Beyond Web

Greetings readers!

So I had a thought the other day: What if some of us would prefer to have our work published and not bother with the web stuff? After all, isn't a lot of trouble for minimal gain?

If that is your feeling right now, then I have failed as your blog host. Totally and epically failed. Someday they will write a book about how tremendous this failure was. They'll probably call it 'The Iliad: 2

That being said, don't let me discourage you from getting trying to get yourself published in paper form. Go for it! It's more prestigious and there's a chance more people will acknowledge your work.

But here's the rub: Just how are you going to get published in print? Apart from being a private printer (or having parents who publish books) there aren't a lot of inexpensive ways to do it, or should I say do it well.

That's the whole point of writing novels for the web. In my opinion, writing stories for websites, blogs, and other online sources is a fantastic way to springboard yourself into other people's lives (and online browsing time). Think about it. Who doesn't go on the internet? Who doesn't like a good story? Short answer is no one. Except maybe my duplicate. But that's beside the point.

Fact is, posting your stories online on one of the sites I posted in an earlier blog is a great way to get a real print publisher to notice you. They could be scouring the internet novel world to find that next 'Harry Potter'. And it could be your novel. Or not, if you decide web novel writing isn't your bag. But I hope you will make it your bag. I want to read your stories, and millions of other people do too! So start small, put it on the web, and see where it goes. Who knows, you may be having tea with J.K Rowling in a month. Not that I would know anything about that...

Writing is rewarding

Hey writers!

Just wanted to share a story that was a very great encouragement to me to keep writing!

Keep it short. Remember, these people have normal, well-balanced lives. Unlike you and I.

Yes, keep it short. Got it. Where was I now...

You were informing us of a story you recently heard that greatly encouraged both your psyche and your internal feelings and organs.

Internal organs? What the-oh, side note here about Duplicate Daniel. We haven't worked out the er, bugs that would make him spout something as random as organs into the air. He is a strange one that Dupi..
But anyway, onto my story. I have recently completed a short historical piece of fiction for one of my college classes. I spent a lot of time on it, and used a lot of the things I have shared with you on this website in its development. Well, when I turned it in, I certainly didn't have hopes that it would be super good. I mean, let's be honest here, how many of us think our own work (especially one we have spent hours, even days on) is good? Here's where the encouragement came. The teacher who I turned the story in to said it was one of the best short historical stories he had read by student writer! And this is a person who has been deeply involved in literature for years and years and years and...yeah, you get the picture.

Why do I share this with you? To toot my own horn or bring in some glory for myself? No, I share it with you because I am no different than you, sitting on your computer reading this blog post. I am just a guy that has a passion for writing, which I trust you have as well. Is my stuff excellent and perfect? Of course not. In fact, I'm still not so sure what my teacher found so endearing about the story. But that's my problem. For you writers out there, take heart. If you work hard, write often, and more importantly SHARE your work with others (more on that in a future post), it won't go unnoticed. Or at least, it shouldn't.

Wow. I have never seen someone whose ego is so round and tubular.

What? Do you mean inflated?

I rest my case.

And I rest mine. Happy writing!

What do you mean by that? Novel dialogue

Hey writers!

Let's imagine for a second that you have a killer plot for your web story. You've even got realistic characters and a breathtaking, descriptive setting. But your story still sucks. Why? The answer to this may be in the talking. That's right, the talking being done by your characters.

Writing dialogue is often considered one of the most difficult aspects of crafting a good novel, and this is only intensified on the web. Why is it so hard? Allow me to offer one of m-

Or you could simply check out this website and find out the answers for yourself.

OR you could let me finish for once! Geez, what is wrong with you? Duplicate, pfft you're more like a, like a-

An evil twin, no?

Yeah sure whatever. Anyway, the link Duplicate guy provided is actually super good and gives a lot of helpful tips for crafting good, realistic dialogue. In fact, he and I should probably read it as we have much to learn about that art.

