Any Budding Pratchetts Out There???

[poohcarrot]

If only you had made that comment 12 days earlier, DD.

I had a break for a month, then was deciding whether to continue or not. I gave myself to the end of September to make a decision. If I went for it I'd have to spend a lot of time on it. So I thoight I'd let fate decide. If anybody made a comment before the end of September I'd do it. Nobody did. So it's suspended until further notice.

 

[Stumped]

Ok, notice revoked! I write. Just for the fun of it really. I wrote three short stories for my school to raise money for charity (sixteen of us took part) as part of a fun event that the school set up so they could build a new gym and pool. Just some simple stories. I won a prize for them though! But I donated it to the charity. *humbled* So, come on PC! If you write the next chapter, maybe I'll write something too. Will there be any more competitions? Maybe for short stories??

 

[Stumped]

pooh, I was so hoping you'd do some more for the story! I've been looking forward...ALL WEEK...for an update. And...nada! Please, please, pleeeaaassseeeee x twenty gazillion can you start writing it again? I am a little too over enthusiastic?

 

[poohcarrot]

Who knows? Maybe one day.

 

[Tonyblack]

Who knows? Maybe one day.

That's Bernard Cornwell's standard reply on his website when people say such things as: "Hey Bernard, will you ever write more Starbuck books?" or "Hi Bernard, Have you ever thought of writing a book about Robin Hood?"

I've learned that it generally means 'NO!'

 

[Maria]

 

[Faerel]

I really wish I'd found this, say.... 6 months earlier. It would have been amazing to enter this competition!
Ah well, I'll just have to settle for enjoying this forum instead

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, Faerel!

 

[Penfold]

Hellooo and welcome Faerel!

 

[ShadowNinjaCat]

Welcome Faerel

 

[Faerel]

Thank you! My, what a friendly forum

 

[Quatermass]

Hey, all. First time poster at these forums, but fairly entrenched Discworld fan.

One of the reasons why I decided to post was that, despite my attempts to write a book in time for the competition, thanks to my perfectionism, I ain't gonna be ready on time. I mean, I have a book and story that can be ready by the end of the year, but it's too damned shallow for my liking, and if I put the current book in to be judged by Terry Pratchett and Tony Robinson, I feel like I am really selling myself short to two people whom I respect. I've put all of my other writing projects on hold while I struggled to finish this one, but unfortunately, I'm gonna have to drop out.

This doesn't mean that I am abandoning the story. It's too good a story to throw away. I just intend to write a better book than a romp.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Welcome Quatermass

I can sympathise with you - I thought about entering but I've got a number of writing projects on the go and one of them is shaping up quite nicely into something I'd like to get published but unfortunately is not about an alternative Earth (or too close to the real one and some events I've been 'playing' with) so I passed simply on time and energy grounds.

I'm of the school of 'if something's worth doing it's worth doing well' so I think you've probably made the right decision - 6 months or so to write 70K - 100K words is a tall order, especially if you have to start from scratch.

 

[Quatermass]

Welcome Quatermass

I can sympathise with you - I thought about entering but I've got a number of writing projects on the go and one of them is shaping up quite nicely into something I'd like to get published but unfortunately is not about an alternative Earth (or too close to the real one and some events I've been 'playing' with) so I passed simply on time and energy grounds.

I'm of the school of 'if something's worth doing it's worth doing well' so I think you've probably made the right decision - 6 months or so to write 70K - 100K words is a tall order, especially if you have to start from scratch.

I'll say. I basically came up with two concept ideas. The problem was beefing it up to the 80K word minimum, and while I managed to find a story that I was (at first) satisfied with, and started writing this draft (in late November, I might add), once I got to the 56K word mark, I realised that this wasn't the book I wanted to submit.

I intend to follow the guidelines of the contest, barring the whole word limit thing, but I won't be able to finish it on time to submit it. Which is a real pity, it was an excellent story concept. Let's just say that my starting off point was, while not completely original, was a what if question that I don't think has been often done in fiction. It was going to be rather fantastic alternative history, but still very possible.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site!

 

[Quatermass]

Welcome to the site!

Thanks. It's a pity that I can't enter the competition, but submitting the work that I have that is so close to completion would be a disservice.

I write by intuitive improvisation (to nick a phrase from Christopher Walken's Bond villain Max Zorin), and the current draft, which I am now discarding, is the 34th draft of the second story concept that I thought of. I wrote at least 21 drafts of another story concept which I later abandoned. All drafts were in varying states of completion.

And this, for me, is normal. The only book that I have completed (and which I was looking for an agent for until Terry's competition came knocking) to my complete satisfaction went through over a hundred drafts, several different settings, and at least ten completed full drafts before I was completely satisfied.

 

[rurustarr]

Pratchett Prize Subs

Hello

Could anyone tell me if they have submitted a manuscript to the competition and received a confirmation email? I submitted yesterday, but nothing has come back from Transworld, so I'm curious if this is the norm.

Thank you

 

[Quatermass]

Re: Pratchett Prize Subs

Hello

Could anyone tell me if they have submitted a manuscript to the competition and received a confirmation email? I submitted yesterday, but nothing has come back from Transworld, so I'm curious if this is the norm.

Thank you

Sorry, can't help you there. I wanted to enter the competition, but unfortunately, my own perfectionism sabotaged me.

As for that, well, there's nothing in the rules about an acknowledgement email. Hopefully, you will receive one later.

 

[rurustarr]

Thanks Quatermass

I gather from writing forums that sometimes an automated response comes back to confirm receipt of the entry, but I wasn't sure whether or not to expect one.
I BCC'd it to myself so I know it went somewhere.

I've never submitted anything to anywhere before.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Welcome rurustarr

Penguin were experimenting with a synopsis submission by email (not a competition and not for manuscripts and they ran it for 3 months) and they did send out an automated email which came back in a minute or so of my sending. As this is for manuscripts I would think that possibly the email would have to be opened before the automated response goes out? Maybe?

I would think that Transworld is also perhaps suffering a staffing problem with the cold weather here and as it's also nearly Xmas they might have been winding down around now for the holidays. As you got your BCC OK, I think you must be safe as the email will show the original date anyway, regardless of when they get round to opening them