How many DUers are currently writing a novel?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

I just had a hunch there was probably an unrepresentatively large number of people on DU who are. Count yourself in if you've been working on one for years and know in your heart that you will never finish it.

[mn9driver]

1. I've been working on it for 20 years or so.

I've almost finished the plot outline.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

3. I'm messing with a graphic novel.

I'm in the character development phase

[Screaming Lord Byron]

4. That's the most difficult part.

You've gotta have a skeleton to hang all that flabby flesh on.

[spinbaby]

2. Not really

Thinking about writing something in nonfiction, though.

You'll probably be interested in this site:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. Cool! Thanks.

[Philostopher]

6. I've written several, primarily for my own enjoyment.

I'm not good enough to publish, but for me, it's 'cheap psychotherapy' -- I work out a lot of frustrations and anxieties through characters who sort of resemble me but aren't really me, because it allows me to get a little distance on the 'players' in certain situations.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

9. Yeah. For me, it's an intellectual exercise as much as anything.

[Magrittes Pipe]

7. No.

I work on my records instead.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

10. We could collaborate on a RAWK OPERA!

There hasn't been a good Rock Opera in years. Of course, we would base it on Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds.
Oh yeah.
:evilgrin:

[Magrittes Pipe]

16. No, it will be based upon "Joanie Loves Chachi."

I get to play Erin Moran.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

17. Get a brain.

Still, it is tempting to become Chachi. Very tempting.

[Magrittes Pipe]

18. We could employ poetic license a bit.

You, as Chachi, could take up Karate.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

19. Man. Imagine the possibilities.

Boundless, I tell you. Boundless.

[Magrittes Pipe]

20. I've got this suite worked out on my bass...

...but I can't think of any guitar or lyrics for it.

Collaboration: on!

[Screaming Lord Byron]

22. Kewl.

A whole suite on bass?

[Magrittes Pipe]

23. Actually, I'm just shitting you.

But I can be quite creative when inspired.

[liberalmuse]

8. I've been thinking about it...

it's just that I'm too stupid to write a novel. I think you have to have a certain IQ in order to be able to write a book. However, now that Pamela Anderson has written one... Damn!

[sybylla]

11. Yep

I have two I'm currently working on and the beginning of the plot for a third. I'm nearly done with the first draft of one but it is slow going. I have a day job and too many hobbies to give it all the time I want. But I very much enjoy the creative outlet it gives me and look forward to needing an agent in the next year or two.

[johnnie]

12. I've been living in one for 40 years. n/t

[BigMcLargehuge]

13. I will be finished by mid september

I've been working on it solidly for four months now.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

15. You've had a few out before, haven't you?

[BigMcLargehuge]

21. short stories yes, novels no

I've written four full length works previous to this one. None of which have been published (which is probably a good thing now that I've looked some of them over recently).

Here's the breakdown:

Some novel I wrote in college (I can't remember the title, and all I have is hard copy and copy on a bunch of proprietary word processor disks). A blatant ripoff of William Gibson if written by an idiot savant who was bad at math. I am happy to let this one rot.

Restoration of Sovereignty: possibly the worst collection of sentences ever gathered together in a single document. I was still learning about pacing and character development. This one was about two people who mountain-bike a backpack nuke across post fascist America.

Destiny Angel: Space opera (wish there was a market for these again). Not a bad story, but still really rough around the edges.

Union Dues: An exploration of the ethical questions surrounding super-heroism drawn from about 20 supporting short stories that flesh out the universe. Sadly the novel can't stand alone without the stories, so the ideas within those need to be incorperated into the book.

Thus ends my science fiction period.

Currently working on "Tears of Amaterasu", a piece of historical fiction following two young Japanese soldiers from Shanghai to Nanking in 1937-1938. It's an exploration of the circumstances that lead to unrestrained brutality.

