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General => The Shed => Topic started by: cambourne7 on May 01, 2012, 02:38:47
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... write a book :)
Yes i know i am nuts
But i have had an idea for a book for over a year now and i am fed up with just walking though the story in my head so i have now written the 1st 3 chapters and writing the synopsis.
I have emailed a editor i know from a well know magazine and asked for his independent eye to look at it before i dedicate any more time to this.
confident yet terrified :)
This one is a fiction book for adults and i have another one in the back of my head for teenagers :)
Cam
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I think that this is a terrifically interesting idea...
You could try out the odd a few descriptive phrases on us or run a change / strand of the plot through the forum to see what people think.
What's the general plot?
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will post synopsis tomorrow ;D
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Thats great, just go for it because there's nothing to lose.
Good luck with finding the ending.
x sunloving
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I am also writing a book, the only one I shall ever write. It started as a small tale for the grandchildren and has grown and grown. Only trouble is, my wife has dared me to read it to them as they will have nightmares. It is still work in progress and just the thing, like you say, when you are on your own and don't feel like sleeping. I have an idea that I will self publish on Amazon, because I doubt any real publisher will touch it. 5 months in so far and about a chapter a month and no where near finishing as I am still only describing the main characters who are a gang of gallybaggers who have come to life.
Good luck Cam and don't give up just because one editor does not like the idea.
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gallybagger??
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I think its a great idea to write a book, I am writing one about my war time childhood, I started it years ago in the form of letters to my children its for them to read one day.
good luck to you both.
June.
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Where about did you live during war years June?
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wow i think i have hit a rich vain of authors here all sounds interesting :)
Sunloving i have the entire book already mapped out apart from the ending :) not sure how i want it to end :)
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gallybagger??
Well, cri-me-gemminy! You don't want to get in a midgemadge about what a gallybagger is! ;D
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Gallybagger , gallybagger meaning , definition of gallybagger , what is gallybagger - Gallybagger is the term to describe someone who is extremely ugly or odd looking. To put it simply, strange and grotesque.It's literal translation is along the lines of 'scarecrow'.
Some examples : Oh no! We can't use Joe for the fashion show, he's such a gallybagger!
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Right here goes the synopsis for the adult themed book "Great Britain 2.0"
In a time of financial crisis a new government is staring into the abyss repeating the same mistakes and unable to find a way to fix the many problems in the UK.
So what would happen if they let it all fail?
What would be so bad?
Can the UK reinvent itself?
Prime Minister Mack Delaney knew 3 truths in this world
1. Something had to change
2. His job was already a poison chalice so he had nothing to lose
3. People were sheep
His plan was ambitious and the only way it would work was if he could make the public believe that it was there plan.
The Blackout show was the highest rated show on TV in the UK it counted down to the rolling power blackouts that were plaguing various parts of the UK and all the major cities.
There had been a segment every night for the last months which had been discussing what was wrong with the UK and letting people vent. What they did not realise was that this was creating the theme for the shows replacement “Great Britain Version 2.0” it was a show which talked about what the ideal version of the UK would be like. No idea was 2 off the wall. London tube network is dilapidated suggestion collapse London in on itself (keeping only buildings of heritage) and start from scratch. Each night the show would have a theme transport, housing, environmental and though the show people could phone in and vote for the proposals which would build up to a big final show on the 1st January when an entire days viewing was dedicated to the results.
What people maybe did not realise was that on the 1st January what was going to be announced was the largest infrastructure project in the world. These changes were going to happen and on the 2nd January everyone’s life was going to change.
The rest of the story will intertwine between the headaches of government, the workings of the show and the lives of ordinary people in the UK. All the time the UK with its renewed blitz sprit was being watched by the world could this little country lead the way?
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The children's book does tie into the adult book in that the 2 stories happen at the same time.
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Ooo...I can feel something ugly is about to happen....
Hey..that sounds interesting to me..looking forward rest of it.. ;) ;D
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Dont tell us the ending though ok? ;D
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Hello Jesssands,
I lived in Shirley, Solihull. West Midland's .I still live there.
Oh this all sounds interesting keep it going.
June.
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thanks guys and certainly any suggestions re book on what major changes you would like to see them
let me know :) I am also going to make use of the other parts of the uk so islands and countries where is some control to be exercised. The use of floating prison ships and hospitals it's going to be epic :) and pretty nasty for a few years.
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making a dress for harriet at the moment so back to the book thursday :)
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Cambourne, I'd like to read more! Keep us up to date on it.
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Have you thought about releasing it as an e-book and selling through somebody like Amazon? I know a few people who started off this way and at least one who has had moderate success with it
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oh no good plan :) how easy is it to do??
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It's quite easy to get started, there's a decent introduction here for example http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-20010547-82/how-to-self-publish-an-ebook/
Sales are obviously a lot more tricky, the guy I know actually published several ebooks under different aliases, giving him experience and seeing what would sell. He then concentrated on publishing under what appeared to be the most popular alias, gave quite a few away as he found that readers could become quite loyal and go on to purchase his back catalogue and future releases. I know he's not making a living from it, I don't think that was the intention, but his sales have now mounted up to a few hundred dollars a month.
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This thread looks as if it is going to be vibrant and oh so interesting....
