# Who here writes novels? (Fandom-related or otherwise)



## Valdin (May 29, 2011)

Just curious, but who here writes novels and what do you write about and why?

You don't have to have had any published yet - or even have finished any.


I'm currently writing my first work, entitled "The Demon Star" which is to be the first of my "The People's of Algol" trilogy.

It plays off on Novusvita, a Mars-sized Earth-like planet in the factual Algol solar system. It's about a human colonists there, David Wells, and his experiences on the planet, as well as a bunch of other things involving the native race of the planet.

It's a realistic sci-fi with elements of the adventure and legendarium genres mixed in. I started writing the novel as an extension of my world-building project wherein I created Novusvita, the setting of the trilogy.

I also plan to write multiple other novels, mainly sci-fi's, horrors and fantasies, unrelated to any of my world-building projects. I'm also planning to write a furry-related novel about people who can become anthropomorphic versions of their animus.


So, if you write, what do you write? =)


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## Aleu (May 29, 2011)

I'm not much of a writer though I do have characters created for role plays and such. I have written short stories about them. Does that count?


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## Sai_Wolf (May 29, 2011)

I don't write novels, nor am I writer, though I have been told I should start.

Also, shouldn't this be in The Writer's Bloc?


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## ShÃ nwÃ ng (May 29, 2011)

Quite a few of us do bro, scroll harder.


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## Radiohead (May 29, 2011)

I'm about halfway through a non-furry novel about "finding a purpose". Originally I was given a prompt and wrote a short story about a protagonist searching for this so-called purpose, but I decided to make it into a novel to expand on her character and her purpose. I don't think I'll finish it. I started when I was 16 and I constantly rewrite parts and revise it. Three years and I'm twenty chapters in. 
I do have a finished novel, unpublished, about the cutesy and odd adventures of a girl and her cat. It's plain but I enjoyed writing it which is all that really matters to me.

I do also have an autobiography in the works. It's currently up-to-date. I'm waiting for something else exciting or important to happen. When I die or get too sickly to write it, my girlfriend or parents will finish the story.


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## Alstor (May 29, 2011)

I'm going to be writing a novel over this summer vacation that's somewhat political. It also involves anthropomorphic raccoons (Animal Farm anthro, not the anthros in the fandom.) It's not going to be extremely deep, as I want to just get into the habit of writing a novel, not creating specific, millennia-deep worlds or epics.


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## Conker (May 29, 2011)

I haven't written any novels (yet?), but my senior thesis was a science fiction novella. I want to write more short stories and novellas and publish them on the Kindle and Nook stores. 

I enjoy writing, but I like the short story genre a bit more right now. Easier to manage, I think.


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## Term_the_Schmuck (May 29, 2011)

I tried once.

Realized I had more patience for short stories.


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## Thatch (May 29, 2011)

Term_the_Schmuck said:


> I tried once.
> 
> Realized I had more patience for short stories.


 
Same. Posted it in chapters, but run myself into plotholes. Tried rewriting the goddamn thing, but ultimately lost interest.


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## anero (May 29, 2011)

I'm working on one but fuck if it's actually a novel. Not particularly fur-based despite being based around werewolves.

It's going to be stupid and probably not worth the effort though. I think, in general, most writers benefit from working on short stories rather than entire novel projects.


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (May 29, 2011)

I'm currently working on a novella with a furry subplot

It's about a hikikomori in an industrial complex who is crushing on an older worker there, mostly.

I'm mostly motivated to write works that contain themes from the surrealist and romantic movements, which I think this current one encompasses rather well, although it dips slightly into deconstruction on both parts, which is rather new for me (but fun!).

Writing is fun o:


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## Kindar (May 30, 2011)

if by 'novel' you meran stories that are longer than just a few thousand words, then that's about all I write. I can't seem to stick to short stories they always take on a life of their own and grow behond my control


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## Valdin (May 30, 2011)

I tried writing a novel when I was twelve about something simmilar to Harry Potter, but more global. Then I lost interest, realised it was too simmilar to Harry Potter and abandoned the work at chapter three.

I began writing again this year, restarting with the novel mentioned in the opening post. I'm now at nineteen chapters. I'm pretty confident about finishing the trilogy. I'm not too confident that it will get published, though, but I'll make it/them available on the interwebz anyway if I can't get it published. =)

Not so sure about writing any short stories. I probably should, though...


Oh, and I posted this thread here as apose to in the Writer's Bloc (what's a Bloc? =/ ) because it's not about any particular novel or anything.

Not sure if it belongs there or not, though.


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (May 30, 2011)

Kindar said:


> if by 'novel' you meran stories that are longer than just a few thousand words, then that's about all I write. I can't seem to stick to short stories they always take on a life of their own and grow behond my control



Because I'm helpful :]

over a few thousand is a good length; I'd suggest letting the writing grow as you go, not stopping it when you feel you're going too long. Long is good :3


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## Valdin (May 31, 2011)

Ah. So mine's still a novella. It might end up being a full-fledged novel when it's done, though.


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## Shouden (Jun 1, 2011)

I've written five novels. (I'd have to dig to find my first one, though.) And even have one published. I'm also currently working on several others and have plans for even more. (It's amazing what you can come up with when you ask "what if?")

Three of my novels are part of a series and I am working on the fourth part in the series (of a total 10 planned). I have two novels that I'm working on that will go together with a series sandwiched in the middle of them.

Those are my main anthro novels. The only other "furry" novels I'm working on is one that is currently entitled "The Days of Blood" about a wolf who lived before and during the time when the Europeans came over and started to kill wolves in massive numbers. And I also want to write a book called "The Last Wolf" which is self explanitory. I also wanted to do a Jack London honor book called "Halfbreed" about a wolfdog who struggles with not being accepted the humans and their dogs nor the local wolves.

