Fic Talk > General Discussion
Writing & Thread (aka The Writing Thread 4)
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:10:06 PM ---Does PBox not count? I'm guessing it doesn't count for being the obvious answer, lol.
Uhhhh... You know what. I'll bite and pick something else. Of my old stories that are up, I think I would write a new version of that Romeo & Juliet battle of the bands story (because, it is not good by my current standards). Then, the sequel would be inspired by some other Shakespeare play... Since the Romeo & Juliet inspiration ended happily, I think I'd take a comedy and make it dark. Twelfth Night is my favorite, let's go with that.
Anyone else?
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I like that idea! The battle of the bands is a fun twist on R&J, and it would be cool to turn it into a series of stories inspired by Shakespeare.
As mentioned, I'm considering a sequel for My Brother's Keeper, but it's definitely too early to make a decision on that right now. Ideas have just been floating around in my brain, but I haven't written anything down.
Other than a fourth pandaskunk story, the one that's probably most likely to happen at some point is a short story sequel to SAMS. I've been lowkey wanting to do one of those for a few years. I was going to write it for the DNA challenge we talked about doing here, and then none of us did it LOL. I guess it's a sign of how well my novel-writing has been going since DNA came out that I haven't wanted to stop working on my other projects long enough to spend a few days writing a short story.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: FrickingKaos on June 21, 2021, 12:00:16 AM ---It feels so weird to not write on History anymore. But I'm working on Take Me Home now. I want to figure some things out like how I was going to end it because I don't remember lol. The last time I updated that story was in January of 2019. So it's been a minute. I am determined to try to finish it though because the story itself is pretty interesting.
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I bet! You've been working on it for the past few months! You're already two stories completed this year! I'm pretty sure you're "heating up" as they say in beer pong. ;) You've totally got this!
In regards to re-figuring out your ending (because I've been there trying to reconstruct a story I did not remember the initial plan for), I have some spitballing based on what you'd said about it before that doesn't need a response, but could be helpful? Ignore if it isn't:
--- Quote from: FrickingKaos on June 13, 2021, 03:32:09 PM ---I don't want to give a whole lot away but the premise is Nick wakes up one day with no memories and is told he's been through something, and as the story goes on he gets bits and pieces. He and Brian are the main characters.
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So I guess first, how far away do you envision the ending? Does it feel close or far away still?
If the basic premise is "Nick's been through a thing" and lost his memories because of it (again, just me filling in the gaps based on your summary and my background knowledge on memory/speculative fiction tropes), then he gets them back as the story goes... I guess what happens when he gets his memories back? Is this quest what's driving the action? Would having them back make him do something that would solve the larger conflict in the narrative? And if the memory quest isn't important, then what's driving him into the action/conflict?
And then I guess, how would Brian being involved change what Nick's doing? Are Brian's things in harmony or opposition to what Nick's doing?
Again, spitballing with no context and a dangerous amount of knowledge on both memory and speculative fiction tropes, lol. If any of those questions helped, I can ask additional spitballing questions. :) These are just the first few "the end is nigh" ones that come to mind.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on June 21, 2021, 02:14:40 AM ---Absolutely you earned it! I know what you mean about the adrenaline washing away, though; it's a weird feeling. You feel accomplished, but also kind of empty, like, "Now what?" Good thing you have 9 days to come up with a new project for Camp Nano... no pressure! ;)
We'll hold you to it! You'll be glad you stuck with it if it can take you all the way to the point of posting something new.
Yes!! Go us!
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Exactly. And the slight dread of getting excited about a new thing. I'll figure out whatever it is in the next nine days. Or actively not figure it out, lol.
You're probably right. Then I won't be mired by my unfinished works and long hiatuses anymore.
Edited to add: Alright! I'm at least caught up to posts from today and/or in the wee hours of this morning! I'm calling this a success as I crawl into bed, lol.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---When I get in the zone and have no distractions, I am a typing machine! I was excited that it happened two weekends in a row.
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Those weekends are the best! It's rare for them to happen twice in a row though. When I have a really good writing day, the next day almost always sucks - especially if it involves me staying up until crazy hours and then not getting enough sleep.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---But it's a diagram that put things into perspective for you. Plus I loved your other blueprint, so I hope you add this one to your site at least. Woot woot! Finished another chapter! (Time is off for me and has no meaning since I have been slowly catching up on posts from last week, lol.) Hope Nick's POV chapter is going well! Now that I'm almost done catching up, I'll be better prepared to figure out how everyone's writing is going in real time.
