Dreamless Roads ~ Calling all DreamWorlds Writers |
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Jano 
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Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
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 Topic: Dreamless Roads ~ Calling all DreamWorlds WritersPosted: 16 Aug 2011 at 1:11am |
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Dreamless Roads
A DreamWorlds community publishing project Today I got to thinking...  Far too much excitement, but this is something that's always been a possibility for this forum with the number of aspiring writers that we have and so I had a quick conversation with Galen, just to run it all past her and make sure I wasn't having one of my more lurid flights of fancy. Anyway, apparently this is quite a good idea we decided, so here's the gist of it. It'll be a long term project but we have enough writers on here, so what I'm proposing is a community-wide collaboration to put together an anthology of short original fantasy/sci-fi/creative fiction stories together (as opposed to fan fiction) and then go through a self-publishing site like Lulu.com, which can also be marketed on Amazon if you go for an ISBN slot, but could also be advertised on here through our site shop and also on our WordPress blog and/or Facebook (I'll be looking at resurrecting our FB info at some stage)
Doing this may also have the added advantage of
 )I need to emphasise that we don't want to put fanfiction out in this exercise - it has to be original to ourselves. We can pitch this as mixed genre and for on site consumption mark each story with genre and rating so we don't frighten the parents and guardians too much. The reason why I had this brainwave is because I'm on the home stretch with my own novel just now and have started to look around at various Literary Agents and finding out in the process that SF&F is not too popular with many of them for some reason, possibly because it's such a popular genre it attracts a greater than manageable submissions rate and, of course the market can only sustain so many aspiring JK Rowlings and Tolkien wannabes. On here we have enough pooled talent between us to work on a project like this collectively at least and, if not on an individual basis, act as our own publishers and agents/support team. I've put this out on the forum and not in the admin area since this is potentially something I'd like to open up to anyone on here so it's over to you lovely lot! What do you think of the idea and would you like to be a part of it? 
THIS IS THE LINK! This is only for the people contributing to the project as writers and/or providing editorial services.
To access the Blog you must first have declared your interest in joining the project in this thread and put your registration details on WordPress HERE (if you're not already registered with them) and then PMed Jano with your profile username to put on the blog.
You may continue to follow the latest news about the Project in this thread, but for the time being at least, the Blog is for contributor access only. This may change later on, but whilst The Dreamless Roads are under construction the decision has been made to restrict access to contributors only. |
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher 
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
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Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:17pm |
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Love to be but it's the old time factor. Would something published long ago in a now-deceased magazine be acceptable? or something written long ago if revised?
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
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Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 4:44pm |
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This is not something we need to rush and it could even potentially be an ongoing concern if people are interested in contributing and it attracts new members as well.
As most of us already perform editorial/review functions for each other in some shape or form it's only a logical extension to what people are posting and feeding back to on the forum anyway. I have professional standard publication software (not state of the art but good enough for what we want to do) going begging to collate the work and produce something halfway decent to use just for friend and family presentation if not wholly commercial (like I was saying there's an ISBN option on Lulu and they print to demand anyway however small that demand may be so it's not a money-making effort as such).
Really you can use any of your own original material you like - it doesn't have to be new or even fantasy/sci-fi necessarily, so long as it is original to you and not fan fiction or wholly derivative - as Galen said yesterday we don't want the Tolkien Estate or Colin Smythe down on our necks!
I'll probably put in 'Onwards and Upwards' and part of a new chapter from the main novel dealing with a Zambezi River Spirit After thought edit ~ Like I was saying, this has mostly been sparked by my own recent investigation into getting published 'properly' and as it seems the way to do that is to go through a decent agent if they like you and the amount of 'no SF and/or fantasy' flags when I'd run some likely firms with websites to ground, so doing this on your own behalf is a minefield potentially as JK Rowling will tell us. Self-publishing is getting to be a valid option for writers these days and the stigma attached to vanity press authors is lessening as a result with all this modern technology available to all and sundry. We certainly have enough talent on here to make at least one decent, if not completely wonderful collection I would have thought
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Doughnut Jimmy
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1980 |
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Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 6:56pm |
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I think this is a great idea given the standards of stuff people are posting on here although I have nothing to contribute myself beyond encouraging thoughts
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The road goes ever on and on
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 8:26pm |
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Good to have a positive reception and there's all kinds of ways in which people can get involved as reviewers are also needed to help with polishing up the raw material and once we get started hopefully the creativity will expand and maybe inspire others to have a go - they say everyone's supposed to have at least one tale to tell after all and if you love reading the writing normally finds a way out eventually too
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Dagrun
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Location: Valhalla Online Status: Offline Posts: 4370 |
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Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 9:37pm |
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Could I put a chapter from my Viking novel in?
