what do you think of my idea for a book?

Question

I'm writing a series of short stories. I've got ideas for some, and they are sort of fantasy stories with drama, romance and tragedy in them. I'm a bit soft though so they'll probably all have happy endings.why short stories? I don't have a long enough attention span to write a novel. I've started writing one about 3 girls with tragic pasts living in a workhouse in a parallell world to 19th century Ireland, and another about a teenage boy who meets a magical girl in a parallell world to 18th century london. not giving details in case someone takes them. what do you think? would you buy it?

okay cheyenne s, first thig YOU should do is learn how to spell. then I might listen to what you have to say.

and if my description doesn't seem to fit the genres I said it was, it's all in the details I can't tell you, I'm afraid!

tammygirl, I'm only 15 myself! your story sounds cool, how long is it? would you be able to email it to me? if you can, I'd love to read it!

thanks moondancer629, I always have trouble spelling that word!!

khayne666, I promise you there will be suffering. lots of suffering. I enjoy making my characters suffer. but I can't stand books where everyone is miserable and then it just ends. it makes me depressed.

and by happy endings I don't mean "and they all lived happily ever after" stuff. I mean where the main charachters are happy. not dying in a gutter with nothing left in the world.

bukicole, that's the greatest compliment you could possibly give me! Phillip Pullman is one of my all-time favourite authors!

Answer 1

Sounds interesting. As a suggestion though, I would recommend trying to tie all the stories together in some fashion. Perhaps certain stories are tied together by recurring characters, or something like that. Good Luck

Answer 2

Yes! I think one of the most interesting markets for new fiction is stuff that is written with a historical perspective.
Instead of a parallel world, why don't you allow a character from the 21st Century to meet / experience life in the C19th or C18th? The contrasts created would be quite something.
If you want to back up your short stories with extra research, genealogical websites are very useful. A look down a census return to see how many people lived in one place, and how they scraped a living, is humbling stuff.
If you are in the UK (you mentioned London, but also Ireland) the census goes back to 1841. Unfortunately a lot of the Irish records are no longer available.

Answer 3

I think you have a very good imagination you obviously know exactly the kind of book you want to write...the only advice I can give you is that if you're intent on setting your story in 19th century Ireland you will have to get your research on that time spot-on,there's nothing more disheartening when reading a book,than sloppy research as it gives the reader the impression the author cares very little about his or her characters...and if the author doesn't care why should the reader? Good luck with your book...Tell the yahoo community if you get published...can I be the first to ask you for your autograph?

Answer 4

Don't worry overmuch about your grammar and spelling as you can easily get someone who studies these things to sort it out. Short stories don't make much money but nor does any book writing for the average writer. You need to love writing and get your rocks off that way and forget the money. Keep the day job. The secret of success in short stories is that the end must take the reader by surprise. I can't comment on your ideas without hearing the end

Answer 5

Yeah I like the idea of it being it in the 19th century but at the same time a parallel universe so there can be some fantasy elements like a kind of historical fantasy. It definitely sounds like the type of book that I would buy. Good luck with it!

Answer 6

Yes your ideas sound very interesting. They sound quite similar to Barbara Erskine's style of writing and she's a great author. If you haven't read any of hers I'd recommend The Lady of Hay - it might help you to see what someone else does with that sort of thing (having a story in the present day running parallel with a past time).

Also if you're writing short stories at the moment, you could try submitting them to magazines for publication to start with rather than book publishers. Good luck with it and keep going, don't be disheartened if you're not picked up immediately. JK Rowling was rejected by loads of publishers before Bloomsbury picked up her Harry Potter stories.

Answer 7

I would say that you really need to write about what you know about - for example you don's say where you are from - do you know about Ireland in the 19th century - have you researched the subjects or are you basing your stories on preconceived ideas. I live in Ireland and some stereotype ideas people have can be quite annoying. I am 28 and have a degree in English - i am useless at creative writing itself but was always taught that research was important and they drum it into you 'write what you know about'.

I think the ideas sound interesting - maybe you should try reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series which contains many parallel worlds mixed up with our own.

Answer 8

dont worry so much about your spekking(hehe!) at the minute,you have a dictionary or spell-checker right? tha main thing you will have to deal with is developing your characters as people,so the reader can identify or relate to their situation,thats why people watch soap opera's on television,its the'thats her down the road' syndrome,no matter the fantasy element of the story,your still trying to show the characters as REAL people with thoughts,fears,dreams and feelings........once you have a working draft of it,have it proofread,not only will this point out any remaining spelling problems,but it also picks up continuity errors and the like

forget the critics btw,anything worth doing will always come up for personal attack or rubbishing,grow a thick skin,get on with writing if thats what you want to do,and enjoy the experience ok? lots of luck XMoto

Answer 9

I am a bit of a writer myself i am currently working on a ghost story, because i have so many ideas i work on it until i cant anymore but then when i come back to it i have another idea so have to change it so it has taken me 2 half years to get to the point of nearly finishing it. I would definately think about buying them, follow your heart and do what u feel is right. If you like i can put your stories on my website which is currently under construction i am going to put some of mine on there as well the website is www.maxpages.com/pinkelefant. Obviously get a copyright on them but if u wanna get in touch My email address is [e-mail] and from one writer to another good luck.

Answer 10

Sounds great. This is the sort of book I would like to read. Short stories are even better. Means I could finish a story and then put the book down!! Good luck and follow your dream.