Creative Differences

The Dangers of the Internet

2009-04-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

I will admit that I have not been writing since before the internet. However, I don't think anyone can say that the net hasn't changed the writing world. People post work online for reviews, self publish, and even blog in the hopes of getting attention and making it into the literary world.

I myself have several sites that I use on a regular basis. I have an account on Booksie, where I post pieces of my novel. I use the forums on Writer's Digest's site to post chapters and stories for peer review.

Today I created an account on an interesting site on Authonomy.com. Authonomy is a site run by publisher HarperCollins where authors post novels and novels-in-progress (minimum 10,000 words). Readers can read unpublished works and then place up to five on their 'bookshelf.' The more people who back a particular book, the higher its rank. At the end of the month, the top five books are reviewed by HarperCollins editors and considered for publication.

The internet is a fantastic resource for writers. But it also has some inherent dangers. Some magazines will not accept stories that have been posted online, claiming that they have already been published. Additionally, stories accessible to the public can be easily stolen. Sure, you might be able to prove that the work is yours, but it might take litigation.

Some sites offer protection from this sort of thing. The WD forums are password protected, so search engines will not see your works. Additionally, the moderators delete posts after a certain amount of time has passed, so no one can see an entire work. Authonomy does not allow readers to download or copy/cut material.

The Authonomy FAQ has this to say on the matter:

It’s immensely unlikely that someone will choose to steal your work; unpublished authors who’ve already invested time and effort into creating their own careful manuscripts are unlikely to want to steal yours, and publishers themselves certainly aren’t in the business of stealing your work – they’ve got plenty of writers of their own.

Some writers are very relaxed about the actual likelihood and impact of plagiarism – others more anxious. As for us, here at authonomy, we believe that your talent is better displayed than kept hidden – and that the chances of good things happening are more likely the more hands your manuscript passes through, and the more people you enlist in your support.

I tend to agree with them. If I keep my work hidden, only sending it to agents and publishers, it may never get the attention it needs. If I put my work on sites like Authonomy it can get recognition by publishers, and the WD forum has been an invaluable resource in tightening my current work and improving my overall writing.

I do try to take a few precautions. I have not posted any of the short stories I want published on a public site. I probably will not post my entire novel, and I will never post the plethera of extra materials I have on my world and characters.

And that is how the internet affects my writing!

Eloeth Drovna

2009-03-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

One thing I would like to do with this blog is character biographies, especially for characters that are somewhat minor in my actual stories. It gives me a chance to flesh out characters, and it gives people who may be reading my stuff in the future some extra insight.

Eloeth Drovna is a character from my novel in progress, The Last Heiress. She is a nasty, evil, hateful woman that is probably one of my favorite characters to write.

A Vischan (as in, from Vische), she is what is known as a creation, or white, mage, which is just what it sounds like: her power lies in her ability to create something where nothing was before.

She was raised almost from birth in a very strict, sheltered environment. So when she was sent out into the world, she had a hard time adjusting. For a while, she lived in a small village in rural Vische, where she acted as a sort of clergywoman: guiding the people in their religion, instucting them in the proper way to live, and performing whatever services she could with her power. Things like healing, helping crops to grow, etc.

When she was still young, she got caught up in events that lead to her saving the life of the then king of Jjan and his family. The king was, of course, very grateful, and offered her a place in the Jjani court. She accepted, jumping at the chance to civilize one of the barbaric Anah'imran countries.

Eloeth entrenched herself in the Jjani court, and if anything happens there, you can bet she is a major player. Over the years, her devotion to the Vischan religion has waned, and her desire to civilize Jjan has translated into an almost unstoppable thirst for power. Eloeth will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and her favored place with the royal family has long meant that the laws do not apply to her.

In The Last Heiress, Eloeth has maneuvered herself into a trusting, though not always friendly, relationship with Jaq, the last Jjani princess and granddaughter of the king whose life Eloeth saved. Eloeth has some strong ideas about how a princess should act and how a country should be run, and when Jaq repeatedly rebels against her beliefs there is trouble between them.

Hello and Welcome

2009-03-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is my blog. It's a place for me to write about my dabbles writing, as well as post some of the short pieces that are floating around in my head.

My name is Catie. I'm a college student, though hopefully not for much longer. :) I live in Atlanta with my cat Penny. Assuming I do not magically become a wildly successful author, I hope to one day teach computer science on a high school level.

I love pretty much anything creative, and I'm always open to trying new projects. My mother is currently teaching me to sew, and I'm working on a dress and a clutch. I am teaching myself to crochet amigurumi, starting with the most adorable little dragon. In the past I've done things such as compile photobooks and create picture magnets with clear marbles.

I also have a blog for my craft projects: aprettypennycrafts.blogspot.com

I got into writing last summer. I'm currently working on my novel, The Last Heiress, as well as several short stories. My goal for the rest of the year is to submit one story for publishing a month. While I probably won't post any of those here, I do plan on writing some flash fiction pieces to post. I've already got a few brewing.

I hope you'll stop by again!

Catie