I actually have an agent now. He's pushing "Tears" pretty hard. We have one publisher who's shown interest so far.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

24. Sounds good. Sounds promising.

[BigMcLargehuge]

26. the only problem I am having now

is that while they main characters are poised to enter Nanking, I am reluctant to send them through Peace Gate and have them become beasts. I've grown to like the main characters quite a bit and I hate to idea of them succumbing to the madness.

Go figure.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

28. Ah. Do you need to detach yourself from the characters?

That's a tricky thing to handle, liking your characters too much.

[BigMcLargehuge]

30. I can't detatch though

I just have to imagine I am an Imperial Japanese General sending the boys off to "do their duty" for the emperor and sacrifice themselves to the greater needs of the story.

I can do it, I just have to switch gears a little.

[fudge stripe cookays]

27. Yay Big!

I can't wait to read this one.

I was horrified after I read "the Rape of Nanking." This one sounds like a keeper.

FSC

[BigMcLargehuge]

29. Iris Chang's book was one of the reasons I started mine

I have to work really hard to avoid becoming "American Psycho" with the descriptions, it's a wicked balance to capture the horror and not glorify it.

[BigMcLargehuge]

32. a Sample from "Tears of Amaterasu"

Chapter 14 (on edit: DAMN FORMATTING!!!! Okay, - = tab)

