Fic Talk > General Discussion
The Writing Thread
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on January 05, 2021, 10:51:50 PM ---I figured anything could happen after murder hornets made it over from Japan. I was right. Unless they get abducted by aliens at the end? But also, maybe?
--- End quote ---
LOL That was my thinking too. Everything that happens in Bethlehem is technically possible. It's just not probable that it would all happen to one group of people over the course of a couple of days. But after seeing how much shit 2020 had thrown our way by May when I got the idea for this story, I just decided, "Screw it, it's 2020!" and went with it.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on January 05, 2021, 10:51:50 PM ---I think the guilt really compounds it when you're already feeling busy, listless, and stumped. I've worked very hard over the years to either stop letting myself feel guilt for things (e.g., taking a mental health day) or use that guilt as a catalyst for action (e.g, I'm in the wrong, so I should do something about it).
A kudos to you for finishing four stories in 2019-2020, that's like two a year!
I was always impressed that you could write 200 chapters of one story and they weren't even really "this is 1,000 words and this is 3,000 words and here's a 500 word chapter." Going over 50 gives me hives. I'd rather write an entire new story unless it needed like ten more chapters to conclude satisfyingly.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, for sure. And the fact that I had been critical of other writers in the past for disappearing or taking months or years to update made me feel that much guiltier for basically doing the same thing. It never got to the point where I felt like quitting fanfic, but I definitely took a little hiatus without intending to.
Looking back, I have no idea how I managed to be as productive as I was in high school and college. I guess I had fewer other real life/adult responsibiliti es outside of school, so I found time for fanfic. But working full time while taking master's classes was rough, especially the ones that required a lot of academic writing. I had nothing left for fanfic during those semesters.
The thought of writing 200 chapters of anything is overwhelming to me now, but I've never been more into a story than I was with Broken and BMS, and I guess that's how I was able to get to that point. I loved writing those stories. And I had no idea when I started them that they would end up that long LOL. Which goes back to what I said about learning to be more concise and lose the fluff, because there was a lot of filler and purple prose in that series.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on January 05, 2021, 10:55:50 PM ---Haha. I see you, now I can't do it anymore.
I did not get to LA to see the grammy museum exhibit and I wish I did. I was very busy/poor the summer of 2019 though, what with planning a wedding, getting married, and going on a honeymoon. I saw a concert in February as well and forgot it happened this past year. I had a conversation with the husband that was like, "Oh concerts! I think BSB was the last one!" And he said, "We literally saw Randy Houser four months ago." Time is odd. What will the first restaurant I go to feel like? Will I be able to see the Boys in August? So many questions...
--- End quote ---
LOL I know, I almost forgot about Book of Mormon last year too. January 2020 seems like way longer than one year ago. Like another lifetime.
The Grammy Museum was great! I had never been to California or even seen the Pacific Ocean before, so it was a bucket list moment for me to get to do that.
I so hope we get to see the Boys this summer. Please, please, please...
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on January 05, 2021, 11:03:27 PM ---LOL That was my thinking too. Everything that happens in Bethlehem is technically possible. It's just not probable that it would all happen to one group of people over the course of a couple of days. But after seeing how much shit 2020 had thrown our way by May when I got the idea for this story, I just decided, "Screw it, it's 2020!" and went with it.
--- End quote ---
Unless the setting is like a weirdness anomaly magnet (like Gravity Falls if anyone else appreciates a well written children's show, haha), then all bets are off just based on location.
Also I see you saying that, but if Nick can be rule #34 of the Backstreet Boys, then collectively the Boys can be "if it could happen, it will happen." Is that a rule on the internet?
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on January 05, 2021, 11:03:27 PM ---Yeah, for sure. And the fact that I had been critical of other writers in the past for disappearing or taking months or years to update made me feel that much guiltier for basically doing the same thing. It never got to the point where I felt like quitting fanfic, but I definitely took a little hiatus without intending to.
Looking back, I have no idea how I managed to be as productive as I was in high school and college. I guess I had fewer other real life/adult responsibiliti es outside of school, so I found time for fanfic. But working full time while taking master's classes was rough, especially the ones that required a lot of academic writing. I had nothing left for fanfic during those semesters.
The thought of writing 200 chapters of anything is overwhelming to me now, but I've never been more into a story than I was with Broken and BMS, and I guess that's how I was able to get to that point. I loved writing those stories. And I had no idea when I started them that they would end up that long LOL. Which goes back to what I said about learning to be more concise and lose the fluff, because there was a lot of filler and purple prose in that series.
--- End quote ---
In one of my volunteer groups, our motto has been "Creativity and Flexibility" this year, and I think that's a perfect motto to stretch into the rest of my life, especially when you're looking at other people. Like everyone has lots of things going on that they might not even talk about, you know? If nothing else, I hope everyone comes out of all this a little kinder to each other.
I know that answer for me! Often at the expense of my grades, oops. I threw myself into my teaching program though and got a 4.0, so you just gotta prioritize what's really important. College age me was like "Friends? Yay!" and then writing in my free time. And academia is its own beast for sure.
Sometimes I find myself adding fluff, but only if it focuses on character development. Like I would write a million chapters of "they argue, but at the end of the day, they're a true family by choice" if it seemed like one of those scenes fit in there. I'm feeling a little bad about the beginning of PNecklace because they don't really physically go lots of places like they did in PBox, but the character(s) are growing and changing a lot! So, who knows?
There's another question for everyone. What's THE story for you that you've written? Are you defined by it and how have you felt about that?
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on January 05, 2021, 11:07:17 PM ---LOL I know, I almost forgot about Book of Mormon last year too. January 2020 seems like way longer than one year ago. Like another lifetime.
The Grammy Museum was great! I had never been to California or even seen the Pacific Ocean before, so it was a bucket list moment for me to get to do that.
I so hope we get to see the Boys this summer. Please, please, please...
--- End quote ---
I've been calling it the before times with my husband, especially since we went to Miami, came back for two days and I got the weirdest headache and high fever, got tested for COVID, had to wait for the results and that was when they were taking weeks. It came back negative, but then I walked back into the world as an essential worker at the end of March and it was... drastically different instead of gradually different.
Oh man, California is for sure my home away from home, so I'm glad you were able to experience it! I think next on my list would be Alaska, New Orleans, Nashville, Mexico, Japan, and France. Maybe Australia, though I'm a little afraid of getting killed by the flora and fauna.
If we all loudly hope and wish together, it will happen.
Rose:
In terms of music being inspiring, I absolutely have a playlist of songs that I have for every story I ever write. Basically I make soundtracks for my stories. Sometimes it's the melody, other times it's the lyrics. I noticed I have an Eminem tendency with my angst stories LOL.
THE story I've written? Probably Remember Me This Way. It was my most popular though I think Song For The Undead has gome to define me too but I'm okay with both. I've written and finished other stories but those showcase in many ways both sides of me and so it's not a bad thing.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version