My Solo Works (A poem at Message 12 on 05-09-2008)

[Big Rick Cook]

As many of you know, aside from the Creative Writing Story 3, I've finished a novel I called Something More, about thirty pages of which I'd posted here before. I submitted query letters to five agents back in November, and got rejections/ignorances around the board, and as such I became especially worried about posting it here, excusing the lack of it here on not wanting it to get stolen in some way. In truth, I'm less scared of it being stolen than I am of you guys hating it. Most of the time I don't give one **** what you guys think of me, but I care what EVERYONE thinks of my writing, and those of you that would deign to read my work can be supremely critical. Which I love. But I'm also terrified of it.

In lieu of finishing the CWS3, I decided it was time to post the rest of Something More, which I've just submitted to five more agents today. I'm gonna start a new topic instead of necro-ing the old one, and post the whole thing in chapters. Unfortunately, I have to reformat it for the ezcodes, so it'll be a few days, but I WILL post it here within the next week or so. While I welcome any comments in the story topic, I won't mind if you use this topic as well to talk about it, or just to tell me it's a 150-page wall of text and no-****ing-way are you gonna read it. I don't mind.

However, I'm gonna use this topic to post other stories I'm working on, such as the novelization to His Mistake, the epic poem I posted a while back, and as I finish that, perhaps I'll start posting other story ideas and such in here.

Mostly, I want to revive the non-poetry writing aspect of this forum, because aside from the CWS3, it's been pretty scant for months and months. I encourage everyone who has stories in the works to make topics about them, to work on them, or to actively participate in the threads of other stories. I'll try to post my thoughts and critiques on everything posted, as I know how frustrating it is when you post something and it gets ignored altogether, which NEVER happens with art.

Next couple days should see something by me in this or another topic. Until then, uh... how about people tell me what they're working on so I can bother you about specific projects until you make a post about them? =D

[Chad]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

Man, five companies and your worried about your writing? From every piece of writing advice I'd ever gotten from any of my teachers, there is one thing that everyone agreed upon. Rejection is commonplace. For an unpublished writer to submit an entire, completed, (was it 400 something page?) manuscript and get it read and published is rather uncommon.

Most of the advice I've gotten is that you want to have lots of ideas and submit them especially before they are fully written. Sometimes the title alone sells the book. For example, I was actually reading this today. He mentions almost everything I just said in the three parts of this little series of articles.


As for things that I'm personally working on, I don't know. I'm wrapping up the second of three design documents. I'm going to make me a video game. Details in about 6 months. I also maintain a blog as linked below. I want to rip all of the content out in for a moment and try a reformatting, maybe kick some life into the place. It's currently only in the low 30s and 40s as far as hits per day go. I also want to start something funny. I've been writing for a collaborative effort (which has also been linked in my profile for a while as the more astute may have noticed). My friend likes to tease me when it comes to art, though. Besides that, I always have book ideas on the back burner and lots of hardly written, poorly formatted books in document form.

Basically, I'm doing too much and not accomplishing anything, so I bet you're better off! You'll be published and blingin' in no time.

[hitogoroshi]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

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Mostly, I want to revive the non-poetry writing aspect of this forum, because aside from the CWS3, it's been pretty scant for months and months. I encourage everyone who has stories in the works to make topics about them, to work on them, or to actively participate in the threads of other stories. I'll try to post my thoughts and critiques on everything posted, as I know how frustrating it is when you post something and it gets ignored altogether, which NEVER happens with art.

I've really been getting back into writing recently, and it's honestly left me a bit scared to post here with anything other than a gleaming, final product. But I suppose it must be even harder for you. I'll post some of my stuff right now.
I'll use JPGbook to put your writing on my PSP, thats a lot easier on my eyes then walls of text here.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I'm especially leery of blogs, there, Postulate. I maintain a bit of a blog on MySpace, but for the most part blogging is something I just don't know enough about to really get into. Just seems like a soapbox. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And I wish people would post some of their story ideas or false starts, because at the very least, everyone ignores it and nothing is lost or gained except a tiny fragment of your sanity. And let's be honest, none of us have much of that left anyway. The best case scenario is that you get some good feedback and get motivated to work on it again, or you decide that it isn't worth your time and you can ignore it and stop commiserating with yourself about just one of those stories that you think you might write one day.