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 Blod skal være min endelige prisen!
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
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Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 10:33pm |
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I don't see why not.
The concept's mainly suited to 'stand alone' stories rather than a narrative series but there'd be no real limitation on story length as such depending on how many of us are contributing. Also you can put in more than 1 piece on the same criteria - I'd hope between us we could maybe muster a 70,000 word count at a pinch and something more meaty would be useful to have in there.
I've been talking to Galen and Nurbor again off the board so I'm going to mail around to other people who might be interested too tomorrow (like Dr.WhoFreak and Celegorn) and then we'll see about taking this discussion and the mechanics off board and onto a writer's blog so we can all pitch in there so it's separated from forum work although this thread can stay up as a filter to get latecomers scooped up
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Dagrun
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Location: Valhalla Online Status: Offline Posts: 4370 |
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Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:20am |
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It's not huge. I wrote a day in the life of each of my seven heros.
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Blod skal være min endelige prisen!
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
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Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 12:43pm |
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That sounds fine as it's original to you and should be integral and not leave the story 'hanging'. Bit like a 'teaser' with no cliffhanger?
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Dagrun
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Location: Valhalla Online Status: Offline Posts: 4370 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 1:44pm |
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Yes, they are well settled as characters. I'll have to start typing them up as they are hand written (I like doing it that way, then I edit as I type it in!).
I use old day to a page diaries. Really useful.
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Blod skal være min endelige prisen!
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
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Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 11:57am |
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I too have tried the 'proper' route and found the same as Jano. The notion of attracting new people is a good one, too. Hmm... I would definitely like to be on board, please. (And I want to see the Viking chapter too!)
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
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Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 12:13pm |
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Lovely jubbly!
I've heard from a couple of people I emailed overnight (Celegorn and Soronume) and spoken to Galen and Nurbor on IM so we're doing well - Fionesta/Dr.WhoFreak will be up for it I'm sure but hasn't repsonded yet and I'm hoping that we'll see a couple of other people I know are writing themselves that I contacted so we'll be seeing more people in here shortly I've no doubt.
As I said I heard from Ceregorn and he will be joining us in submitting 2 stories he's posted on here, but he's not in a good place just now, so we won't see him about too much in the forseeable future, although I have hopes that he'll be popping in for chats once things are sorting themselves for him. He's converting the blog so I can get it set up as a private enclave for now and so that's my little job this weekend and next week hopefully we can start with the collation and editing work online so this thread is the 'reception' area and those of you currently having a cup of coffee and flicking through the brochure can move onto the blog area pretty soon...
WATCH THIS SPACE FOLKS!
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 10:56pm |
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See the new notice at the bottom of the top post - THIS IS THE LINK!
People who are already on the users list for the old DreamWorlds blog (Daggers, Celegorn, Quark (Syntax) and DrWho7Freak) are already registered and Galen and Jessie have also been added
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 11:54am |
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OK guys - we're up and running. I've put 2 of my own stories on there (1 still awaiting edits but I want reviews anyway so it's there for the reading) and 2 of Ceregorn's.
The Blog is now only accessible by the named users and for now this is being limited to people who are participating in the project, either as contributing authors or as editor/reviewers (or both of course
). You will only be able to access the site if you have a Gravatar/WordPress profile and are logged in. Details of how to get signed up are at the end of the top post and you need to let me know your username so I can set up your blog access and you can then read and work on site
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 3:52pm |
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Like everything else, I'll get started when I can sit still for long enough!!! Will also contact my kids and my co-author..................... as potential contibutors.
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 20 Aug 2011 at 5:19pm |
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That's the ticket! More the merrier.
It doesn't have to be 'genre' stories BTW - so long as they're original and the writer has an introduction through DreamWorlds in some way (so in Alistair's or Caitlin/Martin case through your good self
).I think I've deleted Martin's account (Tyrmar) but he can re-join or not as he pleases - I'll just need his Gravator username to set up access to the blog for him like everyone else.
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 22 Aug 2011 at 4:26pm |
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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kassiopi
Dreamer 
Joined: 16 Sep 2011 Location: Greece Online Status: Offline Posts: 1 |
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Posted: 04 Oct 2011 at 3:15pm |
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As I told you Jan, count me in too! I love this idea!
