Practice Report: Tinkering

 @ThunderChick2010 Always a classic. Both songs, actually. :D

 @D-MC  @ou_sas

G'nite D-MC.  I'm leaving now.  Better back off or I'll get Tricia to beat you up.  :)

 @ou_sas

I lied.  One more for you, ou_sas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ&feature=relmfu

 @ThunderChick2010  @ou_sas I mean, I have 2 beers left. Tell me about yourself, DT wife. Yes, against your will. Dark Ages style.

 @ThunderChick2010  @ou_sas Uhh you will stay online as I deem fit.

 @ou_sas

And my final one tonight as I bite the dust here . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

Enjoyed it ou_sas.  And Jooseppi, OkcBaby, D-MC, and _____.

:)

 @OkcBaby  @ThunderChick2010 I don't see it....

 @ThunderChick2010  @OkcBaby I'm the DT Playa

 @OkcBaby

 It's just soooooooooo obvious.  :)

 @ThunderChick2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEJ8lpCQbyw

 @ThunderChick2010 Absolutely. One of my favorites too.

 @ou_sas

 Love it.

 @ou_sas

And perhaps one of my favorites by Queen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2JSUXaY-tw

 @ThunderChick2010  @Jooseppi I knew it!

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Aaaaaand sent. My opening chapter isn't too long.

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Andrew.Whiteside@gmail.com

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Then let's get better acquainted in the corner over here...mmhmm.

EMALE PLZ

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Lol. I have a friend who was a writing major who I used to proof for all the time, so  I know how this works.

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Thank you, I would totally send you a sample with my personal copyright, aka I will sue your ass with....okay I trust you. That kinda thing. Lawsuits are the bane of this country.

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Sounds pretty good. And agree wholeheartedly on the characters being important. 

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Solomon is the main character, but I have a lot of POV chapters from other characters, as a story is only as good as its characters.

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Every time you think it sounds silly and far-fetched, just remind yourself, Twiglight is a multi-million dollar bestseller.

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 I guess. This is the basis 

Living a fairly normal life, Solomon is shaken to the core when his love from college is brutally assaulted. Seeking vengeance with murder, he sets off a chain of events that somehow implicates him and his family with the mafia, religious cultists, and people who seemingly cannot die. The good guys are bad, and the bad guys may be good, but it is completely up to you to decide who is right as the end of the world seemingly approaches.

Yes, I am aware it sounds silly and far-fetched, but I don't think it is.

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Or at least jacket cover hook?

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Do you have a plot synopsis you'd be willing to share?

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 oh man, that's a pretty good size manuscript already.

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 About 63,000 ready to go words, and I think I am almost halfway done

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 How many pages have you written so far?

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 I kinda want smart people to read what I have wrote so far

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Big fan of his, and really enjoyed Neverwhere. Also, his TV episodes of Bab 5 and Doctor Who were both fantastic. 

 @ou_sas  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 I liked American Gods quite a bit, I must say. I haven't read the sequel though.

 @ou_sas  @D-MC  @Jooseppi

 (I wouldn't have thought any less of you.)

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ThunderChick2010 Maybe you can do a short story that establishes the setting to give the publishers a flavor for your writing, then work up to the bigger stuff. Though Neil Gaiman's advice for aspiring writers is here: http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/FAQs/Advice_to_Authors

 @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC  @Jooseppi It's hard not to like it as an in-joke though. That's the problem. But I know you're baiting me with that sort of post, so I held off.

 @Jooseppi  @ou_sas  @ThunderChick2010 I'm doing fiction, but wanting to do a saga, at least three books. I've read up on the subject, and am quite aware that first-time writers have serious difficulty getting in, so I definitely want to to do my best to write something that can do more than just be books, if you catch my drift.

 @ou_sas  @D-MC  @Jooseppi

 I just know you passed the strawberry milkshake test tonight . . .

 @ou_sas  @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC If that's the case, then you can feel free to ask but I don't know how much I can help. My previous forays have been mostly focused on non-fiction works, and I have few contacts. I was commissioned to write something after having a previous item published on spec and things went poorly from there. Nothing major, just small-time regional stuff. 

For fiction, your best bet is probably to try to get into a regional journal. Coldcalling publishers is effective for some but if you have a short story published elsewhere they are much more likely to pay attention to you.

 @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC  @Jooseppi Like I said in my 20k post, there's a lot of like-worthy posts on here. Plus I'm generally a jovial guy, which helps my liking disposition.

 @ou_sas  @ThunderChick2010  @Jooseppi We both have babies to feed.

And Jooseppi, you would probably get a thank you and shit if I ever finish it.

 @ou_sas  @D-MC  @Jooseppi

Oops, you're right.  I just saw your like . . .

Btw, I'll report to cleandoe when I see him that you, in fact, do NOT like every random comment.

 @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC  @Jooseppi I think he was asking Jooseppi's advice on that, not mine.

 @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC  @ou_sas I suppose sharing would be the polite thing to do. I consider myself very important, so it will get a dedicated post. 

 @D-MC  @Jooseppi  @ou_sas

How's he supposed to feed that baby working for beer (or personal training sessions)?

 @Jooseppi  @D-MC  @ou_sas

Okay, Jooseppi . . . where's your music?

 @Jooseppi  @ou_sas I will need your guidance later. Will a 6-pack suffice as payment?

 @ThunderChick2010  @D-MC  @ou_sas Absolutely. I pick them well. 

 @Jooseppi  @D-MC  @ou_sas

I see.  One of the cults you spoke of earlier . . .

 @D-MC  @ou_sas I've had limited experience on both sides of that and frustrations on both sides. Publishing is a ruthless business. But once you're in, you're in for good. 

 @Jooseppi  @ou_sas What did you do Jooseppi?

 @D-MC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8XZgfpLbYI New cut of one of my favorites of theirs.

 @ou_sas  @D-MC Yeah, that's the frustrating part. Bad memories. 

 @D-MC Right. The negotiation wouldn't be that new, but I don't have any contacts with different publishers/know who the different publishers are/whatever. That's the side that I think is probably more important for you.

 @ou_sas I think the job is negotiating with publishers and making sure they don't sodomize me.

 @ou_sas  @D-MC

strawberry milkshake

 @D-MC I might be able to, but I don't have any experience doing so.

 @ou_sas Can you do agent stuff as well? You know, once I finish this asshole of a story. I swear, I am over halfway done with this modern day thriller, but now all I want to write about is fantasy and cyberpunk.

#tribulationsofagenius

 @D-MC Here's a full 2 hour concert of theirs from a couple of years ago. That's probably good for 2 hours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB2g60oQD4w

I can give you more if you want, but that's a pretty good sampler.

 @ou_sas Please. I love music that helps me write my novels.

 @D-MC Though you'd enjoy some of their regular stuff too. I can link you if you'd like.

 @ou_sas Gracias

 @D-MC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_tORtmKIjE

 @D-MC I want to say, if I'm remembering it correctly, Blind Guardian's Bard's Song (The Forest).