I want your honest opinion. Feedback is only bad when it takes the form of a horrendous squeal coming out of an amplifier. So don’t pussy-foot around. Tell me what you think, what you really really think.
The formatting is a little weird because I am cutting and pasting.
I am posting the novel without tags. That is because it is just for you, my loyal friends… the few, the proud, the brave, so to speak. And, of course, for anyone who just wanders in, but I doubt very many of them will stick around.
We are going to have to work together on this. I don’t know how fast to post it. The chapters are short, but there are a lot of them. I am just sort of playing this by ear. I am making it up as I go along, which is exactly how I wrote the book. I invented characters without knowing how they would develop and fit into the story. I got the hero and his friends into messes with no idea how they were going to get out of them. I never planned ahead. I never followed a path. In other words, the same way I live my life and do my blog. And look how good those things have turned out…
I will most likely post a chapter a day for at least a little while, but don’t feel pressured to keep up, or even to join in at all, if you don’t feel like it. It is all good. In a few weeks I will post the character and race notes, to make it easy to keep track of all the new beings you are going to meet.
I assume I will still feel the need to do other funny stuff now and then, so the novel will be in uninterrupted form under the title header above.
To do this any other way would be like having a plan, and trust me, I don’t have one. Because plans are just crazy. If life wanted us to have plans, it wouldn’t start over again every single day, right?
Pouring My Art Out 
Dear pmao,
Have you ever had any proper criticism of your writing? I ask because you say you want people to be honest but in my experience people don’t realise what REAL honesty involves – I’m not talking about being scathing or disparaging, I’m talking about a thorough constructive crit of your work that aims to help and encourage and aid you to see things that sometimes you can’t see until someone else points them out because you’re too close to your own work.
Constructive criticism can seem harsh but it isn’t. I’ve had people ask for my honest feedback in the past and they’ve run away crying because I’ve given them what they asked for and they couldn’t take it even though it was given in good faith and I spent a LOT of hours on their work – they acted like I said their baby was ugly or something. On the other hand I’ve edited and proofed a ton of short stories for people (loads of which ended up published) and two novels (other people’s) in exactly the same way and all the authors were more than happy with the results and implemented all my suggestions and corrections (I don’t know what happened to the novels, I lost contact with the authors when I went mental).
What sort of feedback do you want exactly? Think about it seriously before you answer.
Love Dotty xxx
Be honest, but wait till you have at least gotten into chapter 10 or so. Trust me, a lot of your questions will be answered, and it becomes much more of an adventure story. It is all rather slap-dash at the moment… because an alien is the story teller.
Dear PMAO,
I haven’t had a chance to read yet. I’d like to wake up tomorrow with a cup of coffee, and go from start to …chapter 4? I think that’s where you are.
It’s too good to skim.
I can’t wait, though.
It looks awesome.
🙂
Lisa
I hope you like it. I am not getting comments from very many people, but so far the response is very good. I even had a couple of people say they liked it even though they do not read sci fi.
PMAO, I LOVE it! Read the 1st chapter last night, can’t wait for the 2nd. It’s fun, and it flows, and it’s easy to get involved with the characters…I think you should be presenting it to agents! (one thing, though, I read that publishers like works by new authors to be between 80,000 and 100,000 words, so, 400 pages is probably too much. Could you break it down into two or three books? I’ll look for the link where I got this info, then I’ll post it here if you’d like me to.)
Can’t wait for more!
Thank you…
I plan to submit to agents as soon as I get a feel for how well it might be recieved…
The story is broken down into four distinct parts of about 100 pages each. I didn’t plan for that to happen, but I reached places where the whole thing just veered off into a new life of its own….
I would like to see the information of which you speak, but not now. I have to get a feel for this whole thing, not let it get out of hand, and I am a computer moron, so the link will not help, most likely. And my computer wants to die from old age, and sometimes wont even open them.
But thanks for everything.
