Gathering Of Dedicated Scribblers discussion
Introductions
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Maria
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Sep 16, 2021 06:09PM
Hi, I'm Maria. Looking forward to critiques and critiquing.
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Hi Maria welcome to the GODS. What genre are you writing in?
Hi everyone, My name is Eve. I write in RH/Polyamory/Whychoose, but I am a new author, since my current series for RH is in the SECOND book I decided to use the Coursera to write a completely different novel in a different genre. It's still loosely based on romance, but mostly about loss and grief, death, and life after dead. I plan to make it humorous and ponderous and a stand-alone-novel. Looking forward to using this group to get feedback as I write it during this course. I write full time, so when I'm not working on this project I am working on my RH trilogy. I find I am more productive if I have a few projects I focus on at once and rotate which project I work on per day/week.
If anyone needs feedback let me know, I am enjoying the course so far even though the format there for setting up a community is a bit confusing i'm glad you created this place Andres. (This is my 2nd year being a writer and my 3rd novel.)
Welcome Eve! You're quite accomplished already. I like your symbol.Because you are already so accomplished try not to feel overburdened with peer reviews. You will most likely not receive useful feedback unless it is a reviewer that you maintain in communication with. Understanding that, Keep submitting your chapters through the coursework not really paying heavy attention to the peer review section.
As you build 3-5 chapters, it becomes easier (IMO) to have someone then try to go through and check them. I feel this gives a better of idea of what is happening in the story and allows your reviewers to see a larger picture of your plot. Once they are made aware of what is happening the feedback becomes very useful at this point.
Doesn't always work this way but I'm glad to have a full time Romance professional in the ranks. I hope this group becomes part of your long term community.
Thanks! Well I don't *feel* professional yet, i just applied my working career as a visual artist for novel writing. It's a surprising similar process. :) I will keep plugging away at it though because it's the most rewarding thing outside of visual art I've ever found to do. Too many people and stories in my head I've always said. Before I'd visually describe them and now I'm finding words to go with them haha. I plan on integrating it into my larger network. I'm only just now getting a group of 4 people beta reading for my triliogy first book so that one is almost ready to publish next year *once i get the second book done*, and this side story is because my brother is very accomplished at wahtever he does (we used to compete but now we colab) and having a second writer will make stories easier to write because I have someone to bounce feedback off of reliably. Of course he has no interest in the poly/rh stuff so we went a different direction.
Thanks for the compliment on my image, I'm working on setting up branding atm and that's a freebie stock image with some downloaded writing. Simple but effective.
How is your book(s) and career going for you Andres?
Thanks again for the warm welcome. :)
That's so awesome you have a brother whom you could at least communicate with and colab. I think writing for many people feels or eventually becomes isolating. To have someone supporting you from the start is a blessing for sure.Its a very clever symbol however, do you think because you write in a poly genre that your symbol should contain multiple hearts? I think something along that line could become a symbol for the genre. Just seeing it on the side of a book could draw readers towards it if they enjoy that.
I currently have two books out on the market which I have invested absolutely nothing in advertising. So the three or four books that have sold is surprising to me haha.
I have a solid career so writing is actually my hobby. I'm just very thankful that I have the ability to write simply because I love it and not because my income depends on it. I've met some fantastic writers along the way and look forward to meeting many more.
Andres wrote: "That's so awesome you have a brother whom you could at least communicate with and colab. I think writing for many people feels or eventually becomes isolating. To have someone supporting you from t..."That's wonderful about your day job. Yes it can be isolating. My brother is supportive he just doesn't believe in his own writing and currently having a crisis of identity. He's a bit younger than me hitting that 30's stride. lol.
Oh I feel the same way! I did art for a long time for the income, made that mistake and wont do that again for this time. As much as I am thinking in terms of income, i'm also not placing the same pressure on myself and instead am just writing because I love to. I keep my cards close to my chest on what I plan to go towards with income goals etc with my closest family because then they will expect me to do a certain income amount in a certain time frame, and I think that's unrealistic. I think you just have to do your very best and keep going forward and money will come and go in life, just like it always does.
That's a great idea to put my logo on the books! Yes maybe I will fill it in with a LGBTQ flag, or put the flag behind it. We will see, this was just initial mock up for profile pics so no one expected a 5'10, fit model, perfect person in their 20's?
