Dwayne’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2017)

Dwayne’s comments from the Support for Indie Authors group.

Jay wrote: "That's not optional because the only writing skills we learn in our schooldays are nonfiction, to make us useful to our future employers..."

Jay, you have made this claim before. It may be true of you, but it is not true of all of us. I have said to you, at least twice, in the past that I learned creative writing as far back as elementary school. I took courses in high school and college. Yet, you continue to make this argument in many of your posts. I am sorry you were deprived of creative writing in your education, but do not assume we are all in the same boat.

The point of this forum is really for writers to discuss the art and business of writing, not to send people off after our own personal gurus. Perhaps you have found some books that work for you. Great! Discuss them in your blog, on facebook, on Twitter, etc. But, that is not what this forum is for.

Ma-boy wrote: "By the way, what do you think about dialogue? I'm using a lot of it, like I did in my last novel, so that I can develop characters as I develop the plot. "

Personally, I like dialogue. I like reading stories with a lot of dialogue and I like writing it. Yes, it is good if the dialogue either adds to the plot or reveals character or both.

Ma-boy wrote: "I'm writing a sci-fi, and I don't know whether what I'm writing will keep the reader engaged or not. It's keeping me engaged, but I don't think it's the same with the reader and writer. I try to keep the plot moving and the characters developing as much as possible. Do you know any other way of keeping the reader engaged?"

The first step for me is to be honest with myself as to if I am engaged in the book or not. Seems that you've already passed that test.

Another really good method is to show it to others. I know you say you don't want to use beta readers, but please reconsider. It's really the best way to gauge what others will think of your book.

A few tricks I use that I believe keep my writing engaging:
*Don't let it all flow out at once, especially in novels. Give a little bit of a story, then move to another plot-line for a bit. Let the reader wonder where you were going in the first.
* Give a mix of drama and humor, of calm times and exciting times.
* Dig into all important characters (in other words, all characters) until you know them as well as you know your sibling. You probably won't use most of what you know, but having that intimate knowledge of the characters will give them a lot of depth.
* Do not be predictable. Don't even give a twist or two. Shock the hell out of your reader. Let them think they know what's going to happen, then go the other direction.
* Think of your settings, prominent items, vehicles, etc. in your book as characters and give details about them. Make your whole world or universe come alive. Have your characters experience their world, including the sights, smells, sounds, etc.
* Don't copy what you see other authors doing. Make sure your voice is unique. It's impossible to write something that is purely original, but don't settle for writing books you've already read. Take elements of other books, yes, but create something new with them.

Jane wrote: "I am given to believe that Papa Hemingway used to get roaring drunk"

Yes. Yes, he did. And he punched out marlins and rode mad bulls through Cuba and shot lions in the streets of Spain and all kinds of manly man stuff.

G.G. wrote: "I agree! And for future reference and help you write despite anything, keep a few of those passes and reread them ..."

Yeah, and it can be pretty amusing to go back and read the first draft later on and see just how different the book has become.

M. Ray Holloway Jr. wrote: "Just write. It may not be great, but that can be corrected in editing. "

Sometimes that's the funnest part, watching a smelly pile of garbage become more and more a work of art with each pass.

Carlton wrote: "Music. Preferably classical. And soundtracks of movies you've not yet watched..."

Works for me, too, but I prefer a blend of rock, blues, jazz, country, rap, a little classical...

Sherri wrote: "Sadly, there's really no way to tell. Here's what I do: ..."

I did that for a while, too, but gave up on it. For me, it came to writing down so many ideas... and then finding that I hated most of them a month later. It felt like a waste of time. I'm glad it works for you. Shows to go ya, there's no one right way to write!

The comment that was removed mentioned Smashwords, but then went into what you do with your royalties, how many reviews you have on Amazon, how many Amazon removed, how you feel this is unfair... you were getting off-topic, William.

Most groups I'm familiar with on Goodreads ask that the members stay on topic. It is respectful to the person who started the topic.

Let's stay on topic, folks. Not the place for discussing what you do with your royalties, Amazon removing reviews, etc.

Listen up, zombies. You can't eat me 'cause... AAAUUAHHGGGH!!!

Fun topic! Thanks Daniel!

If such things exist (and some of them do), they're not going to be hiding out in that cabin and nowhere else. If such things exist (and some of them do) I could just as easily encounter them at home, at work, in the grocery store, or at the coffee shop. The monsters are not going to congregate in a cabin in the hopes that I'll eventually get there so they can gang up on me.

The monsters won't wait until a blood moon or until a wind storm to attack. The monsters aren't going to hide in a locked room. Hollywood set the rules, but the monsters don't play by rules.

D. wrote: "This could go under any number of topics here..."

Since you seem to be looking for advice about marketing and not for discussion about the process of writing, I moved your post to the appropriate folder.

Matia wrote: "So - what if we try it out here on goodreads? If I post the premise for one or more of the book ideas I have, would everyone be willing to vote on whether they found it intriguing?"

I know it has been tried before. I will tell you that. And I must put on my Debbie Downer hat and tell you that I don't believe the people trying to put such a thing together had any success with it. I remember one poll where someone asked people what kind of books they'd like to read and they had a long, long list of things -- none of which interested me at all. So, if you do this, try to remember all genres.

