Help woodchip right a sci-fi novel

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:52 pm

Well I'm about 40-50 pages into my attempt at being a novelist. As with any good writer I need a nucleus of people knowledgeable in certain areas. Those area would be:

1) Hard sciences, astrophysics and general physics in particular

2) American, British, Russian and Chinese fleet operations. In particular marine corps and navy interactions in both equipment and on a personal level.

3) Geo-political positioning 50-75 years into the future.

What I envision is my writing applicable segments of the book involving the above areas and have interested parties critique them as to content and plausibility.

If you care to be my "beta" tester, just remember all my work is copywrited and not for dissemination or in military parlance..."Eyes Only".

Please either post your willingness here or pm me.
If I get this rascal published all who help will be acknowledged on the cover page.
Also I have a thick skin (as if you don't know already) so please do not say something is good when it is not.
Thanks and I look forward to hearing from any who are interested.

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:54 pm

Don't want to be critical but how can you be a novelist if you can't tell the difference between write and right?

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:02 pm

...I recommend making it a children's book.

sorry.. i know jack about that stuff. My mom is a writter and when she needs this kind of info she winds up reading 4 times the amount she writes.

best of luck bud. This is going to take time. Most likely over a year.

Vindicator · Post by **Vindicator** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:07 pm

CDN_Merlin wrote:Don't want to be critical but how can you be a novelist if you can't tell the difference between write and right?

He might have been going for 'right' as in 'make correct'. Or maybe I'm giving woody too much credit?

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:21 pm

When I was going though high school and college I wrote a 700 page fantasy novel. I still have it, as I need to go back through and revise it one of these days.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:35 pm

CDN_Merlin wrote:Don't want to be critical but how can you be a novelist if you can't tell the difference between write and right?

And how can you critique if you cannot understand how to read a sentence?

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:51 pm

I can give you a little help with 1 and 2.

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:07 pm

I don't think I can definitely fall into one of the three categories (maybe number 1?) but I'd really like to give it a good read when you think it needs it. Either completed, in chapters, pages or just a few words

I read a lot of sci-fi books. A whole lot.

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:58 pm

I'll happily play editor =) shame I don't have a scanner 'cause I tend to scrawl all over anything I critique.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:17 pm

Phoenix Red wrote:I'll happily play editor =) shame I don't have a scanner 'cause I tend to scrawl all over anything I critique.

Don't worry, this is the electronic age. I'll either send it as a ms word doc. or copy and paste to a pm.

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:28 pm

woodchip wrote:
CDN_Merlin wrote:Don't want to be critical but how can you be a novelist if you can't tell the difference between write and right?
And how can you critique if you cannot understand how to read a sentence?

Help woodchip right a sci-fi novel

Oh yeah, this makes perfect sense now. It should of been write not right.

So learn some English before you start writing.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:55 pm

CDN_Merlin wrote:
woodchip wrote:
CDN_Merlin wrote:Don't want to be critical but how can you be a novelist if you can't tell the difference between write and right?
And how can you critique if you cannot understand how to read a sentence?

Help woodchip right a sci-fi novel

Oh yeah, this makes perfect sense now. It should of been write not right.

So learn some English before you start writing.

Heh, my apologies. I thought you were refering to this:

What I envision is my writing applicable segments

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:21 pm

Woodster, I am happy to abide by your "copywrite" - and even your copyright.

If you'd like me to read what you have written, I am more than happy to do so. BUT: you have to be prepared for a LOT of "red ink" on the document you get back.

I am a well-qualified proof reader, with a lot of experience over the last 10 years. I am a stickler for proper grammar, spelling, usage and not splitting infinitives.

I hope you are including supersonic underwater craft in your novel - because by that time, supercavitating weapons (and even remote control fighter craft!) will be pervasive in naval warfare.

Samuel Dravis · Post by **Samuel Dravis** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:44 pm

It's going to be difficult making a story believable in that timeline... Ever read Earth by David Brin? He does a really good job with it - you may want to check it out. Good luck.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 7:50 pm

Sounds like a good hobby. I wrote a short novel based on the game Starfox when I was in 6-7th grade. I actually used people instead of animals though. It was a pretty cool novel when it was done actually. Only over 100 pages though so I don't know if it could be classified as a novel exactly. Then in 8th-9th grade I began writing a new novel. I loved the story, my brother loved the story. It managed to get me into some territory that I didn't have enough knowledge to understand. Re-wrote the first parts of it when I was 17. Then I got stuck in the area where the love story comes in. I wanted to be carefull how I explain this so I quit. I later discovered my book had been deleted a few weeks back so I've started to write it again. I'm at about 30 pages and still going. I changed a lot of things in it and revised it a number of times until it is nearly perfect. However, I will probably still find that unfortunate stopping place again. :\ I want to create a classy love story, not just create the type of love story you see in movies.

I don't plan to complete this novel for a long time.

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 8:37 pm

Samuel Dravis wrote:It's going to be difficult making a story believable in that timeline... Ever read Earth by David Brin? He does a really good job with it - you may want to check it out. Good luck.

I think I read all of Brins Brightness Reef series. My work will reflect a little of Tom Clancy, W.E.B. Griffin, Alastair Reynolds and David Weber set in a universe large enough to encompass any number of human to human conflicts and human to alien conflicts.
Thanks for all the offers of help so far. I'll wait a couple of days, make up a list of those interested and start sending out portions of the book there-after for comments.

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 8:56 pm

You should have Mobi do it... and then whenever he criticizes something, you can tell him to STFU.

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:43 am

I'll happily proofread and editorially analyze your material, and subject it to close scrutiny for peer review in the fields of internal pseudo-scientific consistency, believable and personable character development, as well as post historicity valuation.

In essence, I'll tell you if its good enough for real publication, and make suggestions about how to improve it for best results.

llClutchll · Post by **llClutchll** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:53 am

I'm Ex-Navy, and about half of my time was spent in the Gator fleet (Marine transports). Let me know if I can help.