Writing Help

This is the discussion to go to if you need any help with your writing or have questions about something when it comes to your writing.

You can ask about anything you want to/ feel you need help with. Plot, characters, names, development, how to get out of a rut, how to word something etc etc.
Don't be afraid to ask what you might think is a stupid question. We won't laugh. Chances are we've been the exact same place at some point. Chances are we'll be at the exact same place at some point.

My only issue at the moment is getting m bum in gear, so I don't have anything to really start off the discussion with. But please don't let that stop you.

I'm currently having trouble with professions. I have a character who lost his memories and I've been showing clips of his past throughout the story, but in the next part he gets his memory back. He was on a business trip and his lover was supposed to pick him up at the train station, but never showed up. Anyway, the story takes place in Albany, he went to NYC for work... But he never told me what his job was!!! And I have no idea what kind of profession to throw him in. Something that requires small amounts of traveling, a couple weeks at a time. I keep coming up blank, any ideas?

What about something web related? I know lots of people who have to travel for small bursts of time, then get several weeks at work-at-home time, then are on the road again.

@Willow: I hadn't thought of that... And my friend suggested a sales executive or journalism. I'll have to think about it for awhile, but at least now I have some things to consider. Thank you for the suggestion!

@melody have you considered real estate, its real open, and requires travel especially if its "corporate" real estate, he wouldn't travel like commercial or residential agents. Corporate agents only leave their office for "million dollar" type deals. Especially in a place like "NY" pricey! I only found out recently that a parking space can sale for up wards of 50 k

@anyone, I will continue my convo from the previous discussion. "Names" do / should they have a "meaning" I am writing about "elves" and I can not just call them "Cris" or Tom so any insight on which, "language" I should base name on. I mean each name will have an English meaning. I intend to stick with one language for the name..that translate into some English significance. <;< **** I'm doing it again. Does anyone understand that..u__u
1. I need to pick a name
2. I need to know what foreign language to base elves names on
3. I need to know does it matter, because I feel just calling my main char Tom will be weird in a fantasy genre..
4. HELP SAVE ME FROM MYSELF...

@Cris: try babynames.com
They have names galore and their meanings in several languages and cultural meanings etc.

@CrisNoWait: I hadn't thought of that either. ^^ Thank you for the suggestion.
And to yours, what Willow suggested is a great resource, I use it all the time. Also, there's Behind the Name. You mentioned before about German names, I think that would actually be a good language to stick with because a lot of the old germanic names have that elvish/medieval feel to them. I found this site Click, maybe if you find a couple you like, you can cross reference the meaning with babynames, behindthename or some similar site. Hope that helps a little.

I'm not sure if this is the proper thread for this...

I need someone to tell me it's okay to intentionally disappoint my readers. I've been doing an almost comic stick in a fic, think of the Trix Rabbit or that squirrel from Ice Age, with one guy chasing and the other not giving him any. It's a source of amusement for readers and I had fun with it for a while. But now I'm ready to move on, the characters deserve some relief and since I always felt sorry for that darn rabbit, I plan to give them what they both want. Readers are going to be upset, putting it mildly. I keep thinking of Ice Age and how the only reason people put up with the movie(s) is to see that squirrel-rat get tortured. The sadists. ^^; I want some writers to tell me it's okay to stick with the plot I had in mind from the beginning despite reader expectation. They got it in their heads that the chase would go on indefinitely, but I never implied it would and never intended for it to. I don't mind if they stop reading, but I don't want to feel guilty for disappointing them.

@Willow & Melody, LOL! Thanks for the handy links, I will use them, I forgot Aarin was in DB mode when I RSVP this morning, and my post got deleted. If anyone is interested I found a hand site for Elf names..Name Generator Elf It help me a lot..

@Arigatomina Your readers expect the unexpected from you, and we know your writing is for lack of a better word "auto-pilot". That is it's beauty, and why so many loyal readers hang in there with you. As for that squirrel, I always want him to enjoy his "nut" in peace, I watch to see if and when it will happen.

From a writers perspective, I wish I had better insight, my feel with my readers I tend to give them what they desire, i.e. I teak my plot for them, that is only if I am not set on the next step in my story. I allow some of their musings to slip in my next update or somewhere along the way. Ironically I do not have that problem with my Original fiction, (all one of them). I stuck to the plot and remain still satisfied that I did not deviate from that outline at all, only if I chose that as the best option for my characters.

You already know some fans, no matter what you do will not be happy with the turn of events. I think its lovely that after a hungry chase, and many a miss that the wolf finally catches his prey.

Arigatomina: I've been struggling with the same issue for a story. I have an ending planned that just might piss a lot of people off. I don't think it's what people might expect as an ending and contains a few things that most likely won't go down well with everyone. (maybe even most)

My decision, after a lot of thinking and worrying, is to go ahead with the ending I have had in mind all along. Because when it comes right down to it it is my story and not theirs. You can't please everyone. That's just the way it is.

I think the most important part of a story is the enjoyment an author has while writing it. If you are writing something you don't want to write it will automatically be worse than if you love every minute of it. So the choice is in a way: Do you want to write something potentially half-assed that you don't want, or write something good that you do want?

It's not really a question of intentionally disappointing your readers, more a question of whether or not you want to change your story to suit someone else's wishes.
I didn't want to do that for my story, whether or not you want to do that for yours is your choice. I don't think you should feel guilty either way.

But you know, maybe people will be thrilled at the change. Maybe they won't be disappointed at all.