Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: nicksgal on March 10, 2021, 08:44:43 PM
-
I just wanted to make sure I could keep making "The Fast and The Furious" jokes as these threads go on, lol!
Here are the last set of questions, but we are currently discussing Julie's answers in 2 Writing 2 Thread:
1. Without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic? Why do you think that is and is it the same one you would say is your best one?
2. Have you ever written a fanfic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting?
3. Have you ever written a fanfic and decided never to publish it? Why?
4. What’s the biggest change between your style when you started in fandom and today? Could you stand to reread your first fanfic?
5. What’s the biggest change in your taste between when you started in fandom and today?
6. Have you ever purposefully written one fandom/fic idea over another because you knew it’d be more popular?
7. If you had to pick one scene to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick? Would you be willing to share it with us?
8. Have/would you ever rewrite a fanfic? If yes, would you take the original down?
9. What aspect of your writing do you most enjoy to see praised?
10. Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right?
11. Who’s the one character who shines without you even trying?
12. Is there any particular character whose scenes always wind up being longer/more frequent than you expected? Does the quality hold up?
13. Was there any fanfic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way?
14. If you cross-post your fanfics on multiple sites, do you have a favorite? Are there certain fics you would only post on certain site?
15. If someone you know who isn’t involved in BSB fanfic fandom asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?
16. Does anyone you know from outside of BSB fanfic know you write fanfic? Are they involved in the same BSB fandom too?
17. Has anyone in your life ever read your fanfic just because you wrote it?
18. What kind of impact has writing fanfic had on your life?
-
Continuing the conversation from the last thread.
I feel you. I think it really takes the right rewrite project to really keep momentum going on it. Rewriting and reworking anything is a laborious effort for sure!
I commend you for doing it with PBox! Do you think it helped knowing the original version of PBox was already finished, so even if you didn't finish rewriting it, you at least had the old version to fall back on?
The bombshell if they found out about your dark side and then found out how much time you spend torturing fictional Backstreet Boys! lmao I don't think being Howie is the worst, you could get away with murder.
This is only slightly related, but there's this silly online game you can play on your phone called "Role Models" where you give people roles based on categories and one of them is "Boy Bands" and I got the "cute tiny one," and I was so excited. "Apparently I'm 90's Nick!" haha.
I don't think being Howie is bad at all. Howie definitely flies under the radar, which can be a good thing. Stealth D!
LOL You're either 90s Nick or Brian in any decade. "Cute tiny one" describes him too. After all, he does resemble a small gnome.
Nick's just wordy. I think the pattern is fun, especially if it's in first person POV. Just playing devil's advocate. :)
It is a fun pattern! This is the third novel I've written this way, alternating chapters in two different first person POVs. It's a nice way to tell a story that has two main characters and keep it balanced between both perspectives, but it can be limiting in situations like this, when one character has a lot more to say than the other.
-
1. Without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic? Why do you think that is and is it the same one you would say is your best one?
Without looking at numbers, I would say It Stays With You because it seems to be the one that most people associate with me and tend to remember. It is not the one I would say is my best though. After answering this I did go look at my numbers and was kind of shocked to see that this one wasn’t my most viewed or reviewed story. In fact it wasn’t even in the top five! My most viewed and reviewed one was Why I’d Do it All Again followed by my To Protect and Serve and it’s sequel which are actually my two favorite fics. So weird because at the time I really didn’t feel like people were reading those.
-
2. Have you ever written a fanfic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting?
Several. It’s hard to be a suspense writer without using the same plot as other people. The very first fanfic I’d ever written was Nick gets kidnapped after reading Ground Zero by Chaos. It didn’t really effect my writing process at all because I was just starting my writing process. I’m pretty sure the only thing the two had in common was Nick gets kidnapped. We totally told different versions of that same idea. His was much better than mine. After that I’ve used several of the same plot ideas and never felt like I was copying from anyone.
-
3. Have you ever written a fanfic and decided never to publish it? Why?
Nope
4. What’s the biggest change between your style when you started in fandom and today? Could you stand to reread your first fanfic?
I don’t think I’d ever go back and reread my first or my second or my third etc... lol unless I wanted to redo it or refer to something specific, but from start to finish, no!
5. What’s the biggest change in your taste between when you started in fandom and today?
I’m not really into reading or writing fanfic anymore. That’s obviously the biggest change lol
6. Have you ever purposefully written one fandom/fic idea over another because you knew it’d be more popular?
Nope
-
8. Have/would you ever rewrite a fanfic? If yes, would you take the original down?
I can’t see myself ever doing this but if I did it would mean I didn’t like the first one enough to keep it as is so yes, I’d take it down.