You’re welcome and GOOD LUCK!!!!
Thanks. I feel almost calm.
A lot of people swear they are never ever having another kid ever again as they are laying on the delivery table in mid labor but then they forget and next thing you know there they are again laying on that damn table! LOL. Against my better judgement I am going to vote for the release of a chapter every other day. Gives a person time to gulp down the chapter then go back and slowly sip it again at their leisure and ponder it a bit before it is on to the next chapter. A person can really GET it then. You don’t need to slam out a bunch of chapters at the beginning to grab and hold your audience…you had us already…deep breath now…take your time…
One more tomorrow… then… okay… I guess…
But this one says how the aliens really learned about Earth, and besides, I make fun of the French… in a good way… because I love the French, their food and culture, the fact that they helped us win our independence.
I love the all the characters but I am most amused by the professor. Haven’t gotten to 2 yet.
Just put it up. Bear in mind that I never thought even one paragraph ahead as I wrote all this. The fact that some characters come to play a huge role in the story is all just happenstance. But it never feels that way… (Just a warning… I made up 36 races and 131 characters who take an active part. That is why I am going to include the notes later)…
Everyone has a different process, some people have to organize the whole thing before they commit it to paper others just write as it comes- whatever works!
I’ve read a few novels with notes and family trees to track characters; it’s a useful tool.
I can do a story line and then follow it, but it feels like I made a skeleton and then I am just hanging the flesh and meat where it has to go…
I take the seat of my pants approach and let the words fall where they may.
I never do anything the same way twice… ever…
I do lots of things the same way each time I do them but writing isn’t one of those things. It is the only thing in my life that is my exclusive domain, mine no one else’s, all mine. I suspect most writers have that ownership of their work.
I would hope so.
You didn’t address the “please do not share” issue.
EH makes a good suggestion for a few chapters a week rather than one a day.
I agree with Hobbles there are a lot of words but they’re effective and the style and flow is really good.
This is a fun adventure, watching what will become of your “baby”.
Oh, I said something about me not sharing, but I never told everybody else not to, right? How should I do that, just a general announcement?
I promise to slow down the posting soon. Just let me get 3 or 5 out there while I am all psyched up. Then, some alien pictures… and maybe back to the olympics.. or… who knows…
I’m having my baby… everybody needs to tell me to push.
Oh, and I know its wordy. I am wordy. So far, I just established a place and threw a few characters at you. But when the action picks up, the word flow works… like you are shooting down a water slide.
PMAO remain calm. It is wordy but it is NOT too wordy. I said “…there are lots of words but they’re effective and the style and flow is really good”. The word flow works very well right now.
The posting rate is fine but please don’t be disappointed if the reading rate lags. I’ll catch up I promise.
Push, push, suck on some ice chips, okay now PUSH!
I didn’t mean to sound defensive. I just decided that my natural wordiness should be made to work with my writing style, and I wanted to mention that I am sort of playing to my weird strength. I swear I will slow down. I just want to lay the first few chapters out there, because they sort of set the mood.
And I am never having another baby again… until I start the sequel.
I like it PMAO. It’s wordy, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It reminds me of Dean Koontz. Have you read any of his stuff? The first time I read one of his books (One Door Away From Heaven) I didn’t really know if I would like the whole book. He gives detailed descriptions in a very informal style. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it…I just hadn’t read much stuff like that.
Anyway, as I got into the story it became…I don’t know how to describe it, it fascinated and enthralled me. Anyway, he has written a lot of best sellers, and I’ve read several more of his novels, and he is definitely one of my favorite authors.
So, your style reminds me of his. It is brilliant, but I have a feeling I will like it more as I read more.
It is just warming up. But I love Dean Koontz, so I am more than happy.
Good! Have you read the book I mentioned? The one door away one? You need to if you haven’t. It is when I fell in love with Koontz. (Not the guy, the words)
I get all my books used, so I have this big list, and I haven’t run across that one yet, but lots of others.
