Publishing odds and ends - Page 2

Bob The Mercenary · 10-11-2004, 10:24 AM

I may just write the entire story then divide it into parts from there and see how long it is total. If it's too long, I'll stagger the releases of each part.

I just revealed the entire plot to a college buddy of mine here last night and whenever I got to a plot twist he always said something to the effect of "Holy sh#!, that's awesome! You have this all planned out to the smallest friggin' detail. Dude, I'm being a part of this when you write it." So my first opinion went relatively well I think.

Another thing that bothers me is what the end opinion of the story will be. People may read this and think I'm ripping off all sorts of anime and video games. But, I actually just got my ideas from them and mashed them all together. You'll see elements of FF7, Bubblegum Crisis, Evangelion, Gundam, Metal Gear Solid (that one was unintentional since I never played the game before, my friend here told me about the similarity, but it's only a small part), Noir, and a whole load of others. I'm not saying I ripped any of them off, I took ideas from each of them, modified them, and incorporated them into the story. I think the end result is pretty sweet.

Kain S. Branford · 10-11-2004, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob the Mercenary

People may read this and think I'm ripping off all sorts of anime and video games.

You lie! People wouldn't assume you're ripping off some corporation or franchise just because of similarities and where you got your ideas! Never!

Something to keep in mind, Bob, that page count can be altered in many a way. Font size, and border margins can make quite the difference. You can try and make your book as small as possible, but the publisher will also decide on ideas for the layout when its time.

I support the "break the mega book down into smaller books" notion as I have done this myself. It helps to have your first book be kind of an introduction of sorts to your story and you as a writer, a small piece that is easily attainable to prospective readers. Don't commit yourself to too much early on. Of course, doing this is easier said than done... and it's equally as easy to type out that maxim.

zdude255 · 10-11-2004, 07:06 PM

Just some advice on the splitting idea. If you split it then each book MUST be a story in and of itself. No cutoffs or to be continued, you can have unresolved plot lines, but MOST should be resolved.

If a book has a strong first conclusion, it's sequels are likely to sell better.

Not to mention people will be a lot less pissed at you for doing the sudden cutoff.

Illuminatus · 10-11-2004, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob the Mercenary

People may read this and think I'm ripping off all sorts of anime and video games.

I once wrote a short story that took place in a post-apocalyptic desert. I stopped showing it to people after the second person compared it to Dune.

Don't sweat it. We all have our influences, and you can see them in writers' works. That doesn't make it "ripping off" and intelligent people can tell the difference.

10-11-2004, 10:24 AM	#11
Bob The Mercenary Bob Dole Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bob Dole Posts: 5,606	I may just write the entire story then divide it into parts from there and see how long it is total. If it's too long, I'll stagger the releases of each part. I just revealed the entire plot to a college buddy of mine here last night and whenever I got to a plot twist he always said something to the effect of "Holy sh#!, that's awesome! You have this all planned out to the smallest friggin' detail. Dude, I'm being a part of this when you write it." So my first opinion went relatively well I think. Another thing that bothers me is what the end opinion of the story will be. People may read this and think I'm ripping off all sorts of anime and video games. But, I actually just got my ideas from them and mashed them all together. You'll see elements of FF7, Bubblegum Crisis, Evangelion, Gundam, Metal Gear Solid (that one was unintentional since I never played the game before, my friend here told me about the similarity, but it's only a small part), Noir, and a whole load of others. I'm not saying I ripped any of them off, I took ideas from each of them, modified them, and incorporated them into the story. I think the end result is pretty sweet. __________________ Bob Dole

10-11-2004, 07:06 PM	#13
zdude255 Troopa Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 44	Just some advice on the splitting idea. If you split it then each book MUST be a story in and of itself. No cutoffs or to be continued, you can have unresolved plot lines, but MOST should be resolved. If a book has a strong first conclusion, it's sequels are likely to sell better. Not to mention people will be a lot less pissed at you for doing the sudden cutoff.