The rest are all regular fiction that surround "What ifs". Like "Humanity" that'll be a noire style detective story about a detective who discovers that humanity doesn't exist. Another book called "Myself" that has a plot line I want to keep secret for now.


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## ScottyDM (Jun 1, 2011)

Novels are typically over 50,000 words, but they can be shorter if written for younger readers (upper grade school levels).

Some authors do only short stories or novellas, some do only novels, and some do both. There are different skill sets needed to do novels versus short stories, so one is not necessarily good practice for the other.


I've struggled with the story structure skills necessary to do a novel, so I've been working on acquiring those skills. I started a novel for NaNo 2005 and worked on it off and on most NaNos since. Currently, it's too big as a first novel for commercial publication. The story is about a fox morph living in a human dominated world. I've set this story aside, but should be back on it for NaNo 2011.

For NaNo 2009 I wanted to work on something new and had some loose ideas about a selkie story. By November 1st I didn't have enough focus to begin, so I worked on my fox story instead. I'll jump back into the selkie story someday.

Last year I outlined a novella targeted at a specific market, but the story wanted to be longer than the allotted word count. Come NaNo I ran with it and turned it into a novel. Still working on finishing the first draft, which should be done very soon. This story is about a pair of werewolf brothers who disagree on dietary choices: young native American women, or wild game like deer and elk.

I've got a bang up short story that I never saw as anything other than a short story, but since fully half the people who've read it ask when chapter 2 is coming out, I'm reconsidering. As a novel I envision it could be a sort of romance version of _Enemy Mine_, but with time-traveling paleontologists stranded 70-million years in the past, rather than a human and an alien on a far-away planet.

S~


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## Valdin (Jun 1, 2011)

I added another chapted to my book last night. It also contains the first sex scene (not too pleasing for us humans, as it involves an alien couple with lastly different physiologies).


When I've completed The Peoples of Algol, I'll start work on Darkrise, which is about a bunch of people infected with a virus-type thing that makes their boddies mutate. I've already started planning it - especially to make it as scientifically plausible and believable as possible. It's also gonna be a trilogy. After that, I'll start work on yet another trilogy, entitled SPIRE, which is about a phsychich dude who is hired by a government group simmilar to F.E.A.R. from Fear. He is soon introduced to a world of other phsychics, many of them powerful enough to rather be considered sorcerers, most of them living in secret.

Everything else I've planned so far are either going to be stand-alone novels/short stories or non-series novels that take place in the same universe of The Peoples of Algol.


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## Altamont (Jun 1, 2011)

I'm writing something of a novel/short-story collection hybrid. The chapters themselves are individual, self-contained stories that all take place in the same fictional city, Haven, and they deal with the relationships between humans and "beasts". Thematically and stylistically, it's something of an homage to James Joyce's "Dubliners".

It's also something of a novel in that the stories are also interrelated and characters cross paths with each other throughout, not to mention the inclusion of several faux-biographical articles and footnotes regarding the city's history and the life of the author of the stories, my psuedonymic alter-ego James Barnett.


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## Valdin (Jun 1, 2011)

That sounds very interesting, Altamont. Nice idea.


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## Altamont (Jun 1, 2011)

I aped the psuedo-realism bit from Mark Z. Danielewski's "House of Leaves". That book is insane on so many levels, but the fact that he has footnotes about footnoes within footnotes is just awesome.

Edit: But in regards to _why_ I write what I do, it really comes down to a really strange dichotomy. A part of me really wants to write sci-fi furry stories, and another part strives to write literary masterworks like Vonnegut, Joyce, and Kafka. One day I said "Screw it" and decided to attempt to do both simultaneously.


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## Valdin (Jun 1, 2011)

I just start writing. ^^'


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## ScottyDM (Jun 2, 2011)

Valdin said:


> ... I've already started planning it - especially to make it as scientifically plausible and believable as possible. ...


Cool. I love it when an author takes the time to make something seem plausible.

Kind of a weird thing I've noticed about myself is that I have vastly different criteria for judging sci-fi versus fantasy. In Patterson's _Maximum Ride_ the author had genetically engineered shape shifters. Okay, how do you genetically engineer the ability to change bone structure in a matter of seconds? Now if they'd been cyborgs with smart skeletons made up of millions of nanobots that would reassemble the skeletal shape, then I'd believe it. Or if it'd been a fantasy book and shape shifting was the result of magic, then I'd believe it. Patterson's flying critters had impossible geometry too. Again, either use magic, or set the thing on a different planet with a dense atmosphere so stubby wings work.

You can put zombies, vampires, and werewolves in a novel and I'll go, "Cool. It has zombies, vampires, and werewolves." But if your heroine fires an iron ball from a muzzle loaded pistol, I'll stop reading, scratch my head, and wonder if some guns in the 18th century fired iron rather than lead balls. (Hey, it's possible.)

I saw the movie _Blood and Chocolate_ and wondered why, if the movie was shot in Romania and set in Romania, they used a French term for werewolf instead of the Romanian term.

That's weird, huh.



Altamont said:


> I'm writing something of a novel/short-story collection hybrid. The chapters themselves are individual, self-contained stories that all take place in the same fictional city, Haven, and they deal with the relationships between humans and "beasts". ...


Reminds me a bit of Piers Anthony's _Xanth_ series. But he does it on a novel-by-novel basis. He's got a storyworld and he constructs stories that randomly fit into that world, sometimes with overlapping characters.

It can be a good approach.

