Stirring up trouble for a newb like me? Forget naming a character after this 'Julie' person, Tom will be next in my book. You my people, Tom!

 

So... let me me see here. We have a Julie/Julian, a Louise/Lou, and a Hannah/Hanne--and someone is writing a novel. The plot thickens. Some days are just more interesting than others, and yes, Tom does belong in your novel.

Jim

 

I vote Professor Plum, in the billiard room with the candle stick!

 

Tom is going to be doing things in a yurt in Pennsylvania--but that's another story (or maybe a novel for the more creative among us). You may want to check that out. Just click on his user name (top left), and you can find out what he's been up to, and what he's capable of.

Jim

 

For your reading pleasure.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...vate-mail.html

 

I never found a local critique group that I fit in with. I went to one that was advertised as "for all genres." They were a great group of people and I liked them for the most part. But it turned out to be 10-12 Fantasy/Mythology writers, 2 very angry Political Fiction writers vs one Young Adult Fiction writer. Their ANTs and PROs are flying on dragons, teleporting themselves into other dimensions, and killing each other off in back alleys. My poor kid was just trying to survive the streets of 1990s Saint Louis with $40 and a handful of clothes he managed to stuff into his backpack. He never had a chance in that crowd.

 

Brilliant. Whatever happened to 'Julie'? No one similar popped up again? You should've warned me to make some popcorn before I jumped into that.

 

I went to a class that was filled with SCI-FI writers and damn.... way too intense. They are a very hardcore and passionate about their nerd novels. (maybe I don't fit in because I call them nerd novels? idk).

Did you finish your book?

 

Near as we can tell, he/she just went gently into that good night. However, if you start signing off your posts with 'tee hee', we'll start to wonder.

So, in your story, does Lou remember her Grandpa from her childhood? It seems to me you'd need some kind of connection besides an old truck in the barn. Now if Lou was a tomboy and liked to help grandpa rake leaves and pile them in the back, take trash to the dump, that kind of thing, then it would make sense that she would have a special interest in the truck. Maybe Lou got her interest in mechanics from grandpa working on the truck together, doing a tuneup, fixing brakes, changing tires, etc. Maybe they rebuilt the engine together when she was 8 and he had a heart attack or cancer or something, and it needed finished put back together. Personally, I would think it would be more romantic if the truck came back to life with minimal work, rather than needing a full on restoration. Kind of like grandpa's spirit being there with it. But that's just my corny 2c.

 

As s someone in Montana, restoring a 49 F1, I'm super intrigued!

Don't forget about winters - they're long and cold. Snow is possible in all 12 months, but the sky is bigger and bluer than you can imagine. Did I mention snow? 10ft last year out my back deck.

Rust is a real thing. They put magnesium chloride on the streets, and with the old iron like these trucks you can practically watch it rust if you drive it in spring thaw.

Not sure where in Montana you'll be set in, but the first drive I want to take after I get done is around flathead lake. The east side is a 30mph curvy road that winds around orchards, wineries, and world class cherry trees. Late spring they all bloom, smell exquisite, and are breathtaking to see.
Don't forget the clarity of flathead lake, or the most famous drive - Going To The Sun road (Google those, you'll be amazed).
​​​​​​Now forget all that. Montana is ugly, and full. We don't need more people moving here. We like that the white tail deer and elk populations are more than people.

Do you have an author name? I'd love to see your books.

 

Hey! I like nerd novels. I like Tom Clancy, they have a bit of SCI-FI in them. I liked Ender's Game but didn't like the rest of the series as much. I did like Ender's Shadow, but again, the rest of that series, not as much. The "Miss Peregrine's" books are kind of cool in a very weird way. I guess they would qualify as Fantasy.

What I really like are adventure novels. Fiction and non-fiction. One of my favorite Young Adult Fiction writers is Watt Key. I like his first-person writing style. One of my favorite Non-Fiction writers is Mark Horrell. He has more of a Personal Journal style.

My book is sort of finished. It is complete, but in what I'll call the third draft. At around 86,000 words it is too long and I can't figure out how to shorten it. I've already cut it down from almost 115,000W. I'd like it to go somewhere closer to 70-75,000W. Young readers are fickle. (So the editors say) It is difficult to keep their attention. (Again, so the editors say) Especially male young adult readers.

 

No 'tee-hee' from me. And I know nothing about cars like that person apparently did. I mean, I don't even know where the blinker fluid goes...

lol, kidding on the blinker fluid.But really, I'm not a car person, this character just screamed to be a mechanic.

And actually, it wasn't Lou's grandfather. Since you all seem semi-interested in the whole plot, I'll give a little more information.

It's not Lou's grandfather. Lou's grandfather was a mechanic and opened a shop in my little made up town called Wilkerson (town has a whole backstory tied to the railroad going through, but not important for this book). Lou's father took over, and he assumed his son would, but Lou took interest and started helping her father at a young age and now she's taken over the shop.

Her romantic interest (Thane) grew up in town, but had some bad stuff happen, **** relationship with his father, and he left right out of high school. He has a half brother who is being raised by their grandmother in this small town (the dad is not around). The half brother (Owen) is also interested in cars and has been helping out Lou and the two guys that also work there, vacuuming out cars, helping with smaller stuff, etc. He wants to be a mechanic when he grows up. Their grandmother dies and Thane has to come back as he's been listed as next of kin, and guardian of his brother. He intends to come back, deal with the grandma's estate, and return to Boston. They discover the old truck and he allows Lou and Owen to get it back up and running again (so yes, much easier with less work) and because he's around, that's how they become closer. The truck means a lot to the kid, but it kind of forces the two main characters to spend time together and get to know each other.

Ok, that wasn't the greatest description, but I'm sure you get the idea.

 

I don't DISLIKE nerd novels, I just don't fit in with those that write them (at least at the various events I've encountered them here in the Seattle area). I love the MEG books by Steve Alten -- love me some giant sharks!

I thought YA was 60-80,000? Have you tried shopping it around as is? If they like the story, a publisher will work with you and an editor to fix the word count (if needed). They won't reject PURELY on word count.

 

I've set my book (series) in a fictional town called Wilkerson, west from Whitefish on Route 93. I fell in love with Whitefish, Glacier and Big Fork... the whole area, while on a road trip. I hope to visit again toward the end of the summer, early fall. I've driven 90/94 and 87/200 across Montana. Love it! When I'm not adulting and doing real work that pays bills, I'm in my car road tripping. I've driven to/through 39 of the lower 48. I love my car and what it does for me, but know nothing about putting one back together, ha!

Snow will definitely be an issue in later books (not for this car), but I can't wait to write about winter. I love snow and over in Seattle, we've gotten NOTHING this winter. I mean, we're not far from the cascades, so there is that, but nothing like curling up with a fire, hot cocoa and a good book!

Hanne Alexis is my author name (It's my first/middle, decided to drop my last name). I'm not published yet though.

Side note, do you happen to be Danish? Christiansen from your profile name is very Danish.

 

Where would you expect to find the rust - would it be something that you'd buff, seal and repaint or would it be something she'd need to eventually replace? For the sake of the book, it'll be up and running by the end, but probably not finished. But what might she suggest for further down the line to bring it back to it's original'ish glory?