The UK version2 storyline sounds fascinating almost science-fiction. :)
June - My mother is writing about her childhood and later years. She is 92 but does not want to finish her story. She reckons it must continue all the time she does....(she is pretty superstitious).
When the war came along she was a court dressmaker but enlisted to make kit bags on an industrial machine - the other girls pinched her work during lunch-breaks and stitched their own tags into the bags so her "peace-rate" pay was lousy. She requested a move and ended up "on the buses" with a huge number of takes to tell from Blitz time London!!
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This thread looks as if it is going to be vibrant and oh so interesting....
The UK version2 storyline sounds fascinating almost science-fiction. :)
.. thanks :) i am going for that level of Sci-Fi that makes you think actually that could happen husband though the story about the stand pipes was a joke as i have that in the book as well :)
June - My mother is writing about her childhood and later years. She is 92 but does not want to finish her story. She reckons it must continue all the time she does....(she is pretty superstitious).
When the war came along she was a court dressmaker but enlisted to make kit bags on an industrial machine - the other girls pinched her work during lunch-breaks and stitched their own tags into the bags so her "peace-rate" pay was lousy. She requested a move and ended up "on the buses" with a huge number of takes to tell from Blitz time London!!
Sounds interesting and i know what she's means but if writing it down is superstitious then what about popping it onto a tape and putting it with her will?
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It's quite easy to get started, there's a decent introduction here for example http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-20010547-82/how-to-self-publish-an-ebook/
Sales are obviously a lot more tricky, the guy I know actually published several ebooks under different aliases, giving him experience and seeing what would sell. He then concentrated on publishing under what appeared to be the most popular alias, gave quite a few away as he found that readers could become quite loyal and go on to purchase his back catalogue and future releases. I know he's not making a living from it, I don't think that was the intention, but his sales have now mounted up to a few hundred dollars a month.
Right i have that on my list of things to read :) very excited this is not about making money i am pretty crappy at writing poor use of grammar and the miss use of there, their etc but i have the need to get this out of my head :)
Yes i was going to write the 2 books under 2 names as one is aimed at the teenage reader and one the adult. For the teenager i am aiming at the group that reads eoin cofer books like Artemus Foul intelligent does not dumb things down for the young reader but takes the time to explain why things are how and why they are. I however suspect it will be more sci-fi as it involves a group of teenage over achievers who are head hunted by the government to plan a underground city which is to be used in case of emergency. The city is made in a hollowed out welsh mountain and let just say something goes a little wrong :) i have not quite decided how wrong hehe NOT going down the whole zombie route though so don't worry :) But i was thinking that this would then be used in the 1st book to house the people when displaced from the resculpting of the UK. Then again i might just knit the 2 stories together and do something else for the teenage market :)
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The world is
your oyster at your finger-tips.......... you really could go where ever you choose with this idea. Sounds really exciting.
Do you have a brief outline story plan? Once you have this in mind you can decide upon an ending so have a target to work the story towards. Things, including the conclusion, can change on the way but it might give you a structure to work through.
I'm so pleased zombies are out of the picture. ;) They are generally a mindless bunch. :D ;)
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Hi Aden roller.
It is so interesting to hear about other peoples lives I think,I had a free childhood and was left to roam where ever I wished , I had so many adventures,
not like the poor children of today who never seem to play out ,Oh they miss so much I think. your mothers life sounds very interesting My mother was on the buses to, she was one of Birmingham's first lady clippies, she went through all the Blitz of B''ham, and had some near misses.
Cambourne keep it going .also anyone else who has a story to tell ,
June.
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Hi Aden roller.
It is so interesting to hear about other peoples lives I think,I had a free childhood and was left to roam where ever I wished , I had so many adventures,
not like the poor children of today who never seem to play out ,Oh they miss so much I think. your mothers life sounds very interesting My mother was on the buses to, she was one of Birmingham's first lady clippies, she went through all the Blitz of B''ham, and had some near misses.
Cambourne keep it going .also anyone else who has a story to tell ,
June.
Wow what a coinsidence.... I can remember spending summer holidays sitting with a ticket on my mum's bus as well as waiting at a bus stop for my dad's to come along then crouching low in the cab while he drove. These days no parent would leave a little-un stood standing in London for the next bus to come along.
As you say... how childhood has changed.
There's a title in this somewhere: Changing Childhood ;)
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Yes it is a pity the children of today don't have the fun we did .and yes it is a coincidence. I remember my mother bringing a little black and white kitten home. it followed her home doing a raid we. called it blitz. I am sure your Mother has some tales to tell to.
June..
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Cambourne 7,Sounds a very interesting storyline, and could make an exciting drama for TV! My middle son wrote a book last year and published it through Amazon for Kindle. He used to send me a chapter every few days to proofread. When he gets time he plans to write the next in the series. Keep going with it-he was like you-had the story in his head for years and just wanted to share it!
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Good for you Cam.. try to see a copy of the "Artists and Writers Yearbook " for this year, the library probably has a copy.Look it up on Amazon, bound to be there. I think there is one specifically for authors of childrens stories now( not so in my day). It will give you a list of publishers and what they are looking for.. a real good read. I found it very useful.
Go for it gal,pace yourslf and just work at it when you fell like it..don't push.
XX Jeannine