S~


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## Valdin (Jun 2, 2011)

Exactly. I can't stand a story if it's not believable, including my own. =/


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## Shouden (Jun 2, 2011)

Yeah I always try to make my stories seem believable. I always am doing research and looking up stuff. It's also one reason why my superheroes don't have a "kryptonite" like weakness. Instead, they always have either a medical issue or phobia that can make them weak or make them not pursue a criminal or path. I think that's much more believable, because, when you get down to it, superheroes are human...or furry...or whatever.

But, yes, I always try to make my stories believable.


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## Valdin (Jun 2, 2011)

That brings me to another topic. How much research do you guys do while/before writing a novel?


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Jun 2, 2011)

I never write about anything I'm not already acquainted with, but I always do auxiliary research as well, to make sure the facts are straight.

Usually an hour of wikiwalk for me


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## Shouden (Jun 2, 2011)

It really depends on what I'm writing. But, I remember doing a plethora of research on wolves for one of my novels. I've also used translators, wiki...I spend probably as much time doing research as I do actually writing the book. Some of the research is just for fun, and other research is to make sure everything's correct or to figure out what something is called. Like I now know what a sarong is.


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## ScottyDM (Jun 2, 2011)

Valdin said:


> That brings me to another topic. How much research do you guys do while/before writing a novel?


Wow! Ummm.

Even as a poor out-of-work college student living on student loans, I am at this moment in negotiations to try to travel to the Blackfeet reservation in Montana to take a couple of summer courses at Blackfeet Community College. All because I'm closing in on finishing a novel set on the Blackfeet reservation with many Blackfeet characters. The plan is to be there 3 1/2 weeks.

I've already devoured every book as my local library system has on the Blackfeet (7), read many online sources, watched videos on YouTube, endlessly studied Google maps including street view, etc. But none of that is a substitute for being there, breathing the air they breathe, eating the food they eat, spending time with them, or talking with them. I'm not trying to be Blackfeet. Only trying to grok Blackfeet.

And yes, if what I discover means I'll have to change my novel, I'll change my novel.

S~


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## Shouden (Jun 3, 2011)

Good example of effective research: Working on a fight scene for a book and I wanted my character to pull the pin on a fire extinguisher and spray all over an attacking crowd. And, at first, I wanted to go with a foam extinguisher, 'cause I thought it would be all foamy, but when I looked it up on YouTube it wasn't. But they had videos demonstrating the other extinguishers, and I clicked on a video of the powder extinguisher, and liked how it created more of a cloud and figured one could use it as a smoke screen for a moment. So, it's going in the story to do just that.


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## ScottyDM (Jun 3, 2011)

And the empty extinguisher could be an effective weapon too.

S~


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## Shouden (Jun 3, 2011)

Yeah, but it was in an office building, and it makes a good fight scene ender.


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## Valdin (Jun 3, 2011)

I see... I've done quite a lot of research for my novel - well, mainly for the world building project - to make it as realistic as possible. This research includes everything from faster-than-light space travel to the effects of a carbon dioxide atmosphere on human flesh. The internet was my main resource.

My novel doesn't need a bibliography, does it?


Also, if anyone want to check out my novel so far, click the link in my sig.


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## Shouden (Jun 3, 2011)

Novels usually don't need a bibliography. Unless you're doing a lot of quoting from other books and and websites. Or if your publisher says you do.


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## Valdin (Jun 4, 2011)

Okay, cool. That was a pretty stupid question, come to think of it.


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## M. LeRenard (Jun 4, 2011)

I've written one novel, and I'm close to finishing a second.  The first is this [insanely] complex fantasy/sci-fi story about a traveling historian and his struggle to discover things about a fallen civilization.  He runs into major problems when he realizes there's a supernatural reason the past is shrouded in mystery.
The other one is on FA, called Vagabond, about a bum who gets transported to an alternate version of his world that operates on magic rather than technology.  He meets this fox-lady there and eventually starts to find all these crazy connections to the place.  They decide to head back to his world, because as it turns out, the fox is the daughter of an experimental being and she thinks her genes are going to eventually break down like they did in her mother, so they want to try to find the doctor that invented her and see if he can fix the problem before she dies.
This one's less serious and complicated than the other one, although it's getting there.  I guess I tend to just fall into that with novels.

So far as research, I usually just look something up if my knowledge of it is questionable, but I also (at least for first drafts) tend to leave some things vague.  Usually the latter is just if the thing in question is something really complicated that would basically require me to have to learn a whole new skill set (like computer hacking, or martial arts).  It's one of those, "I'll ask someone else later," kind of things.  Believability is something to save for the final draft, I think.
Although it does help to do research along the way and then just edit in corrections when you find them.  I just know that occasionally I'll run into a book that's clear it's only about the research, and the story was secondary to get the knowledge out there (The Shelters of Stone is a good example of that).  And I figure, if you're going to do that, you might as well write non-fiction so that people aren't questioning how much of the book is you taking creative liberties.  I'm not against fudging the details for art's sake.


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## Valdin (Jun 4, 2011)

Your novels sound really interesting, especially the first one. I'll look out for Vagabond. 

I just want my work be as realistic/believable as possible because unbelievability in any story puts me off, personally, and even makes me agitated sometimes.


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Jun 4, 2011)

define "unbelievability"

If it's "This character is doing something completely against what they would normally do" then ja I'd have to agree with you, but if it's "This well embellished and planned out universe couldn't possibly actually happen" then you're limiting yourself quite a bit :/


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## Shouden (Jun 4, 2011)

I was waiting Le Renard to comment on this thread. And his books do sound interesting, I must admit.