Speak for yourself.

Setting setting set?

Setting is one of the most important aspects of writing good web fiction. If you don't have an interesting setting, odds are people aren't going to read your story. Simple as that. Having a good plot and characters is great, but they both fall flat without a great setting.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of web stories/novels on the web, and our readers only have so much time in their days to devote to reading novels, so it is vitally important that we-

Allow me to cut in here, Mr. Daniel. I can sum up what you said in your little tirade in one sentence. I am certain your readers would prefer to have a concise, easily digestible reason for having well developed settings than your lengthy tome.

Oh, it's you again. Great. How's it going?

Stories without well developed settings are dull, trite and unrealistic.

Ok, so there you have it from my duplicate's mouth. Say, duplicate, do you have a website that looks at good settings?

Why yes I do. It is Skotos.com. Rather than me explaining what it is, I would prefer you folks go to the site and read it for yourselves. Saves us both time.

Uh, yeah, ok. Thanks duplicate. And until next time, keep writing!

4 1 14 14 25

I am alone. I am alone in a long-lived and eerie old Victorian house. Nothing to keep my company except my empty, meaningless thoughts. Or the dread of not knowing if my thoughts are even my own, but rather the manifestation of some shadowy figure's whims.

I can hear an ominous whirring and spinning sound in the distance, as if something (or someone) is grudgingly awakening from an interrupted slumber. I tip-toe further away from the noise, but notice that the further away I think I'm getting from it, the louder and more distinct the sound becomes.

I am being followed. By what, I haven't the slightest idea. I refuse to look behind me, knowing that if I do, whatever it is will surely kill me on the spot. But the urge to glance behind me is a conniving and slippery temptress, and I soon steal a glance. Nothing. Nothing at all. The sound is still as loud as ever, and growing louder by the second. I notice my heart is beating faster.

I apprehensively move into an empty room, the big one with the distinct bay window. The sound grows louder, and as I move closer to the window, stops. The door closes. This sound, this apparition of my thoughts is nowhere to be seen. Until I see it clearly, but what I see is not a ghost or a machine, as it sounded like. It is me! Or at least it looks like me. I back up, and it moves closer. I bite my lip and my heart jumps against my chest, as if trying to escape the terrifying position I find myself in.

And then it speaks. It's voice booms like thunder (quite unlike my own) and it says,

"Have you written your blog post for this week?"

I stare in dumbfounded awe. It continues, its voice rattling the windows.

"Get to work, or you'll lose whatever poor, pitiful reader you may have glancing at your blog! And I'll go so far as to say anyone reading this blog must be desperate for something to kill time."

I am offended, but before I can respond, the thing moves closer, and extends its hand.

"I am 4 1 14 14 25, your smarter self. I am here to help in your duty to this blog, in which you are presently failing."

I have heard enough.

"Hold on bucko. I've worked hard on this blog! I've searched the web for information and links and added amusing stories and-"

It interrupts,

"Your definition of 'worked hard' and 'amusing' are vastly different from the blog reading community of the world. And my own, I might add."

"So my blog sucks?"

"Indeed."

"Well what would make it better then, huh?"

The other me lets a small smile play at his lips. He folds his arms.

"Me."

"I don't follow."

"I will make your blog better. As I said, I am 4 1 14 14 25, your exact duplicate and smarter self. I know what it is the populace wants, and am willing to offer these talents to you for the fulfillment of your duty to this blog."

"I see. What's the catch?"

"I get to write half of your posts."

I stare at him intently, trying to bore into those those eyes, my eyes, but I say nothing. It is my other self who speaks first.

"You have ten seconds."

"What? I can't decide in that-"

"Ten, nine.."

"Now wait a minute, you can't do-"

"Seven, six, five.."

"Hey, stop, listen for a sec! I don't know what-"

"Three, two, one. Good bye less intelligent self. We shall meet again, in the next blog post."

