|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 14:26:11 GMT
Hi, I'm Kris. I'm a writer.
(Crowd: Hi Kris)
I started writing novels last year. My first was a NaNoWriMo project. It had some cool ideas, but it was an awful book. It only took me seventeen days to write, so I wasn't expecting it to win any awards or anything. It was an salvageable mess. I'll probably jack bits of it for other projects in the future.
I started my second book right after that one was done, and I took my time with it. My first draft was finished in January, my second draft in March. I'm working on revision and edits now. Then it's time to start sending stuff out. I've never put a book out for publication before so I'm both excited and terrified.
|
|
|
Post by Amber Skye Forbes on Apr 3, 2014 14:40:44 GMT
If you have any questions about the publication process, feel to ask me and post a thread in the relevant board, too. I'm sure some of us can definitely help you out, because trying to find an agent or publisher can be a taxing process. But welcome!
|
|
|
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 3, 2014 14:41:54 GMT
Hi there, Kris I totally understand! I did NaNo the first time in 2012...my novel was also beyond hope...so was my second one. haha. Third time's the charm I hope. Good luck with your edits! Amber is a fountain of publishing information, so if you have any questions, you really are in the right place.
|
|
aimeili
New Member
Do I have to recycle the words of the prompt before you understand the subtlety of its inclusion??
Posts: 10
|
Post by aimeili on Apr 3, 2014 15:01:46 GMT
Hi there! Your story sounds kind of similar to mine (although I took the full month plus plus to finish my first terrible draft, haha). What's your story about?
|
|
|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 15:42:53 GMT
The first novel was a fantasy book about a girl trying to learn about her mother's mysterious past. Lyra's mom use to spin tall tales about adventures and derring do, but everyone assumed they were fiction. When a crew of adventurers and sky pirates show up out of the blue needing a favor, Lyra decides she's going to find the truth for herself. She travels to the Extreme Library, a collection of ever book ever imagined - even the ones that were never written - to scale the bottomless bookshelves and find her mother's biography.
The book that doesn't suck is a star-crossed love story set in a Canada that's been invaded by the United States. Justin is a jaded and reclusive young man who struggles with the balance of wanting to be left alone and feeling lonely. He's been doing his best to ignore the war, to continue having a normal life despite the war's inconveniences. When the new girl at work, Olivia, invites him out for coffee, he reluctantly agrees and the two start the awkward process of dating. She's an American design student at the local college who sees Canada as her home, and she needs someone in her life that will appreciate her regardless of where she's from. At the same time, Justin's estranged brother, a political idealist and insurgent freedom fighter, shows up on Justin's doorstep and brings the war with him.
I've got some editing to do and a couple of minor scenes to transplant from my first draft that didn't make it into the rewrite, and it'll be good to go.
|
|
|
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 3, 2014 15:46:54 GMT
OOOH! That sounds SUPER interesting!!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 15:50:20 GMT
Well that's certainly better than "That book sounds awful." ^_^ Thank you.
|
|
|
Post by Amber Skye Forbes on Apr 3, 2014 15:54:02 GMT
Well that's certainly better than "That book sounds awful." ^_^ Thank you. No comments like that are allowed on my forum. Something may sound awful at first, but you never know what you can turn that idea into, and it is unfair to judge such an idea upfront. The only time the idea needs judging is when you want to start seeking feedback for it. Even then, you want to make sure your beta reader or critique partner tries to help you develop that idea instead of destroying it entirely.
|
|
|
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 3, 2014 15:57:07 GMT
I don't know where you're from, or where exactly in Canada your novel is set, but if you need a hand with anything, I'm a BC girl, born and raised.
|
|
|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 15:57:56 GMT
That's probably for the best. I've never met a writer with an ego tougher than a Faberge Egg. We tend to be a fragile bunch. ^_^
|
|
|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 16:00:43 GMT
I live in Edmonton! It's a terrible place! The wife and I are looking to move out to Victoria basically as soon as feasible. We have a one-year-old boy right now, and I really don't want him growing up in a place where Oil and Money are the most important things in life. And if by some strange miracle my book sells for more than fifty bucks and a pat on the back, we're looking at maybe moving to Europe for a year or two.
|
|
|
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 3, 2014 16:03:06 GMT
One day I'm going to quit life and move to Italy. I envy your Europe plans. Send me post cards.
I've sadly never been to Victoria, but I hear it's beautiful.
Edmonton is scary big. I was there once, briefly. Long story.
|
|
|
Post by Kristoffer Hansen on Apr 3, 2014 16:19:51 GMT
Well, once you get all of your books published for millions of dollars, we can all start a wicked-awesome writer's crew in Paris or something.
I've never actually been there either, but the wife likes it. She's from the island, the Comox/Courtney area, but we want Thor to grow up in cities when possible. I really liked Nanaimo, but she can't stand the place. I guess Victoria is kind of a midway point between Nanaimo and Vancouver.
Edmonton... Well, to steal a description from my book, I like to personify cities. Vancouver is like a too-cool-for-you hipster chick. She's got a wicked sense of style and some dark secrets in her past. She'd be willing to stab you in the back to get what she wants, but everyone likes her anyway because she's so pretty and sophisticated.
Edmonton is like an overbearing friend. He's big and sort of intimidating at first, but as he gets to know you, he takes. care. of. you. He's the sort of guy you meet on the street in passing and he's like "You got everything you need? You're set up? You look like you could use a job and a place to stay, and I've got some hook-ups. We'll arrange something." And he's a little annoying about it, he gets up in your biz and you just sort of want him to leave you alone. He's too nice to tell him to fuck off entirely, but you don't want to stick around any longer than you need to for the sake of politeness. And he's ugly, which doesn't help. His skyline looks like a row of broken giant's teeth. The developers weren't really sure where to put any given building, so skyscrapers sometimes pop up out of nowhere, lonely on the horizon.
|
|
|
Post by Mariah E. on Apr 3, 2014 16:40:26 GMT
If the world was going to get an enema, Nanaimo is where the hose would go. LOL. Sorry. hahaha Vancouver is stupid expensive anyway. Love your description of Edmonton. I'm from Quesnel. It's a good place.
|
|
thatemmachick
New Member
You can't spell "Chemistry" without "I cry."
Posts: 13
|
Post by thatemmachick on Apr 3, 2014 22:13:43 GMT
Oh my gosh, Kris! (First of all, hi.) Second: I think I'm in love with the way you describe cities. It's so pretty.
|
|