I'm Considering Doing an FTR Workshop of My Novel

[surviva316]

As per this thread, there may be some interest in FTR members workshopping my novel, and I would certainly love to do that. It's geared toward those who are plugged into internet culture and those who may not otherwise have interest in reading a novel, so it would be perfect for me to get at least some feedback from people who aren't writers/lit majors/etc (which has been the brunt of my feedback).

This is just to kinda gauge interest, and then if there are multiple people who are legit interested, then I'll start a Blog and Ops thread for it. There are 5 Parts and an Epilogue, so I will likely do it 2 parts at a time (~60-80 pages at a time), but I'm open to other suggestions.

[rong]

I'd be very interested to read it. I've tried writing a few times. A novel once (comedy thriller), writing a joint travel diary from my teen traveling days with my traveling buddy (post event a it was extremely eventful) and a couple of short stories. It's hard to do and I gabe up/got too distracted each time so I'd be interested in seeing how someone else goes about it. Not sure I'd be much help though.

[BennyLaRue]

Offensive to Gabe, imo.

[wufwugy]

What does workshopping consist of? I'm not sure what sort of help I am for these sorts of things because my thoughts tend to dominate. Tried starting a novel with a friend, but she backed out after she felt like the ideas were all mine.

That's cool that you got all the text down. I haven't started mine yet, but do have a lot of plot and characters down. That's not the most important part however, even though it can appear like it is. Just have to do the writing and the rewriting

[spoonitnow]

Hi, I'm wufwugy.

[BennyLaRue]

Tried starting a novel with a friend, but she backed out after she felt like the ideas were all mine.

Doesn't she know you?

[surviva316]

A workshop is simply a group of people reading a piece and telling the writer why it sucks.

[spoonitnow]

Yeah it's a real piece.

[d0zer]

[surviva316]

A workshop is simply a group of people reading a piece and telling the writer why it sucks.

In case you didn't gather from this by yourself, this means that strong opinions are very much welcome. I mean, just so long as you're not shooting down other people in the workshop to the point that no one else feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, being very adamant about what parts of the novel work and don't work are the comments that are most helpful to an author.

Cliffnotes: Wuf, you would be very welcome. If you did the same sort of thing for my novel that you do for TDKR, then we're gravy (even if I end up waiving your advice in the end).

[surviva316]

Not that I'm the least bit offended, but it might benefit my chances of people taking interest if I get into my credentials a bit:

I have my Masters in Fiction Writing, and this is a completed novel (in its 3rd iteration) which was used as my Thesis. I had several faculty members express some optimism that this could be turned into a published work. I spent a few months seeking representation for it, but I got some very helpful feedback from an Executive Editor at Harper Collins, so I've taken a break from marketing it over the last two months, so I could make heavy revisions.

These revisions are near complete, which is what I'm hoping to get feedback on. I already have a classmate and my former thesis mentor lined up, but I like the idea of having people who are more representative of the general public (namely people with shorter attention spans and a general competence with internet culture) giving feedback. Not that you need to fit this criteria, but that gets into why I like the idea of a public forum workshop even though this might be the first one in the history of the world lol.

[wufwugy]

Sure I could be a part of it. Haven't read a book in forever

[kiwiMark]

but I like the idea of having people who are more representative of the general public (namely people with shorter attention spans and a general competence with internet culture) giving feedback.

Title is too long.

[MadMojoMonkey]

I can provide monkey perspective, so you'll know how the story will fare after the eventual fall of humanity, rise of the apes, subsequent fall of the apes, and the rise of the monkeys.

Never hurts to be thinking ahead.

[BennyLaRue]

I have my Masters in Fiction Writing, and this is a completed novel (in its 3rd iteration) which was used as my Thesis. I had several faculty members express some optimism that this could be turned into a published work.

In the new literary world, isn't the standard much, much lower? I'm not meaning to insult your work, since it's very possible it surpassed even the old standards - I just don't get why you need the opinion of several faculty members and a roundtable to generate "optimism". The barriers to entry are lower...get that shit e-booked up already?

[surviva316]

In the new literary world, isn't the standard much, much lower? I'm not meaning to insult your work, since it's very possible it surpassed even the old standards - I just don't get why you need the opinion of several faculty members and a roundtable to generate "optimism". The barriers to entry are lower...get that shit e-booked up already?

1) I would like to teach higher-level education, and being published by a major house is like an automatic job in that field.

2) I don't consider marketing myself, working connections, etc to be my best qualities. If I have a concept that raises a lot of eyebrows and a writing style that makes people think that I have potential, then I would like to polish that into something that would make a publishing house pick me up and do that stuff for me.

3) I have high aspirations for this project and a) don't want to give up on having it be published by a major house until those aspirations are appropriately crushed and b) wouldn't want to self-publish a "good enough" draft of the novel. If I'd gone through with my first draft of this novel, I would have a million regrets right now. Until I've hit a wall in terms of ideas for improvement and/or avenues for potentially getting published and/or young enthusiasm, I'll keep forging ahead.

4) The barriers are much tougher for literary fiction than they are for genre fiction.

[bigred]

I'm in. As long as I can put it on my ipad/kindle/iphone but I'm assuming that's ldo.

[eugmac]

I would definitely help if I can.

[spoonitnow]

I have this story about me and surviva. There was this guy I know IRL who was a total fucktard and had insulted me with his actions in a very real way that I won't go into. Me and surviva trolled the guy. The guy later killed himself, though it wasn't because of what we did.

Just felt like sharing. That's a true story btw.

Actually it's not.

Ahaha now you'll never know.

[surviva316]

I'll consider that sufficient participation. Thread is up:

http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...-a-192002.html

[BennyLaRue]

1) I would like to teach higher-level education, and being published by a major house is like an automatic job in that field.

2) I don't consider marketing myself, working connections, etc to be my best qualities. If I have a concept that raises a lot of eyebrows and a writing style that makes people think that I have potential, then I would like to polish that into something that would make a publishing house pick me up and do that stuff for me.

3) I have high aspirations for this project and a) don't want to give up on having it be published by a major house until those aspirations are appropriately crushed and b) wouldn't want to self-publish a "good enough" draft of the novel. If I'd gone through with my first draft of this novel, I would have a million regrets right now. Until I've hit a wall in terms of ideas for improvement and/or avenues for potentially getting published and/or young enthusiasm, I'll keep forging ahead.

4) The barriers are much tougher for literary fiction than they are for genre fiction.

Good explanation, thanks. You're an artist, not a hoor.

[surviva316]

I have this story about me and surviva. There was this guy I know IRL who was a total fucktard and had insulted me with his actions in a very real way that I won't go into. Me and surviva trolled the guy. The guy later killed himself, though it wasn't because of what we did.

Just felt like sharing. That's a true story btw.

Actually it's not.

Ahaha now you'll never know.

I can confirm that this is either a true or false story.

[kiwiMark]

I hope your book is less cool.