Page Turner 2009 Roll Call

Discussion for Platinum members about the current Page Turner Writing Contest

Moderators: RedBaron, RedBaron, RedBaron

Are you entering?

Poll ended at Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:52 am

Unless God takes me home first, I'm in!
14
48%
Probably, so long as my first chapter doesn't stink on ice.
10
34%
Maybe, if God strikes me with a workable idea before then.
5
17%
Probably not; fiction isn't my forte.
0
No votes
No, unless God uses tablets of stone to command me to enter.
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 29

seenthelight
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Post by seenthelight »

This is almost unreal the amount of people who have their first chapter and even most of their novel finished! I'm still slowly fleshing out my first chapter before I start thinking about building the rest of the novel!


:shock: :shock:
~Ruth~

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Deb Porter
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Post by Deb Porter »

Ahh, but Ruth, people like Pup have been working on their manuscripts for 13 years. You're doing just fine. :D

Love, Deb
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JesusPuppy
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Post by JesusPuppy »

I wrote mine, then lost it, found parts of it and tried rewriting it, only to lose in a fire, salvaged some and rewrote the rest, and every time I rewrote the silly thing it changed. Don't stress over it Ruth, if it is meant to be written it wil get there. Whether it is the story you started with or not... thats the big question. :roll:
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seenthelight
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Post by seenthelight »

I have another question, Deb! How much outside help can I get to help make sure I catch the errors before submitting my page turner? I want to make sure that I catch a good bit of stuff, but I'm not the best editor in the world.
~Ruth~

When Jesus said, "It is Finished!" what He really said was, "PAID IN FULL!"

"History is not for the meek in heart."
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Deb Porter
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Post by Deb Porter »

Ruth, you can have it edited or checked as much as possible. It's not like the Challenge.

Love, Deb
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Post by seenthelight »

BreathFreshAir wrote:Ruth, you can have it edited or checked as much as possible. It's not like the Challenge.

Love, Deb
Okay, that's good to know. I'll probably have more questions as I go.
~Ruth~

When Jesus said, "It is Finished!" what He really said was, "PAID IN FULL!"

"History is not for the meek in heart."
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JesusPuppy
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Post by JesusPuppy »

And I thought we were suppose to leave the mistakes to where it looked like we really NEEDED that free edit. :roll:
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And just for the record, I am a Male.

"I am a writer, I do NOT lie... I fictionalise." JP

"The Lord Bless thee, and keep thee.." Num. 6:24

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Post by Deb Porter »

JesusPuppy wrote:And I thought we were suppose to leave the mistakes to where it looked like we really NEEDED that free edit. :roll:
LOL ... now THAT'S funny! :mrgreen:
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Post by Hoomi »

Trust me; Deb will find things we completely overlooked.

(Which is precisely why a professional editor is so important...)
“It is the artist who realizes that there is a supreme force above him and works gladly away as a small apprentice under God's heaven.” ~ Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
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Post by Deb Porter »

Professional nit-picker, don't you mean? :wink:

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JesusPuppy
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Post by JesusPuppy »

I will just look at it as a Weekly Challenge, and figure I will lose anyway. it is easier that way.
....JesusPuppy (or just call me Pup) Image

And just for the record, I am a Male.

"I am a writer, I do NOT lie... I fictionalise." JP

"The Lord Bless thee, and keep thee.." Num. 6:24

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Cypress Times, online Christian news paper.
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Post by pgwhalen »

I will definitely keep working on my submission manuscript, but I am feeling that the first chapter just doesn't have that zing that shorter works can have. It is really setting up the rest of the novel and developing some important characters. Most of the action comes much later in the book, but I will see what I can do to zing it up a notch ;)
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Post by Symphonic »

I'm hoping to enter the contest, so I'd welcome any advice.

I've written quite a few novels for my own enjoyment, but most of them wouldn't work for this, for one reason or another. Some of the best of them are part of a rather lengthy, interconnected series. Others aren't strictly "Christian," in the sense that a "Christian novel" would be (though they're the sort of secular novels that a Christian would read, if that makes sense!).

If I had to choose an existing work to enter, it would be one of two:

1) A work connected to a much longer series, but which is independent enough to be read and understood apart from the series, and would probably work for the Christian market.

2) A work-in-progress that is completely separate from any series, and is much more of a standard "Christian novel," probably, than anything else that I've tried to write.

Right now, I think both of them have first chapters lacking the "zing" that the previous post describes so well. It would probably be impossible to do anything about that for (1), given the structure of the book. I might be able to do something about it for (2) by beginning the novel with a dramatic flashback. Of the two, I think (1) is the better work overall, but it's also somewhat gentle and undramatic. I think (2) has the potential to be much more dramatic, but right now it probably isn't as strong a work.

I might be able to come up with a third idea... but in that case, I would just concentrate on writing a strong first chapter and synopsis, and not write beyond that unless I won.

I hope all of that makes at least a little sense! I apologize for rambling so much... but any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Carol S.
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Post by lyndaschultz »

Duh! I don't know where I have been that I didn't realize what this Page Turner thing was all about. However, now that I clued in (thanks to Joanne) I am going to throw caution to the wind and try this out.

I have two novels in the works that have been gathering dust for several years. Perhaps this "push" will finally get one of them past my desk. :D
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Post by Deb Porter »

lyndaschultz wrote:Duh! I don't know where I have been that I didn't realize what this Page Turner thing was all about. However, now that I clued in (thanks to Joanne) I am going to throw caution to the wind and try this out.
Just lifted a rock, and there you were! No wonder you didn't know about it. :wink:

Glad Joanne explained it to you. By the way, are you getting all your FW newsletters (and 500 ones)?

Love, Deb
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