and small parts into different languages just to see what they look like.

- Do you ever use more than one language when you write?

I like to introduce bits and pieces of languages, both real or made up, in what I write.

[Osprey]

Hmm… this seems to be an interesting thread… I write quite much, mostly with no real purpose, just out of love to make stories, and poems, and songs… Writing is actually sort of hard work to do, I think, even if it is just a hobby. However, a couple of days ago I finally got my book finished and sent it to the first publisher I found in the net. Now I’m waiting for their opinion about it, not anxiously, though, because I know it is good story if any. Problem is, it is not easy to make it fit in any category of books of publishing houses in Finland. It is a bit weird story.

I write in Finnish, and sometimes in (bad) English. Very very short stories I could write in Swedish or in Russian, but it is not worth of effort, I think. Too much errors, you know. I’ve got a couple of small and paltry books published so far, nothing worth to mention. I write mostly by computer, but I always have with me pens and Moleskines for catching up any ideas before I forget them. I consider desire to write sometimes annoying, thinking, why I must do this? Do I write anything but total crab? Still I can’t help it but find once again myself clicking keyboard...

[Osprey]

My first ebook ever is available here.
It is written in Finnish, but at least it is free for everyone!

Special thanks to KiLe7x for cover art!

[Abavagada]

Nice thread!

Did any of you consider or actually submit anything for publication in the attempt to start a UniLang magazine in October? Have any of you thought about compiling or contributing your work to a volume for the community to enjoy? For example, a UniLang Literature Review sorta thing? It would give you a chance to share your work with others as a whole. And if you did produce something in PDF, you could even share it online in places like Issuu and Scribd.

Just tossing that out there because I think it would be very cool to see what you come up with and I'm sure plenty of other people here would like to see it as well.

Erik / Abavagada

[Hoogstwaarschijnlijk]

However, a couple of days ago I finally got my book finished and sent it to the first publisher I found in the net.

Why? I mean, why haven't you done a bit research to see which publisher may would like your story best...?


Today I updated my blog a bit to hide the fact that I haven't reached that much in 2012... Hopefully 2013 will be better, at least I've won a second prize with a short story last weekend so that's a start

[księżycowy]

And if you did produce something in PDF, you could even share it online in places like Issuu and Scribd.

Just tossing that out there because I think it would be very cool to see what you come up with and I'm sure plenty of other people here would like to see it as well.

Erik / Abavagada

Interesting idea. Depending on what direction I take my current project I might look into Scribd or something like it. I've always had the idea to publish my stuff online. Issuu looks a little too magazine oriented for my tastes.

How's that for a late response?
I don't poke around the general non-language forum much.

[Abavagada]

Interesting idea. Depending on what direction I take my current project I might look into Scribd or something like it. I've always had the idea to publish my stuff online. Issuu looks a little too magazine oriented for my tastes.

How's that for a late response?
I don't poke around the general non-language forum much.

If you would like to put something into a magazine, I have one that is always willing to take stuff.
http://issuu.com/abavagada/docs/parrottime_issue_001

Erik / Aba

[entrentity]

- What do you write? Prose or poetry? Novels or short stories?

I write novels and short stories, and also interactive fiction (text adventures). Generally it all falls into the 'speculative fiction' genre, either soft sci-fi or soft fantasy.

- Have you ever published anything or had success in other ways (performances, contests)?

No... I've submitted things to publishers and even agents but had no success. I need to look more into (e-)magazines and stuff.

- What is your ambition? Do you write just for fun or do you want to publish something and become a famous writer?

I do it primarily for fun, but I would love to get something published. It's more important to me that people have the opportunity to read it, though - it's not about my own ego or wealth. I think

- What are your writing habits? Do you write every day? Do you think you should write every day? Do you prefer to write on paper or on the computer? Do you make schemes and use a programme like yWriter or do you just begin and don't even think about a plot and a story line?

I don't write every day and I don't think that would be necessary either. I spend a long time just thinking. Generally I go for a walk and think, planning out worlds and storylines in my head. Then I make notes, then start writing. In my experience, I've found that there has to be a balance when it comes to planning. Too little planning and I find that I run out of steam part way through the story and can't finish it. Too much planning and the process becomes mechanical rather than creative, and I lose interest.

- And because this is unilang: in what language do you write? and:

I wrote one short story in Spanish. Other than that, it's always in my native language.

- Do you ever use more than one language when you write?

Very rarely.
One thing I'm planning to do in my next fantasy story is to build multilingualism and diglossia into the world. Because in a lot of fantasy stories, it's taken for granted that everyone speaks the same language, or there isn't as much language variation in the world as you'd expect.

[Hoogstwaarschijnlijk]

Great to hear you're into text adventures! What programme do you use?
I've just been busy this whole day exploring Quest...

[entrentity]

Great to hear you're into text adventures! What programme do you use?
I've just been busy this whole day exploring Quest...

I use Inform 6. Are you going to make a game then?

[Hoogstwaarschijnlijk]

Great to hear you're into text adventures! What programme do you use?
I've just been busy this whole day exploring Quest...