Hi! I'm writing chapter books for very young readers (like, under 10 years old), so I'm planning to use the Coursera course as a loose guide since I'll have fewer chapters that are far shorter overall. I'm writing in realistic mystery genre and I'm going to attempt to write in a way that is accessible for young kids who struggle with social-emotional cueing and hyperliteralism. I don't know how much I'll use this group, but it seemed like one of the best options for connecting from the course!
Welcome Ny,I hope you hit your target audience! I've thought about writing for the younger audience but never felt quite comfortable with how advanced the vocabulary may be. I'm sure once your in that practice it should come easier as you continue to write but I wish you luck. Sounds like a short read, let me know if you need someone to proof read it when your done.
Hello, is this group still active?My name is Katy, I am on week 3 of the Coursera class.
Hi Katy!Welcome to the GODS. How is the course going for you so far?
I feel like week 1 and 2 were good and they were helpful. But week 3 isn't the same. There aren't any resources to help along the process its seems.
Okay so week 3 you're supposed to write your first chapter. Can you start a new topic under coursera reviews and post your pitch/logline/ dramatic question for me? We will take this to your personal thread so I can help you through the writing process.
Hi Andres and all,I started the Coursera course last week (currently in Week 3) but I find it less helpful that I had hoped (e.g. not being able to connect directly with people whose work I enjoyed). I have been writing a romance story for over a month now (a little pet project I dove into once I'd completed my 2021 100-book challenge). I've already hit the 50k word mark and I'm only halfway through the story. I was wondering if there is anyone here I could pair up with to review each other's work. I am absolutely open to criticism - in fact I welcome it way more than platitudes people send each other on Coursera.
Welcome Beata,We do see romance writers come through here but they usually pair up like you're doing yourself and then we tend to see less participation as far as the community goes.
Make yourself at home. I would continue to submit chapters with a link here so that someone interested could find you. You're welcome to create a new topic under Coursera reviews and see if you can't get a few fellow writers to join you.
If you get to 10 chapters and still can't find someone to share with let me know I'll at least give it a read for you.
Thank you, that is so kind. I will keep up with the course and we'll see what comes up.
Hello folks. I've just started the coursera course. Doing this course as a hobby. I've always loved reading novels, so I think it'd be really cool to write one. I'm working on a scifi novel, a time travel thing. Finding a good group of peers has been the hardest part of the course haha.
Welcome aboard Russell. There are approximately 2.2m books published every year and yet trying to find 5 people to remain in contact with seems more difficult than finding time to write. How's your scifi novel coming along?
Hey Russell, If I may make a suggestion about forming a group:
I started out with 5 other Coursera classmates, but none of them progressed past Week 2. So, instead I started reviewing chapters of people whose work I enjoyed, they reciprocated, and eventually I formed a group on Discord with four other writers, where we share our problems, queries, life stories etc. They're really supportive and helpful, though we write in completely different genres.
On top of that I formed several tandems with other writers, where we either exchange emails or we simply look for each other's chapters on Coursera and give honest, productive feedback. I paired up with two SF writers this way, and authors who dabble in comedic fantasy and psychological realism (stream of consciousness and the like). It's really a lot of fun to read their stories and you learn so much in the process.
My advice would be to find a group of people with different skill sets. In my close-knit writers room we have a poet, an English Lit professor, a YA writer, an SF horror enthusiast and me (I'm writing a suspense/action thriller with a romantic subplot). It's extremely varied, but this way you can improve all aspects of your story.
It is true that the attrition rate is huge on Coursera, so the group you'll be working with will crystalize somewhere around chapter 4/5.
My biggest problem right now is that all my peers are still plowing through act 1, whereas I've already completed act 2 of my novel. I need feedback on my plotlines before I move on with act 3. I guess I'll have to wait approx. 2 months for my group to catch up. :)
@ Beata, and of course you are all more than welcome as members of the GODS to use this form/site in any way that it helps you achieve your goal. If you need any help from the moderators just ask. Also, you don't have to wait to move on to act 3. If you finish your entire book, you can get feedback on a completed story rather than parts. Some plot holes might be filled in act 3 but if there is only act 2 to review, you will receive mixed criticism.
It's going to be a little longer than expected with holidays around the corner but since Tomas isn't ready for a review at the moment, I could review your current work for you if you'd like?
@ Andres, I'd love to take you up on that offer. Thank you! It would mean the world to me to have someone (especially someone who's already written and published several books) read the wole thing rather than just comment on the flow of individual chapters. Is there any way I could send it to you directly without posting it online?
@Beata thank you for all the advice. It's a great idea. I seem to have two or three active people in my group as of now haha. Trying to just keep recruiting.
