jcenters

Hey guys, I'm a budding writer in need of some advice. I have written a couple of short stories, and just sent one off to a publisher, but I'm not really comfortable with the short story format. When I come up with stories, I like to think BIG.

For the past three years or so, I've been dreaming up a huge, LOTR-style trilogy, and just the other day, I started to write it out of the blue. And so far I think it's working, and working well.

But my main concern is that with this being my first book (And hopefully I can get a short story or two published in the meantime to add some weight), publishers and/or agents won't take me seriously when I come to them with the first book in a trilogy.

So will this work? Or should I try to write something else first as an introduction? I'm really unsure.

Also, I have a couple more questions. First, I've thought about adding some character flaws to my protagonist to make him more human. One thing I've thought about is giving him racist tones that he eventually sheds as the trilogy progresses, but I'm afraid that it may make him unlikeable. Is this going too far?

Also, I made a bit of a goof in my short story submission. After carefully formatting the manuscript, 20 lb bond paper, all that, I forgot to say in my cover letter that I enclosed a SASE and my manuscript, although they were in the package. Will this cause a problem?

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your answers.

Eiji Tunsinagi

If its really that good of an idea, I dont think they'll care if its the first in a trilogy...I dont think....

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"nothing is perfect, nothing lasts, and nothing is finished."

"how will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?"

eleutheromaniac

Most 'epics' were written on the side. Most writers keep three or four projects going at the same time, but their masterpiece is always in the back of their minds. Since a really epic novel can take over 10 years to write, this is probably what you should do if writing is a career choice and not just a hobby.

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Augmented Reality

Talia_Brie

I got good advice once from Sara Douglas, a reasonably successful Australian fantasy writer, that yuor first novel is probbaly not going to get published. That's because this is when you start learning the craft.

That being said, if it's good, it'll be published 1st book of three or not.

Be careful about making a protagonist unlikeable though. The only time I've continued to read a book about a dislikeable character was the Thomas Covenant books, and when I got the the fifth one, and Vain didn't turn into the new Staff of Law I stopped. It's hard to want to follow a dislikable character through a whole novel, let alone a whole trilogy.

And on the short story problem, publishers aren't stupid. If the envelope is there, they'll probably use it.

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jcenters

Thanks for the advice everyone. Guess I should focus on that first book experience and keep my epic in the back of my mind.

As for my short story problem, I looked back over a copy of my cover letter and it turns out I mentioned that I enclosed the Manuscript and SASE in the body of the letter. I've been so busy the past week, I'm having a hard time keeping track of things!

And as for my protagonist, it's not so much that he'll be unlikable, it's more that I want to give him some characteristics that will make him more believable. It's just that certain characteristics may be somewhat unlikable.

Gundampilotspaz

I know that I am working on an epic, at the same time as other projects are going on in my head. Just keep at it. Remember it took Tolkien 14 years to write LOTR, so don't give up.

Gladiator_008

Don't worry about it. If you think epic, write epic. Stories are better epic, I find, and make people go on sometimes an unforgettable ride where they get to know the characters long enough that they care for them. Like in movies and some books, you get to know the character for one book and then that's it, end of story...that leaves you wondering what they did before and after that book takes place, and it isn't a great feeling.

Write epic, and you'll feel a great feeling after you're finished writing. Finishing something as epic as a trilogy or even more than a trilogy is possibly the greatest feeling a writer could ever feel.