On Writing...

FischerKing · April 5th, 2003, 04:54 PM

Any writers here? I know that there are a handful of you out there.

When I was younger (geesh - I'm only 33 now) I wrote a ton - all the time, non-stop. Now days - not a stroke. I have enough poetry and 1-page stories to kill a forest.

My wife is currently working on her first novel - which I've yet to read. But I've been wanting to keep it that way. I want to wait and read the first draft when that's complete so that I'm not giving advice and throwing her off track during the creative process - she needs to the room to develop her own story.

Anyway, I've got a few ideas that have been sloshing around the gray matter for the last several years - short stories really - and I've been a bit apprehensive to start putting "pen to paper" as it were. Hopefully I'll get up the courage to start doing that soon - sometimes people have a story to tell that's worth telling. I don't mean that to sound arrogant - but when I was an active, performing musician, I felt the same way about my songs. I was fortunate enough that the people who listened to them liked them enough to purchase them.

I will say I don't see writing - for me personally - as a way to make money - just another creative outlet that I haven't exercised in far too long now.

Man - such rambling - I'll shut up now. Are any of you actively writing? Doesn't matter what - it could be anything, screenplays, poetry, short stories, novels or novellas?

Just curious to see what other things you might do besides just sports 24/7. Ah, who am I kidding - is there anything other than sports 24/7? I don't think so...

Shawn

Chaplin · April 5th, 2003, 06:37 PM

I've done writing of all kinds -- one of my college minors was Creative Writing. Screenplays, novels, short stories. Mostly, its a bunch of bits and pieces on my hard drive. I haven't written a lot for a while because I've had sort of a writer's block--no ideas and no desire to write them. And that bothers me more than the "not writing" part.

Writers Block is a very true affliction, unfortunately, and I suffer from it 100%.

Just FYI, I've completed several short stories, about 3 screenplays and about half of a novel (of which I probably will not revisit).

SirStefan32 · April 6th, 2003, 01:35 PM

I write short stories, but I have not tried to get them published yet. I have also started working on a book about the whole evolution theory. I am still doing research, haven't acctually written anything other than a simple outline and a short introduction.

Stefan

Yuma · April 6th, 2003, 01:52 PM

I have had an idea on writing a book about short bar type stories. Everyone says I have a million bizarre stories, but I only think they may be midly amusing at best. Have been thinking it may be fun to make a rambling Forrest Gump type of book with a character witnessing and being involved in them. Not sure it would be worth the effort commercially or entertainment-wise since all my friends and family, who would be the only ones to get the book I think, have already heard them.

mdamien13 · April 7th, 2003, 09:40 AM

I'm a fairly active writer. When I was younger I was strictly a short story and poetry scribe but now I'm almost exclusively a screenwriter. I've completed eight screenplays and I'm working on bringing one to the big (or television) screen right now.

This topic made me think of Stephen King's memoirs, "On Writing". Anybody who dabbles in writing should check this out. It has a lot of helpful advice (especially if you're afflicted with writer's block) and quite a few amusing anecdotes.

FischerKing · April 7th, 2003, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mdamien13
I'm a fairly active writer. When I was younger I was strictly a short story and poetry scribe but now I'm almost exclusively a screenwriter. I've completed eight screenplays and I'm working on bringing one to the big (or television) screen right now.

This topic made me think of Stephen King's memoirs, "On Writing". Anybody who dabbles in writing should check this out. It has a lot of helpful advice (especially if you're afflicted with writer's block) and quite a few amusing anecdotes.

My wife uses that book - it's helped her quite a bit actually. I haven't "read" it but I've thumbed through it a few times.

Shawn

AZCB34 · April 7th, 2003, 12:52 PM

Shawn it has always been my desire to write but I have never really say down and tried it out. In fact, the reason I chose English as my minor was to hopefully help me to be in a position to write...although my desire has always been historical books since my major was history. Still though, there is a fiction story in my head just need to find the time and drive to get it to paper.

jf-08 · April 14th, 2003, 06:09 AM

I am actually a published poet and have about 9 chapters of a fantasy/medieval type of story done. Unfortunately, my MS Word got corrupted and I think I lost it all.

Does anyone here know how to fix tainted MS Wod Docs. I I can e-mail someone my file hopefully someone can fix, and be the first to read it!

I haven't worked on the story for several years now and am looking forward to get back into it. Time just seems to be so unavailable to write. I do love to sit down with pen and jut write things.

maddogkf · February 24th, 2004, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jkf296
I am actually a published poet and have about 9 chapters of a fantasy/medieval type of story done. Unfortunately, my MS Word got corrupted and I think I lost it all.

Does anyone here know how to fix tainted MS Wod Docs. I I can e-mail someone my file hopefully someone can fix, and be the first to read it!

I haven't worked on the story for several years now and am looking forward to get back into it. Time just seems to be so unavailable to write. I do love to sit down with pen and jut write things.

Any luck with the MS Word?

jf-08 · February 24th, 2004, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by maddogkf
Any luck with the MS Word?

no. I think I can bring up the file in Notepad

and retype everything into Word. The notepad doc can't be used to copy out of.

What a disgrace.

DjaugheOld · February 24th, 2004, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jkf296
no. I think I can bring up the file in Notepad and retype everything into Word. The notepad doc can't be used to copy out of.

What a disgrace.

Can't you "cut & paste" from notepad to word?

Chaplin · February 24th, 2004, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Djaughe
Can't you "cut & paste" from notepad to word?

Or try Wordpad, which is more reliable than notepad.

DjaugheOld · February 24th, 2004, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FischerKing
...I will say I don't see writing - for me personally - as a way to make money - just another creative outlet that I haven't exercised in far too long now....
Shawn

I agree with you! Like JKF296 I've been dying to work on my stories that I've been working on forever! I've been a little derailed with my two whippersnappers!

Mike Olbinski · February 24th, 2004, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chaplin
Or try Wordpad, which is more reliable than notepad.

Not to be ticky-tack, but Wordpad is no more reliable than Notepad, it just has more features, like Word.

Notepad is about as reliable as you can get...

Mike

Chaplin · February 24th, 2004, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chandler Mike
Not to be ticky-tack, but Wordpad is no more reliable than Notepad, it just has more features, like Word.

Notepad is about as reliable as you can get...

Mike

Notepad has no margin setups, and will print badly.

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