@Beata, Of course, i pm'd you the info.
Hey all, my name is Alan. I joined the Coursera class last August (2021) and got going a little bit and then ended up in hospital which took me some time to recover from. I am writing historical fiction. There is no way in the world with my schedule (two jobs) that I can write even 500 words a day. Mostly I write like crazy when I get some time. My wife is on disability and a lot of my free time is spent looking after her (and I wouldn't change that for anything). I am, however, trying to organize my life a bit better to be able to write more. I hope all of you are doing well and getting stuff done! All the best. I am thankful to have found you.
Hi Alan, great to have you here. If you want to share your work, start a thread under Coursera Reviews with the title of your novel and post links to your chapters. How far along are you?
What period are you writing about?
Hi Alan, I read a Clive Cussler book once. I joined about the same time or later and had a proofread novel to hand, just needed a copy editor, wrong way round I know! Really muddled me looking at this course, great tutor from London Film School! and looked forward to many exchanges with students. None forthcoming. Trying to find out what the last quiz which carries 100 percent is about without diving into it. Does anybody have a clue how to finish this course with a passing grade? Thanks, David
Happy New Year GODS!Welcome Alan, glad to have you in our pantheon. No worries we understand, not everyone is able to write 500 words a day or even sometimes a week/month. Luckily were all here to have a community that supports us when we can write.
David, when you complete the course you don't get a passing grade you get a paper certificate that you can print out which say you took the coursera class. I don't remember taking a quiz other than feedback on what I thought about the course. Hope that helps.
Thanks Andres, coordinating the revision and expansion to 50000 words is the backbreaking work of this. All else pales beside making realistic dialogue and those dreaded table reads.David
Take your time with it. 1,500 words per chapter x 20 chapters = 30,000 words. Some might finish their novel in 16 chapters, myself, my novel took 24 chapters. The course itself is geared to be a tool for everyone wishing to write their very first novel. I would try to follow the 1500 chapter guideline, submit each chapter just to keep you on some sort of path. Don't listen to random feedback from coursera peers trying to meet their quota. Submit, submit submit. When you are done with the course you will at a minimum be completed with a rough draft of 20 chapters.
Good information!!! Thank you.Andres wrote: "Take your time with it. 1,500 words per chapter x 20 chapters = 30,000 words.
Some might finish their novel in 16 chapters, myself, my novel took 24 chapters. The course itself is geared to be a ..."
Hi Beata! Nice to meet you. I am writing about the period of the Black Plague entering Europe circa 1345-1353. I am still working on a title to the novel.Beata wrote: "Hi Alan, great to have you here.
If you want to share your work, start a thread under Coursera Reviews with the title of your novel and post links to your chapters. How far along are you?
What per..."
That sounds like a ton of research. It's is a fascinating period: How the plague made its way slowly across the continent and how some countries came up with methods of slowing down its spread through quarantine. The conflics that arose and the social upheaval it brought. Share some more once you've written your chapters.Alan wrote: "Hi Beata! Nice to meet you. I am writing about the period of the Black Plague entering Europe circa 1345-1353. I am still working on a title to the novel.
Good morning everyone! I am on week 3 of Coursera and found Andres's link in the discussions by accident while looking for a sign that people were actually forming active groups and not simply pretending. *facepalmA little about me... I am 44 next month *chokedie. Wife, mom and chicken lady. I have played with writing my whole life, but put it down in favor of motherhood. Enter present time. I want to get published. Correction - I will get published.
My writing is romantic at its core, but with a little suspense or mystery because boy meets girl/boy screws girl/boy falls in love is boring and has no point. Or maybe I'm just 40 something and need more meat on my men. Also, I need them to not be in their twenties built like Adonis. Enter current novel.
He is 50 and owns a hotel empire. She is 49 and just widowed. He is trying to undo the mess his grandfather started and she is trying to figure out who she is now. I will link my character development (warning its long and contains 2 interviews), chapter 1 outline and written chapter under the Coursera thread.
Thank you for sticking around to read my babbling. I look forward to being an active part of this group.
Marcia, don't know if the pun was intended but it was funny.My writing is romantic at its core,.. boy screws girl is boring... maybe I just need more MEAT on my men. Haha.
Welcome to the GODS! We are going on our 2nd year I believe were other groups have fallen apart in a month. There has been a lot of people to filter through but we've made a few long term members who check in casually.