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LOL! Yeah... not going on my site. Nick's chapter is going okay. I finished the first scene today. Have not started the second scene yet. I probably need to take a nice, long break from being on the computer and come back to it later.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---Aww, I teared up a little at his Father's Day post. I get it. I also tend to keep a "this is just fiction" block up, but those moments where it feels real and nuanced are usually what get me too. I think the last time I teared up a bit, and usually when I do, is if I take inspiration from a scene from real life. There's an upcoming chapter of PNecklace where I definitely did cry a little since I borrowed the vibe of the scene from a conversation I'd had recently (though not exact words, of course).
I'm more likely to make myself laugh with my writing than cry, to be honest.
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I teared up at his post too, especially given what I had just posted here about my writing. Aww, Kevin... It's definitely those times when fiction intersects with reality that get to me. But I'm the same way; I make myself laugh a lot more.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---LOL! Yes! The confusion to shock to horror. *chef kiss* Can we agree to leave Baylee ones out of the lineup though? I'd much rather watch him be horrified about Frick&Frack than anything to do with his son.
You're right, he probably would! Especially when the slash aspect is only a piece of the story and you haven't added any of the tags that Brian would be enjoying horrified by. OMG! LMFAO! I must have missed that one. Howie! Why would you bring that up in an interview?! Of course the other Boys would mock you!
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Agreed, no Baylee!!! That is totally different. Let's keep the slash just among the Boys.
Hehe, I love linking this interview: https://youtu.be/doq6lpBY6xk?t=595 The part I referred to starts at 9:55. So funny!
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---Alright, it will be a novel... eventually. ;)
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Yay!
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---70,000 is right on target! And you're right, I think especially for RPF stories, AUs wouldn't be entirely tedious to rewrite as OF. The problem I'm having currently is that it's like dropping stones in a pond. You know when there are major things that have to change, so you change them. But then that changes other things and it just ripples through. Then it puts PNecklace in a weird spot because I'll think "Oh man, that's totally going to be important in PDemons, so it probably needs to come up in PNecklace since it didn't originally come up in PBox (as a fanfic anyway)." It's... fun. That's part of why I'm only five and a half chapters in (well that and finishing PNecklace of course), but then I keep going back and rethinking my opening chapter. Like Nick was kind of info-dumpy and he feels like the least likely to be an info-dumper, so... more hacking and slashing is imminent, I suppose. There's probably a lot more I could cut, I just don't see what it is yet.
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Yeah, it's one I really could just use Find & Replace on to change the characters' names, and voila! No longer fanfic! Obviously it would need some other editing to bring it up to published novel quality, but at least I wouldn't have to rewrite most of it to make it work.
It's like The Butterfly Effect! Change one tiny thing, and you end up having to change more.
That's a challenge with sequels - how to catch up the reader and remind them of what's already happened without info-dumping. It's better if you can work the information in more gradually and naturally, but you also don't want the reader to be completely confused at the beginning. It seems like children's series are pretty formulaic in that they start with a scene, then do the info dump towards the end of Chapter 1 or beginning of Chapter 2. Not sure about YA; it's been a while since I've read or reread any YA series, so I don't remember if they follow that same formula or avoid the info dump since they're written for older readers.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---Obviously! lol! Is this a forum thread or a shared google sheets? What would we do with all these epithets once we've penned them to paper?
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A shared Google Sheet would be more organized and easy to keep track of. I dunno... keep it around as a reminder of what not to write in a fanfic LOL.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:39:56 PM ---I'm pretty sure I tore my groin this year... of all the ridiculous injuries... lol!
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Ow! Were you trying to do the splits? LOL
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on June 21, 2021, 11:54:24 PM ---In regards to re-figuring out your ending (because I've been there trying to reconstruct a story I did not remember the initial plan for), I have some spitballing based on what you'd said about it before that doesn't need a response, but could be helpful? Ignore if it isn't:
So I guess first, how far away do you envision the ending? Does it feel close or far away still?
If the basic premise is "Nick's been through a thing" and lost his memories because of it (again, just me filling in the gaps based on your summary and my background knowledge on memory/speculative fiction tropes), then he gets them back as the story goes... I guess what happens when he gets his memories back? Is this quest what's driving the action? Would having them back make him do something that would solve the larger conflict in the narrative? And if the memory quest isn't important, than what's driving him into the action/conflict?
And then I guess, how would Brian being involved change what Nick's doing? Are Brian's things in harmony or opposition to what Nick's doing?
Again, spitballing with no context and a dangerous amount of knowledge on both memory and speculative fiction tropes, lol. If any of those questions helped, I can ask additional spitballing questions. :) These are just the first few "the end is nigh" ones that come to mind.
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Just popping in to say you are a great writing coach, Dee! These seem like helpful questions. If I ever get around to working seriously on Guilty Roads again, I know who to come to for plotting advice.
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