I have this idea for a novel. It came to me that maybe my purpose is to write this novel.... it would be about a North Korean refugee telling her horrors about escaping from the North. She now works at a ladyboy club, and she falls in love with an American soldier. The rumurs get out, and he breaks her heart, and then she mysteriously dissapears without a trace. He searches for her because he is love with her, but it hints to a Korean mafia situation, and then the horrors unfold.... (its all a working plot, but itll require extensive research and it wont exactly be this).

She is a transsexual woman. I see this novel breathing, like it needs to be release... would you read it?

The novel will open with "I think were alone now" because thats the song she sings at karaoke club.

 I would read it but, honestly, the plot as you describe it sounds a bit complex. Make sure you're very clear on what order you want events to occur in because a reader could easily get lost.... Or, perhaps I just need more coffee this morning.

When your novel is written and proofed, it would be time to look for a publisher.  That's the difficult part.  I caution you to be wary of "vanity publishers", like this one:  https://www.tatepublishing.com/   They swear that they are not a "vanity publisher" and don't charge you for the printing of the books, but they still want $3000 or so promote the book, so it amounts to the same thing.

I think you have a great idea for a novel.  They always recommend that you "write what you know".  It can be frustrating to try to write about a place where your have never been, or an activity you have never participated in.

Best Wishes,

Randi

You can publish as a e-book on Smashwords and/or Amazon for next to nothing. Find a cover picture for free and a little photo editing, add some text and voila, you have a cover. I've published a few on both in the Erotica genre but unfortunately my wife made me unpublish them. I did have moderate success selling several hundred copies around the world and sales were rising. Before you start writing get the Smashwords Style Guide - its free and tells you how to format for e-book publication. Once established, Amazon has another service where you can transition your e-book and people can buy a print copy.

If you want more info, PM me.

Best Wishes!

Figuring out the plot is the easy part.

Applying your ass to a chair and your fingers to a keyboard (without glancing at Susan's every five minutes) for months and months to get your 80,000 words is the hard part, and that's just a first draft that you'll look at and want to throw in the trash because it's so bad (and if you look at your first draft and think, "That's a wrap!" rather than, "Oh my god, I can't write!", there's a problem.)  Then the real writing begins; redraft after redraft after redraft.  In a year or two, depending on your commitment, you'll have a serviceable novel that you'll be able to send out to agents.  Then sit back and watch the rejection letters pile up if they can even be bothered to reply.  If you're extremely lucky, an agent will want to take a chance on you.  If you're extremely, extremely lucky, your agent will be able to sell your manuscript to a legit publisher.  Then if you're extremely, extremely, extremely lucky, your novel will sell a few hundred copies.

That's a success story in modern publishing.

You could go to the Amazon self published route, but in reality 99.9% of those books are truly terrible and it'll be hard to convince anybody that yours is anything different.

Yup, Brenda the frustrated novelist...

Quote from: Randi on January 21, 2015, 01:02:45 PM
When your novel is written and proofed, it would be time to look for a publisher.  That's the difficult part.  I caution you to be wary of "vanity publishers", like this one:  https://www.tatepublishing.com/   They swear that they are not a "vanity publisher" and don't charge you for the printing of the books, but they still want $3000 or so promote the book, so it amounts to the same thing.

I think you have a great idea for a novel.  They always recommend that you "write what you know".  It can be frustrating to try to write about a place where your have never been, or an activity you have never participated in.

Best Wishes,

Randi

Im in Korea right now...  but Im going outside the wire to these clubs to research.

Its what Arthur Golden did for Memoir of a Geisha.

Quote from: Wild Flower on January 21, 2015, 09:19:54 PM
Im in Korea right now...  but Im going outside the wire to these clubs to research.

Its what Arthur Golden did for Memoir of a Geisha.

As long as you stay closer to reality than Arthur Golden. He kinda dropped the ball by misinterpreting a few things and not fully understanding Japanese culture. 

I'd much rather read a realistic romantic story about a transwoman who finds and loses love from her perspective, followed by the journey of the repentant man trying to reconnect with her after she left her job and the area heartbroken, from his perspective.  Adding mafias and underground sexwork makes it an entirely different kind of book that I wouldn't like nearly as much.

Have you gonna to Itaewon to and I'm only using the word, even though it disgusts me, because its what American soldiers call this particular alley and I never heard another name "->-bleeped-<- Hill?" That's where all the indentured girls are that have contracts to work for the owners of each particular club, they each are owned for at least 2 years by the club owner if not longer and most likely were traded or sold them selves to pay for surgery. Basically if you have the money to buy them a $20 drink every 15-30 minutes you can talk all night, or go in on a slow night and you can talk longer. Other option when I was in Korea is guys would buy a girl to take home for like $150 for 6-7 hours. There's some information if you didn't have it already, instead of having a Mafia twist its more realistic to go for a human trafficking twist in my experience. Itaewon is located in Seoul near the Yongsan military base. I recommend also checking out some of the traditional temples if you're making a trip out of it and consider getting a hotel there's one on base and several off base all at a reasonable price. Please bring someone with you to these clubs they're not safe to go to alone.

Quote from: Brenda E on January 21, 2015, 04:08:25 PM
Figuring out the plot is the easy part.

Applying your ass to a chair and your fingers to a keyboard (without glancing at Susan's every five minutes) for months and months to get your 80,000 words is the hard part, and that's just a first draft that you'll look at and want to throw in the trash because it's so bad (and if you look at your first draft and think, "That's a wrap!" rather than, "Oh my god, I can't write!", there's a problem.)  Then the real writing begins; redraft after redraft after redraft.  In a year or two, depending on your commitment, you'll have a serviceable novel that you'll be able to send out to agents.  Then sit back and watch the rejection letters pile up if they can even be bothered to reply.  If you're extremely lucky, an agent will want to take a chance on you.  If you're extremely, extremely lucky, your agent will be able to sell your manuscript to a legit publisher.  Then if you're extremely, extremely, extremely lucky, your novel will sell a few hundred copies.

That's a success story in modern publishing.

You could go to the Amazon self published route, but in reality 99.9% of those books are truly terrible and it'll be hard to convince anybody that yours is anything different.

Yup, Brenda the frustrated novelist...

Brenda, I hate to say it, but you sound worse than frustrated, you sound so bitter it sounds like you're saying that 'since I haven't made it, neither will you. Don't take someone else's dreams from them, sweetie.

Im not doing it for money. Or success. I just want to explore. .



Like right now im in a restaurant and not a single word in English. Very traditional.

Im seeing real Korea... not this popstar world. I want to be a native not a tourist. Total immersion. This makes me happy and gets me away from my job. I feel like a journalist on CNN. Like im in a world that wont last forever. The authentic native  Korea.

Quote from: Miranda Catherine on January 22, 2015, 02:14:55 AM
Brenda, I hate to say it, but you sound worse than frustrated, you sound so bitter it sounds like you're saying that 'since I haven't made it, neither will you. Don't take someone else's dreams from them, sweetie.

Not my intent.  Apologies if it came across as overly-negative.  Writing is to be encouraged, and I'm happy that Wild Flower is beginning the process.  It's frustrating, but its ups and downs are utterly enjoyable and well worth experiencing.