Writers Central

Off-Topic Forum for things having nothing to do with Twilight or the entertainment industry

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Openhome
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Openhome »

But there are a ton of other, incredible characters that touched my life as a reader, AB. Some (a few) of them make it onto the Big Screen, but most do not. Just because they aren't in blockbuster movies don't make them any less important to my life. Yes, some are universally loved to the point of worship (like on the Lex :lol: ), but most of the truly important characters to me stay quietly in their books.
Amanda Beth
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Amanda Beth »

AGAIN it has NOTHING to do with it becoming a movie or famous or popular. It's seeing how much people love the characters. That's all.
Tornado
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Tornado »

But a wide fanbase means that you see more examples of this. Is that what you're trying to say? Because there's no reason that people can't come to love your characters even through any you introduce via Twilight fan fiction.
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alphanubilus
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Re: Writers Central

Post by alphanubilus »

As a writer, I love to hear people talk about my projects and tell me how much they loved my story. That is every writer's wish in reality. Is it daunting to think that your work could be compared to the likes of Harry Potter and Twilight... yeah, and while you might not garner the "craziness" that they have, that doesn't make your work any less entertaining. For myself, I write for me... I write stories that I would love to read, that I would go see in a movie theatre, so if I'm happy... I'm fine. One of my best friends is an animator, and I can't tell you how many times he tossed out a perfectly good screenplay because he saw a movie that was similar to his, and thought theirs was much better. We, writers, let's face it, are much harder on ourselves than we really need to be. Write, enjoy it, present it, and let the masses decide. Keep second guessing yourself and you'll never get anything done. :)

In other news... I finished the rough draft of the novel adaptation of my screenplay, "The Wolf Prince". The draft ended at 380 pages with an aprox word acount of 117,000. I just sent a notice to my agent, to let her know. Now I gets to EDIT! WOOT! If that doesn't sound scary... I invented a language while doing all of this! WOOT! Now my brain is officially fried.

VirginiaMay
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Re: Writers Central

Post by VirginiaMay »

Congrats, Alpha!! Way to go!! :clapping:
Tornado
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Tornado »

Congratulations! Good luck with the editing!
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Tornado
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Tornado »

I'm really sorry to double post, but I was wanting to ask the opinion of other readers/writers on this site.

I recently received a reader's report from the publisher who I hoped would publish my novel. It is the first in a romantic trilogy (with fantasy themes). The reader has said categorically that I have to change the story because she insists that the lovers who the story is built around MUST be married by the end of the first book. Personally, I think this is ridiculous, and it is also impossible in the storyline. She insists that I have to change the story to accommodate it. Unfortunately, it makes the whole story fall apart.

However, I am interested in everyone's opinions. What do you think of books that don't resolve love stories (or any other storyline that is a primary feature) in the first or subsequent books? What do you think of books that have cliffhanger endings? I am interested in honest feedback here, and I hope that some of you will let me know what you think.
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alphanubilus
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Re: Writers Central

Post by alphanubilus »

Tornado wrote:I'm really sorry to double post, but I was wanting to ask the opinion of other readers/writers on this site.

I recently received a reader's report from the publisher who I hoped would publish my novel. It is the first in a romantic trilogy (with fantasy themes). The reader has said categorically that I have to change the story because she insists that the lovers who the story is built around MUST be married by the end of the first book. Personally, I think this is ridiculous, and it is also impossible in the storyline. She insists that I have to change the story to accommodate it. Unfortunately, it makes the whole story fall apart.

However, I am interested in everyone's opinions. What do you think of books that don't resolve love stories (or any other storyline that is a primary feature) in the first or subsequent books? What do you think of books that have cliffhanger endings? I am interested in honest feedback here, and I hope that some of you will let me know what you think.
That is a good question, and it really depends... Many books end on cliffhangers, but the "conflicts" in the story are usually resolved, meaning that the cliffhanger opens doors for a second book. Think about the Harry Potter series. The over all conflict of each story is resolved by the end of each subsequent book, while adding to the "broader" picture of the story. IF your book's ending doesn't resolve the major conflicts of your story (for the first book) then I agree, as you have some serious structure issues going on. It is doubly important with the first book. You have to consider the position of the publisher. You want to make a trilogy, but their primary focus is getting the first book finished and out there. If it sells well, then they can commission you to write more. If your story doesn't resolve the major conflict by the end, then they are forced (in ways) to pursue the other books in the series, even if they don't sell very well.

Again, every good book that I've read that ended on a cliffhanger, such as the Hunger Games series, had the major conflicts resolved, while creating new ones at the end, to leave you hanging. As stated, if your love story ends without some sort of resolution, your missing the final act, of a three act structure. So it's a balance... you need to both resolve all major conflicts for the "minor" story for your trilogy, all the while creating new conflicts for the major story you plan for the trilogy. If your ending isn't satisfying, you could cause an uprising... :D


Tornado
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Re: Writers Central

Post by Tornado »

The overall story arc in the book is resolved, and I don't just leave my lovers with no hope at all. The girl is determined that she will have him, and the book ends with her expressing this. The boy is a little less certain that it can be achieved, but is willing to let her try. It's difficult to explain without going into too much detail!

Can I ask what you define as a resolution to the romantic situation? This is exactly what the reader's report told me, but the reader defined this as "they MUST be married". Would you go that far? Are there other resolutions that are possible that will satisfy readers?
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alphanubilus
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Re: Writers Central

Post by alphanubilus »

Tornado wrote:The overall story arc in the book is resolved, and I don't just leave my lovers with no hope at all. The girl is determined that she will have him, and the book ends with her expressing this. The boy is a little less certain that it can be achieved, but is willing to let her try. It's difficult to explain without going into too much detail!

Can I ask what you define as a resolution to the romantic situation? This is exactly what the reader's report told me, but the reader defined this as "they MUST be married". Would you go that far? Are there other resolutions that are possible that will satisfy readers?

To be honest Tornado, it all depends on the story. I don't know if the res would be, "they MUST be married" but then again, I haven't read your story. Another thing to consider is this, the publisher may be totally wrong. In the end it is all up to you. You can certainly argue your case. In truth, I would ask your publisher, if you haven't already, exactly why they believe this route should be taken
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