I say nothing, but no sooner did he say these words when he vanished, and everything around me vanished too, until all that was left was me, a desk, and computer. The computer is in sleep mode, so I touch the keyboard. It slowly wakes up, and what I see startled me. I see, reader, what you are reading! But how? My mind races, then it hits me: The duplicate. Oh he was clever, but not as clever as me! Or perhaps he is? Only time will tell.


And so, with all that, I introduce to you my first character in this blog, 4 1 14 14 25. He is my exact duplicate and claims he is smarter than me. We'll see about that. All I know about him is each number corresponds with a letter in my own name, so his name is my name in numbers. It's weird, but that's him. Oh by the way, he gave me this link to share with you for developing your own characters for YOUR web novel. He's actually kinda helpful in that respect. This link is to one of the best character creating resources I know of on the web. Very helpful and informative. Hopefully you don't create a character like I fear I did...Here's to that hope.

March

I realize now that this post has a double meaning. Yes, the month is March now, which hopefully means we'll get rid of this dreaded snow in a few weeks. Spring is in the aiiiiiiiirrrrr! OK, enough of whatever that was. I said this post had a double meaning. I did? Well then I guess you'll have to keep reading to see what the other meaning is!

I was thinking last night about how we as writers form and create characters in our minds. It was kind of weird, because when you really think about it, the character is an extension of yourself and your own mind!

But enough of the Psychology lesson. I got to wondering what book I had read that had real, exciting characters who were life-like and endearing. Well I found one. It's called March by Geraldine Brooks. I'll post a link to the website so you can check it out, but I encourage you to go beyond that and actually get and read the book, however you can. Reading blogs can only help so much with crafting and creating characters. Reading books by skilled and successful writers is a much better way to learn the art of crafting characters and stories.

So go to the link, (hopefully) it will inspire you to get this book and read it for the handbook in character design that it is. Wow, there's even a handy little 'buy book' tab at this website...And I thought things couldn't be any easier!

PS- In my next post I will be introducing something new to the blog. Something that--oh I can't do it justice. I'll let it speak for itself. Or himself. Or herself. Or whatever it is...

A world of stories...

Ok, so up until this point I've mostly pointed out a few helpful websites for aspiring web novelists to share their stories that they have already written. But what about those of us who haven't written anything? What about those of us who have a lot of super awesome ideas in our heads, but can't figure out a way to get those stories onto the page (or screen, as our case may be)? These are exactly the kinds of questions I was thinking about when deciding what I should write about today.

Everyone has a story. If you were born, are currently living (let me know how you're reading this if you aren't alive-it'd make an interesting story) and are experiencing this wonderfully strange thing known as life, you have a story. And everyone's story is important, whether it be about good times or bad.

However, not all stories are fit for the traditional method of telling them, namely books. That's where web novels come into play. Not only is there no cost to you to publish your bestseller, but you also get free feedback from your readers! How cool is that?

That being said, you still don't want to write an entire novel about your smelly gym socks. So what makes a good web story? Actually, a lot of the things that make good book stories make good web stories. Strong settings, great, engaging characters, witty dialogue (or not witty, depending on your character) and a good story. These are all characteristics of a good story.
But I'm not a writing expert by any stretch. I'm still learning, just like you. So what I like to do when I'm thinking up ideas for stories is to ask myself if I would want to read what I'm writing. If the answer is no, then I better quit, pronto! If the answer is yes, I should have others read what I've written and ask for contructive feedback. That's where those websites I posted earlier come into play! Getting feedback about your stories, even if it's negative, can be super helpful when writing a story. The instant feedback that web stories provide helps you figure out what people are digging and not digging about your story. It's so fast and seamless that it almost makes you forget you're not a bestselling author. Yet. You'll get there someday, and so will I. Well, maybe we won't be on the New York Times Bestseller list, but we'll at least be able to reach our readers on the web. And who knows. Maybe one of them is the person in charge of Scholastic or Random House...You never know.

Happy writing!