Maxwell, well...that kinda depends. If you're writing more of a fiction book than science fiction, then you want to follow the rules of whatever universe the characters are in. However, if you're writing something like a superhero novel or true, off the wall sci-fi, then the laws of any universe can and should be broken. Like a superhero IS a defiance of the laws of physics. To make a superhero, one first has to go, "hmmm...which law of physics do I want to break?" or "Physics...pssh, I'm gonna distort the laws of medical science."

However, even if you're in them midst of breaking the laws of science, you also want your character to be believable. Superheroes are people, too, and they've got emotions and health issues, and bills to pay. Batman is a vengeful, rich psycopath. Superman gave his life to save the world. Spiderman's always an emotional wreck. So, it's not necessarily about a believable world or believable actions. It's about believable characters. 'Cause let's face it: if you're writing science fiction, "believable actions" isn't really what you're going for, huh?


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## Valdin (Jun 4, 2011)

That, and when they break the laws of science (or just down right ignores them) to the point where it's actually insulting.

For instance, I hate Command and Conquer 3's story line because it flies in the face of everything we know about quantum physics. Let's look at the intro clip: So there's this Russian general or whatever and this Russian scientist (both of which are speaking English in improvised Russian accents). They then travel back in time (something I don't have _that_ much of a problem with, aside from the fact that they way they did it looks retarded, but okay). 

Okay, so the slightest disturbance will change history forever. That much they got right. But then the general-person _touches_ Einstein, causing him to _vanish_. Wait, what? How the...? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 But then it gets even better. They go back to their time of origin, and apparently everything is completely different, even though everything is _EXACTLY_ the same, the only notable differences being a lack of nuclear technology and the fact that Japan has become a huge imperial super-power.

In reality, the mere act of traveling into the past will cause an alternate timeline to form because the act of occupying space displaces are, etc.. Further more, if you were to go decades into the past and killed someone really famous (let's forget for a moment that that person just _ceased to exist completely_), the circumstances in the time you came from would be completely different because most people's thoughts would have been effected differently than if Einstein still existed, etc. (not to mention the fact that the inexplicable dissapearence of Einstein would've made headlines). You can't expect to go back to the time you came from and still have the exact same post and secretary, even though that's precisely what happened.

_That's_ an example of unbelievability. Thankfully CC3 wasn't a novel or movie.


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## M. LeRenard (Jun 4, 2011)

Shouden said:


> I was waiting Le Renard to comment on this thread.


I've been busy moving in to my new apartment, so I haven't been on the forums too much lately.

Anyway, so far as bending the laws of physics or whatever, again, this is something that I think you should be allowed to do _as long as it's for artistic reasons_.  Sci-fi movies do this all the time, of course, because film is a visual medium and you want things to look flashy.  Like in the movie version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, they show the monolith, and you can make out its edge and see that it's a three-dimensional box.  In the book, though, it was stated that the thing had zero albedo (reflectivity), meaning that it absorbs all light perfectly.  So you shouldn't have seen an edge.  But hey, what else were they going to do; just paint a black rectangle onto the film?  More accurate, but not as pretty.
That kind of thing doesn't bother me.  Again, it comes down to the fact that fiction is an art form, so you want to occasionally do what's better artistically rather than go for complete accuracy.  You do have an audience to consider.

So far as quantum physics... everybody gets that wrong all the time.  My brain always starts to hurt preemptively whenever I hear or read the word 'quantum' in a movie or a piece of literature, because I'm anticipating what all bullshit they're going to espouse next.


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## Conker (Jun 4, 2011)

Valdin said:


> That brings me to another topic. How much research do you guys do while/before writing a novel?


 Enough to get the job done. For my senior thesis, the alien monster thing that made up the antagonist in my story was inspired by fungi, so I ended up doing a good hours worth of research on fungi and how they reproduce and whatnot. Used some of it. 

I want to do another sci fi story with some fun biology and such, and I"ll need to research for that one to get everything down correctly. I don't want to lie in my portrayal of facts. 

/hates researching.


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## Radiohead (Jun 4, 2011)

Valdin said:


> That brings me to another topic. How much research do you guys do while/before writing a novel?


 
Depends on what I'm writing. I need a huge sticker on my works that says "I bullshit sci-fi and research everything else".


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## Valdin (Jun 4, 2011)

@M. Le Renard: I suppose that's true, but then one should leave alone what one does not understand.

I mean, I'm okay with having something impossible in a story as long as it is explained or introduced in such a way that it seems plausible (eg. nutrinos from the sun causing the heating of the Earth's core and the destabilasation of the crust in 2012 seemed fairly plausible, even though it is completely impossible - it's still believable).

And I also don't mind small details that much.


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## Shouden (Jun 4, 2011)

But...but...anything that uses quantum mechanics and theories is sci-fi almost instantly, right? And since it's Science FICTION, the laws of quantum physics don't apply, right?


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## â™¥Mirandaâ™¥ (Jun 4, 2011)

It has to be beleivable.

If you write a scifi where your science is bullshit you WILL get called out on it.

It's generally safe to make up new elements/materials, or just to not explain the science at all.

FICTION doesn't mean you can get away with saying bullshit. Usually. See: Dan brown


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## Conker (Jun 4, 2011)

Shouden said:


> But...but...anything that uses quantum mechanics and theories is sci-fi almost instantly, right? And since it's Science FICTION, the laws of quantum physics don't apply, right?


 Depends on the type of science fiction it is. I've read books that go and explain shit with quantum mechanics and those that just say "the engines run" and leave it at that. The ones that do explain things make sure to use correct science though. Or as correct as quantum mechanics can get


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## Shouden (Jun 4, 2011)

Tybalt Maxwell said:


> It has to be beleivable.
> 
> If you write a scifi where your science is bullshit you WILL get called out on it.
> 
> ...


