Susans Writers and Book Group, Members Submissions

[Julie Marie]

For JM.
For all writers want to think they are 'Artists' the fact is most writing is craft, not art, and putting a book together far more an engineering project than an artistic inspiration.

Like any engineering project its about planning the work and working the plan.  Real books (as opposed to all the books that people want to write) start with outlines.

Well I'm much more the engineer than the artist.  I have more facts and hypotheses complied than story written.  The former is easy for me, the latter, not so much.  I can imagine scenes in my mind.  Putting them down in writing that keeps the reader interested (much as I imagine the scene in my head would) is where I falter.  Maybe I'm too picky.  Maybe my expectations are too high.   

My daughter, who has done a lot of writing, suggested I write the outline first.  When I do that it's either insufficient or it's almost like writing the story.  (I hated doing outlines in school!)  I was thinking of creating a chronological story about each character.  Then take parts from that and insert it in the story.  It would start in the now, then there would be flashbacks, back to now, etc.  All intended to keep the reader wondering what's next.

I started this over 18 months ago.  If I ever finish it, I just hope I'll be alive long enough to enjoy the rewards (if there are any.) 

[tekla]

The outline is the plan.  I tend to write first for a while to see what it is and where it's going, do the outline and work it from there.  But what I write is non-fiction, so that might be different if I was doing it out of whole cloth.

[Miniar]

I used to participate in a writing prompt thing which was a little like an art trade in that one person would hold all the material and then post it without names.
A theme and a "type of writing" would be decided.
Usually it was just poetry or prose that were the options, but still.
In case of prose it would be short stories and a word limit would be decided. 500-600 words was HARD! for me, while the 2000-2500 limit worked best, but then I tend to be a little verbose when I feel I have something to say.
Then a deadline was set, usually a couple weeks was all we had to work with, at most.
Then all was posted and each piece was numbered.

Then we'd have a month during which everyone could read all the pieces and give their feedback on them and atop the thread there'd be a poll so people could vote for which one they felt was the best piece of work this time 'round.

Once a year we'd do a "proper" contest of it and the winner got a prize even.

I tended to rank 'round the top, but then.. it seemed many of the participants were the sort that fancied themselves as great as their favorite authors, but couldn't even really get basic grammar right. You know the type. It's found in every amateur group.
Me, I know I'm not that good... but I do love the praise when I get it.

[Rock_chick]

I would think it would be a problem Emailing the stuff around as you would know who wrote it.  Writers groups tend to work best when the original reading and group critique is done without knowing who wrote it, that way the focus is 100% about the words on the printed page (or screen) and not drifting into personal issues.

I've got enough spare email address with my web hosting package that I could set up an anonymous email and then forward it to everyone interested. I'd probably suggest people email submissions to the mail box and I'll forward them on to everyone who's interested in participating. we could probably do it as a weekly or fortnightly thing, at the end of the allotted time, email your thoughts back and I'll forward them to the authour in question. Okay, I'll know who's submitted stuff, but I can't see anyother way it would work.

If people are happy with this as a course of action I'll get things set up 

[bearded]

Some of us in the chat room tonight were talking about writing and it reminded me to come check this thread. 

I like the idea of:

In case of prose it would be short stories and a word limit would be decided. 500-600 words was HARD! for me, while the 2000-2500 limit worked best, but then I tend to be a little verbose when I feel I have something to say.

Once a year we'd do a "proper" contest of it and the winner got a prize even.

(and the anonymous idea, too, since I, for one, have never really written )


Who is still up for this?


edit: added quote above

also

I tended to rank 'round the top, but then.. it seemed many of the participants were the sort that fancied themselves as great as their favorite authors, but couldn't even really get basic grammar right. You know the type. It's found in every amateur group.
Me, I know I'm not that good... but I do love the praise when I get it.

geez, no pressure on the rest of us haha

[rexgsd]

i think it sounds cool =)

[rejennyrated]

As some of us often prefer to write poetry and screenplays the idea of writing "xxx words" on a particular theme doesn't really work for me as a regular ongoing way to proceed because screenplays are always measured by pages and poetry by lines, never words!