-Kubo and Jiro sat atop the wall looming over the hill leading down the small shore village of Tai Hu Lake. Thousands of soldiers moved back and forth through the city. Since they’d taken Suzhou so easily most of the infrastructure remained intact so that even the electric street lamps flickered to life just after dusk. Their warm amber rays cast long shadows on the noisy group of men below. The sounds from below were like those Kubo remembered from the height of the Rape Blossom Festival back in Iiyama.
-“I don’t think the war will last much longer,” Jiro said before taking a long pull from his canteen.
-“You sound disappointed,” Kubo answered.
- Jiro shrugged, “I don’t know. It just seems like we spent all that time training for nothing.”
-“I’ll be glad to get home if it does end quickly. I’ll be very happy to be home by planting season. I know my Uncle will need help this season.” Kubo fished a cigarette from his breast pocket and offered one to Jiro.
-“It’s just… I don’t know. I expected it to be different. You know, they tell you that dying is expected, that only honor comes with a glorious charge. I don’t want to go back and have people question my patriotism because things were easy here.” Jiro struck a match and offered a light to Kubo.
-“It’s getting cold. I wish we had some wine.” Kubo wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed his shoulders. The friction heat felt good. Everything felt good then; just sitting and savoring the victory, anticipating the same at Nanking, and going home. He wasn’t disappointed in the experience, though certain aspects bothered him if pondered for too long, but basic training beat most of that type of thought out. “Can I ask you something?”
-“Sure.” Jiro flicked the spent cigarette away and watched the red tip spiral down towards the thatched roofed huts below.
-“What did you think about in the square today?”
-“About what?”
-“Shooting the refugees.” Kubo tossed his cigarette too and began rubbing his shoulders again.
-“I don’t know. Azuma gave the order; I followed it, that’s all. Why?”
-“I just felt bad about the whole thing. I made it happen. If I hadn’t argued with you over those damn dogs they’d still be alive.” Kubo peered at the group of drunken soldiers singing below as they walked.
-“It’s war Hideki. Sometime things like that happen because they have to happen. I don’t think there’s any blame. It was just circumstance.”
-Kubo thought about Jiro’s statement for a while, “but how many times will those circumstances happen? This isn’t the first time for me.” He remembered the old woman in the village, how she jerked back, dead, from a rifle bullet to the head, also delivered on Azuma’s orders.
-“The way I see it is that we can’t allow them to think we are weak. If Azuma let those people go they could spread rumors that we are fighting among ourselves, that might encourage other refugees to revolt, it might travel as far as the Chinese army, and then what? Would it make them stand and fight instead of running? How many would have to die then? I guess it’s a good trade. We kill a dozen of them so we don’t have to kill ten dozen later.” Jiro slipped his hands into his pockets.
-“That’s one way to look at it I guess,” Kubo answered.
-Jiro said, “It’s realistic. I don’t have feelings one-way or the other. They are just Chinese, and right now the Chinese are our enemy. If the tables were turned I think the Kuomontang would do the same if they were in Yokohama, or Tokyo, or Osaka. It’s war Kubo.”
-“You’re right,” Kubo answered, “I’ll try not to dwell on it.”
-Jiro smiled then checked his watch, “it’s almost midnight. Do you want to stay here some more or try to find some wine or women or something?”
-“Women,” Kubo answered, “definitely women… I could do with some food too if we can find it.”
-Jiro and Kubo scrambled down the stairs to the street and joined the jolly throng of soldiers carousing beneath the street lamps.
--
-They walked the city for half an hour before bumping into others from the 14th near the northern section of the city. Funakoshi stepped out of the group when he saw Jiro, “We need women,” he yelped then thrust a half full bottle of Chinese rice wine at Kubo, “Where are the women?”
-“We haven’t seen any,” Jiro answered, laughing. “Where did you find wine? We looked all over but there wasn’t any to be bought.”
-The others burst out laughing.
-“What’s so funny?” Kubo snapped then took a long pull of the wine before passing the bottle to Jiro.
-“We don’t buy!” Funakoshi barked, “We take!”
-Jiro drank deeply from the bottle, “tell us then where to take wine!”
-Funakoshi grinned, “It’s easy!” He glanced over at one of the small houses lining the street then staggered to the door. He turned the knob and pushed but the door refused to budge. Funakoshi stepped back a bit, kicked in the door, and lunged inside.
-The others in the 14th stood in silence for a few seconds until the first high-pitched scream erupted from the house. A moment later an old Chinese woman stumbled out into the street. Half of her dressing gown was torn away revealing a pointed and saggy breast. She screamed again and struggled to cover her exposed breast with a wrinkled hand.
-Kubo saw blood dripping from the right corner of her mouth.
-Funakoshi emerged then, still grinning, “no wine here… but a woman!”
-A cheer went up through the 14th.
-“She’s old!” Jiro barked.
-The woman eyed each of the soldiers quickly. She began to plead in Chinese and threw herself at Jiro’s feet.
-“So what? Who cares! She’s a woman!” Funakoshi reached down for her but Kubo grabbed his arm and shoved him backwards.
-“Leave her alone!” Kubo placed himself between the woman and Funakoshi. “She’s an old woman. You’ll kill her!”
-“You know what your problem is Kubo? You like these people too much,” Funakoshi snarled while struggling to maintain his balance against the better wishes of the alcohol coursing through his veins.
-"Shut up Funakoshi!” Kubo checked the gang behind him, their eyes were as angry and disbelieving as Funakoshi’s. He glanced at Jiro, who immediately looked away. “This is wrong,” Kubo said, “if the Chinese were in Yokohama, or Tokyo, you wouldn’t want them to do this to an old Japanese woman!” He reached down to help her to her feet, but something smashed across the back of Kubo’s head and he dropped, unconscious, to the street.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

35. That's pretty impressive. You get a good sense of place

and the dialogue between the soldiers seems unforced and natural. I'd read it.

[BigMcLargehuge]

36. Thanks!

:)

[fudge stripe cookays]

48. How much research material have you managed to find?

Many Time/Life articles? And Chang's book, obviously. I'm curious about the subject, and before her book, I didn't know if much existed, since the Japanese managed to cover it up pretty well, or at least not admit to it.

If you haven't found them yet, several of those Time/Life WW2 series books mention Japanese themes before, during, and after the war.

[BigMcLargehuge]

49. loads and loads and loads

lots of online museaums too. Read a whole bunch of books on Japanes war attrocities, Japanese militarism, history, culture, Chinese history, diaries of John Rabe and Minnie Vaurine, talked with a film writer/director who made a film about the Rape of Nanking.

Watched some documentaries, read around the general history of the pacific theater before and after 1937.

There's lots of stuff out there if you know where to look.

[fudge stripe cookays]

55. Awesome.

I love research.

