AG Nordlicht

[Nordlicht]

For those of you who also read English for fun –

I'm working on a new novel, set in Canada in the hippie era, and find it hard to whack my characters and scenes into shape without the usual incisive DSFo comments. So if anyone would like to rub my nose in why this or that doesn't work, or pat me on the back once in a while, please join! Either send me a pn or put down your name in this thread.
While the novel excerpts I'll be posting are in English, of course you're free to comment in German.

The plot in a nutshell:

Maya smuggles a deserting U.S. Army soldier across the border into Canada, where he finds sanctuary at her hippie commune in the Rocky Mountains. It turns out to be short-lived though – the police begins to take an undue interest in the hippies. Tim has a lot more to hide than being on the run from the Vietnam War and seeks refuge with the neighbouring Hutterites, a strict religious group similar to the Amish. Unwittingly, he becomes a window to the fascinating outside world for the young Hutterite widower Samuel. Tim's secret obsession gets out of control when a love affair develops between Maya and Samuel.

I originally started writing the story in German and excerpts of the first two chapters can be found here:

http://www.dsfo.de/fo/viewtopic.php?t=31119

[anuphti]

wow, a story in the Hutter environment.

I would love to join!

Greeting Nuff

[Mr. Curiosity]

So, do you really plan on writing all the stuff in English? Why? ^^ Nevermind .. I'm looking forward to reading your novel in English, as I might also get a chance to improve my correction skills in view of my future job ^^ Just kidding No need to worry.
I liked your first story excerpts, hence you can add me to your AG and I'm gonna do my very best. I hope it's ok for you me taking my time for responses to your texts.

Greetz
David

[Murmel]

I speak English bröckalasweis.

If you care for some sharky business, I am game.

[ChocolateMoose]

A shark's okay since there'll be a doctor on hand  
Great you're still interested in the story, David! I ran it by my German agent and he thought chances that he could place it with a German publisher were slim. So I'll try my luck over here

And I still have a problem with my Nordlicht-Account, it doesn't load the pages properly and keeps logging me out. That's why I'm mostly posting as ChocolateMoose these days. I just really hope all this doesn't mean I'm developing a split personality  

[kasapv]

Ich habe zwar keine Ahnung wie eine AG hier so funktioniert, aber mich interessiert dein Projekt auf jeden Fall. Meine Unterhaltungsbücher im Regal sind eh fast ausnahmslos in Englisch.

First question I have is about the word "commune". I've never come across it in small talk, books, magazines or TV. Maybe I'm wrong, but could it be that it's more a google translation than real life? Wouldn't "community" work better in the sense of realism?

It's more a question than a suggestion though. I might be mistaken and I'm always willing to learn something new.

I just hope I don't confuse your double personality, Nordlicht vs. ChocolateMoose.  

[cascail]

I figured  out that chocolateMoose had to be you, since you had the same avatar and mooses aren't all that common around here!
 I'd love to join your AG.

[Rheinsberg]

Count me in, plz.

[Murmel]

The big question of today: what will it be, a chocolate moose AG or a northern light one?  

[ChocolateMoose]

[kasapv]

I guess commune makes sense when writing about hippies. That seems to be the correct time then.

[mondblume]

I came across one of your excerpts just about two weeks ago and really liked it, so if there's still a place left in your AG, I'd like to join!

I'm just a little afraid that I might not be able to spend hours and hours with it, you know why . But if that's ok ... I'm in.

[ChocolateMoose]

Okay, the AG is open and we're off to the races

mondblume, you're only slightly stressed until early December! After that, you're mine ...

[mondblume]

Hehe, Chocolate Mousse, äh Moose - do you really think that there won't be any chapter eight after chapter seven?

[Nordlicht]

Seven chapters should be just fine for a Lesetrip    

Ooh, I think my Nordlichtaccount is working again

[Micki]

So if you realy write in english I think I`m not good enough in  this.
Very pity.

[Nordlicht]

Tja, dann muss ich halt sehen, dass es so wahnsinnig gut wird, dass ich nicht nur einen nordamerikanischen Verleger finde, sondern es auch gleich ins Deutsche (ach was, in fünfzehn Sprachen - dream big!) übersetzt wird

[anuphti]

I just finished the first 2 chapters, and I just love it!.

I like the way you play with words and you paint little details .

Horses can´t make me stay away from this story.

(Actually know quite a lot about the Amish people, though not that much about the Hutterites)

Can´t wait for the next chapter!!

Nuff with bright eyes

[Nordlicht]

Great you're familiar with the Amish! I'm trying to connect with Hutterites to go over my facts so the chapters set in the colony sound reasonably true.

[Micki]

[Nordlicht]

Mein Wildnismemoir staubt noch bei diversen Verlagen vor sich hin; mal sehen, ob es letztendlich einer will. Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt  

[Mio]

As I'm bilingual, an English-German translator, studied English literature and am supposed to be writing my PhD in English Linguistics (although I must admit that writing fiction keeps me distracted most of the time), I would be very intersting in joining as well. I'd love to see how an English novel develops and whether I can actually also manage to criticise English fiction (I work as a translator for a real estate company...).

May I join?

P.s.: I should say I've never been to Canada, only to the States on some occasions, and I am half British... If that's not too many no-gos then please let me in.