Show Me Your Novel and I'll Show You Mine

Do tell us what you're writing about - i.e. your current work in progress. If you have a finished book and a cover to share, please do that on the "Our Published Novels" thread, even if it isn't a novel! (Please, no jpegs here.)

Thanks!

Tags: novel

15 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Edward Fahey on December 14, 2011 at 2:04pm

I followed a link in here from a writer who was discussing how names were generated for characters. I'm not sure I'm putting this in the right pocket now, though.

Permalink Reply by Candice W. Coghill on December 16, 2011 at 10:47pm

Robert, I enjoyed the descriptions of how you chose your characters' names. Is there a reason, though, that for your last character you chose the French spelling "Denis" rather than the usual spelling "Dennis"?

Permalink Reply by Robert Edward Fahey on December 17, 2011 at 10:48am

In my interpretation, this is what made the name mildly creative, or poetic. If I'd left it as Dennis it'd just have been a remarkably unremarkable name. Although I only mention it once, and it is well into the book, his last name is Tierney, which I stole from a very feminine movie actress. I like things that may work in the back of the reader's mind, planting seeds for emotional involvements with characters without being blatant about it. I also in that particular book, spell Nature with a capital N because she has become a major character and influence in every scene.

Permalink Reply by Candice W. Coghill on December 16, 2011 at 10:43pm

Hi, All :) I'm new to the group, also, and new to novel-writing, although not to writing. I have three current WIPs:

The first is a novel in the murder-suspense genre. Samantha, a graduate student in psychology, receives an attorney's letter requesting her presence to discuss the estate of her great-uncle. To her astonishment, she is the sole heir to the estate which includes her uncle's old, two-story home. The contents of her uncle's attic eventually reveal the sordid details surrounding the disappearance of Samantha's mother and lead to a surprising arrest.

The second is the novel that I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2011 and it's in the women's fiction sub-genre commonly referred to as "chick lit." East meets West in the South and send sparks flying in all directions when Amanda, the only daughter of a multi-generation, affluent, small-town, Southern family, becomes enamored with Sandy (short for Sandeep), who is the first of his Indian family to be born in the US and who isn't sandy at all, but tall, dark and handsome.

The third is a non-fiction book intended for first-time cancer patients. Although I, myself, am a first-time cancer patient -- I completed the last of my chemo treatments on November 30 -- yaay! -- the book isn't a memoir and doesn't pertain to my "journey." It's intended to provide information about things I would have loved to have known along the way but wasn't told.

Short stories, flash fiction, poetry and my 2 blogs take up the slack when I'm not working on one of the above!

Permalink Reply by Jessica Vealitzek on December 17, 2011 at 5:30am

Interesting - I like the "East meets West in the South" description--quick and clever.

Good luck, and congratulations on completing chemo -- I think your book sounds different. Most are about the "journeys," as you say.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer-Crystal Johnson on December 20, 2011 at 12:47pm

This is my first published novella, The Outside Girl: Perception is Reality. Though it will be out of print in 2012, it's still worth mentioning. Published by PublishAmerica in 2005, I wrote this while I was pregnant with my second child and still married. Here's the synopsis:

All Ophelia ever wanted when she was a child was to belong to a family. The orphan finally got her wish, but bliss soon turned to terror as she saw behind the masks her foster parents had worn to be able to adopt her.

Living in fear of them, Ophelia’s only friend was the outside girl, who made promises of freedom and happiness. However, Ophelia soon felt the sting of betrayal for the second time as she realized that the outside girl wasn’t a friend at all, but a manipulative enemy.

After finding out that she was truly alone, her goal was to live a normal life; that was all she wanted. For some people, though, normalcy is far away, and nothing can bring it closer.

Even after finally achieving her goal, it was once again shattered and taken away… by herself.

(Note: this book will no longer be in print after 2012.)

Buy The Outside Girl on Amazon!

I haven't published fiction since then, but poetry became my primary goal. I currently have 2 books of poetry published, both through Broken Publications, my independent publishing company. Napkin Poetry was published in 2010 and Strangers with Familiar Faces in 2011. Next year, I plan to publish either a collection of short horror stories or the first part of a trilogy. I'm also fighting an inner battle about whether I want to publish a manuscript I wrote as therapy about my domestic violence experience. Some of that is uncomfortable to relive =).

If you're interested in reading synopses and seeing cover images for either of the poetry books, they can be found here: Jennifer-Crystal Johnson.

Thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to read this post! I hope you're all having a great week so far!

Jen

Permalink Reply by Lisa W. Rosenberg on December 22, 2011 at 8:38am

Hi Jen, The Outside Girl and your poetry titles sound intrugiung. I will check out the synopses. Also sounds like you have some fascinating stuff in the works. I wish you the best in making a decision about the manuscript. Trust your instincts and you'll find your answer!

Lisa

Permalink Reply by Bridget Bowers on December 22, 2011 at 2:36am

I'm currently writing my second book, the second in the epic fantasy series. I released the first book The Path of Light (The Chronicles of Vlandamyuir) back in October.

The Path of Light is an epic fantasy adventure. While an ancient evil stirs, a nearly forgotten prophecy heralds the coming of the Chosen One. Kallum Syer Theras must embrace his birthright and embark on an epic journey across Vlandamyuir with only the clues hidden by the secret Accenderes Order to guide him.

It's been a crazy time learning the ropes and waiting to see how it will be received. I'm learning a lot and meeting a lot of great friends, so that's the big bonus.

Permalink Reply by Anna Leahy on December 25, 2011 at 3:49pm

I've finished a novel based on my grandfather's life coming of age in the Upper Peninsula during WWI. I've been in touch with a couple of agents over the last few months, who read the whole manuscript, said really positive things, but didn't take on my novel. I'll be querying agents in the new year, and I welcome advice, contacts, or whatever. As a poet, I find this part of the process almost as daunting as taking plot seriously--and even more out of my control!

Also, there's a live chat for this novelists group, right? With the semester over, I'm hoping my schedule will allow for me to jump into that. Of course, I already do the live chat for The Submission Mission.

Permalink Reply by Meg Waite Clayton on December 27, 2011 at 1:40pm

UP, family history, and war -- sounds great, Anna!

Permalink Reply by Melissa Aki on December 26, 2011 at 6:51pm

I am in the process of publishing my first fiction novel called All Fall Down about a teenage girl who wins a scholarship and transfers to a prestigious private school, but soon finds herself isolated because she doesn't fit in. In her loneliness, she turns to the one person who gives her attention, the married man she's babysitting for. We meet the main character as a young college student, but through flashbacks we see the origin of her illicit relationship and the effect it still has on her in adulthood.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Bertrand on December 27, 2011 at 10:20pm