 
True. And I usually try to make my science correct...when it's something I know, but, really, a lot of time I don't explain anything because it's Science fiction. And if I did explain something and my science was off, I would always argue...It's science fiction, meaning not factual when it comes to science.


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## Conker (Jun 5, 2011)

Shouden said:


> True. And I usually try to make my science correct...when it's something I know, but, really, a lot of time I don't explain anything because it's Science fiction. And if I did explain something and my science was off, I would always argue...It's science fiction, meaning not factual when it comes to science.


 Yup! When I was doing genre research form y senior thesis I found an article talking about this. Basically boils down to the difference between HARD SCIENCE FICTION and SOFT SCIENCE FICTION. I thought of penises


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## Valdin (Jun 5, 2011)

@Conker: O... kay...? o_0 (Lol)


Normally I try to use subtle explainations (such as a conversation between two scientists or something). 2012 uses a lot of subtle explainations. I mean, it's completely impossible bullshit (the cause of the catastrophe, I mean), but the creators mannage to make it seem plausible.

But, yeah, even in my non-sci-fi's I'll strive for believability. (Mainly because I want to like my own stories and if I don't find something believable, I don't like it).

For me, believability also includes character behavior and such.


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## scavola (Jun 17, 2011)

I have six novels, of those, four finished, of those, two furry.  I posted the first five chapters of one on my FA page, check it out, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

I had absolutely no control over my writing.  Had a conversation about 'furry' earlier this year and couldn't let it go.  Stopped one project just to make some notes and ended up three weeks later with a book.  Thought I'd make some notes for a sequel and again, three weeks later had another book.  I don't think it gets better than that.


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## scavola (Jun 17, 2011)

I'm constantly researching, from characteristics of animals, human anatomy, foreign language, agriculture, locations, smells, religion, etc.

Checked out your forum, lots and lots of research, I coudn't find the story.


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## Valdin (Jun 18, 2011)

Nice. I'll check it out! =)


The novel's in a hidden subsection for select users on my forum. I made the first 17, I think, chapter public *here*. I revised it again fter I uploaded, so it's not perfect (the first few chapters are quite boring in this version, in fact...).

I'll upload an updated version later.


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## scavola (Jun 18, 2011)

Thank you so much, I look forward to reading it.


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## Valdin (Jun 18, 2011)

Your welcome. ^^

And I read the first chapter of your's. I find it good so far. Check my comment on FA.


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## ScottyDM (Jun 18, 2011)

Valdin said:


> I see... I've done quite a lot of research ... the effects of a carbon dioxide atmosphere on human flesh.


Interesting. Is there much effect on skin? Since it's self-repairing I'd think not, but then I have no experience.

However I do have experience with the effects of CO2 on certain plastics and rubbers. Neoprene swells up, but is otherwise undamaged. For example you can seal a CO2 system with neoprene O-rings, but if you ever take it apart you have to let it set for a day or two or you'll never get the O-rings back in their grooves. Vinyl gets brittle and starts cracking apart in a few months. Silicone rubber is the material of choice for low-pressure tubing and the like.

If someone were to unexpectedly land on a planet with a high atmospheric CO2 content they might have some real problems. For example if the door seals were neoprene-based then after a day or two on the surface they'd not be able to close the doors.

S~


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## Valdin (Jun 19, 2011)

Guess I now know which of those materials the colonists use.


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## ScottyDM (Jun 19, 2011)

Valdin said:


> Guess I now know which of those materials the colonists use.


Vinyl. It'll make for some exciting scenes. 

S~


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## Valdin (Jun 19, 2011)

Yeah... I think humanity at the time in my book are a bit less stupid than that.


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## greymist (Jul 15, 2011)

I am currently working on the third book of a Kitsune Trilogy.  Both the first (A Kitsune's Tail) and second book (Tails of Sorrow) are over 100k words each.


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## Valdin (Jul 15, 2011)

Wow, nice. 

What's it about?


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## Ryffnah (Jul 15, 2011)

I've thought of myself as a novelist since middle school, though, I've actually only finished two novels in all that time.  I spent the last decade writing short stories... which has been good, but I'm hoping to do more novel writing now.

My first novel, "Otters In Space," was nominated for an Ursa Major Award this year, and you can read a lot of it on my FA account:  http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4763833/  I'm about halfway through writing the sequel.  My other finished novel is a parallel piece -- same world, different characters and themes.  "Otters In Space" is more space opera; the parallel novel is more teen romance.  I also have about half of a sci-fi novel about first contact with tiger-like aliens.  So, yeah, all my novels are pretty furry.

(Oh, and "Otters In Space" is actually on sale, free at Smashwords for the rest of the month:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18844)


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## Valdin (Jul 17, 2011)

Wow, nice.


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## McLovintheMonkey (Jul 18, 2011)

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/mclovinthemonkey/
Here's my FA account I have 2 short stories and a DnD story in working on. I've posted 3 chapters and the introduction. PLZ View!


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## Valdin (Jul 19, 2011)

Will do.


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## FlynnCoyote (Jul 21, 2011)

Thatch said:


> Same. Posted it in chapters, but run myself into plotholes. Tried rewriting the goddamn thing, but ultimately lost interest.



Has happened to me twice. I am currently on the third rewrite not because of plotholes, but rather because I kept having ideas for sequels which would be awesome, but would need some tweaks to the first story to work. Character I had killed off needed to now survive, and other ideas then became redundant. It has taken me about four years, but I have the drafts written up for about five novels in a series, a stand alone novel as a tie in between, and a follow up series of a further five. 