We actually have a few romance writers that are active in here. I think both Beata and Evelyn are romance writers. Please make yourself comfortable. This forum is here for each member to use as a community. We wish you luck in writing and hope you drop in once and a while to banter with us.
Hi everyone! I've had this in the works for quite a few years now, so I'm hoping to finally sit down and get this done over the next few months. The concept is a little generic at the moment, but I'm hoping that it will develop its own feel/uniquenesses over the writing process. Here's the logline and dramatic question:
Following the destruction of her city and the reappearance of a figure thought long gone from her life, Kataya strikes out in search of the culprits and embroils herself with a plot larger than she realised; fighting through deadly rituals, Dwarven pirates and a kingdom of Giants.
Will Kataya uncover the culprits behind the destruction of her city and find the long-lost friend?
Feel free to give thoughts!
Welcome James! You'll find quite a bit of help in here, I'm sure. It's not as active as I had hoped, but the collection of advice and suggestions in the forums is great. Your logline and question have drawn me in and I have a ton of questions! I can't wait to see what you do with your story.
Welcome James!Your logline sounds good. What's the motivation for the character to uncover the destruction of her city? Was she a noble or a princess that fled or just a civilian who lost her family?
Welcome Lindsey! Come on in have a look around. Everyone here is super helpful, so please don't hesitate to ask questions. Andres is a wealth of knowledge and others in here have been very helpful too.If you're doing the Coursera course, we'd love to read what you have and give feedback. I look forward to getting to know you better. Happy writing!
Alan wrote: "Hi Beata! Nice to meet you. I am writing about the period of the Black Plague entering Europe circa 1345-1353. I am still working on a title to the novel.Beata wrote: "Hi Alan, great to have you ..."
Hi again,
I have finished up with the Coursera and am no longer contributing. I started the course but couldn't get it done before the end of 2021 and they want to charge me $80 to get it going again. So, I am going to put up my stuff as an independent. So, I am repeating my finished chapters in Google Docs and will get them up ASAP.
Alan
David wrote: "Hi Alan, I read a Clive Cussler book once. I joined about the same time or later and had a proofread novel to hand, just needed a copy editor, wrong way round I know! Really muddled me looking at t..."Hi David:
I seriously do not. I am now out of the class as I left the platform after my year's subscription ran out and went somewhere cheaper. What can he quiz us on anyway, his videos are like a minute or two long each?
Alan
We're here for you Alan. No need to pay when you can do it all for free on your own time line.
Andres wrote: "We're here for you Alan. No need to pay when you can do it all for free on your own time line."Thank you kind sir!
Beata wrote: "That sounds like a ton of research. It's is a fascinating period: How the plague made its way slowly across the continent and how some countries came up with methods of slowing down its spread thro..."I finally have a working title, which helps. It is "When All the Light Has Gone"; subtitle, "A Novel of the Black Plague". My logline was: "How can a skinny, lost, frightened teenager, alone in an alien land so far from home possibly return a hero.”
I have converted my first chapters into Google Docs, so I can get feedback, but I can't find the folder for Independent writers to upload them. Can you assist please?
Alan wrote: "Beata wrote: "That sounds like a ton of research. It's is a fascinating period: How the plague made its way slowly across the continent and how some countries came up with methods of slowing down i..."Hi Alan, heres the thread I think you're looking for. Can't wait to read what you have.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
Alan, I created the topic for you in case you needed help but if you want to try making it yourself just for learning purposes I'll delete mine after you do. If not, you're welcome to start using it as your own.
Andres, that is perfect thank you. I have added links to my first 3 chapters already. Thank you for your help with this. Alan
You're very welcome sir.
Hi everybody! A little bit about myself, I'm a self-taught author and I read every chance I get. There are some gaps in my knowledge, which I hope to fill with the Coursera class. You ever notice that good feedback is hard to find, but easy to give? For me, giving good feedback should be honest, supported by observable and actionable opinion (not just "I liked it"), and without malice (longer explanation on my feedback here: https://bityl.co/BHBC). When receiving feedback, as long as it's not a personal attack, I'm good with it! Glad to meet you all! Happy to be here! Thanks for having me!
Paul wrote: "Hi everybody! A little bit about myself, I'm a self-taught author and I read every chance I get. There are some gaps in my knowledge, which I hope to fill with the Coursera class. You ever notice t..."Welcome! I fully agree regarding feedback, although sometimes long intricate critiques can be just as useless. Especially if the critter isn't observing as a reader but as someone who's attempting to rewrite your novel/chapter.
I look forward to reading your work soon!
