[quote]Nards wrote:
I was thinking about a story about a boy who is friends with a scientist and the scientist clones a dinosaur. it’ll be called “Billy and the Cloneasaurus”[/quote]
LOL! (Based on my avatar you can probably guess I picked up on the reference)
I myself have a great novel idea which involves a New Jersey teenager and his mother picking up and moving across the country to an affluent Los Angeles suburb, in hopes of better employment opportunities. The youngster is constantly bullied by a local gang of Karate toughs, but with the help of an elderly Japanese maintenance man he learns not only to defend himself, but his dignity as well.
I call it “Elderly Japanese Mentor”, and as far as I can tell it is a completely original story idea.[/quote]
I can already tell that you’re going places with this one… might I suggest a certain song for the soundtrack…
I figured as much with you. Based on your sentence structure and economy of words it’s pretty clear that you’re a writer.
I’ve written for a couple well-known humour websites, and I’ve had work optioned before, but this was several years ago.
I guess my question is as follows - are there any writing jobs for people completely outside the field? (I’m a biomedical science graduate who works with prosthetic limbs). If so, how does one go about proving himself? Based on my existing writing experience, I’ve learned that unsolicited manuscripts and writing samples usually wind up in the trash.
Thanks.
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
Yea, I am a journalist and I work in newspapers. I’m a columnist and a reporter, so I cover pretty much all the bases, and I write freelance shit about (surprise surprise) boxing when I get the time as well.
As most reporters have done, I’ve got some type of novel in the works that I’ve been sitting on for a decade but it’s not all that important to me… my column is pretty much the most important thing I do, and I excel in writing smaller pieces like that (although I’m quite good at writing longer articles as well if I do say so myself.)
The prospects of a novel, of course, just seems daunting, between the length and the weight of it all. And so it sits.
If you’re looking to get into the field or whatever and you’ve got questions, I can do what I can to help you out from my own experiences.[/quote]
Write for a student magazine and a local paper about music and ‘culture’, which usually involves finding a TV program and ripping it to shreds. Do a few music interviews, and some musicians are surprisingly nice. Others, as you’d expect, are dicks.
I used to write freelance magazine articles, mainly music journalism, but then I sold out and became a lawyer. These days I’m trying to find a publisher for a children’s fantasy novel I just finished. I mostly wrote one- or two-page articles or very short stories before starting on the novel, so it shows that anyone can do it…
It’s what I do for a living. Marketing communications, advertising copywriting – call it what you will. I also make a little money on the side editing articles about technology and finance.
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I can tell we have a few natural writers here on T-Nation just by reading their posts - FightingIrish, DBCooper and Bodyguard come to mind, among others - but I wanted to see how many other recreational or professional writers we’ve got.
Any genre, any medium, published or not…who here writes on a regular basis?[/quote]
Yea, I am a journalist and I work in newspapers. I’m a columnist and a reporter, so I cover pretty much all the bases, and I write freelance shit about (surprise surprise) boxing when I get the time as well.
As most reporters have done, I’ve got some type of novel in the works that I’ve been sitting on for a decade but it’s not all that important to me… my column is pretty much the most important thing I do, and I excel in writing smaller pieces like that (although I’m quite good at writing longer articles as well if I do say so myself.)
The prospects of a novel, of course, just seems daunting, between the length and the weight of it all. And so it sits.
If you’re looking to get into the field or whatever and you’ve got questions, I can do what I can to help you out from my own experiences.[/quote]
you’re looking at at least what 65-75k words. some are longer, some are shorter, but thats pretty much the average.
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
I can assure you that whatever you’re thinking of has been done.
Especially if it’s in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy/horror.
I one time had an idea about what would happen if we could peer into alternate universes but not actually enter them and how a company would provide a report and pictures (kind of like a detective agency) on what your other selves in alternate universes were like and the effect this would have on people.
Hey guys the talk in here reminded me of an article I read in Elle magazine about how an out of work actor became a writer. Some simple practical advice about discipline I think.
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I can tell we have a few natural writers here on T-Nation just by reading their posts - FightingIrish, DBCooper and Bodyguard come to mind, among others - but I wanted to see how many other recreational or professional writers we’ve got.
