Besides an Outline... What else do I need to write a story?

[The Judge]

Perhaps this is not the thread for it, but how can a planet detect a FTL ship approaching?

I think you're right, so if there's going to be a discussion on this, it's best dealt with in a new thread, but preferably not in GWD.

 

[Nick B]

I too have decided to use you guys as a free service, only when needed, and not be part of the community. Thanks for all the fish.

 

[jjabrams55]

I too have decided to use you guys as a free service, only when needed, and not be part of the community. Thanks for all the fish.

There comes a time when... a man has to leave and go to work with what he has planned all along. That time has come.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Man, now I have to clean all the coffee I spit out off of my computer screen ...

I've been writing fiction seriously for over five years. In contrast to the OP, I don't feel like I have nearly all the information that I require ...

Ha! Didn't see that. So, let's see, four published novels in, another final editing, my million words written and then some, and I'm still here asking (and occasionally) giving advice. Oops. Good luck to anyone thinking they know enough to go this alone.

But I've also made statements like this, sure I was ready. It's a tough business.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

BTW, I checked what you said about lay vs lie. You were right. Thanks. I may use you guys for that later assuming I don't just find it on google. I think I got the wrong answer before from someone else online. But I just researched thoroughly and now understand the concept.

Thanks again judge.

Sorry. [watch me explode as I rarely do, folks. Roll up. Roll up.]

You don't 'use' a community for anything. We are not a grammar check, or a google replacer. You give, you get. You use, you quickly don't get.

The phrase is, thank you, The Judge for writing an extensive post using your extensive use of grammar. You say you will use google in place of understanding grammar - and here you are with evidence of why you shouldn't.

Good luck in your endeavours. A community is obviously not for you. May you learn everything you need from Google and may it never steer you wrong.

 

[jjabrams55]

Sorry. [watch me explode as I rarely do, folks. Roll up. Roll up.]

You don't 'use' a community for anything. We are not a grammar check, or a google replacer. You give, you get. You use, you quickly don't get.

The phrase is, thank you, The Judge for writing an extensive post using your extensive use of grammar. You say you will use google in place of understanding grammar - and here you are with evidence of why you shouldn't.

Good luck in your endeavours. A community is obviously not for you. May you learn everything you need from Google and may it never steer you wrong.

I can and WILL use the this website for whatever the mods allow me to do. You're not a mod, so stop acting like one. I find your post both insulting and insincere. I don't answer to you. I owe you nothing. No one here owes ANYONE anything more than what the mods require. Until they take up issue with me personally, I am well within my bounds.

Stop pretending to be a mod when you are not the authority here.

I have as much a right to be here as anyone else, up until the mods tell me otherwise.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

You have a right to be here. So far.

What Jo is telling you, and she is definitely sincere, and what quite a few others have said a bit more obliquely, is that coming in and saying "I'm just here to use you people and when I've milked you dry, I'm outta here" is not going to get you any goodwill. Our community, and we are a community and not just another website full of information (though we are that, too), is one built on goodwill, sharing, mutual assistance and courtesy. One who freely admits that he is only here to use us until he tires of us and then throw us on the heap with all the other toys is not likely to receive any of our time and knowledge.

No, nobody owes anything here, in any tangible sense. But we work together, and we play nicely, and that's what makes us the best forum you're likely to find. I would not suggest letting that get away lightly.

 

[Cory Swanson]

Humble is a good thing, friends. The worst arrogance is only a sign of deep insecurity.

Also, people who give freely of their time and expertise like to be appreciated. I'll say it here and now. Thank you to all you folks on the chrons! You have saved me from some bad mistakes and the more I hang out here, the more I learn. If I ever succeed at becoming the writer I want to be, I will owe you all a huge debt of gratitude.

 

[Steven Sorrels]

As @The Judge has covered grammar/word choice extensively (and expertly), and @TheDustyZebra has touched on using this community as if it were Google, I'll focus on the one thing that is niggling me the most.

The lack of respect you have shown people who are going out of their way to provide answers or advice to the questions you have posed is, frankly, a bit offensive. Members of this community have given you helpful tips, and a healthy amount of constructive criticism, in order to help you improve as an author, which you say is your goal. Your responses, however, have implied that you believe that you "know it all", more or less, and do not (or cannot) accept any sort of conflicting viewpoint to your own. Having dealt with the insecurity that comes with attempting to create something that exists only in my head (as I'm sure most here have as well), I understand the natural reaction to be averse to something that doesn't jive with your current thinking. Cognitive dissonance is a hard thing to confront, or even accept. It took a few very bad critiques of my work to realize that no matter how much I thought I knew, the actual depth of my understanding was shallow indeed.

However, if you can not accept the assistance with poise and grace, then you will quickly find that many avenues of potential resources will quickly close themselves off. While a bit of an ego always helps insulate us against the ever-present shadow of self-doubt, arrogance will be your downfall if you are unable to bring it to heel.

Finally, to answer the original question:

All you need to tell a story is an idea in your mind and the passion to share it. Worry about the technical stuff later. No one, and I mean no one, writes a perfect first draft. Or fifth draft. Getting the story written is 85% of the work.

 

[Susan Boulton]

No, nobody owes anything here, in any tangible sense. But we work together, and we play nicely, and that's what makes us the best forum you're likely to find. I would not suggest letting that get away lightly.

Ditto, and if you take part, you will get far more out of the forum than you ever would believe, but you won't if you keep parading your ego around and dismissing the advice of very talented people.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Stop pretending to be a mod when you are not the authority here.

I have as much a right to be here as anyone else, up until the mods tell me otherwise.

It's one of my great joys in life - being here and not being a mod. Imagine having to moderate my responses and be as well behaved as they need to be. It's also not troubling to me that you found my post insulting, although that wasn't my intention, since I found your earlier post just as insulting. Consistency is good.

You missed my point entirely. You have the right to be here, as long as Brian says so, of course. But you have assured the responses you get will now be limited in response (because anyone reading this thread will not wish to assist you again). This, actually, feels like a win-win to me - you get to write your book in peace and we get to be community minded and choose not to be used. So a great outcome to the thread.

And that is entirely sincere.

 

[Brian G Turner]

The original poster stated their intention to leave, and so has now moved on. As it would be unfair to allow criticism of someone who is no longer a member, I'll therefore close this thread.