What are you writing about now?

Oh my goodness, what a session that was... i'm exhausted.
I hate to keep showing up here babbling away, but maybe it'll be encouragement, as yours all are for me.

Real good progress made on some stanzas of Lore of the Ents.

But suddenly Elessar showed up at Pippin's door to have a chat, and I was priveleged to overhear.
I didn't understand at first, but as I wrote it down, it turned out to be the entire Introduction to the work PEREGRIN TOOK: My Road - a work I'm not entirely even certain I intend to finish yet.

It was difficult because they were discussing Merry's passing, its impact on Pippin, and what he intended to do now...(i confess, I shed a tear or two)... but it's everything needed to set up all that will happen as Pippin goes forward.

I've got to take a break....

from the peanut gallery: Progress, anyone? Encouragements?

My mind races with both possibilities and needs, time being the greatest of course. A large map to hang on the cave wall being the next.
Only slow progress the last couple days... a word or two here and there as I work to reach the next devoted time for writing with purpose.

Well-aged Ent said:

Progress, anyone?

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I've been so busy these past few days, and I intended to write this afternoon but work got busy, and now I'm utterly distracted with my new laptop! But maybe this evening I can still do some writing. (Maybe you all on this thread can help me stay motivated to not completely waste my entire evening playing Minecraft...)

Maedhros_Nelyafinwë said:

to not completely waste my entire evening playing Minecraft...)

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OK enough Minecraft. Do something else now!!! Or not. If you’re not fresh Minecraft’s a better place to squander time than trying to write or do something else needing focus..! (Insert grin here.)

Well-aged Ent said:

OK enough Minecraft. Do something else now!!! Or not. If you’re not fresh Minecraft’s a better place to squander time than trying to write or do something else needing focus..! (Insert grin here.)

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Yeah, it might be too late in the day for me to actually get any writing done! But regardless, I should take a break from Minecraft lol, and I'll definitely try again to write tomorrow.

@Well-aged Ent , I took a few minutes and wrote 200 words! Not much, but better than nothing.

Ah, the power of pondering.
This morning was 'editing time' for the book an author has entrusted into my twigs for some work. A bit of a mental block I've been having, the chapter I'm working on needing some assistance for clarity's sake, and being long and so a bit daunting.

At first it seemed it would be difficult, requiring some restructuring and retooling.
But after some days of pondering, rereading, etc. the solution presented itself...and as usual, is much simpler than the 'struggle' the brain was seeing.
(Eliminating one's brain is often an asset to consider..!)

We can move on apace now (though not hastily), complete the work and prepare for the next chapter's excitement.

Stuck we were, but now we are free.

Well-aged Ent said:

Stuck we were, but now we are free.

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Yay, good for you for getting past your stuck spot! That's always a good feeling.

I have some unexpected down time at work, so I can do some writing! I don't have Earl Grey with me, but I do have Lemon Lift, so that should suffice.

I had a very productive couple of hours! I jumped back and forth a lot between writing new material, editing for continuity, rereading, and adding material to the document I use to keep track of what's canon and what's not. In total I wrote about 1,000 words. Perhaps most importantly, this writing session today helped me get excited about the book again and rekindle my imagination for it.

Well. No new news from writers since Saturday, I see. And that's OK.... there's a reason the thread is titled '...Writing Projects...".
Projects take time. Editing projects do too.
As I work on this book, I've come to a spot where some significant reading and review is needed.

Must shore up my understanding of the similarties, differences, extents, limitations, and applications of Melkor/Morgoth's power(s) as compared with and opponsed to Sauron's, to confirm what's being said in the author's work. HoME Vol. 10 Morgoth's Ring has a good deal to say along those lines. Always quite illuminating and thought provoking.

And a good editor takes time to try to help the Author doesn't mis-state, over-state, or under-state, in the course of the work. It's why, for me, editing is so valuable. It both helps the one whose work is being reviewed, and presents a tremendous learning tool into the bargain.

Anyway, best of everything to you writers on your prjects as you progress. Keep up the work, keep up the creativity, create the time, and most of all, keep the faith. In the end, we'll 'get there..!'

Good day everyone!
I just started working on my very first writing project... it's a Silmarillion fanfiction and I'm just working on the characters personalities and my OC's so I have yet to even set the plot and think about the opening
I'm planning to stick to canon as much as I can but we will see what will happen in the future!
What are you up to?!

Aredhel Ar-Feiniel said:

I just started working on my very first writing project

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YAY...!! Wonderful. I will lay odds (though ents don't really 'bet') as you do your prep, character development, etc. they'll start talking to you, and parts of the story will start to be revealed to you, and nearly write themselves.

