Fic Talk > General Discussion
The Writing Thread
nicksgal:
I love when inspiration comes randomly. There's just something great about milling over something minute and then lighting strikes. It's funny that one was a rule #34, though.
RokofAges75:
Yeah, I had that lightning strike of inspiration with both of those stories, and they're both stories I finished in a reasonable amount of time and am happy with the result. I wish I had those bursts of pure inspiration more often! I don't have as good of luck staying inspired with story ideas that I force, compared to the ones that come naturally.
Rose:
1. How has your writing changed over the years?
I'd say I've gotten stronger in getting in a character's mindset and more descriptive. When I do write, I think more about what I'm trying to convey and I plot ahead so everything connects.
2. Is there something you wrote that you wish you hadn't? Is there something you never finished, but wished you had? Is there a genre you've always wanted to try?
Not really, most of my unfinished stories I am actually working on even if it's slower than I used to be.
3. What's most motivating for you? How do you keep the motivation going? What do you do when the motivation wanes (any particular rituals)? What does your inspiration station look like? (e.g., desk, location in your home, not your home at all, etcetera)
My desk is my happy place. It's surrounded by VIP pics, pics with friends, a pinboard with random BSB things, and signed posters. When inspiration wanes I try not to force it because by forcing it I get more frustrated.
4. What are everyone else's rabbit holes? Either in general or a particularly memorable one from the past?
YouTube. It's death by black hole.
5. Does anyone have any writing-related resolutions this year?
To be more focused on fic writing. I started blogging for fun back in 2015 and talk about the music and it definitely pushed me away from fic. Cause it blew up into something I never expected. But fiction is my true love writing wise and my first love so I want to balance it better.
6. So what do you do if you're feeling motivated to write and/or edit, but your brain is just spent on staring at your computer or red/green walls of edits. Do you keep going because you're feeling inspired? Do you take a short recess then come back? In general when you're inspired to write, do you keep going as long as inspiration strikes or do you set yourself time limits? Has that changed at all since quarantining and stay at home orders have happened (increased or decreased)?
I keep going as long as inspiration strikes. If I hit a wall I take a break cause forcing it for me never helps.
7. On the reverse, if you're in an "open/stare/close" mood, how long do you stare before you close? Do you leave it on in the background while you do something else or is a permanent close for the day? How many times a day would you open a document?
I open documents a LOT lol.
8. Where do you fall on the planning scale? Do you have everything planned before you write a single word? (planning) Do you just start writing and let the muses takes you? (pantsing) Are you some combination of the two? (plantsing)
I used to just start writing, now I usually have lots of notes or an outline before I even start.
9. If you're writing away perfectly contentedly and a great idea pops up for far down the line, what do you do to keep it at bay? Would you drop everything to write it? If you have an outline, do you ever go back and change it or are you very rigid about it? Same with characters?
I'm flexible about my outlines. Characters change and I let them go where the story leads them. When I'm inspired, I go with it.
10. What do you finalize first? Characters or plot?
Usually plot. But I never change the characters to fit the plot.
Questions asked in the context of a conversation that can be answered by all:
1. Do you find it hard to keep perspectives balanced? And do they tend to lean toward anyone in particular in any of your writing?
Nick. I live in his head LOL.
2. It seems like you've run the gambit on challenging yourself with your writing. What was your favorite challenge to yourself? What was your least favorite? Is there something you haven't tried yet that you wanted to try?
My favorite challenge to myself was my Remember Me This Way story. I'd never done a full angst on my own before that one and I realized I loved writing it and I was good at it lol. My least favorite challenge was trying to do romance. I did it to see if I could and I did alright but it's not something I'd try again.
3. Can leg choppage be in a YA novel? What pushes it out of YA rating?
LMAO this is great.
4. How do you un-BSB [a fanfic] enough [to publish without getting sued] but not too much that it's an entirely different story?
I think certain stories can do this. Maybe change a few names, it's easier to do with AU but I can think of a few ways to do this with non-AU fics as well. You just have to be more general with the BSB references.
5. I wonder how many other things [The Boys have] done that are more fanfic of them? eg. renting the house in London while working on IAWLT.
I'd love to know this.
Off-topic Questions:
1. Y'all and Twitter, am I missing out?
Yes lol.
2. Camp NaNo Writing group... Should it be named "The Backstreet Project" or something related to AC?
I like both ideas.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on January 04, 2021, 11:01:04 PM ---Yeah, I had that lightning strike of inspiration with both of those stories, and they're both stories I finished in a reasonable amount of time and am happy with the result. I wish I had those bursts of pure inspiration more often! I don't have as good of luck staying inspired with story ideas that I force, compared to the ones that come naturally.
--- End quote ---
I had a couple on Sunday, so I think just being here pulling them out of me, but they're more for plot points than whole stories.
Except my joke fics I keep posting. The only one that seeped into my conscious was the "fanfic as The Neverending Story" one and only because I attached it to a character. See? Characters will get me every time.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: Rose on January 04, 2021, 11:01:50 PM ---My favorite challenge to myself was my Remember Me This Way story. I'd never done a full angst on my own before that one and I realized I loved writing it and I was good at it lol. My least favorite challenge was trying to do romance. I did it to see if I could and I did alright but it's not something I'd try again.
--- End quote ---
2010, the summer of sadness! That was one of my favorite fanfic summers ever, when we were all writing super angsty dramas.
You know, I used to write romance a lot as a subplot, but I think my romance days may be over. The last real romance I wrote was my slash LOL. It's harder now that all the boys are married. I'm more into the platonic bromance these days.
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