I'm totally unforgiving about writing, huh? No wonder nobody posts anything anymore.

[John Mora]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I've posted bits in the past.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

WHERE AARRRE THEY? I read your entire Demon Hunter premise and loved it. What happened to THAT?

[Chad]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I'm especially leery of blogs, there, Postulate. I maintain a bit of a blog on MySpace, but for the most part blogging is something I just don't know enough about to really get into. Just seems like a soapbox. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And I wish people would post some of their story ideas or false starts, because at the very least, everyone ignores it and nothing is lost or gained except a tiny fragment of your sanity. And let's be honest, none of us have much of that left anyway. The best case scenario is that you get some good feedback and get motivated to work on it again, or you decide that it isn't worth your time and you can ignore it and stop commiserating with yourself about just one of those stories that you think you might write one day.

I'm totally unforgiving about writing, huh? No wonder nobody posts anything anymore.

I just linked the blog because it contained my sentiments, but you're right. All the blog is a damn soapbox usually. Though, when an author of several books or someone from a successful band or a film director with several awesome titles (you get the idea) it's like little pieces of candied knowledge.


And I've posted a few of my false starts. Maybe I'll make a topic for one of them just for you.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I don't want people to feel compelled to post things, like I'm some Nazi demanding your writing. I want people to see the forum, and want to post things because there are people here who will give time to it, who won't just ignore it.

As a site dedicated to making RPGs, where writing is an important factor, I'm amazed that people aren't more into writing, or at least posting their writing. It's a major downer.

[John Mora]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

WHERE AARRRE THEY? I read your entire Demon Hunter premise and loved it. What happened to THAT?

It's waiting for a $300 million development deal.

[Goyle]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I posted a topic a while back with a bit of written material, but no one responded and it just kinda died off.

I have a tendancy to write something and then just...stop for a month or two. I'd honestly like to be a professional author, but I'm not sure I can muster the resolve for it yet (not to mention the lack of various support that being self-employed entails).

Still, maybe I'll post a new topic with some of the stuff I've got. I finished a story that I want to try and get published recently, so maybe I'll post that or something.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

POST POST YAY

I posted the first chapter of Something More in that other topic by me.

I'm thinking I'll post a bit of the other stories I'm working on every once in a while, but until Something More is here in full, I'll just kind of dabble with this topic.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: Some Updates on my Solo Works

I wrote a poem yesterday in about two hours after extensive viewing of this website called:

The Life of American Vagabonds (content warning: there'll be at least one eviscerated rat at the bottom, but the rest are safe and not disgusting).

Aside from a select few of these pictures on the site, it presents a very romantic view of vagabonds and vagrants that makes me just want to drop all my **** and go ride the rails. I know the truth of it is that I would hate it, but the romanticized picture of vagrant life depicted here is intoxicating to me. So I wrote a poem about it. I hope you enjoy it.


An American Vagabond

Do you wanna ride these rails?
Then take a trip with me
Where rest is sought on stones and twigs,
Or hollow-bellied ironauts.
And every time you open eyes, behold a different sight.
At golden dawn and lilac dusk,
You wake at whimsy of the rails
And see a strange new guise.
We'll kick up dust on ill-used paths and
Spend our eves at mercy of the stars.
We'll be scavengers and thieves of royal cause and rank.
The nobility of kinship is ours alone to claim.
This wind whips through my hair per hour ninety miles,
And by my cheeky grin we win our meals for one more day.
Gas-station stops and rub-a-dub streams,
Come and ride the rails with us,
Who knows just what we'll see?
Trapped in a box night after night
Suits not our nomadding souls,
So we will always ride these rails,
Until we turn to dust.