Who is attempting to write an epic novel?

[Godssong]

I have that same problem, yeah, commas, too much use of them, really, but they're so fun, honesty!

 

[Godssong]

(That and run-on sentences. They just keep going on forever, and I like them a lot, and my dad can write a sentence for ten pages and it actually NOT be a run-on, but I cannot do that, so I have to resign myself to using run-ons, and that's okay because they're fun, improper, grammatically speaking, but fun. )

 

[Jehane]

Oh, I like semi colons; neither one thing nor the other but that is so me!

 

[Godssong]

ooh...good point: semi-colons and colons are great! (Though I DO prefer semi-colons)

 

[nowbeginsforever]

My teacher once told me to stop using so many commas. The next paper I handed in had a bunch of semi-colons in it in place of the commas.

 

[Jehane]

At least you pause. One of my friends at uni wanted to know how come I always got A+s on my papers. I told her I could get her one too just by doing one thing; I took out all her ands & put in full stops. She got an A; couldn't believe it! Man, you gotta breath sometimes. Besides, I like pregnant pauses. So much of anticipation...

 

[jason taylor]

Not so much an epic novel as an epic sci-fi theme about the founding of a civilization.

And I am not getting it done well. My endurance is not all that good. But I can imagine.

 

[visionary]

Just finished writting an action adventure.. it all started with the question "what would happen if Indiana Jones went looking for Jeremiah's missing scroll?" It is found at the time when what is contained within is when it is needed most.

 

[Pilgrimer]

I'm 4 chapters into my first of a series of 4 Biblical novels. This first one is about the birth of Christ. I have been a student of New Testament history and archaeology for over 30 years so I will be following the Gospel narrative but filling in all the historical background. I am also writing a companion study guide with all of the necessary background notes and documentation to support the novel. It would just bog the story down to try to include all the data in the novel itself. I thought the actual writing process would be the easy part, but it is just as much work as all the research and study ever was! But it is also very rewarding.

At present I am spending my days in Ein Karem, the small village a few miles southwest of Jerusalem, where Elizabeth and Zacharias had their home. Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist shortly after Zacharias finished his ministry on October 9 of the year 6 B.C. The following week, as Elizabeth surely pondered this miracle her husband had seen in the temple and the startling news that her sorrow would soon be turned into joy, she and Zacharias went about harvesting the ripened olives in the orchard and prepared for the holy days of Atonement and the weeklong feast of Tabernacles. Although all 24 courses of priests were required to be on duty during the feast, Zacharias, for the first time in his life, would remain at home for the holy days having been disqualified from service due to his being unable to speak and recite the required formulaic prayers the priests offered up during the services. The elderly couple, staggering under the promise that Elizabeth would bear a son, secluded themselves at their farm on the slopes of the hill facing the village and went about their lives in a daze.

The falls rains had come and the weather would be cooling now as the end of November approaches, and the fall plowing and planting would almost be complete. To the north, in the village of Nazareth, Mary would be busy about her day to day life with not a clue that before those seeds had fully grown and the harvest was ripe in the spring, her life would be forever changed in ways she could not even begin to imagine.

But that's chapter 5 and I'm not there yet.

And I don't talk about my work with anyone I know, so it is really great to find this thread on this forum. I'll be reading the posts and seeing if every one else has the same fears and dreams and difficulties and hurdles or if I'm just weird! lol

Pilgrimer

 

[Billnew]

Oh yes, the characters rule my stories, and I have little control over them. Occasionally they will say or do something that surprises me as I'm typing.QUOTE]

It's really strange when that happens, but it certainly does. I tried to explain how it happens to my best friend once; she didn't get it. All she said was, "You're the one who wrote it down." non-writers just don't get it I guess

I thought I was the only one that had that happen. It flows out and then I read what I wrote and it's suprising.
The strength or trait of the character just takes over, and twists the story around the character, which is good most of the time. Have not had a twist so major that it change a story though.

I am still amazed at how the words flow effortlessly when I type but when I wrote by hand I tired quickly and it was choppy. Think of something, then write it, then try to get back to what I was thinking, but when typing it just flows.
Having current MS software helps too, it highlights all your mistakes, beware it does make mistakes too. Elven they offer eleven.
Nice feature you can add words that it does not have in its dictionary. So you don't have to ignore every unusual word, in fantasy and jargon specific(parts of plate armor)words that are not in its dictionary.

 

[sicarii67]

Im writing a novel. Im at 64k words and probably have about 50k to go. I first started it 3 years ago but Ive taken my time because its historical fiction and nothing irritates me more than bad historical fiction.from language to thought processes, you have to immerse yourself in study to really get a realistic feel for the story. Its primarily a character driven story and not a history treatise. Fine balancing act. Im writing what I want to write, so I dont think I will ever submit to a CBA publisher. Plus the fact that unless you are in the top 10 writers, you are going to get little in the way of publicity.

Im taking the self publishing route and have a good plan. If I can sell 500 copies, I will be a success in my mind and try and build a following. technology and the closed off nature of CBA is detestable to me. I want to write realistic inspirational literature. That doesnt mean graphic sex and out of control lanugage but Ive not found a CBA book that rings true to real life to me. Plus, there are little to no books that engage men in subjects they traditionally read in the secular market.

 

[AgapeBible]

I am writing a story about the "dreamtime", the world that existed before this current earth was created, and was destroyed during the war in heaven, the true stories behind the false gods of various pagan mythologies, how the legends and fairy tales blend in with Bible stories, that the world is really a magical place.

 

[visionary]

Then you might enjoy my book which just came out..

Book Details

 

[Algol Omega]

I am working on a project involving a series of books based in science-fiction, fantasy, and alternative history (speculative fiction).

 

[Quoth]

I'm working on a project that combines horror, action, drama, hard science fiction, censored romance, and religious themes. I'd call it epic, but I'm biased.

 

[mandyangel]

I honestly have SO MANY ideas for a novel. I have a rivetting story that involves absolutely everything in my head. Its based on my life, a fantasy I had when I was a little girl, and a little creative genius I've picked up along the way.

Problem is I'm no way near smart enough to actually write the book. I've tried MANY MANY times and it never happens. I can't draw things out, I know what the story would be like in my head but I can't get it down on the computer.

 

[Gregory Eugene]

It's been 17 years and the more I learn about the human condition the more I end up throwing away what I've already done.

 

[LadyNRA]

Then you might enjoy my book which just came out..

Book Details

So will this have a Messianic Jewish flavor to it because I'd definitely read something like that? Not enough fiction out there for Jewish believers.

 

[BleedingHeart]

Finished an 870 page book called Saint's Haven this December. Too scared to get it published though. I started on it when I was 15 and now looking back I put a lot of filler in there.
Already working on the sequel: Harmony

 

[Dark_Lite]

I don't exactly write novels, but I do create worlds for D&D games or my own personal enjoyment. This started in high school with a sci-fi world. Very randomly came up with a few characters one day and today I think I have 47,000+ words describing the world. I also decided to use it in a d20 Modern game that ran for 2.5 years (play by post, so a lot slower than a normal game). I was able to develop the universe a lot through that game. Currently I'm fleshing out a fantasy world I had vague notions of years ago. Not sure how many words I have since it's all in a wiki, but there's a lot of information already and a lot more to fill out.