I think Im going to start writing a book

"bob and john" (bobandjohn) 05/21/2020 at 15:35 • Filed to: None

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I’ve come to the realization that there are no good motorcycle FICTION books. plenty of biographies , and non-fiction. But nothing really just to feel good and read...

Based off your reactions from the short stories I had posted before, woul d anyone read such a thing?

I might just make it a collection of shorter story (5 or 6 of them, kinda like the BOLOs looks. Or should I make it one larger cohesive thing?

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Story 2

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MonkeePuzzle > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 15:48

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according to all mothers ever, any motorbike story that doesnt end in death or dismemberment is pure fiction

ttyymmnn > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 15:54

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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086443/

bob and john > ttyymmnn 05/21/2020 at 15:55

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....not QUITE what i was thinking of. 

TheJWT > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:03

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Not entirely about motorcycles, but motorcycle-adjacent...

Michael > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:10

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Does "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" count?

ttyymmnn > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:10

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Not a terrible movie, but still kind of fun. Think The Final Countdown , but with a dirt bike instead of Nimitz -class carrier.

CRider > TheJWT 05/21/2020 at 16:16

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Based on that description, I'd say it's about sidecars. 

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:17

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https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry-ebook/dp/B0026772N8

Must admit I lost track and stopped reading it part way through about a decade ago...

Poor_Sh > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:23

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mouse_and_the_Motorcycle

sony1492 > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:29

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I'd read it, short stories are probably the best suit unless the motorcycle is a character on its own

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:30

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Kino’s Journey is a good read and watch. But not wholly bike focused.

I loved Bakuon!! for showing the journey from being a fan of bikes to embracing the culture. I’d encourage more stories like that. Telling stories of new enthusiasts as they learn to ride or go on their first road trip. There is still a  lot of romance in the idea of being on a bike and approaching a fork in the road on a sunny day.

Nom De Plume > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 16:41

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Maybe you should ask some people who actually take writing seriously.

I’d love to pile on in a way that decimated every preconception. Possibly even educate somewhere in the pile of cannily assembled sequence of doors slamming in your face. Hard truth is you can publish anything you want on the internet. Enough people  lift your work, it will get traced back to the source.

DipodomysDeserti > Nom De Plume 05/21/2020 at 17:03

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“ Maybe you should ask some people who actually take writing seriously.”

English professors are terrible people to take advice from ;)

My brother is a writer and a close friend actually won an Emmy for writing. Both earn their livings writing.

thatsmr > Nom De Plume 05/21/2020 at 17:05

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I dont feel like I should go straight to the post on this so Im going to piggyback on yours.

The ability to create a scene and a feel is totally there, but then gets lost in either haulin ass or a chiltons manual.

If there is a story to be told that is not my above criticism, I think there is possibility here

dumpsterfire! > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 17:55

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The quality of the writing and a followable plotline matter more than the motorcycle theme. I would love a fictional character in a real situation like the isle of man in story 1, but the story is first, second and third most important.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 18:15

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Not bad. In reading it, a rough story line popp ed into my head that you’re free to use... where there is another motorcyclist that is absolutely pissing Frank or James off (you can think of a reason or situation), but then that person takes off and he decides it’s best not to give chase... given he had memories of an incident he had last summer that was a close call.

But then he goes off the highway to refuel... and look who is there... the motorcyclist who pissed him off. He goes up to the person and says “Hey... “ just as the person takes off their helmet to reveal gorgeous long hair (ether pink hair or blue hair) and she says “can I help you?”

And he gets stopped in his tracks feeling a conflict of being suddenly massively attracted, but still pissed off.

And you can decide where the story goes from there.

zipfuel > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 22:47

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I’d say give it a try , the bar for self published fiction is not set high...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Dad_Wrote_a_Porno

The vignettes you’ve got feel a bit like a short serialization or comic strip you’d find in the back of an old magazine. Maybe there’s a “continuing adventures of...” series you could do. Motorcycles certainly seem suited for the “shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist...” genre

Having someone else constructively edit would be an asset: a lot of the recent exit blog s from Jalopnik staffers have talked about editors who made them better. There must be communities on the web where people do this for each other.

Longtime Lurker > bob and john 05/21/2020 at 22:48

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Go for it. Shorts stories would probably be easier. The longer stories require more time and planning. But hey if you put in the time and effort you would have a niche product that a lot of people would enjoy.