Enthusiasm has waned at times, which naturally hampers my progress. I also find that focussing entiely on a single project will destroy your interest, so I work on short stories and such for my own amusement and occasionally at the request of others. 

I have put forth a lot of research, it being a sci fi based story and as such many of my earlier ideas had to be reworked, or in some cases outright deleted. I had toyed with the idea of trying to find a legit publisher and agent, but in reality I will probably publish it myself on lulu as an eBook.

It has really helped me a lot, and my progress between the three rewrites makes me glad i had to start again given the quality of my first attempt. My fanfics on another website also benefited greatly from this experience and I now run a feature there similar to the recommended reading thread found here. 


So in answer to the OP, I am working on it.


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## Valdin (Jul 21, 2011)

Lol, nice.


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## FlynnCoyote (Jul 22, 2011)

Thanks mate. May we both find success!


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## Valdin (Jul 23, 2011)

May we both indeed! ^^


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## buni (Jul 28, 2011)

Three novels so far, all of them at least vaguely furry.

_Child of Man_ I started when I was eighteen and finished... about four years ago. It just breaks the classic "novel" definition at 53k words. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but I hit a point of being closer to done than not done and decided to put it out there regardless. Alex Demont must discover who he really is when he's confronted with a werewolf in his living room trying to save the life of one of his tribemates, poisoned by a shadowy organization bent on their quiet obliteration.

_Beautiful World_ would really be my first "professional" novel, as in professionally edited and published through a publisher (FurPlanet) as opposed to CreateSpace or another self-publishing site. My first real foray into sci-fi and adult content of any length, it follows a graphic artist who falls in love with a digital sentience in a virtual world and has himself uploaded to be with her, and the trials that follow when hackers attack.

_Bonds of Silver, Bonds of Gold_ is still in rough draft but hopefully will be in the paws of my publisher this year for release early next.Stannis, son of Justik, of Barony Jazinsk, sells himself into slavery to protect his family from starvation and bankruptcy. When an envoy from neighboring Deterikh buys him, however, he becomes the centerpiece for an intrigue that threatens the future of both baronies.

I tend not to do an extensive amount of research _before_ I start; I want to get enough down that I can actually have a hope of carrying some amount of momentum. However, I tend to do a heavy amount of research when I write. I learned more about medieval clothing for _Bonds_ than I ever knew while in the SCA.


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## ScottyDM (Jul 29, 2011)

Ishtar5 said:


> I also find that focussing entiely on a single project will destroy your interest, so I work on short stories and such for my own amusement and occasionally at the request of others.


That's true for me too. 



Ishtar5 said:


> I had toyed with the idea of trying to find a legit publisher and agent, but in reality I will probably publish it myself on lulu as an eBook.


It certainly wouldn't hurt to find a legit agent and eventually a professional publisher. If you can get some interest that would be huge. Most people don't even get that far.

As for LuLu: Dude if you're going for an e-book forget LuLu, who has zero marketing, and go for Amazon _and_ Barnes and Noble instead. Both make e-readers, both have a zero-cost small publisher option for e-books, both will let you keep up to 70% of retail, and both also require you don't offer the e-book for less elsewhere.

When I think about buying a book, I go straight to Amazon, and I assume others go straight to B&N, but who goes to LuLu first? I'd go to LuLu if I were after a specific book that was available only there.

S~


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## FlynnCoyote (Jul 30, 2011)

I`m aware of Lulu`s terms, but it works out better for me overall. I am a big enough player on several forums to get the word out myself, so advertising wouldn`t be a problem. Ultimately, I`m not doing it for the money, but because I enjoy it. Several forums will see extracts from the book themselves, and related short stories. 

If things change, I will reconsider. I`m a fair way off having it finished atm anyway, so I won`t rule out legit publishing if it becomes viable.  

Thanks for your input though, I always appreciate any help people are willing to give.


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## ScottyDM (Jul 30, 2011)

Ishtar, it doesn't have anything to do with terms. It's all about marketing.

If your highest goal is to distribute e-books to people who know you personally, or whom you've personally sent to your e-commerce page via blog posts and whatnot, then LuLu is perfect. They do have a decent cost structure. But who else will know about your book? The fact that you considered a legit publisher tells me you care about audience.

Both Amazon and B&N have sold a pile of e-readers and represent a huge market. On either (or both) websites there's a real potential to find orders of magnitude more readers than possible on your own. If you're looking for an audience you won't find it on LuLu.

S~


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## Poetigress (Jul 30, 2011)

IMO you'd be better off with Smashwords than Lulu. To my knowledge, Lulu only does PDF for ebooks, and with Smashwords you can offer a wide range of formats (Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.). And they'll list you on B&N and in Apple's store automatically. (Amazon may be coming later, if Smashwords can get things worked out with them.) 

With Smashwords there's still the same problem Scotty's talking about, with having to work harder to steer people there than you do on Amazon, but at least there are more publishing format options (and I think they take less of a cut than Lulu does, too).


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## ScottyDM (Jul 31, 2011)

Poetigress said:


> Apple's store


I was trying to figure out how many Kindles have been sold. Not an easy number to come by as Amazon doesn't release data, but it looks like as of March 2011 there have been 12.8 million e-readers sold worldwide, and the Kindle is 48% of the market. I wondered what constituted an e-reader. Is that a specialized device, or do tablets and smart phones count too? How many iPhones Apple has sold is a number I could look up: 128-million since the introduction of the device.

Being in Apple's store might not be a bad thing.

