Just curious, I started one about fifteen years ago. I stopped when other projects got in the way. Recently I pulled it out dusted it off. It's god awful. Just curious how many of you are or where in the same boat?

You may have joined up just a tad late to have seen Bob Freeman's post here: http://www.imwan.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1163

...

IMWAN's favorite Shazam! fanatic J.R. LeMar was said to have been involved in a "write a novel in November" exercise ... hopefully, we'll hear about his efforts soon.

When it comes to fiction, I can't seem to write much more than a short story.

Jim Lawless

( edited for spelling and punctuation )

I have started 3 novels; 2 science fiction and 1 sword-and-sorcery fantasy. Got about 100 pages into them and ran out of things to say. Haven't look at them in over a decade. (And doubtful I could find them now.)

I am <i>sure</i> they stank.

I'm glad that someone has been in this boat. I thought I was insane for starting one these things(Novels). I just wondered how many others there might be.
Please forgive me if this topic seems brazen. I know I'm a newbie, but I figured that all the comics readers I've ever known harbored some latent desire to write/draw and thought it might be a nice thumbnail to look at.
I myself continue to make art and write occasionally. However most of its the smart assey critical kind that involves theorists with French names that like Disney land for its latent corrosive properties.
So please keep this alive if you've written or started a novel.

I have started a horrible novel and a bad graphic novel script. I have finished a few short stories, some of which I've submitted to publishers, but no success yet.

I recently started plotting out a short story and the idea may grow big enough for a novel.

I'm always writing something, but seldom finishing anything

I'm still plodding through sequels to Cairnwood Manor, in the event that it sells well enough to warrant additional tales.

Advice to being published...come up with a list of publishers that carry the genre your write, submit to the best paying first and work your way down the list, smile with each and every rejection for there will be many...persevere.

And (in Bob's case, anyway) it never hurts to send a nice threatening picture of yourself to the publishers!

I'll have to remember that. Threatening picture, should that be a wallet sized threatening picture or 8x10 and does Sears still offer specials on those? I've lost my black leather and face paint over the years but I could probably scrape together something disturbing if not entirely threatening. Does disturbing work too?

Sorry, "disturbing" will not get you the job. Of course, "threatening" probably won't work for you either unless, like Bob, you are "400lbs of A$$ Kicking Fury!".

If you don't mind my asking, do you use ( or have you used in the past ) a literary agent?

Jim Lawless

Jim Wrote: When it comes to fiction, I can't seem to write much more than a short story.

Have you ever published any of your short fictions?? Or submitted them for publication??

Yes. I had a one-page prose story published in the comic book Dr. Wonder, issue #5, Old Town Publishing, 1997.

David Alikas and Dick Ayers did most of the illustrated stories in the mag, paying homage to early silver-age stories. They solicited stories for a one-page prose section akin to similar one-pagers/two-pagers that were printed in comics in the sixties.

Sweetest fifteen bucks I ever made.

You can read the story here http://www.radiks.net/~jimbo/drwon.htm ... re-reading it, the story seems very amateurish ... but I guess I have to get all the bad stories out of me before I can write any good ones.

Jim Lawless

The first Comic con I went to was in Ypsilanti, MI years ago. Anyway I got to meet Robert Asprin, who was still writing his Myth series at the time. I can't remember what comic luminary he was talking to over coffee, but I barged into his quiet chat with gushing ignorance and enthusiasm. He was very polite about the whole thing deftly answering questions then shooing me off. This story really is going no where other than, hey you've published. Thats awesome. Maybe some day if I brush my teethe and say my prayers I'll be there too.

Always a fan never a fan favorite

Y'know, I think I still have <I>Myth, Inc. Link</I> around here somewhere and I've not made it past the first chapter.



It's like the lottery, Diego; you can't win if you don't play ... only you can't lose either ( except for whatever it costs you to submit your manuscript). For a long time, I had taped to a cabinet above my computer a reject-letter that I had received for the first tech piece I pitched.

I came close to pitching a story for the Destroyer series of novels, but I just procrastinated too long and eventually lost the sample chapter I wrote. I wish I'd done it. I may try again.

You might want to try and finish up that novel and start pitching it. What's the worst that could happen? You'd get rich and famous and forget all of us?

BTW ... Stephen King's memoir <I>On Writing</I> details his early days as an up-and-coming writer progressing to the time he made his hit with <I>Carrie</I>. I'm a sucker for rags-to-riches stories ... his was particularly inspiring. He was just an average working-class stiff who dabbled in writing until <I>Carrie</I> went paperback.

Jim Lawless

quote]
What's the worst that could happen? You'd get rich and famous and forget all of us?
[/quote]
Encouraging words, thank you. My pile of dot matrixed dreck thanks you and I thank you. I should also say that it would be a terrible waste of my time to finish this if the end result is to forget, afterall I've just begun to know you. Perhaps tomorrow I'll think more on this??[

This has to be the cutest thread ever!

I have started about four, I suppose. The first couple, I ended up just shortening into stories, they were 1920s mysteries, set in California, while the area was still quaint and wonderful.
The next one was likely my best effort, being broken down, plotted and outlined for a full story, maybe a trilogy! (Fantasy, like Dragonlance, I suppose). I wrote a few chunks of it, but was bored by it, and figured others would feel the same way and abandoned that baby.
The other one is broken down, and segmented, and actually quite good (I think). I always wanted to do it in comic book form, and even had a set of layouts that i might still have all ready. Mebbe someday I'll let IMWANners in, or just go and finish the damn thing.

Have you ever submitted anything to Ellery Queen Mysteries or similar mystery-fiction mags Darren?

Jim Lawless

How would you compare the two processes? I mean writing for a book or a graphic novel? Is one more daunting than the other? Or over all is the experience just different? I've never tried writing for a graphic medium so I'm curious.

Mm. Well, having only incomplete success at finishing either...I'd say the novel work was easier, but some themes lent themselves to visualization, thus I leaned toward the GN with the last project. The mysteries (imho) would make fairly boring comics, or comics for lazy people, I guess.

And, Jim: nope! The work was strictly for my own pursuit, I guess. When I lived in California, there were wonderific aspects to the area that people never got to see, and I just wanted to capture some of that flavour while it still existed. To elaborate, the association with Mexico, and some of the open space of the region before, say, the 1950s. In a hunnerd years, my two little stories will be legendary.

Hell, given that both have honorable mention on the cutest thread ever, they already are legendary. You are the Robert Plant of this thread. So rock on like Celine Dion!! Oop's think I skipped a metaphor in favor of a rhyme, sorry>

I loved <i>On Writing</i>! About half way though he has the car accident. It's part advice and part biography. Very good book.

One (fantasy) graphic novel script, subsequently turned into a (not very good) novel.

Several novels started, at least one (sci-fi) with realistic prospects of being completed.

One short adventure fantasy novel for young people.

A moderate number of short stories of varying lengths, mostly with a fantasyhorror leaning.

11 plays (a wide variety, leaning towards comedy).

Nothing published, but two of the plays and a traditional (UK) pantomime with original songs all performed.