Then again I do have the lurgy at the moment so I may feel more positive when I recover.

[tekla]

writing "xxx words" on a particular theme

Sounds like college.

[Rock_chick]

Well, how things run depends on what people want to do. those that already write may not wish to distract themselves from their personal projects. Those that want to start writing would benefit from having what is essentially homework set 

Both can be peer reviewed and good constructive feed back can be supplied by other members of the group to help people develop (that is after all what this is all about).

Now if this is going to be serious i need an idea of who would like to participate, how people would like to participate and what kind of frequency people would like to get stuff to review and homework...i'm thinking once a month.

maybe i should start another thread.

[Mrs Erocse]

I would be interested in trying. I cannot say I would be good, but would enjoy the endeavor. 

I remember in school it was not so much what was to be written but the mental exerecise of meeting a writing challenge that got the artistic juices flowing. It seems just thinking and focusing on something even not of your own inspiration would stimulate your own inspirations.

We won't be writing a book on the internet but stimulating a thought process in hopes of getting stirred up to write the book that is lying dormant within us.  ( optimistic of me)

Just a thought.
Hugs.
Patty

[bearded]

[note: I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about regarding how any of this works, so I was just "making up stuff in my  head" to try to imagine it.  I certainly defer to professional group runners like Jenny.]

[Miniar]

### words would never be a rule I could follow fully unless it was a "x-y words" with a nice and comfortable gap.
BUT.

Putting limits does not stifle creativity, it encourages you to find solutions within the frame, which I find encourages creativity.

the "words" could be "lines" if the project of the week is poetry.

Think about it, what'd you write if the project was to write a poem, free form, 3 lines, the theme being "trust"?

Is it harder to figure out how to fit your thoughts into such a small space because you're pushed to come up with a new solution?
Or is it easier to work with a frame?
Isn't coming up with new solutions a creative endeavor?

[Michael Joseph]

I want to join!

[Rock_chick]

Okay, I have set up the email address.

What I'd like everybody to do who is interested in participating to do is email wordsmith 'at' ix-tab.com detailing how they'd like to participate, any ideas for things we could do and how frequently we should do things. also any ideas for homework

once we've got an idea of numbers we can start rolling

[rexgsd]

well just a thought for the whole word limit thing, i was in a drabble group on livejournal one time and the word limit for each topic was, say, 100 words i think. but that was just sort of a loose goal, lots of people went to 150 or more, and sometimes there would be a special 'double drabble' that the limit is 200 now. but no one ever cared if someone went over or under by a bit, just putting a number just sorta of puts a bit of a challenge out there.

[lady_ozma]

I'm interested in this group if it's still going on... I'd also like a group of trans and trans friendly people to test my novel on.

[Mrs Erocse]

Okay, I have set up the email address.

What I'd like everybody to do who is interested in participating to do is email wordsmith 'at' ix-tab.com detailing how they'd like to participate, any ideas for things we could do and how frequently we should do things. also any ideas for homework

once we've got an idea of numbers we can start rolling

I think this is what you should do if you'd like to participate. The opening post are the instructions for the first writing assignment.

Have fun.
Hugs.
Patty

[gennee]

Currently, I'm writing poems for a chapbook. I have someone who will help me with the publishing and the printing. I have loads of short stories, essays, and commentaries. I have stabbed at playwriting but I'll do that another day. Sounds like a good idea.


Gennee

[DannyM]

Is this still ongoing, or am I several years too late?

[Northern Star Girl]

@DannyM    I don't have the answer for you regarding the "Susan's Writers Group"  but I will find out for you and either I or someone else will get back to you with an answer.

I did reply to your other thread that you started...  "How to Find a Good Book"  with my Welcome Message and information about the Susan's Place site and Forums.
Be certain to look over the informative LINKS that I posted in  my Welcome Message to you on your other thread.
Again, Welcome to Susan's Place.
Danielle