/lit/ - Literature

>>22008547
Then surely they would want something set in Ancient Persian times. Because the Persians freed them from Babylon and helped them restore Jerusalem. Surely they would be down for such a book. Right?

Finished organizing my objectives for the next draft. This weekend is gonna be a lot of writing.
>>20823950
Thanks, I will

I finished my first short story just now. Reading it one last time and will submit for the August issue. 5500 words. I hope you like it and please look forward to the novel that follows this story

>>20759044
how kind of him

Southern anon here. I'm starting 3rd Draft on a novel next week. Almost time to mail to beta readers. Now I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

>>20654206
>town has a local publishing house
>can't submit novel because they will claim it's scifi and not speculative fiction despite me not explaining any science at all
>will try anyways because they publish shit with ghosts in it
If it doesn't work out there's always other publishers or self-publishing.

>>20427759
I can't say for certain but of the few people I knew who did resort to crime there are a few things:
>impression that they are one-upped by their siblings or peers even if it's not true, feels they are a disappointment
>extreme pressure to outdo peers and willing to take a huge risk for a huge reward like a kind of magic bullet that always brings them despair at every scheme the fail they have to reinvent themselves and make new friends
>getting into a garage band or cover band, said band doing drugs, crashing at the house, late night tv or card game parties, smoking together, passing a cigarette or joint around at their home basement as highschoolers
>skateboarding (damaging property or being where you don't belong)
>possibly gamble
>fight friends for fun
>friends steal from you then pretend they didn't or become friends again later
>some friends overdose, suicide, get into an accident or get murdered
>get paid to chauffeur people who may or may not be dealing drugs and possibly witness murder, even deal yourself
>wanting to be adored, falling into a cult accidentally that promises fame, sees some shit and get gangstalked
>hears voices after cult forces them to abuse drugs, becomes suicidal
>put into mental institution and forcibly injected on regular basis with rare family visits
>become homeless multiple times
>become missionary/soul winner of some kind with evangelical religion of some sort (Mormon, IFBaptist, Adventist etc)
>end up a temporary worker
>live in a shelter and a foreigner sleeping in the bunk next to you slams your head into the wall never explaining why
>leaves shelter and month later it burns to the ground
>rob a store, or punch a fucking window in rage and break cut your hand when the glass cracks
>join the military after a veteran tries to help you, fuck up and go to separation unit
>considers prostitution and/or trannylife as the next magic bullet
>mind still fucked up from past drug use and unable to form lasting relationships with regular people, can only be around people that are also delinquent, violent and idiosyncratic
Not speaking about myself but I had some close friends that have been through some of these things as I used to hang out to watch their garage band and every one of them ruined their lives and I bet I don't even know the half of what they went through before some of them died.

>>19887004
It is portrayed as good but an antagonistic force of nature/technology. It's not lionizing transhuman utopia but rather exploring how the confusion and shame involved in facing something that "saved the world" from war.
I actually don't know what to call the thing yet but I came up with a few titles alluding to its apotheosis. At first I was unaware of the gnostic equivalents, I mainly had the "spirit of babylon" idea in mind and split it up into the three aspects of the antichrist and the beast(s) and the dragon that gave it power. Because of the spirit of babylon concept, discussions led me to the demiurge and egregore as godlike emergent properties of mankind assuming the spirit of babylon was always part of us, yada yada. At this point I dont know what to call the three things but their animal motifs are the Phoenix, the Scorpion and the Snake respectively. Thought that might be too vanilla.

>>19372963
That reminds me of Lovecraft's novella "the Dunwich Horror" if Wilbur didn't get any POV and instead only focused on law enforcement. ICould be cool exploration of consequences going completely off the rails.
Also since I mentioned it here's a link to the novella: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50133

>>19328483
Yes doctor. It's all me.

>>19192668
>hopefully he's dead
Ended up in the military, shattering his hip and becoming a tranny. I definitely could inspire a novel about the twists and turns of such a life but I don't think I'm ready to analyze it until I see the ending myself.

>>19125993
>Warded Cities
I'm not a big fantasy reader so I can't tell you what is cliche, but I liked this. Not particularly fond of color-coded things but I guess that's okay. What really interests me is the reliance on vulnerable magic, technology trade-secrets and manipulation by poorly understood elite. There's a lot of potential here.
>Shadow Islands
Sounds dangerous. I can see how the sailors here may be opportunistic if not untrustworthy. I do wonder how many people stay on the islands themselves, or even ask what keeps them from searching for a new land. I'm sure there's a reason.
>Thousand Legions
Interesting to see how long this war has been going on. I can imagine the scenery looking very eroded if mountains have been crushed many times over. Perhaps something like the grand canyon, with a lot of ruins.
>Tatters and the Scar
Not sure why anyone would want to go here other than to reach the Scar. This is really cool chokepoint of the conflict.
>Oil Wastes
Similar feeling to the Tatters, I feel like no one would want to stay here long.
>Hermetic Houses
Weird, but could have cool drama here especially if someone needs their elixirs but ends up encouraged to marry a scion.
>Silent Hills
Sounds like the culture of the Netherlands or Tokyo, Japan filled with demons. Looks like a place to avoid.
>City of Bones
Reminds me of the Warded Cities but the extent of its power is known to be far greater, and one hell of a filibuster from the speaker. I feel like this place could be the most pernicious location in the story, perhaps even a hub of every other place besides maybe the Scar.
>High Way
Not interesting, how are these people different, do they believe anything unique?
>Bladegrass Plains
I like this but the etymology of Bladegrass, and invaders buying it up, might be too on the nose even if you weren't alluding to America.
>Painted Lands
Doesn't seem important. The use of color both here and Warded City makes me feel like something is related. If not maybe Warded City should have use less rainbow symbolism.
>the Icosahedral Throne, Protectorates, and Flameheart
This is a cool depiction of continuity of government, and I want to know their Emperor's endgame and how it ties into the main plot. The Protectorates sound remarkably peaceful and Flameheart reminds me of Corsica. Will Flameheart get its Napolean and overthrow the Throne?
>Screamy Bone Hordes and Ashlands
lel

You did pretty good at avoiding monolithic societies, but try to flesh them out if you think you can. The Throne/Protectorates/Flameheart has great depth, but even a place like City of Bones might have a variety of people within if there's no complex political dynamic. I would also make sure more of the locations are tied to each other in the story. For example, Ashland's current state could have some plot relevance to other locations.

>need to make a comp title in a couple months when the manuscript is ready
>mostly read non-fiction but write fiction
Should I just ask my alpha readers to make a comp title for me? I have no idea kind of post-singularity scifi has come out in the past 10 years.
Anyways, this one has a mundane small-town setting just as the "knee of the curve" has been achieved and the AI begins to convert humanity rapidly. It's not spaceships and cyberpunk, but hometown, gardens, churches and stores for the majority of the story. Things do go terribly wrong in the protagonist's perception, but I leave it ambiguous as to whether it's AI induced or not.

CHAR-
BY-
DYS