UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
Agony Aunt
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Today I mostly wrote ... the word count thread.
David wrote:Marketing - I write the things that I would like to read, which I assume means that my ideal re..."
Yes, I think my readers are probably the same. But some writers manage subtle marketing. And crime sells (I mean crime fiction!) so I'm sort of lucky. Doesn't stop me looking enviously at romantic fiction numbers, but I've tried writing that once in desperation, and it just sounded like desperation.
I am dabbling in thrillers - and contemplating turning to crime - myself. I'm leaning towards psychological thrillers more than crime though.
I have an finished outline where a psychopath becomes Prime Minister, but what are the chances of a mentally unstable person getting into a job like that, eh?
Oh, wait...
I'm not sure about romance either, I don't think I am the type for it. But on the other hand romantic comedy is something I'm contemplating.
David wrote: "Tim wrote: "I need to find a rich, widowed marketing expert . . ."or, failing that a rich, married marketing expert and a sniper rifle."
Knowing my aim . . .
David wrote: "I am dabbling in thrillers - and contemplating turning to crime - myself. I'm leaning towards psychological thrillers more than crime though.
I have an finished outline where a psychopath becom..."
Yeah. Been reading a lot of James Patterson and Lee Child lately. Immersing myself in the genre, as it were . . .
Odd thing about romance: I can happily watch a romcom movie, but I can't read romance fiction; it just shuts me down. Same thing with historical / costume drama.
David wrote: "I'm exploring other genres as well, not that I know what my current genre is. Or even what it isn't.Marketing - I write the things that I would like to read, which I assume means that my ideal re..."
I think we're selling to the same three people David
Tim wrote: "David wrote: "Tim wrote: "I need to find a rich, widowed marketing expert . . ."or, failing that a rich, married marketing expert and a sniper rifle."
Knowing my aim . . ."
*ducks*
Kath wrote: "And I'm one of them! ;)"Quality not quantity.
:)I've written 65. Haha! Risible. But I'm working through a book I labelled 'finished' about a year ago.
Tim wrote: "Odd thing about romance: I can happily watch a romcom movie, but I can't read romance fiction; it just shuts me down. Same thing with historical / costume drama. "Me too with the romantic stuff. I quite like historical if it is blood and battles, but not if it is bosoms and bustles.
Can't really get on with erotica either - I don't mind the shagging and stuff, it's the billionaires and handbag brands I can't be doing with.
Edited another 2 chapters on the 22nd, but haven't even been on the internet since then. Hope to get back on it at the weekend.
Jim wrote: "I think we're selling to the same three people David"Yep.
And it looks like they like to keep their reading secret.
David wrote: "Can't really get on with erotica either - I don't mind the shagging and stuff, it's the billionaires and handbag brands I can't be doing with. "Yeah.l The Devil Wears Primark . . .
Sorry, new keyboard. I coffee bombed the last one, and it dt ty o ood
David wrote: "I'm exploring other genres as well, not that I know what my current genre is. Or even what it isn't.Marketing - I write the things that I would like to read, which I assume means that my ideal re..."
That's exactly what I do. I couldn't sell something I didn't love reading, myself, with any conviction.
Tim wrote: "It came to me at about 2am, after watching an episode of Silent Witness (turned out to be double length instead of the usual 2 parter!) that I've got my Socko story arse about fracas. Now I need to..."
Welcome to my world, too.
Oh and did about 100 words today but might manage a few later.
Does stuff written on whiteboards count? And planning templates?If so, I wrote a few thousand words this week.
Done what I needed to do for the week, because I'll be busy over the weekend and not writing.
I've not done much writing this week but I'm going to finish sorting my presentation for tomorrow's first aid course (having to use a new one that I haven't written :( ) and then I'll be aiming to get to 10,000 words for one of my WIPs. Only got about 500 words to go so I'm determined to get there tonight!
199 words for the competition! And a few for a blurb. Hate writing blurbs.
I have a book on writing blurbs. It doesn't help.
