Monday, November 24, 2008

Post Mortem: Death of a Barbarian

I got about 60 pages into my nanowrimo entry before giving up.

There were several factors. Not getting the pages up and formatted, for example. If I had them up and someone had read them, I probably would've gone on in spite of it all. But nobody read even the opening page. Boo-hoo.

No, no, you all have lives, more or less. And it's okay. The main problem is that it wasn't very good. I could easily finish the book even now. But it's unpleasant to do bad work. I think I will put up some other writings later, however. Maybe, if I can get my chops up by next nanowrimo, I'll take another swing at Taylon.

The actual writing was enjoyable. Which probably means I was doing it wrong.

8 comments:

  1. Well, I just checked out what you were talking about. What a great idea! I wish I'd known about this...I hate my own writing, but I still would have attempted it.

    Where is your novel?

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  2. I only put up the first page. When nobody read it, I figured...Meh. Here.

    I don't like it. That's a killer. It's hard to go back and fix stuff when you hate it all.

    I'm going to put up some shorter stuff I think later on.

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  3. I liked it.

    When I write, I waste too much time trying to give background, and it just doesn't flow. But you gave just enough detail to tantalize, I think.

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  4. Sometimes I think I don't give enough detail...Sometimes too much. Mostly I think I'm too spare on the quality but then if I go the other way the prose starts getting too purple. Etc.

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  5. I read it, wasn't that recorded on your site?

    Writing in that style is not as easy as it is cracked up to be. A real pulp writer who wrote great stuff like Robert Howard or John Norman are people with a lot of talent who decide to write in that genre. That's not to say you don't have a lot of talent, but I think it tends in a much more modern post ironic way while the novel you were attempting requires belief in the conventions not a tongue in check bow to it. Someone like Raymond Fiest or SM Stirling or Harry Turtledove writes in a more sedate version of this style, as there are very very few writers who could pull off a full blown saga in the style you were attempting to use.

    Great effort though.

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  6. I think the problem was you were describing action rather than just plunging in. You were Robert Altman instead of John Ford. You wouldn't be corny if you weren't afraid to be corny if you know what I mean. Less is more in the action genre. Don't describe, just do.

    That's easy for me to say I have always wanted to write but have never had the time. Although the rise of alternative historical fiction has given me so many ideas that I think my head would explode.

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  7. Sorry I haven't commented more but I have been working towards my big Black Friday Sale. It takes a lot to run a little shop.

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Grab an umbrella. Unleash hell. Your mileage may vary. Results not typical. If swelling continues past four hours, consult a physician.