OT: writing a book

[PineGroveBully]

Mods feel free to lock if you feel this is inappropriate but there's not a lot going on right now. I know what my friends will tell me but interested in some criticism from so called "strangers". Note I'm not trying to sell anything.

For years after reading my posts on FB and noting my creativity, humor, and writing ability I've had dozens of ppl and former teachers tell me I should write a book. I value any input y'all have, good, bad or indifferent. I've wanted to for years but never got any traction.
I've finally come up with an idea for a book


Well here's just a tad bit of the idea not sure where I go from here nor how we get to this point, got to brainstorm on paper, this idea just hit me around 6am so I hadn't had time to really dig into it, but here's a synopsis. A body is discovered dead after a couple years and they have evidence that a dead killer killed her/him. Well to sew up the case via DNA they get permission to exhume the grave. Well they go to do it and have media present and all so when they dig up the grave, there is no body, not even a casket. So the "hero" of the story is some 3rd rate nobody PI to make it his life's mission to, for lack of a better word, uncover the truth behind this mystery. Where's the body? Did he kill the aforementioned person. Did he even kill whoever he was thought to have murdered in the past? If not who did, meaning starting more than investigation. Will it ever be solved? Time will tell.


What do you think? Like I said I'm not sure how we get there nor where it ends up, but that's the backbone of the story. Maybe I've watched way to much discovery ID. Don't pull any punches. Unlike in a few good men, I can handle the truth

and yes I know my spelling and punctuation suck, that's why there are proofreaders

 

[GoToHellOleMiss.sixpack]

First rule of "Write Club"...don't tell people your idea.

Seriously...DON'T TELL PEOPLE YOUR IDEA.

Ok...yeah. Not a bad idea. You need some personal motivation for the PI. Did he know the victim? The suspected killer? Maybe the suspect is his dad, uncle? Or the victim is his old fiance or sister?

Is the murderer still alive? Yeah, the murderer is still alive. How did that happen?

Good luck with it and don't tell too many people what you're doing. You don't need negativity while trying to write. It's hard enough without folks who have never done it saying you can't.

 

[MeridianDog]

Funny - I just started writing this very plot line this morning. I already have six chapters written. See above comment and consider the wisdom of what he shared with you.

Regarding your comment "That's what proofreaders are for."

Much of the publishing industry has changed drastically. These days, they do not proofread for you. They do not edit all that much. If your work is not pretty much perfect, they will pass on it and go to an author that hands them a ready to go to press work. Why? There a lot of really good authors out there who understand that spelling, punctuation and grammar are signs of a talented writer. It is a lot more than lot and story development.

You can hire someone to clean up your writing, but you need to have lots of money to hire that work if that is to be your writer's method.

 

[MrKotter]

If you're serious about writing a book get the book linked below. It is a great tool to guide you along the way.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/172746399719?redirect=mobile

 

[MaroonNation]

My wife's obstetrician wrote a book. His name is Darden North. He delivered my son and daughter. He was even at Barnes and Nobles on campus one football Saturday signing copies of his book. I've tried to read it several times and just cannot get into it. Your idea seems like it would be a cool 1 hr show on Investigation Discovery, or as our respiratory therapist calls it, "the white folks killin each other channel."

 

[Dawgbite]

A good friend of my brothers wrote a book years ago loosely based on his own tragic life.. Went to law school, married a high powered attorneys daughter, joined the firm, lived in excess, crossed the line , and ended up in prison as a result. It was the classic american tragedy and a very intriguing story but the biggest tragedy was his inability to convey the story to the reader. The book was almost unreadable. Good stories are a dime a dozen, good story tellers are very rare. That being said, go for it and good luck. I want a signed copy when its done.

 

[PineGroveBully]

You make a great point. Funny, I felt it wasn't wise to share on FB with my thousands of ppl I know yet I felt it safe to put in an open forum in front of thousands of "strangers". Also good points on the posts below, will check into the book on writing. And on the proofreading good points. Thankfully I'm still close with a couple of my high school English teachers who have retired and volunteered to help on this front.

and feel free to bring the witty insults that I love about this board. I've been a member for over a decade so I can handle any incoming fire

thanks again for your input

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

1. You gotta come up with an alias before you even think about writing anything.
Ivan Strong. That's your pen name now.
2. Forget books. Lifetime movies. That's your ticket.

 

[PineGroveBully]

That's better than the pen name I had in mind, was thinking Adolf Oliver Busch

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

The idea and overall plot does not even matter. How well you engage the reader is what matters. That's why we have long running reality shows about stupid **** like pawn shops, storage units, and cakes. Same with books like trashy romance novels. I'm not saying your idea is dumb or not, only that the idea itself will not make or break the book. I have started reading books with excellent concepts only to quit because the author has done nothing to engage me and reading becomes a chore.

Avoid purely cliche characters (reluctant hero, down-on-his-luck cop, etc.) and especially the Mary Sue. Do not write yourself into the book.

Ambiguity is your friend during narrative, but all relevant details have to be tied up by the end (think Snape in Harry Potter). A good mix of Chekhov's Gun and Red Herrings will be perfect for this type of novel.

Learn to spell and punctuate properly. If you cannot get these details correct, then I would not expect you to get the details of proper storytelling correct either.

Let other trusted people read it during the writing process. Ask them what they think. Send them one chapter one week and ask for their opinion the next week. If you get scant feedback or it takes a long time to get a response, you probably are not engaging the reader since they have not read it or it becomes a chore to read.

Good luck.

 

[WrapItDog]

My nephew who is a junior at MSU wrote a book that has been published and is for sale on Amazon. One of his roommates or a friend has a brother that works for Amazon publishing. The guy helped him out and it didn't take that long to get it published. My mom did the proofreading and editing after Amazon agreed to publish the book.

 

[PineGroveBully]

Funny, not gonna disclose the # of chapters but I'm 17.83% through. Not telling my ACT score though

 

[BlueRidgeMtns]

plot twist: the killer was really the dead body that was initially found and he killed himself due to split personalities.

Mark it platinum, Dude.

 

[Dogariffic]

Quit looking for me!!!!

 

[MeridianDog]

Good luck. Sent the working draft to my agent today. Hope t have it before the publisher by early next week.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Just write. Don't seek feedback until much later, especially if the idea just came to you. Exhaust yourself upon the page, but also give yourself a time limit. You'll second guess yourself too much the longer you stare at it.

Witty tweets & Facebook posts are nice, yet not the best barometer for books. Write something YOU would want to read. Your tastes are not singular.

There were 4 paragraphs that followed. But, I realized: I can be verbose, I should heed my own advice, & this is not the correct forum. So, in lieu of what I deleted;

"Write drunk. Edit Sober." - Hemingway (maybe)