Others have found that readers aren't often willing to go into great detail as to what they're looking for in books. Many readers, too, are already finding the kinds of books they like.

I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of it, but I am saying it will be a lot of work and success with it may be a long time coming. But, yes, if you are willing to put the effort into it, maybe you should start your own group here on Goodreads and see where you go with it. Best of luck!

Let's keep the discussion on topic and not try to shift the focus to our personal web sites. Thanks.

Pamela wrote: "Am I the only one who writes a first draft without any chapters?"

Nope. You're not.

Writing is risk, especially if you're only writing with the hopes of pleasing a mass audience or making a lot of money. No matter your goals, you need to be aware that whatever you write may never reach a lot of readers. If you go traditional publishing, you might not get past the gatekeepers. If you go Indie, you might only see a couple sales a year. It happens.

One thing I do is come up with an idea and then leave it in my brain. I do not write it down for a while, not one word of it. Right now I am busy with a work in progress that will probably be published in October. Meanwhile, I am tumbling around with at least a half dozen ideas for the next big project. Some are percolating nicely. One in particular gets built on in my mind every day. Others have stagnated and I am barely giving them any thought. So, that's my first step. I'm my own gatekeeper. If I can't keep excited or keep thinking about a project, it's probably not time to write it, yet.

When I do start a project, I can generally tell before the rough draft is finished if it's worth continuing. If I do not feel excited, if I am not in love with the characters, if I see too many plot holes, etc. then it gets shelved. (I never fully give up on an idea).

Every book, to some extent, is borrowing from some other book, movie, TV show, etc. Often times we're borrowing from many sources and may stories. This is fine, as long as you do not blatantly steal specific ideas from other books. Yes, you can write about a young boy in 19th century Missouri who whitewashes fences, becomes involved in a murder mystery, gets lost in a cave, and so on, just be sure the details of the story do not mirror Tom Sawyer. I think it would be nearly impossible to plagiarize without being aware you're doing it. Everyone knows that West Side Story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but aside from the same basic plot, they are very different.

I'm going to echo what CB and Chris are saying. What you're suggesting feels like paint-by-numbers writing. Yes, you insert character A into plot B and add in villain C because you've found people will want to read it, but there's a great chance it's going to lack heart and soul, making it a dull read. Personally, I am aware that people are craving things like dragons, vampires, wizards, and the like and I have thought about writing those things, but I don't have a strong passion for it, so I think it is better I don't attempt it until I have an idea that really excites me.

Grace wrote: "Speaking of, is there a good way to bring up her disorder or should I just drop hints and let the reader make the connection? "

Depends on the story, I suppose. I have a short that is about a man with autism and ID. I flat out say, several times, what his condition is as it is hugely important to the story. In another, I have an older man suffering from dementia. Even though it is integral to the relationship the man has with his son, the son is the narrator of the book and so consumed with himself and his problems, he doesn't take a lot of time to explain what is going on with "Daddy", usually referring to it as "time travel". In my current work in progress, there are a number of characters with mental illnesses / disorders, but I don't label any of them as it takes place in the eighties when most of these things had no label.

Google Antisocial Personality Disorder and you'll have tons of web sites pop up. Same with blindness. But, I would recommend going to the library and finding books on the subjects. Chances are they will be more in depth and contain better information.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm not just a writer. I spend my days in my secret identity as caregiver to adults with disabilities. I have worked with all sorts of disabilities and disorders, so kudos to you for wanting to write characters such as these.

But, as for how the characters should act? That is completely up to you. The APD character is likely to be deceitful, impulsive, lacking in empathy, aggressive, and show little respect for the law. No two APD sufferers are alike. How old is she? Is she getting treatment? Is she on medication? These play factors in how intense her behavior might be.

Reactions from your main character could vary, depending on what kind of person she is, how badly she wants a "normal" relationship with her mother, how accepting she is of her mother's condition, how much of her mother's behaviors have directly affected her, etc.

Similarly, when it comes to the blind character, the main character should act the way you want them to act. She could be helpful to her friend, sympathetic, she might try babying the friend. She might be resentful that the girl lost her sight. She might feel she's not the same person (and she probably isn't) and maybe she doesn't like her as much. She might be a cheerleader or a coach, loudly encouraging her friend to do things. It's up to you.

There are not many habits coming to mind that I've observed in all blind people I've worked with. Counting steps is okay, but I've never known a blind person to do this. I've seen it done in the movies and it's possible that some blind people do that, but I'd be kind of surprised. The only habit I can think, and this may not be true of all blind people, but it is definitely true of all the ones I've cared for - they are much more in tune with their other senses. This doesn't mean they are like Daredevil with super hearing and what-not, but they learn to rely on touch, smell, and hearing more than most seeing people do. The only other thing that comes to mind, if the blind woman is in touch with any other blind people, such as in a support group or if she's active in the blind community, she's probably going to be far more trusting of her blind friends than the seeing people she knows. This is not true of all blind people, but a good number.

What she can and can't do is pretty much determined by how blind she is and how independent she is. Will she ever drive a car or become a sharp shooter? Probably not. But, there are many things blind people can learn to do. Or not do. If your blind character does not challenge herself to learn karate, paint pictures or go skydiving, that does not make her weak.