They may not be 'the beginning'... or even understood with regard to 'where they fit' yet.... but don't hesitate to jot them down..!

Aredhel Ar-Feiniel said:

What are you up to?!

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Not much new here. Several hours of editing time over the 'long weekend', and some suggestions on a piece of artwork being done for the book.

No time on 'my stuff'... primary focus is to get this author's book ready to go, and just keep jotting notes on 'my stuff' as I go along and the characters visit me with news.

(Except Arrival Of the Ents (another slight name change)... I really want to fit that in during editing, and get it done still. Have both these projects out of the way at the same time, so I can move on to 'the others'.)

Aredhel Ar-Feiniel said:

Good day everyone!
I just started working on my very first writing project... it's a Silmarillion fanfiction and I'm just working on the characters personalities and my OC's so I have yet to even set the plot and think about the opening
I'm planning to stick to canon as much as I can but we will see what will happen in the future!
What are you up to?!

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I'm excited to see what you write! I love how you write Aredhel, so I'm sure you'll do a good job!

I haven't written much lately. I've been focusing these past few days on the much more time-sensitive sewing project that I'm trying to finish before this comic con in August.

Maedhros_Nelyafinwë said:

I'm excited to see what you write! I love how you write Aredhel, so I'm sure you'll do a good job!

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Thanks!
Unfortunately it doesn't really focus on the Noldor,they are obviously there but it's more Sindar centric,so the only major Noldo character is Galadriel and she is not gonna be there any time soon, otherwise I would have loved to add a little Aredhel there too!
But there are going to be lots of Lúthien and Melian!
I'll probably post it here first when I got around it and found out what I'm gonna do with it, depending on the feedbacks perhaps I'll try other sites too!

Several ongoing projects:
1: A sequel to my original novel A Superior State of Affairs (near future action adventure with nerdy science and time travel)
2. A graphic children's book adaptation of my song-poem OTTERHEAD
3. A new project, basically in the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs, as a lone reader of the far future deciphering a found journal dated 2043, and detailing the events and timeline surrounding when "IT" happened. "IT" being what everyone calls the global catastrophe that begins with the Russian Invasion of Ukraine February 24 of 2022, and slowly escalates all the way up to and including thermonuclear war and massive climatic change and sea-level rise.

Sounds interesting @Will Whitfoot!
Especially the third one, I will have to add it my to read list!

Will Whitfoot said:

novel A Superior State of Affairs

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Will Whitfoot said:

my song-poem OTTERHEAD

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Very nifty. I must look into these...

Hello everyone!
I'm almost done with my OC's and I want to start writing the opening
Does anyone have suggestions on how to do it... I don't really want it to be grand
Prefer a casual one

Aredhel Ar-Feiniel said:

I want to start writing the opening

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So this relates to your fanfic/time travel book referred to back on page 1 or 2 of the comments, yes?
And by 'opening' are you referring to the "introduction" to the book, or to the 1st chapter? (There are some writers and writing teachers who feel this is the 'same thing'. Personally, I do not.)

If you refer to the "introduction", here's a helpful hint from one place. (Edited by the Ent slightly removing irrelevant content.)
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THE INTRODUCTION:
"The thing people want to know about a book is not so much the price—it’s the commitment of time. People don’t care about $10. They care about spending their time on something interesting and engaging to them.

That is the job of the introduction: prove to the reader this book is worth reading. A well done introduction grabs the reader, and compels them to keep reading. It draws them in and makes them excited to start the content, because the introduction has answered the most important question the reader has:

'Why should I read this book?'"
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My suggestion: Read over a few introductions to other books. Books of the same genre, and those of other genres as well.
See what 'grabs you' and why... incorporate into your thinking on the introduction those reasons.

It's difficult to help with the 'how' without knowing the content/general concepts/direction of your story, as often the Introduction sets the stage for all that is to come.

If you should wish, I could send you the Introduction to Peregrin Took: My Road recently come to me for that work, whenever I finally get around to writing the rest of it.
it's a bit of an unusual introduction - a little different style than most - yet I think it fits the intent and need of an introduction, and can't find a better way into the nature and content of this work...at least not yet.

these are the best suggestions I've got for you at present I fear...


Odd note: When I read this phrase in the above description of the 'introduction', I realized it's the expanded meaning of the word 'worthwhile'.
,,, 'They care about spending their time on something interesting and engaging to them.'

The read must be 'worth' their 'while'. A classic case where expanding the meaning of a 'simple' word works wonders for 'depth of grasp.'
How much greater the impact of the 'they care....' sentence than just saying 'the book must be worthwile.'