Need help? Check out our Support site, then


WordPress.com Forums » Off Topic

Desperate call for advice

  1. mysterycreature1
    Member

    Hi Everyone.

    A few of you may remember me from being on here a lot a few months ago - but now I'm rarely on. I still write my blog, but never seem to have time to come on the forums and promote.

    Well, now I have a new blog - I'm joining all the other hopefuls out there and hoping to write a book. This is what the blog is about - the journey towards potential (!!) publication.

    It's a book on my experiences of depression, and I'm at the early stages of planning. For this I need your advice - just for one post. This is the post where I lay out my draft chapter structure - could you possibly have a look and leave a comment with your thoughts? I just want to know what needs to be added, taken away, what you think of the order.

    It's here:
    http://iwanttowriteabook.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/a-call-for-advice/

    and you never have to come back after this if you don't want to! I juts need some help.

    Thanks in advance, Lauren

  2. mysterycreature1
    Member

    It's a quiet world in wordpress it seems!

  3. raincoaster
    Member

    "please critique the structure of my book outline" and "DESPERATE" are incompatable, don't you think?

  4. babaliciou5
    Member

    Yep.

  5. mysterycreature1
    Member

    Hi Guys.

    I don't think they are incompatible at all! I need help, and yes, it may be critiquing and advice from people who know more about writing than me. However, I am desperate - I am completely aware I need as much advice as possible and that I am nothing but a tiddler in the world of writing.

    Consequently this is just a call for those who have the time and inclination to help a fellow wordpress-er.

  6. raincoaster
    Member

    My tip would be to avoid hyperbole, then.

  7. mysterycreature1
    Member

    Well, aside from the fact that hyperbole is quite good fun, and that I am desperate for advice, I don't really see why everyone is getting so up in arms?

    All I wanted was a little help from what had always seemed a friendly bunch of people!

    Blimey!

  8. raincoaster
    Member

    Nobody's up in arms. We think it's funny.

    Why don't you get a copy of Writer's Digest at the library and just read up on book structure? There are only a few people in the forum who've written books, and most of them charge a pretty penny to offer critiques. I charge $45 minimum, for example.

  9. raincoaster
    Member

    That's $45 an HOUR. And as you can see, I'm no copyeditor.

  10. kstafford
    Member

    Oi! :)

  11. mysterycreature1
    Member

    Hi Raincoaster

    Thanks for the advice. I am conducting my own research, just thought tnhat some people might want a blog to read and might have something to say :)

  12. justjennifer
    Member

    I'm reading about 250 blogs in my spare time already. Thank G*d for insomnia and broadband.

    Maybe a writing critique group would be more beneficial for you rather than posting a general cry for feedback. Just sayin'...

  13. cloudyduck
    Member

    I'm new and still have enough time to be friendly - I'm not good at criticism though so I'll probably just say "I like it..."

    Which, I do.
    I think it would be good to have a strong(ish) focus on the biology stuff. It seems there are a lot of people out there who think biology doesn't come into depression (or all the people I talk to are idiots, I'm never sure). Make sure you keep mentioning the neuroscience and all that ;)

    I did also think that Teenage Years should follow on from the first chapter, but that's just me, probably not what you were aiming for.

    I was going to say that Odd Thoughts should be later, but then I thought it might provide a break (if that doesn't sound too wrong) from the rest - I hope I don't sound rude, but I usually like a break or else the reading starts to make me feel down.

    Anyway, general thumbs up. I will be subscribing!

  14. mysterycreature1
    Member

    Hi Cloudyduck (love your name by the way!!)

    Odd thoughts was indeed intended as a break - I don't want everything to get too heavy. It's also interesting that you recommend focussing on the biology. It seems there are plenty of "textbooks" out there, but having a combination of experience and biology is less common.

    Actually, having the teenage years as the second chapter makes more sense - I will change that now!!

    Thanks,
    Lauren

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.

About this Topic

Tags