(Psst… posting something to your blog constitutes publishing it.) If I was you, I would schedule the chapters all out to post every three days, or maybe every other day. And then do your regular blog bidniss the rest of the time.
Good advice. I read that I can take it down if I get a publishing offer, no harm no foul. I may do a few chapters right off the bat, just for a while, and then mix in the regular… (did I just call my stuff regular?)… stuff.
You do know that I am awaiting your opinion with breathless fascination, right? But not just yet… string me along for a few days, till you have enough to go on.
1. I read the first chapter.
2. I think you’re brave and a very good writer.
3. But I’m nobody or I’d be published (no reflection on your writing. I may be nobody, but I know what I like, and don’t like something)
4. I will not give my opinion on the actual novel, because, See #3, and because another blogger asked for opinions about something artsy he did, I gave an opinion (key word). I was tactful and just thought I’d interject what he asked for, and I got, pretty much insulted. So no more opinions.
5. I agree with Mooselicker re ebook/publishing.
And lastly, I will read and buy your book, ( when that happens – key word “when”) because I am supportive of friends.
I will look forward to your purchasing of the sequal… with a friend discount… only $13.99, in hardcover comic book form, and covered with real alien skin!
Oh, and your opinions are woth just as much as anybody elses. I have no wish to be compared to anything, and certainly not professional writers. I just want to know what you think of it as we go along. I know I wont please everybody. But I honestly think that some people are going to get caugt up in the supreme rediculousness of some of it. I doubt I spelled rediculousness right… ha! Some writer I turned out to be.
DEFINITLY no comparing going on all. He’s a photographer. You, a writer. And a good one. I’m sensitive about people barking at me when they asked for an opinion. You might rip me a new one, but I don’t think you’d bark. 🙂
At worst I would sulk a little if I felt you were unfair. But I never hold grudges… don’t have the upper body strength.
I’m confused why you aren’t going to publish this yourself. Putting it on your blog is one thing, but actually turning it into an ebook will be much more rewarding. Plus publishing it gives you copyright to the novel. If you can’t find anyone to help you out with this let me know.
I’ll also give you an honest review. I can always find something good or bad about anything in life. May I say though the fact you’re thinking you my need character notes seems a little bad. I guess it could make sense if you’ll be posting this on a blog, chapter by chapter, but seriously consider only posting the first chapter or two then look into self-publishing online.
I tried looking into that, but my daughter seems to think it isn’t the way to go for me… or at least that I have such a small group of readers that it will not hurt future sales, and I can take it down when I am done. It makes sense when she says it…
I need the notes. I did it, at first, to keep track of everybody. But there are more than 100 races and characters, so it just helps people who do not read it all at once. Cuts down on the confusion.
Okay I’m not going to argue with you because 1) it’s your book 2) you’ll listen to your family over me even you know I was right, as you probably should 3) I could be wrong.
How many pages is it out of curiosity?
A little over 400 typed pages.
What about handwritten in marker?
I used crayon, so I don’t know. I really did write it out by hand, one chapter at a time. I would get the hero out of one jam, or into a new one, or sidetracked on some weird thing, and have no idea what to do next. I would get stuck for an houtr or a day or a week, then, bam. I would be driving or in the shower, and it would hit me, where I was going, what should happen. And it all tied together and grew and grew. It has so much action, but no real violence. It is really sort of a work of art, but I guess you will just have to have faith. The world needs a hero like this guy. He isn’t like a hero at all, but he end up doing things that save… well, I don’t want to spoil it.
But really, that’s awesome you managed to write so much. Your pitch seems pretty good. Something Joss Wheddon would try to steal.
The first chapter or three just sets up the situation, and introduces a few charaters that I had no idea if they would still be around five pages later. But then we find out how the earth first met an alien culture… then all heck breaks out. It has a pace like an action adventure movie. Or a rollercoaster.