I love it when an author can seamlessly weave history with fiction (or non-fiction, dramatized...). If they can convince that I'm there while I'm reading with no anachronism or jarring info that doesn't seem to jibe, I'll completely immerse myself. I love books like that. The ones you're sorry to have finished?

Some of my favorites in that vein:
The Memory of Eva Ryker
The Alienist
Devil in the White City

Let us know when it's released! We can say we knew you when! :-)
FSC

[Xithras]

14. Heh, I've "written" eight novels in my life, none finished, none published

I write scifi and fantasy novels, and have a horrible time staying interested long enough to actually complete one of them. The closest to completion, which currently stands at 775 pages and has taken 9 years to write, has only gotten to its current state in fits and starts. I'll put it down for a year or more at times before picking it up, writing or revising a few chapters, and then putting it down again for another extended stretch.

I think I have ADD or something :dunce:

[TheCentepedeShoes]

25. Yeah...

started something for my own amusement about 6 months ago and work on it from time to time. It's a parody of Bush*Co set in an imaginary Old West scene. Has characters like Donnybrook Rumbutt, Peckerwood Wolfshitz, and Duckwaddle Pearlhandle. It's also probably not very good, mainly because it's getting harder and harder to laugh at these creeps.

[Bertha Venation]

31. mine's intended for girls

Think of Harriet the Spy and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In very simplistic terms, crossing those two would give you something of an idea of what my book is about.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

33. Cool. I've always wanted to write a book for kids.

But I'm not at that stage, yet. Any book I wrote would terrify the kids.

[Cats Against Frist]

34. I Started my first novel at 14, gave it up in frustration,

and I found out a couple of years ago, that some cat named Mark Z. Danielewski wrote the very same book: it's called "House of Leaves." Of course mine was less about hookers and more about teenaged boys. But the house, the black rooms, the psychology -- it was all there.

I still have the DREAM of writing a novel, but have pretty much given it up in favor of the form more suited for people who can't concentrate for shit: poetry. I have had some stuff published, and I hope to have a collection published within a couple of years -- if I'm lucky, I guess.

[hunter]

37. I found my very first novel on archive.org

No, I'm not going to tell you how to find it.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

38. Hey! I liked The Rum Diary.

[hunter]

43. Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me!

:evilgrin:

[hyphenate]

39. Been working on it since 1989

It's a contemporary women's fiction novel. It's actually finished, but I haven't finished the revisions.

[ScreamingMeemie]

40. Of course I'm going to publish it!!!!.....

someday. ;)

[BigMcLargehuge]

41. Just keep on sending it out

or try and hire someone to do that part for you.

:)

Hows things? Loved your anniversary story. Would sound great if expanded and broadcast over This American Life.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. Things are great here Big!! And thanks for the compliment!

My father, brother and hubby are constantly trying to get me to submit to the papers little snippets of life from a Mom at home. Maybe someday, but the plumbings gotta stop backing up if you know what I mean!;)

I saw in that thread that you are closing in on the finish. Wow! Great job, I cannot wait to buy it!

How are things with you? Everyone healthy and progressing along I hope!!

:hi:

Laura

[BigMcLargehuge]

44. so far everyone is healthy and things are going well

you should definitely write to submit! You have a great sense of timing and pace.

Did you see the sample of my book posted above?

I am at the half way point now and adding 2-5 good pages every evening.

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. I didn't, but I went back. Wow!

If the entire work is like that Big, I think you've got a winner. Now I am left wanting to read more. The humanity that you have given Jiro really comes across. Excellent work.

[BigMcLargehuge]

51. the entire work is like that

:)

[cliss]

45. There are a lot of really good writers here.

That's why I keep coming back.

I've started writing a novel about a Viking chieftain from Sweden who makes it all the way to Baghdad in 1060 AD. This is a person who we don't know a lot about, but there are a few rune stones around Lake Mälaren (near Stockholm) which commemorate his voyage. I.e., historical fiction.

He was the son of the king of Sweden at that time, and he died in Turkey. Really exciting stuff. I've never written fiction, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it.

