wednes | Not this crap AGAIN?!?

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That's right kiddies, it's time once again for another harrowing edition of me, posting about my NaNoWriMo novel.. Don't be embarassed, you can tell me how stoked you are.

Like I was just posting at my writing journal, I'm worried about sophomore slump kind of things weighing me down (so to speak). I had a really successful time last year, and for those of you who don't know, I'm trying to get my first novel publshed. Not like Vantage Press published, but for serious. As such, I'm not going to be posting everything like I did last year. I will be posting at my writing journal, if only to have an extra copy of everything outisde my hard drive. You just never know about such things.

If a story has suspense, insanity, and bloodiness is it automatically horror or is there more to it than that? One of the things I have the toughest time with is determining what genre I'm actually writing in. I thought Tiamata was horror, but the more I read it the more I think it's a black comedy.

Before I get wise to the fact that I should be writing in my NaNo and not here, I'll mention that I got a funny message from LJ today. For a few weeks actually they've been telling me that my password was too easy to guess and that my Lj might get hijacked. Since I've changed my password, I can safey tell you that my old password was FESTIZIO. Now you tell me who in God's/Goddesses Green Earth who would guess such a thing? I mean, come on!

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I hope you read my latest story - It almost has a point

Your password was a word which might come up in a simple dictionary-style attack. What you want is a password so difficult, the only way to crack it is to try every combination of characters. Best way is to include numerals, upper and lower case, and special symbols.

Using Festizio as an example, here are some levels of Password safety:

FESTIZIO - unsafe. Could be cracked by simple dictionary attack.
OIZITSEF - slightly safer...does not exist in any dictionary, but still consists of a combination of just 26 characters. Would take seconds to crack.
Festizio - somewhat safer...by using upper and lower case, increases the combination to 52 possible characters. Still susceptible to dictionary attack.
F3ST1Z10 - somewhat safer...consists of letters and numbers that are easily substituted for each other, making the password easy to remember.
FESTIZIO69 - somewhat safer...consists of letters and numerals, and is longer than the previous example.
F3st1z1069 - pretty safe...does not appear in any dictionary, uses 62 possible characters, easy to remember, longer than original password.

...and here's a real MOFO version of the password:

F3st[z1069 - Quite safe...uses full character set, longer than original, easy to remember, aaaand (drum roll please) does not repeat any characters.

I don't think there is an exact definition that HAS to fit fiction. But Publishers prefer it. As a rule-of-thumb:

If it's got bloody death, it's Crime fiction.

If it's got bloody death and focuses on the protagonist trying to avoid it, it's a Suspense Thriller.

If it's got bloody death and focuses on the killer's viewpoint, it's either a Thriller or Horror (depending on how weird it is)

If it's got bloody death and incorporates supernatural elements, it's Horror or possibly Fantasy (depending on the degree of focus on the supernatural stuff.) Also, if there is a sustained attempt to invoke a feeling of uncanniness, it's probably Horror.

If it's recognizably derivative of (or a comment on) some other story, and it has jokes or a lot of absurdity, it's Humor.

PSYCHO is Crime fiction or Suspense Thriller; HARRY POTTER is Fantasy Crime fiction; DONNIE DARKO is Horror or Fantasy (despite its humorous details); SCREAM is a Suspense Thriller that also succeeds as Satire, a variety of humor.

Trying to interest a publisher? Probably best to shy away from branding your first stuff as humor; as far as I know the market is very small for humor by newcomers.

Where'd you get the counter? (I'm posting mine in a separate journal)

I saw it last night, but didn't read it because well...I'm incredibly selfish with my time. But I will. Because I have moments of less-selfishness sometimes. ;-)

That is craziness. I'll save that kind of numerology for when I'm famous and someone might actually WANT to highjack my journal.

Good info, though! ;0}

Wow, there's some good info.

I find it cumbersome to have tothink about genre molds; I'd rather just work on plot, character, and theme. But yeah, since I'm looking ahead to publishing serious, I have to think of such things.

This is a good guideline though, and I thank you.

this is the one I've posted here:

http://www.zokutou.co.uk/wordmeter/

And this is the gauge style counter on my info page:

http://www.shipbrook.com/nanowrimo/login.html

The word meter does not change; the gauge style meter will update itself where ever you've posted it, once you update on the site.

You're welcome.

If I were writing a novel, I'd write whatever I felt like, in raw prose...then make my best guess regarding how a publisher could market the book. When I had a good "feel" for the marketability, I'd go back and polish up the writing, with an eye toward satisfying the appropriate audience.

Some writers would consider the re-writing phase to be a terrible, anti-creative thing, but I think it's polite to the readers. (I also know I've never written a piece for publication that couldn't stand at least one rewrite.)

That's basically what i did the first time around. I realized it was much more a black comedy...just a sad ironic story with a lot of amusing sarcasm throughout.

It's going to be bloodier this time around, I swear.

I think it is far too frightening for you

Actually, you should learn to use safer passwords ASAP...you just never know when somebody will find it convenient to steal bits of your identity, even if you're not mega-famous.

I dunno how it happened, years ago, but I got banned off a Penn & Teller message board somehow, and I presume it's because somebody was using my username to make rude remarks (cuz I am fairly careful to be polite online.) I've made sure to be a bit careful, since then.

Since you're not continuing to get stuffy e-mails from LJ, I presume your new login is sufficiently secure for their standards, so don't sweat.

Hmmm...well, practically everything I write would probably qualify as "black comedy" but I hope it usually falls into some other genre.

Come to think of it, the majority of good short Horror fiction is constructed like comedy, building up to a big "punchline."

And some of my favorite Comedy pieces could qualify as Horror (after all, Comedy usually involves something unpleasant)...there's a very gentle radio comedy series from the 30's and 40's called VIC AND SADE (not a reference to the Marquis, by the way) with a standout episode I consider a Horror piece. Vic's son becomes very slowly aware that his father (who's obsessive about fixing things) and his uncle are not quite sane today. It's a very quiet, civilized episode, and it is very funny, but there is a real shiver behind the giggles.

Sounds like a challenge to me!!

I guess I don't really think about such things. But you're quite right in saying that I should. I feel too ordinary for anyone to get up to those kind of shenanegans around me; but i guess you never know.

I have found this "punchline" structure to be true of my on short fic as well. Sort of a slow lead up, some scariness, and than an unbeleivably crazy twist at the end that somehow makes perfect sense. That's what I strive for, anyway.

I also like for each chapter in a larger work to stand alone. I don't know if I'll be able to do that this time around, but I like each chapter to be it's own story with it's own arc and also foster the progression of the larger story. That way Playboy can print it in chapters ;-).

Looks like I proved my point as you have not read it :D

Damn dude, that's telling me.

However, I have an excellent excuse, which is NaNoWriMo which is currently kicking my ass and sapping my free time like a herion addict with an Xbox.

I wish you luck

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Last year someone cursed me. I assume that's why I'm not publsihed yet. My repelling skills are not what they could be.

Not this crap AGAIN?!?

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