I've not taken a detailed look at LuLu's offerings for almost 2 years, but PDF only you say? Of course to upload content for POD, PDF is ideal. It is _the_ premier file format when paper and ink is the target. Unfortunately PDFs don't do well with a small screen as they don't reflow unless you're device is running a seriously gnarly app. HTML is awesome when the screen is the target, and ePub is based on HTML.

S~

PS: Barnes & Noble took delivery on just under 3-million color Nooks when they first came out.


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## FlynnCoyote (Jul 31, 2011)

Much to ponder then. Thanks for the input. With this info in mind, I`ll probably have a crack at finding an agent once I have a manuscript completed. I`ll look in the meantime of course, but won`t commit until I am positive that I can. 

Failing that, I will go with Amazon if it is the better site. My technical knowledge is somewhat limited, so I will obviously need to research conversion to the proper formatting as well. 

Thanks again.


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## Valdin (Jul 31, 2011)

I know this isn't technically on the current topic, but I somehow mannaged to unblock the writer's block that's been plagueing me for the past month and added three new chapters to my novel! =D

It's getting _really_ close to completion. When I've finished the first draft, I'll have a read through it myself first to fix any plot and info errors and such before... sending it to an editor, maybe?

I want to get it as perfect as possible before trying to publish.

I have no idea how I would go about having it edited or published, though. xD Perhaps I should complete the trilogy first and have it edited and attempt to publish them together.


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## ScottyDM (Jul 31, 2011)

The NaNoWriMo people are doing summer novelling this year. The July session just ended, but the August session starts Monday. They call it Camp NaNoWriMo. Your ID from NaNoWriMo.org works on the Camp NaNo website as well.

Valdin, you have a great deal of patience if you're willing to finish a trilogy before seeking publication of the first volume.

S~


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## Valdin (Aug 1, 2011)

Well, so far the first novel has taken me seven months. By my calculation, I should still be in school by the time it's completed.

But, on second though, I should probably attempt to have the first one published as soon as its as perfect as possible.

Here's three questions that I'm too lazy to Google:

-How would I go about getting someone to edit my novel? Do I even need to?
-How will I go about finding a publisher?
-How will I make sure it sells? How will I advertise, for example?


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## Obtuse tail (Aug 2, 2011)

I made 6 chapters of a book in 6th grade with a friend.
We kept arguing though, and now all i have left is a binder with all the pages we wrote.
maybe ill photocopy it and post here.


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## FlynnCoyote (Aug 2, 2011)

Valdin, if you want to get it published, your best bet is to look for an agent. Google search should work fine for this. Be aware though, that there are scammers out there who will attempt to steal work to pass off as their own, or simply try to take your money. 

Look for a reputable agent if you can. If you know any published writers, speak to them. No legit agent will demand payment from you, they generally don`t get paid until your book gets picked up by a publisher. Editing is something the agent will handle, though showing it to a trusted friend or two for proofreading is also a good choice if you can. 

You can of course go directly to a publisher if you want, but your chances of success will not be as good. I definitely recommend looking for an agent.

If it is picked up by a publisher, they will generally see to some advertising, it is after all their desire to make profit from their investment. But this does not mean you should stop any attempt at promoting yourself either. There are forums and guilds dedicated to writers, often with their own fanbases. Posting excerpts of your story on forums and such is also a good way to catch people`s interest (check with your publisher/agent first, make sure you`re not treading on any toes by doing this).

Hope this helps. I`m aware of most of the steps needed to get published, my only real hindrance is my own procrastination lol. 



EDIT: Look at this!  http://www.austlitagentsassoc.com.au/finding.html

It`s an Australian site, but the info is good. If you can find a similar place wherever you are you should be set. Also, some agencies aren`t limited to one specific country. 

Good luck mate!


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## Valdin (Aug 2, 2011)

Thanks!! ^^


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## Nameless Vixen (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm working on a couple of novels. One's an epic series I still need to get off the ground. I had a version with about 70 pages written, but I scrapped it and started over.

I've also been writing a story that's not necessarily "furry", but the main character transforms into a wolf partway through the story. It's much shorter but it should reach novel length by the time I finish it.


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## Valdin (Aug 7, 2011)

I've also got an epic series of twelve novels planned on which I'll probably only start _laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaater_.


As for my current novel, I finished Chapters 26, 27 and 28 yesterday. I'll try finishing the final two chapters today.


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## Asm0d1us (Aug 9, 2011)

I would love to finish a novel, I currently do have the beginnings of a fantasy one lying around somewhere that has hit around 20 A4 pages, which pretty much knocks it clean out of the short stories catagory. I really should continue it sometime, though I suspect some scenes may need rewriting. I am starting a sci-fi short story series for my character on FA which may turn out well.


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## Valdin (Aug 10, 2011)

Nice. May check it out some time. 


Oh, and according to my sources:

*Novel*over 50'000 words
*Novella*20'000 to 50'000 words
*Novelette*10'000 to 20'000 words
*Short story*under 10'000 words


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## Lei-Lani (Aug 14, 2011)

I have a published novel called "Exiles of Dal Ryeas". This is my first mainstream, traditionally published fiction. I've had three book signings, with another scheduled in September, with approximately 400 copies sold since January. I wrote this particular book after, of all things, a dream I had. It stayed with me, and I sat down and had two chapters completed before I put the pen down. (Yes, I was handwriting at first. I know it's a lost art.) ^^


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## Valdin (Aug 14, 2011)

Wow, nice! =D


I hope I get mine published...


