Thought or Rant of the day!!!

[Bmot]

I've always wanted to write a book. I can write just fine, but the plot and the first few pages are always what get me. *face desk* I have the characters and the plot worked out, but the first chapter has to be what grabs the reader, and more than anything I'm afraid I might not be able to do that. >.<

I'd love to as well, but I always struggle with forming enough of a plot - I just get several half-baked ideas, but never sure how to expand them

This too, and originality is a problem. There are so many books out there. But at least it's comforting to know that every single book out there that's published has plenty of similar stories, and they'll still be popular.
One of my cantr characters is actually the main character of this book I'm attempting to write. It's good practice for character development. xD

When I unsubbed, I wrote a novel to cope. I envisioned the opening and closing scenes in my head vividly, but knew nothing else. I just started writing the opening scene I envisioned, and one thing led to another until I got to the end (like Cantr!) It did was it was intended to do: fill a massive creative hole in my life. Now I have a 200+K word monstrosity that needs serious work to be made publishable, but I expect it'll get done in the next 10 years (it's already been 10!).

I'd suggest imagining a scene in your head, and start writing from there. Once you get an idea of the progression of the story, put on the brakes and diagram things out (something I only half did; I diagrammed but didn't put on the brakes!). If you base the story on your characters, you already know who they are, which makes things easier, but get away from Cantr completely - there was nothing more creatively stifling than trying to force my character's backstories to match their real Cantr backstories. I also found that I can't maintain more than one creative outlet at once. Re-starting Cantr halfway through the writing of the novel made it nearly impossible to finish (the first half was a work of passion, the last was just work). May or may not be true for you too.

Speaking about that, Doug, when are you going to post the next part of Cantria?

[Calyx]

So gather people in a forest and send me the tickets.

I just got back...

[BosBaBe]

I've always wanted to write a book. I can write just fine, but the plot and the first few pages are always what get me. *face desk* I have the characters and the plot worked out, but the first chapter has to be what grabs the reader, and more than anything I'm afraid I might not be able to do that. >.<

I'd love to as well, but I always struggle with forming enough of a plot - I just get several half-baked ideas, but never sure how to expand them

This too, and originality is a problem. There are so many books out there. But at least it's comforting to know that every single book out there that's published has plenty of similar stories, and they'll still be popular.
One of my cantr characters is actually the main character of this book I'm attempting to write. It's good practice for character development. xD

When I unsubbed, I wrote a novel to cope. I envisioned the opening and closing scenes in my head vividly, but knew nothing else. I just started writing the opening scene I envisioned, and one thing led to another until I got to the end (like Cantr!) It did was it was intended to do: fill a massive creative hole in my life. Now I have a 200+K word monstrosity that needs serious work to be made publishable, but I expect it'll get done in the next 10 years (it's already been 10!).

I'd suggest imagining a scene in your head, and start writing from there. Once you get an idea of the progression of the story, put on the brakes and diagram things out (something I only half did; I diagrammed but didn't put on the brakes!). If you base the story on your characters, you already know who they are, which makes things easier, but get away from Cantr completely - there was nothing more creatively stifling than trying to force my character's backstories to match their real Cantr backstories. I also found that I can't maintain more than one creative outlet at once. Re-starting Cantr halfway through the writing of the novel made it nearly impossible to finish (the first half was a work of passion, the last was just work). May or may not be true for you too.

Well the thing is the cantr character is based on the book character, not the other way round. But Cantr does take up most of my free time. *wince* I don't think I could quit, but I'll try to balance the two.

As for mapping out a first scene, that sounds good to me, I'll give it a shot. Good luck with the book!

[Snickie]

I have several detailed scenes for several massive fanfictions I've been wanting to write but I never actually get around to writing them and putting them in order and figuring out what goes on between those scenes.

Sometimes, though, if starting at the beginning feels too stifling, you can write out one of the major scenes and then branch out from that. How did they get to said major scene? Why did such-and-such do this-or-that in this-scene? Give it a backstory, then make a scene out of the backstory. Rinse and repeat.

[Shedevil]

so my paycheck is available to look at online the Sunday before payday and not only did they mess up my pay again but this time I worked my ass in overtime to be shorted in overtime hours what a great way to start my night. I'm shorted by being paid min wage, when I make almost $3 more an.hour.

[Frits]

Join the union! If there isn't one, found it.
People will make mistakes, they always will. But if it's malicious intent they try doing that with one employee, they will try that with other employees as well.
They don't care about goodwill but they sure care about money!

[Shedevil]

We don't have a.union here. They are trying to get one, but it won't work, as the only reason.they want it here, is so two other cities in our state can negotiate pay raises since our site makes the most in the state. Our site is only a pawn and if it joins, most of us will take pay cuts. The only reason my pay is messed up right now, is I got a raise and the system for whatever reason is going haywire with all the other raises my site got. Most of our checks are messed up. They'll fix it, just have to go to the office in the morning after my shift is over.

[Doug R.]

Speaking about that, Doug, when are you going to post the next part of Cantria?

No time soon. Sadly it needed to go back on the shelf due to a complete lack of time.

[SekoETC]

True story: My mom threatened to take away the Christmas tree if we won't decorate it. I'm almost 30 and she pulls that move on me. Then she also said she remembered we haven't brought over the tree ornaments we were supposed to bring last year, yet didn't bring it up because she figured if we won't bring them on our own then we won't care. I assumed we had already brought them over within the last year.

[*Wiro]

We celebrate Christmas without the ridiculous decorations.

[Tiamo]

I hate the thought of killing all those trees every year.

[*Wiro]

I hate the thought of killing all those trees every year.

There are programmes that allow people to cut trees down in protected forests, where the trees prevent growth of other plants.

[Tiamo]

I know, my uncle got his christmas tree that way this year. Along with a few thousand other people, that's all.

[Undine]

I love fake trees. No needles, and you don't have to waste money each year on something that will die.

[Snickie]

Ours sheds needles and the branches get bent because the cats (especially Snick) will climb it and sit in it when we're not looking.