And hey Saranna! Great to see you here!!! (hopes it's the same Saranna from the Plaza!) |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 04 Oct 2011 at 3:29pm |
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It is indeed - she's off gallivanting in London this week though
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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CrysaniaMajere
Dreamer
Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 516 |
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Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 2:07pm |
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how long a story are we talking about? should we sign up with different names or our own? Can I be part of it, even if I need time to translate old stuff into english or write new one? |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 05 Oct 2011 at 3:22pm |
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There's plenty of time Crys - most people haven't got off the ground yet either so this is something that's definitely going to be next year's project at the earliest.
The story doesn't have to be that long - I'll probably include some poetry too so really you can submit work of any length up to say 20,000 words (although that's pushing it a bit)
The longest we have so far is around the 6,500 words mark by Daniel. The only real criteria we have for this as to subject matter is that it's original to you and not fan fiction. We'll help with the proofing/editorial side of things but if you could submit English translations that would be good
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 09 Oct 2011 at 12:40pm |
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Nope, still on the gound tis comfy down here! On list TO DO asap.
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Quark
Dreamcatcher
Minecraftian Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1364 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 at 2:48am |
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I'd like to contribute to this, but I'm not particularly sure what kind of length of a narrative arc to aim for here. 10,000 words is by no means a reference point if you have no idea what 10,000 words looks like, so to speak, although I believe Nanowrimo calls 50,000 words 'novel length', so maybe I'm pushing it there.
Anyway I'll toss a few old ideas around and see if I can come up with something. I'd like to think it will involve sunglasses at night, plenty of neon and concrete, and dwarves.
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"Oh god, he's got an arm that shoots BEES. BEEEES!"
-- Minicrit |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 at 11:09am |
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Sounds good to me!
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 at 12:31pm |
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Excellent!
Rule of thumb with word counts using double line spacing and a standard seriffed 12 pt font like Times you can get roughly 400 words per A4 page (one side). You do the maths - your brain's younger than mine
Officially in publishing novel length starts around the 70,000 mark with 100,000 as a respectable length  |
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Dagrun
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Location: Valhalla Online Status: Offline Posts: 4370 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 at 6:15pm |
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Bug**r it! I haven't put down more than half a page! That'll teach me to put it all on the back boiler!
Continuing writing as from tomorrow, promise (otherwise I'll never get round to it!)
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Blod skal være min endelige prisen!
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Jano
Site Manager
Jano <3's Silen! Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Location: Dunheved Kernow Online Status: Offline Posts: 7386 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 19 Nov 2011 at 9:09pm |
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Chill everyone - this is going to be a long, slow burn and if we have something ready to publish this time next year great things will have been done and minor miracles performed because there's reviews and editing to be done in between the writing as well* and not everyone will actually be contributing with stories necessarily so the load'll be spread. I have 2 pieces ready to go that Saranna's edited from the stand alone sections of the book and 2 stories in editing from Danny/Ceregorn so I'll be starting to do things like prelim typesetting in the Spring at earliest.
Last thing I want is for people to feel under pressure - it's off to a good enough start and the emphasis for this is going to be quality not quickness as there's no publishing schedule or presses to pay for. Take your time, set your table and write with your gut whenever and wherever your muse takes you
* on that note if anyone would like to volunteer to read, review and do some editorial input regardless of whether you'll be writing for this, that'd also be wonderful and a really practical way of contributing because my own time's not limitless next year as I'll be involved with some project work at the local medical centre
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Inside the fantasy, or springing from it… |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 20 Nov 2011 at 11:36am |
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Must point out that Jano has read the early (too short) draft of my proposed offering and made really helpful suggestions. You can ask me to do the same for you, preferably after Yule/Hogswatch, to be realistic.
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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Quark
Dreamcatcher
Minecraftian Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1364 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 Nov 2011 at 12:52pm |
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Mine's still in the planning stage and even when it starts, I'm a slow writer at the best of times. Glad that there's no real pressure, 'cause if there was, it'd be time to panic.
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"Oh god, he's got an arm that shoots BEES. BEEEES!"
-- Minicrit |
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Saranna
Dreamcatcher
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Location: Grey Havens Online Status: Offline Posts: 2372 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 21 Nov 2011 at 4:25pm |
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Panic not needed, we're all at the drifting stage........
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"I am a pedant devoted to accuracy, even in what may appear to others unimportant matters" - J.R.R.T.
"Most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego". Sir TP |
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