[RetroLounge]

46. Yeah, I got one in the drawer somewhere.

I started it as a thesis project in Grad School. Used the first 200 pages as my thesis.

Then I got a job, married, kids, etc.

Priorities changed greatly...

So it sits...

RL

[trigz]

50. Me & wife working on travel book from Ireland...

...we took our honeymoon there and are writing from a combined 400 pages of notes. It looks good so far, but it's only in Norwegian :)

[DrWeird]

52. Yeah, I am.

But I'm too self-conscious about my own work to show it to anybody.

[shimmergal]

53. One completed; several others underway.

The completed novel is science fantasy (another sub-genre which is not real big right now) with political intrigue and betrayal, a love story, subtle parallels to events on the recent U.S. political scene, and much else. It's been to several publishers and received not-nasty rejections, and was at the point of acceptance by a small press when they went belly-up. Now I'm about to jump into the whole submission process again.

My greatest fear is that, if published, many liberals will turn up their nose because the heroine's whole life is built oround honor and patriotism, while RW-ers grasp it to their hearts (if they have any.) OTOH, real RWers aren't likely to go for the fact that my heroine has several husbands (at the same time).

Any marketing suggestions? I've sold a number of SF short stories, and do believe my longer stuff is good enough too. But it's a tough slog out there in the publishing world.

BigMcLargeHuge, I still like reading space opera! Can you tell any more about Destiny Angel?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

54. The problem with my stuff is it's totally uneven.

I read over one I'd put on hiatus about a year ago, and I was really, genuinely impressed with some sections that were really hitting a neat Doug Adams / Doug Coupland crossover, but I couldn't sustain it over the rest of the couple of chapters I'd written, which were pretty mediocre. I need a few more years before I'm up to a 'submittable' level.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

56. kick

I haven't kicked anything in ages, so I feel no shame. No shame!

[onebigbadwulf]

57. An excerpt from my novel. Honesty is the best policy.

Chapter 7

It’s been said that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. The bible gave us Ten Commandments - that is how we were supposed to live our lives. But after centuries of breaking those commandments, only the Lamb of God could free us from evil so that we could enter the kingdom of heaven. God sacrificed his innocent son for the sins of man.

But in the bible, God did many things that we would consider sin. He killed, he boasted about his greatness, and he lied to us. This made me wonder… who would be sacrificed for the sins of God?

Those, however, were questions for another time. Right now three more important questions were tearing through my mind. First – where was I going to put a 65kg dead body? Second – how was I going to destroy every piece of evidence linking me to this dead body? And third – what happens if I can’t answer the first and the second questions?

Failure is not an option…

Patience came back with a plate of food and a liter of orange juice, that’s a little more than a quart. I took the breakfast and kicked her out, told her I needed to sleep. She already saw too much – she saw the blood on my hands and the mess in my room. We knew she was stupid, but even the dimmest of light bulbs had their occasional spark.

My phone started ringing. I didn’t want to talk to anyone - I had too much to deal with right now. Two rings… three rings... After looking at the mess in my room one thing was obvious – I needed to make a plan. It was Saturday morning at 8:30 and I was supposed to study with Arizona at 10 am. This body was going to start smelling in as soon as a day - I could already detect a hint of feces in the air working its way above the stench of smoke, alcohol, and vomit.

Four rings… five rings…

My sheets had blood on them and so did some of my clothes. I tore the sheets off my bed and threw the soiled garments on top. After wrapping them all up, the pile resembled a bloody duffle bag. This pile would have to be removed later when everyone else was asleep. I tossed it into the closet, right on top of Linus’ cold blue body.

Six rings… seven rings…

Grabbing my suitcase off the floor, I could see a trail of dark stains and a pile of partially digested food. Fortunately the carpet was already brown, the blood just made certain patches darker than normal. Cleaning the puke would be easy but getting the stains out would be impossible. There had to be another way to hide the evidence.

…the ringing finally stopped.

Finally, a chance to think in peace…