Alaia Ballantyne

@josiah @princess-foo

Thanks so much. I’ll keep writing what I’m writing for now… and if that changes I’ll work with it. 🙂

Another side question, for anyone who knows. If I want to write in more of an obscure genre… like nautical fiction (what even is that? well, it’s fiction with it’s setting on or near the sea. So like… ships.) Would writing something less well-known hurt my chances of being published traditionally? Like, would a publisher sooner publish a…[Read more]

@r-m-archer

Thanks so much for that advice! It was really helpful.

I would definitely stay in the same content level… as you said, clean romance and directed to YA. That’s me too. Really, I just want to write some actually decent books for teens.

I think I’m going to start out writing one genre… but I’m sure that will change.

@maddiejay @toklaham-veruzia

Thanks so much for your suggestions! I will keep all of that in mind as I continue to edit the story.

side note: as I research, I’m learning how hard genre-jumping is. It seems to be something that CAN happen… but might be at the expense of being well known and mastering the craft. Those are priorities to me, so I’m okay with ‘confining myself’ to a genre if not doing so means giving them up. But does anyone have ideas of genres I could have…[Read more]

Ah. I thought so. 🙂 (I know them from Ydubs) (well… know is a loose term. Know of them.)

Side note: Are you related to Maddie and Cami Holbrook?

@toklaham-veruzia

thanks so much for all your suggestions on the document! I’m going to look at those later today.

And about her not being very active.,. Yeah. I will look over the story and try to fix that…

but also, your suggestion about the longer story is kinda exactly what this was going to be. I had a plan for a novel, which was about E…[Read more]

I really loved both stories.

I think the repeated first/last line really stood out to me in @kb-writer ‘s. It adds a nice touch.

But the sci-fi aspect of yours, @jennythefaun , really makes it stand out as well.

I think @kb-writer ‘s has a bit more of a mystery feel, what with the clue hunting and suspects and such.

Of course, because of when…[Read more]

@kb-writer

I really like it! You write mystery well. I love that you used the same first and last line.

I got a bit confused at this part, though.

Wayne motioned for me to open the safe. I knelt and punched in four digits: 1045. The door swung open.

Wayne peered in. “I don’t see anything.”

I tried to breathe in courage. “All the flies are dea…[Read more]

@kb-writer @jennythefaun

what do you guys think? I’m also totally game for the vanishing woman idea or whatever else we come up with.

in order to have those comments by the detective, we would have to have a suspect who strongly fits the case as well, so it isn’t obvious who it is.

Ooooooh ok guys one last thought.

My story plans usually have massive holes so use what you can/wish but what if…

we begin the story with a discussion between the sidekick and detective/culprit that ends up being beneficial to the sidekick. Lets him in on a bit of the detective/culprit’s heart, that he’s capable of murder. Maybe something…[Read more]

Also, I really love the ‘detective is actually the culprit’ idea. Especially if the sidekick looks up to the detective a lot.

ooh and if it’s a murder case the detective can end up trying to kill the sidekick in the same way he killed the victim, but that was actually in the sidekick’s plan and the detective is caught. (like, if the sidekick…[Read more]

OOOOOoooooohhhh mystery yes.

I recently had an obsession with Agatha Christie short stories so I’ve read (well actually listened to… they were audiobooks) a TON of mystery short stories.

Just some thoughts, from the ones I’ve read…

The detective, or the characters, sometimes have a seemingly insignificant conversation or comment at the…[Read more]