This is topic 20. No Serial Killer Stories AND 28. Dont base it on a D&D campaign in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.
I guess these 2 kind of kill my novel then. Seeing as it is about a serial killer who tracks down his victims through the playing of an online D&D game.
Lol.
Reckon I should start something new?
Posted by dpatridge (Member # 2208) on :
Eh... I don't think it means that at all. "based on a D&D campaign" to me, means that the plot itself reads like a D&D.
As for the serial killer stories, most likely he means no "typical" serial killer stories. I mean, think about it, how many hundreds of serial killer stories do you see everyday? On the news, in the newspaper, in TV shows, and even in the horror genre of books.
Your serial killer who makes use of an online D&D game to pick his victims is probably not your stereotypical serial killer. I say keep writing the story and see what you think of it after. I'd be willing to read it.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
CAn someone post a link? I've been over at ERic's blog, but I can't find these rules.
Posted by benskia (Member # 2422) on :
You have to click on the 'read more' link in the blog to get to the rules. They are on the day 1 entry.
Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :
and I think, as Eric said somewhere else, these are not Rules and they're not written in stone and there are exceptions. You just need to be doubly brilliant to pull one of these things off.
Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :
I liked them all except the "no ___ stories" ones: no waking up, no serial killers, no high school. Thing is, I don't see these as drawbacks. I get that they may be common in the slush pile.
I thought about this, and I've written one "MC just woke up" story, and one story in high school. (Out of some 30-40 stories.) Ah, well. I hope the editors will look at the quality of the story, rather than having knee-jerk.
Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :
Am I the only one tempted to take all those "thou shalt not" edicts and try to figure out how to make a clever, new story with them? Heh. Naw, too much trouble.
Posted by J (Member # 2197) on :
Those rules very much remind me of my Trial Advocacy class at law school. We got a lecture on "The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination." The lecturer, a judge and former litigator, began the lecture by saying:
"There are ten commandments to conducting minimally competent cross-examinations. I say minimal competence because it's the lowest acceptable standard. It's also a standard most of you will never reach. But with these commandments, some of you might avoid making fools of yourselves in court. A virtuoso litigator--a master of the craft--can and will break each and every of these commandments. But YOU must NEVER, EVER, EVER break ANY of these rules."
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
quote:Am I the only one tempted to take all those "thou shalt not" edicts and try to figure out how to make a clever, new story with them? Heh. Naw, too much trouble.
That said, we had some fun last week at Liberty Hall with the Do Your Worst Challenge...
Posted by Pyre Dynasty (Member # 1947) on :
Not based on a D & D campaign? What if your selling to WIzards of the Coast? (Just kidding I do belive that you can write a dragonlance novel without clinging to the D & D structure.)
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
Just to clarify, Kathy Wentworth was to some extent talking about WOTF specifically. While WOTF is open to horror stories, they must be supernatural horror, not just crazy serial killer horror.
Posted by BuffySquirrel (Member # 2780) on :
I know publishing professionals who are strongly opposed to the trend of basing characters in Horror novels on D&D characters. Going back to source material and/or basing characters in less well-used traditions might give a new writer an edge.
Posted by frogcat (Member # 2820) on :
can someone post a link please?
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