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## Altamont (Aug 14, 2011)

My short story collection thingie is still technically in the works, but it's hit a snag (don't they all?); I did get an idea for a short story the other day that I felt like could be _expanded_ into a novel. It's about an old man who dies and wakes up to find that his life was just a big computer simulation, like an MMO, and that he's lived a dozen lives before. The problem is, he developed a rare form of simulation induced amnesia where he can't remember his "After Life" (the title). It's the logistics of it that's daunting, short story _or_ or novel. What conflict could I create in what's essentially supposed to be a perfect world?


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## Valdin (Aug 15, 2011)

That sounds hectic.


Perhaps the conflict could be as simple as the dude's inner struggle over the fact that his whole life was essencially fake.


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## ScottyDM (Aug 18, 2011)

Lei-Lani said:


> I have a published novel called "Exiles of Dal Ryeas". This is my first mainstream, traditionally published fiction. I've had three book signings, with another scheduled in September, with approximately 400 copies sold since January. I wrote this particular book after, of all things, a dream I had. It stayed with me, and I sat down and had two chapters completed before I put the pen down. (Yes, I was handwriting at first. I know it's a lost art.) ^^


Congratulations. That is toooo awesome! The genre is mainstream? Who is the publisher?

S~


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## Rook (Aug 18, 2011)

I've hit a bit of a rough patch with my novel (31 pages so far plus at least twenty more pages of notes, related pieces and rewrites)- not because of writers block (I've been pumping out fanfics like no tomorrow) but because of lack of direction. At one point I had a clear idea of where the story was going and what I wanted from it, now I've cast everything into doubt about what the plot will do and what the function of the characters will be. It's more than a bit frustrating and overwhelming.

Another problem is, I feel it would do better a comic than a novel, but I'm terrible at writing outlines. I'm not sure whether to just keep writing and treat the comic as a translation or stop writing and start trying to write an outline again.

Tangled huh?


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## FlynnCoyote (Aug 19, 2011)

Rook said:


> I've hit a bit of a rough patch with my novel (31 pages so far plus at least twenty more pages of notes, related pieces and rewrites)- not because of writers block (I've been pumping out fanfics like no tomorrow) but because of lack of direction. At one point I had a clear idea of where the story was going and what I wanted from it, now I've cast everything into doubt about what the plot will do and what the function of the characters will be. It's more than a bit frustrating and overwhelming.
> 
> Another problem is, I feel it would do better a comic than a novel, but I'm terrible at writing outlines. I'm not sure whether to just keep writing and treat the comic as a translation or stop writing and start trying to write an outline again.
> 
> Tangled huh?



I have had this problem myself. Ultimately you have to decide whether you would rather do one or the other. If your plot seems to suit a different medium, maybe that`s the way to go? 

Personally, I think it would be better to change your plot to suit the format.


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## Valdin (Aug 30, 2011)

For those who care, I my novel is possibly done. You can find it *here*. =)


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## WolfUrameshi (Sep 15, 2011)

I have a prologue for a novel done, and been brainstorming the plot and characters for close to 3 years. XD


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## Poetigress (Sep 16, 2011)

My furry medieval fantasy novel _By Sword and Star_ is scheduled to be released later this year by Anthro Dreams. >^_^< The full announcement's here for more details:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2714638/

I'm currently working on the first draft of another book, most of which I wrote during Camp NaNoWriMo in August. It's one that I'm hoping I might be able to sell to a non-furry publisher eventually, but we'll see once it's closer to being finished.


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## buni (Sep 17, 2011)

I just finished my fourth over the Labor Day weekend. I participated in the 3-Day Novel competition and put down 40,159 words in just under 72 hours.


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## M. LeRenard (Sep 18, 2011)

Keep up that pace and you'll be the next Stephen King in no time.
No, but really, that's incredibly impressive.  I feel exhausted if I can somehow pump out 5000 words in a day.  I can't imagine going for three times that amount.


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## buni (Sep 19, 2011)

Oh, no way can I do that sustained. That was burst output. These days I'm presently in plotting and editing. Novel Three should be out around FC, I hope.


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## Nikita.Richtofen (Sep 29, 2011)

I write novels, I actully have a 14 book series. But I stopped it well, it's 14 books and I no longer desire to continue it, so I just finnshed it. I started writing it as soon as I knew how to write so the first few books are well, dumb. But I do many other things as well. I'm currently working on one right now. I usally write about fantsy, or si-fi. The one I'm working on right now (haven't thought of a title), is a si-fi story, about WW2 actully.


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## anero (Oct 1, 2011)

http://thegamingliberty.com/wp-content/uploads/KOJIMAMGS.jpg

the thing i am working on right now
fight club
in space


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## Banner (Dec 16, 2011)

I've got several on Amazon (or smashwords, or B&N if you don't have a kindle). 
Children of Steel 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TSP1LW
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71041
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Children-of-Steel/John-Van-Stry/e/2940012415516

  Danger Money
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004U2A2DE
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71095
  [FONT=&quot]http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Danger-Money/John-Van-Stry/e/2940012610003

are two of them.
[/FONT]


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## Kapherdel (Dec 16, 2011)

I loved writing novels, even though I'm yet to finish one.  

My main novel at the moment is about a nearly blind women who is captured into a tribe while trying to steal from them.  The tribe found a chapel years ago that removes the soul of anyone who enters, cursing them for life, or most of the time, killing them.  Needless to say that the tribe is evil, although it doesn't appear as it at first.  So it's pretty much about this women and her attempt to stop the tribe, which is taking people from the forest that it's located in and beyond.  I've gotten rather far into it...

I normally write horror (I have an easier time coming up with ideas for it) and I've only done a single short story that was furry.


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## M. LeRenard (Dec 17, 2011)

Yeah.... this is kind of a necro.  I'll close it.


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