"Don't choose sides"

No, this is not another thread about ATD and pasoti, as the title may suggest

This is in relation to the short novel I have begun writing and have been doing plenty of planning for recently. The book is called "Don't choose sides" and is about a father and his son during the American Civil War, in 1862. Their homeland is situated between the United states of America and the Confederate states of America, in a state which is dominated by neither force. They have avoided conscription from either force and are making a lonely trip South to Mexico in order to escape the chaos in America. They support neither side and know little of politics, they make the trek on foot and horseback, with nothing but eachother to keep them alive.

I was just wondering if when I have written a substantial section I could make a downloadable copy and share it with the good folk on here and be given some feedback? And also what do people make of the plot?

thanks

I'll read it once you have finished it and give you an honest opinion.

I would suggest that you don't post the whole thing on here though, perhaps a pm first and then you can email as a pdf?

As long as you have learnt the difference between 'your', 'you're' and 'yore'

Personally cobi, I wouldn't be interested in the slightest. This is a football website, not a writer's guild. What relevance does your 'novel' have to Argyle and football ? ... and of course, in answering that, you may well see the problem.
I'm sure our site's moderators would discuss the idea at the appropriate time, when are you planning on having this masterpiece unveilled. ?
In the meantime, any attempt to publish such a 'novel' on ATD would be thwarted immediately, I would assume.
You're a lad and and a half, go out and become two.

Rather watch Shenandoah myself.

The film could have Patrick swayze in it and you could change the title to north and south, this is the non football section though pp so let him give it a go. Really don't like the title though cobi

Greenskin wrote:

Rather watch Shenandoah myself.

Oooooohhhhh !!!!shenendoooooaaaahhhhh !!!

Pitbull wrote:

No, this is not another thread about ATD and pasoti, as the title may suggest

This is in relation to the short novel I have begun writing and have been doing plenty of planning for recently. The book is called "Don't choose sides" and is about a father and his son during the American Civil War, in 1862. Their homeland is situated between the United states of America and the Confederate states of America, in a state which is dominated by neither force. They have avoided conscription from either force and are making a lonely trip South to Mexico in order to escape the chaos in America. They support neither side and know little of politics, they make the trek on foot and horseback, with nothing but eachother to keep them alive.

I was just wondering if when I have written a substantial section I could make a downloadable copy and share it with the good folk on here and be given some feedback? And also what do people make of the plot?

thanks

Cobi, I'll read it but it would not be appropriate to be posted on here, you can put it on a disk or something and hand it to me at the next Freak Meet if you like?

Do what you want Cobi, I'll bet you get bored after 1000 words though.



The biggest problem you'll have is the historical detail...and your prose

Notice I did put this in the half time board. I will not post it on here, I will email it if people wish. 4000 words so far.

Pitbull wrote:

Notice I did put this in the half time board. I will not post it on here, I will email it if people wish. 4000 words so far.

We don't allow duplicate words.

Torn Between Two Rivers

A Plymouth family struggling between the Plym and Tamar, eventually slipping into south Cornwall.

seadog wrote:

A Plymouth family struggling between the Plym and Tamar, eventually slipping into south Cornwall.

Exactly... Write what you know!

Pitbull wrote:

They have avoided conscription from either force and are making a lonely trip South to Mexico in order to escape the chaos in America.

Ah, the peace and quiet of Mexico...a land where the people hate the Americans (twas less than 15 years after they were at war with one another), and a land embroiled in an embittered conflict with the French forces of Napolean.

Pitbull wrote:

Their homeland is situated between the United states of America and the Confederate states of America, in a state which is dominated by neither force.

Where is this exactly?

St Budo.......

Rickler wrote:

Pitbull wrote:

Their homeland is situated between the United states of America and the Confederate states of America, in a state which is dominated by neither force.

Where is this exactly?

On the border between Kansas and Oklahoma

I can hardly wait for the first instalment.

Just one question.

As the Confederacy was much more dependent on conscription than the North which hardly used it at all, why would they head South through Oklahoma and Texas, two states either in or claimed by the Confederacy, towards a country rife with unrest where the language spoken was Spanish, when it would have been far easier to join one of the hundreds of wagon trains heading West for the same explicit purpose of avoiding the war, not that there was much going on in either Oklahoma or Kansas.

They wouldn't have been anywhere near as lonely going West.

Pitbull wrote:

No, this is not another thread about ATD and pasoti, as the title may suggest

This is in relation to the short novel I have begun writing and have been doing plenty of planning for recently. The book is called "Don't choose sides" and is about a father and his son during the American Civil War, in 1862. Their homeland is situated between the United states of America and the Confederate states of America, in a state which is dominated by neither force. They have avoided conscription from either force and are making a lonely trip South to Mexico in order to escape the chaos in America. They support neither side and know little of politics, they make the trek on foot and horseback, with nothing but eachother to keep them alive.

I was just wondering if when I have written a substantial section I could make a downloadable copy and share it with the good folk on here and be given some feedback? And also what do people make of the plot?

thanks

So you've re-written 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy.

Congratulations.

Only why would anyone in their right mind want to go to Mexico to avoid chaos?

Is there any "love" interest?

I have been having a go about Catherine of Aragons arrival in Plymouth, finished two chapters and ground to a halt.

Bogsider wrote:

So you've re-written 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy.

I took it more to be a stated intention to re-write 'The Road' with some rather clever changes to avoid any suggestion of plagiarism.

Modern literature is pretty much a re-gurge of what went before, for all the enthusiasm with which people constantly recommend new books and authors to me I have yet to be impressed this century. Most of it is of course readable but where are the books which imprint themselves on your psyche for the rest of your life?

Hey, perhaps 'Don't care who wins' or whatever Cobi's masterpiece is going to be called will be the one.

Lord Tisdale wrote:

.......
Modern literature is pretty much a re-gurge of what went before, for all the enthusiasm with which people constantly recommend new books and authors to me I have yet to be impressed this century. Most of it is of course readable but where are the books which imprint themselves on your psyche for the rest of your life?

Hey, perhaps 'Don't care who wins' or whatever Cobi's masterpiece is going to be called will be the one.

Try Russell Hoban's "Ridley Walker".

knecht wrote:

Try Russell Hoban's "Ridley Walker".

A world of small co-incidences...

I visited my favourite local independant bookstore a few weeks back: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

...and bought several books. One of them "No one left to lie to", by Christopher Hitchens (a book about Bill Clinton) provoked a discussion with the stores owner as to the state of Hitchens's health? I didn't think 'it' would be long coming, whilst the owner thought Hitchens to have a good amount of time left.

When I checked in online a fews hours later --
"the Hitch" was dead.

A huge loss to modern literature.

But crawling on...

The point of all this was that I was telling the Shop owner that although I felt I read quite a bit, I read very little fiction, and if he were to recommend one book what would it be?

You guessed it...

Russell Hoban's "Ridley Walker".

I better go back and buy a copy!

So... What's so good about it?