Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
Short stories for Amazon.
As my health has been majorly affected recently, leaving me depleted of energy, just wondering if I concentrate on a few short stories(a few pages in length perhaps) could I upload them onto Amazon? Do they accept such stories and what sort of market is there for these?
Comments
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_LT_awkL1NRasVsvOoG_frQ_19?ie=UTF8&docId=1000694083&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-leftnav&pf_rd_r=FPHW25T2T3AMXNG93VF5&pf_rd_r=FPHW25T2T3AMXNG93VF5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=f13f7ecf-12d7-40c9-aeaa-1ee78b6ef7e5&pf_rd_p=f13f7ecf-12d7-40c9-aeaa-1ee78b6ef7e5&pf_rd_i=2445826031
With the greatest respect, you seem to be like a chef with a tabletop of ingredients all ready to go, but you won't follow the recipe to achieve the best result.
Don't waste any of your efforts on either. Get yourself well and then go back to the project in hand.
If you have takers that like your work and then you have nothing, in the near future, coming behind your short story to keep them following you this is where you might fall down as a serious author, maybe.
As a tip, make yourself a rota that you can stick to. Apportion your hours to writing, research, reviewing, and social promotion - and try to stick to it.
Perhaps I ought to make that character an accountant to fit in more easily with my understanding of etiquette in polite society rather than the rougher end of the scale? It's the elevated state in life where my mind hangs out...So that would be truer to my writing perspective and more amenable for creating situations. More believable too..
Perhaps I ought to make that character an accountant to fit in more easily with my understanding of etiquette in polite society rather than the rougher end of the scale? It's the elevated state in life where my mind hangs out...So that would be truer to my writing perspective and more amenable for creating situations. More believable too..
No one wants to read same old, same old...
As long as you create a convincing set, an enthralling plot and realistic characters, then you have a story. That is the formula. The details and the execution are up to you.
Accountants…..polite society?
Wow.
Fairly wide brush you are painting with there. As someone who has set up my own business, run it for 12 years and had the privilege of including clients that range from scaffolders, plasterers, builders, joiners to MD's with multi million £ turnovers, I would never be so condescending in my appraisal of their jobs. Also, just because someone is a carpenter - usually the term "joiner" is used - or an accountant it does not denote that they come from either "polite society" or "the rougher end of the scale".
In fact, one of my biggest clients owns a multi million company and is a lovely chap - despite coming from one of the roughest areas in our locality and being "rough and ready" around the edges.
Similarly, my own accountant - a lovely chap - comes from working class background and has built up a successful business employing a dozen people. He started from his tiny back bedroom 12 years go. And he is the most altruistic, kind and sincere person I know - always looking to help others.
Does being working class exclude someone from being polite or prevent them being able to mix in polite society? Working class means exactly what it says… they work. Often in a variety of occupations, not all of them of the traditional, manual variety.
Personally, both my parents are from working class background, both served in the army before undertaking roles in a variety of mediocre paid jobs. My maternal grandfather was a labourer, and sometime painter and decorator, from the rough side of Glasgow. My fathers mother was "in service" to a large country house before she married my grandfather and later became a dinner lady at a local state school. I myself, began work at 15 in 1984 and worked 40 hours a week for £20 pay. When I left my last job in 2005 to set up my business, my annual pay was a little over £15k., a figure that my daughter, in her first job after graduating university last year, has already far exceeded.
Despite my working class background, my grandparents and parents have taught me to be polite and instilled in me the values that allow me to be part of "polite society". In my turn, I believe that I have passed these simple traits onto my daughter.
Being working class does not equate to being "rougher".
But, I digress.
Having read your various posts on several topics, I truly wonder what it is you are seeking from other TB members on this forum.
Stop trying to analyse and decode writing and attempting to slot it into neat, compartmentalised containers.
Just write.
**Rant over**
If any forum members think my comments are not valid and inappropriate, then please let me know and I shall take my leave of this forum.
Gavin
Anyway, I am off for my tea/dinner now.
(Tea = working class)
(Dinner = posher)
I am beyond tired of reading this same thing, over and over - 'How do I write working-class fiction?' Now you've moved on to 'I'm a woman so I'm different' - none of which is at all relevant. You write from who you are and what you see and think and feel - you do not say, I'll write like that other writer does.
Every single writer puts themselves out there in their work. I don't see how it's possible to avoid it. What is coming over constantly is that you don't want to do that; you want to put someone else out there instead. In that case, you will never write anything worth reading, because you keep putting up imaginary barriers to your own creativity.
'...my experiences are going to be unique and not easily transferable in understanding to another's experiences' - yet that's exactly what you're trying to do when you say you're reading this person's working class prose or that person's working class play so that you can emulate them. You've just said that it's not possible.
If you won't listen to us, listen to your own words. I've just hit saturation point, so I'll wish you well, and walk away.
Thus, it seems the best thing to do is research and adapt my writing towards that which conforms more with the accepted formula.
Therefore I need to search out on tumblr etc those professions which reflect those people, like police, nurses, teachers, creative's etc. I'd have more chance of reaching the right type of followers that way to engage with and win over to some sort of subscriber's list, eventually. . Go mainstream.
Just wondering if I should change my main character in the book format to an actual male figure, as opposed to a female, lesbian one I was planning on. Any advise on this..?
It's your story, your characters - write the ones you want to write, that work for you. How can anyone else advise on your main character based on nothing but gender and sexuality? There is no formula - there is only you and your words.
I won't be responding again - I am quite worn out.
And in between each one..."You're right, of course. I must try and avoid crackpot schemes to get followers. So back to the writing and continue onwards." comments from Lydia before a week later...ANOTHER question that's the same as the last but worded differently because Lydia is a special woman, and other people are terrible...and blah blah blah. I reached my exhaustion limit a long time ago and right now I don't give a monkeys if this even gets me booted from the forum. Get off your damn high horse, Lydia. And if you want to write...WRITE!! FFS
A host of opportunity will later present itself with pre-and post-op conflict, and the inner turmoil experienced by the tragedy of the transgender female wanting to revert back to male.
Good luck.
You better believe it... :x
I am another TBer who will not indulge her self absorption any further.
My way of thinking is that you are way beyond a short story. I think others have indicated Novellas start at 20,000. Perhaps have a look at the following link:
https://kdp.amazon.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=615988
To those of you venting exasperation why do you even bother? If you could show an inkling of kindness, like TN has effortlessly managed, that would at least be a smidgen to making this world a better place to live in.