M.T. wrote: "That's exactly what I do. I couldn't sell something I didn't love reading, myself, with any conviction."It also bothers me that if I persuade someone to buy a book of mine and it turns out they don't like it, that I have caused them to waste their money.
I have one, too. You're right. You have to remind yourself constantly of the difference between a blurb and a synopsis but if you leave out certain things it doesn't make sense.
Kath wrote: "I have one, too. You're right. You have to remind yourself constantly of the difference between a blurb and a synopsis but if you leave out certain things it doesn't make sense."Not only do I hate writing them, I also find them annoying to read.
Ideally, I like to know nothing at all about a book when I start it, especially not that the protagonist will have to fight to the death against overwhelming odds to save the universe, get the girl or eat the sandwich.
My experience is that if you save the girl, she nicks the sandwich . . .
Wrote a massive blog post if anyone's interested. Apologies if the link is bad form. https://mtmcguire.co.uk/2017/01/28/do...
Wrote my quota, then spent the rest of the day finishing and finding illustrations for talk on Georgian fashion in Scotland. Not sure that counts - writing non-fiction feels different. Heading up to Ballater tomorrow to talk to contacts there so might do some head-writing on the bus, but probably no time to get it on to paper, unfortunately.
Did a bit of thinking today. Plot cards and things.then did a 15 min sprint on a scene I was sure of and got 470 words down. Also did about 250 words of primping on another scene so another daddy at 700 or thereabouts. Chuffed.
Yay, did about 739 today, I think. But that'll be it until Thursday now. It's visit the old dears day tomorrow!Cheers
MTM
Have written 6 flash fictions & 3 blog posts in the last 24 days. Trump us proving fertile territory!
872 today. Ist scene of new 1st draft.There could have been more, but there was a false start. That sort of thing doesn't usually matter because the 1st scene in the 1st draft rarely becomes the opening of the finished book.
But this was a fundamental thing that underpins a lot of the story and it needed to be altered... so it was.
Now everything is groovy again.
Well, caught up on yesterday's blank, and I'm now 2/5 through the book. Stupidly left half the writing until after I had logged my book sales for January, and had a crash of confidence, but I ended up shoving my way through to the end - it's probably not very good, but it's there and can be edited later.
Well done both. Nothing for me but the warm fuzzy feeling of having done my filial duty... sorry that sounds a bit smug.
There's nothing like the additional guilt of failing as a daughter/mother because of all this writing!
:-) Tell me about it. I try to do an hour a day. That's usually 40 minutes to think about it followed by a 20 minute timed sprint. That's why it always comes out at around 700 words! On really good days, I get a second sprint!Cheers
MTM
I get on well enough by not doing the housework. However, parental care situation might well change fairly soon and then who knows what time I'll have?
Not really anything today. I came up with a better way of doing the opening, so today I started rearranging what I had and sellotaping it together in a new way.
David wrote: "Not really anything today. I came up with a better way of doing the opening, so today I started rearranging what I had and sellotaping it together in a new way."You're in good company, David Bowie used to do that! ;-)
Lexie wrote: "I get on well enough by not doing the housework. However, parental care situation might well change fairly soon and then who knows what time I'll have?"
All the best with that, it gets easier once you've convinced them to get live in care. You will learn to make better use of your time, too.
I've managed about 400 words today, I think. Possibly a bit more.
Cheers
MTM
I've just been going through an old manuscript (yes, actually manuscript, though bits are typed) which I'm hoping to publish this year, and both sellotape and staples feature throughout! Used to do it all the time, but arthritic thumbs make writing a bit harder now when I have to go fast.
Yesterday I managed 616. Only when I did the count did I wish I'd written another 50.
Will wrote: "Yesterday I managed 616. Only when I did the count did I wish I'd written another 50."Was it devilishly good writing?
Well today I have written 763 words for an article for a glossy magazine about our entry into this year's Britain in Bloom finals and I am Quite Worn Out, it having taken all afternoon. To be fair I also was sending photographs so I had to collate them too. But yeah writing is gard.
HARD. Damn
Ah, come on, Rosie! It's indoor work with no heavy lifting. ;)
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or, failing that a rich, married marketing expert and a sniper rifle.