Any genre, any medium, published or not…who here writes on a regular basis?[/quote]
Yea, I am a journalist and I work in newspapers. I’m a columnist and a reporter, so I cover pretty much all the bases, and I write freelance shit about (surprise surprise) boxing when I get the time as well.
As most reporters have done, I’ve got some type of novel in the works that I’ve been sitting on for a decade but it’s not all that important to me… my column is pretty much the most important thing I do, and I excel in writing smaller pieces like that (although I’m quite good at writing longer articles as well if I do say so myself.)
The prospects of a novel, of course, just seems daunting, between the length and the weight of it all. And so it sits.
If you’re looking to get into the field or whatever and you’ve got questions, I can do what I can to help you out from my own experiences.[/quote]
Well you got some options, take a 50k novel (in a month):
2500 words/day for 5 days/week
2000 words/day for 6 days/week
1666 words/day for 7 days/week
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
I can assure you that whatever you’re thinking of has been done.
Especially if it’s in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy/horror.
I one time had an idea about what would happen if we could peer into alternate universes but not actually enter them and how a company would provide a report and pictures (kind of like a detective agency) on what your other selves in alternate universes were like and the effect this would have on people.
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
I can assure you that whatever you’re thinking of has been done.
Especially if it’s in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy/horror.
I one time had an idea about what would happen if we could peer into alternate universes but not actually enter them and how a company would provide a report and pictures (kind of like a detective agency) on what your other selves in alternate universes were like and the effect this would have on people.
It’s been done!
[/quote]
i don’t think this has ever been done. maybe some aspects, but definately not the whole thing.
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
I can assure you that whatever you’re thinking of has been done.
Especially if it’s in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy/horror.
I one time had an idea about what would happen if we could peer into alternate universes but not actually enter them and how a company would provide a report and pictures (kind of like a detective agency) on what your other selves in alternate universes were like and the effect this would have on people.
It’s been done!
[/quote]
i don’t think this has ever been done. maybe some aspects, but definately not the whole thing.[/quote]
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
I can assure you that whatever you’re thinking of has been done.
Especially if it’s in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy/horror.
I one time had an idea about what would happen if we could peer into alternate universes but not actually enter them and how a company would provide a report and pictures (kind of like a detective agency) on what your other selves in alternate universes were like and the effect this would have on people.
It’s been done!
[/quote]
To be honest, I trust RV in this.
He’s pulling an amazing trolling stunt in this site and some others, so let’s wait and see.
[quote]roguevampire wrote:
I have about 35K words written so far. so its about half done. Its a pretty unique concept for a book, that i don’t think has ever been done. [/quote]
Can you post an excerpt? I know people like ribbing on you here (myself included) but I’m genuinely curious to see how it’s coming along…[/quote]
If you were to ask me to write about anything else, i probably wouldn’t be able to. only other thing i can write about is bodybuilding stuff, lol. other than that, i have never thought of myself as a writer at all. for the most part, i suck at it. but when it comes to this particular person and concept for the book, i seem to be alot better than normal.[/quote]
And please correct me if I’m wrong, but if it has to do with vampires then it’s definitely been done.
I mean even if it’s a story about a vamire that becomes a cop to fight vampires on the side of the law, then it’ll just be Lethal Weapon with vampires. If it’s set in the 28th Century on a spaceship then it’s Aliens VS Vampires.
Though I should mention that “nothing is original” is not trying to sound cynical. It’s OK and most writers (as well as audiences that try to act jaded) understand this and just try to tell a good story.
[quote]Nards wrote:
And please correct me if I’m wrong, but if it has to do with vampires then it’s definitely been done.
I mean even if it’s a story about a vamire that becomes a cop to fight vampires on the side of the law, then it’ll just be Lethal Weapon with vampires. If it’s set in the 28th Century on a spaceship then it’s Aliens VS Vampires.
Though I should mention that “nothing is original” is not trying to sound cynical. It’s OK and most writers (as well as audiences that try to act jaded) understand this anis d just try to tell a good story.[/quote]
No, no. RV’s novel is completely original. He finds his way across the abyss of time to reach his true love Lizzy Bathory by hypnotizing himself. Nothing whatsoever to do with the Chris Reeve movie Somewhere In Time:
RV’s effort improves on the original by adding vampires into an already winning formula. Not just ordinary ones, either; these can travel through time.