I use Inform 6. Are you going to make a game then?

Ah okay, I haven't used that before...

Yes, I'm making a game. I totally love it, as long as it goes well. I have used another programme before, I don't remember which (Inform sounds familiar but when I google it I don't think it was that...) but I got stuck the whole time. Quest is a bit more userfriendly, perfect for me

[Zireael]

What do you write? Prose or poetry? Novels or short stories?

I used to write novel-length stories, but recently have shifted to collections of short stories.


- Have you ever published anything or had success in other ways (performances, contests)?
no

- What is your ambition? Do you write just for fun or do you want to publish something and become a famous writer?

Rather for fun.

- What are your writing habits? Do you write every day? Do you think you should write every day? Do you prefer to write on paper or on the computer? Do you make schemes and use a programme like yWriter or do you just begin and don't even think about a plot and a story line?

I write in my notebook and then I type it on the computer in MS Word and post it on my website.

- And because this is unilang: in what language do you write?
I write both in my native Polish and in English. If I were confident enough, I'd try writing in Spanish too.

- Do you ever use more than one language when you write?
You mean in the same story, at the same time? No.

[Hampayof]

Nice thread. I've recently published my first two novels, and until the 19th of this month, the Kindle versions can be downloaded for free. "Ned Ludd: He-Goose from Hell" is a fictional biography of the mythical founder of the Luddite movement, and is built around the scanty fragments of known history. The title gives you a clue about what sort of book it is And "White-Hot Gruel" is set in a research establishment where they're investigating solutions to the world food problem. Crazy and shocking things happen as the story unfolds.

To briefly answer the questions of the OP:

- What do you write? Prose or poetry? Novels or short stories?
Never poetry.

- Have you ever published anything or had success in other ways (performances, contests)?
Very little joy from magazines and competitions. I decided to self-publish my novels.

- What is your ambition? Do you write just for fun or do you want to publish something and become a famous writer?
My stuff isn't for everyone, so I think I have a glass ceiling, fame-wise. I'd probably describe writing as a labour of love for me.

- What are your writing habits? Do you write every day? Do you think you should write every day? Do you prefer to write on paper or on the computer? Do you make schemes and use a programme like yWriter or do you just begin and don't even think about a plot and a story line?
I only write when I've got something to write, and always on the computer. I always know, at least skeletally, what will happen before I write it.

- And because this is unilang: in what language do you write? and:
- Do you ever use more than one language when you write?
English only, I'm afraid, although the idea of writing in an auxlang appeals to me.

[Veqq]

What do you write?
Almost exclusively poetry - I find prose far too long winded, too imprecise and lazy and when I do write prose, it tends to still rhyme and be metered. I could never write a novel - I don't see the point. I actually have trouble reading through them now, it's just... lost on me somehow, I always want to rewrite things, shorter and cleaner. I especially dislike stream of concioussness, which I feel most everyone I know writing loves... It's trying to make preperation into the end product... It just feels so lazy to me.

Published?
I've won a few small writing contests, I won $1500 for a sonnet reef a year and a half ago or so, but nothing major that I'd heard of before searching for things to dump what I've already written in with the hope someone'd be foolish enough to like it.

Ambition...
Nothing better to do... I do love literature though and I'd like to bring some traditions back and such but... meh. Also I view the last 200ish years of literature to be a significant regretion. But IDK... I don't really care about it all that much. I just like reading things and try to emulate them - at this point always a faint emulation though.

Habits...
I write on and off, on paper and on the computer. But... more than either I just think stuff up as I do whatever and I just perfect those stanzas and keep repeating them. The main issue is a reason to write coming up - I often do practice stuffs, simply besinging my coffee table and it's battle with gravity or such... But when a friend's birthday or an ex who won't leave my mind trumpet around my day... Poem time. Same with some storm or event, something I read about, even summerising something I learned that day. Most of that's of course shit though. So... writing every day hones skill, but I find most people think /anything and everything/ they scribble needs to be published.

I write in English and sometimes German - actually I've written some stupid shortstories in German too - since I'm not yet competent enough to write everything up to par, but that's... a level of practice even lower.

So pretty much... I just write lots of poetry, normally without inspiration to keep my skills up.

[Hoogstwaarschijnlijk]

Published?
I've won a few small writing contests, I won $1500 for a sonnet reef a year and a half ago or so, but nothing major that I'd heard of before searching for things to dump what I've already written in with the hope someone'd be foolish enough to like it.

$1500 seems major enough to me, haha! Would you like to share the poem (pm is also fine)?

[razlem]

I've started writing down dreams that I had. Initially I wanted to make stories out of them, but figured it would be more "real" to present them as they appeared. They're at http://ephemerical.wordpress.com/ if anyone would like to read/critique them (there's only 3 right now, but I'm adding them regularly).

I think eventually I'll paint some of them or make movies out of them (to the best of my special effects abilities )

[Hoogstwaarschijnlijk]

Interesting dreams, but actually I think it would be more interesting to make them into short stories.

[razlem]

I think I'll leave that up to my boyfriend, the creative writing major. I'm not patient enough for writing my own stories XD