9. What aspect of your writing do you most enjoy to see praised?
My descriptions because I feel like that’s always been my weakest trait as a writer.
10. Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right?
I don’t think there’s any way to get them all perfectly right but I’m pretty sure I screw up Kevin the most. I’m sure he’s really not as overly protective and responsible and fun lacking as how I tended to portray him.
11. Who’s the one character who shines without you even trying?
Probably Nick? Don’t really know.
12. Is there any particular character whose scenes always wind up being longer/more frequent than you expected? Does the quality hold up?
Nick lol he was just the easiest to channel.
-
1. Without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic? Why do you think that is and is it the same one you would say is your best one?
Without looking at numbers, I would say It Stays With You because it seems to be the one that most people associate with me and tend to remember. It is not the one I would say is my best though. After answering this I did go look at my numbers and was kind of shocked to see that this one wasn’t my most viewed or reviewed story. In fact it wasn’t even in the top five! My most viewed and reviewed one was Why I’d Do it All Again followed by my To Protect and Serve and it’s sequel which are actually my two favorite fics. So weird because at the time I really didn’t feel like people were reading those.
Did you post It Stays With You on AC as you were writing it or after it was finished? In my memory, that one was pre-AC, but I don't know if it was actually pre-AC or if I just think of it that way because I read it on your site before I frequented AC. But if it wasn't posted on AC until after the fact, that is one reason why the numbers would be lower than you thought. That is Broken for me; I didn't start posting Broken on AC until it had been finished for a couple years, so the number of reviews here don't reflect the actual amount of feedback it got while I was writing it.
It Stays is definitely one of your most memorable, probably because of the disturbing imagery - MINE especially and also the pastor with the lobster hand. We've talked about it a lot on here, the same way we talk about bot flies LOL. People remember disturbing stuff. I loved that story, but my personal favorite of yours is Hope is the Last Thing Ever Lost. That was a good one to go out on as your last finished fanfic novel.
It’s hard to be a suspense writer without using the same plot as other people.
I agree with this, and the same is probably true of medical drama. Every suspense writer needs at least one kidnapping story, just as every medical drama writer needs at least one cancer story. No two are exactly the same though. These are both tropes I could (and have) read over and over again, so the more the better!
I don’t think there’s any way to get them all perfectly right but I’m pretty sure I screw up Kevin the most. I’m sure he’s really not as overly protective and responsible and fun lacking as how I tended to portray him.
I think we all tend to portray Kevin this way and have probably reinforced that depiction of him by reading each other's work over the years LOL. I think some of that came from actually seeing him in action during appearances and interviews, and the rest came from our interpretation of his big brother role. The famous stories like him breaking down AJ's door and giving Nick that self-help book definitely lend credence to that, but then we hear other stuff about him that is surprising, like that he is hard to wake up in the morning and is late a lot. That doesn't go with my vision of Kevin as always being punctual because he's such a stickler. But it does go to show that real people are complex and multifaceted and don't fit the tropes as easily as fictional characters. I also think Kevin has mellowed over the years and was more this way in the early days, when he was an adult dealing with teenagers. The age/maturity gap made more of a difference in the group dynamic back then.
Probably Nick? Don’t really know.
Definitely Nick! But also Kevin - the way you wrote those two together was always so sweet.
-
13. Was there any fanfic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way?
Like I said in the answer to the first question, It Stays With You. I was surprised at how popular that one got. As I was writing it and saw how dark it was getting, I wasn’t sure how people were going to feel about it. Apparently everyone enjoys reading about mental and physical torture. Lol
15. If someone you know who isn’t involved in BSB fanfic fandom asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?
Not sure. I really try to keep Mare the fanfic writer and Marianne two completely different people.
16. Does anyone you know from outside of BSB fanfic know you write fanfic? Are they involved in the same BSB fandom too?
See above ^
17. Has anyone in your life ever read your fanfic just because you wrote it?
Do you mean people in this fandom? Probably. If you mean people who just know me then no.
18. What kind of impact has writing fanfic had on your life?
It made me realize that I love to write and used to be pretty decent at it.
-
I posted It Stays as I was writing it. I was one of the first posters on this site before it became open to everyone. Actually before I even had my own site. Although I’m not sure if the review button was a thing right away or not. It’s funny but I don’t really consider It Stays as one of my older fics but I guess maybe it is.
I’m glad you feel that way about Hope. I’m proud of that one too. The villain in that one was my favorite original character to write, even though I can’t remember his name right now lol
I was going to comment about Kevin always bring the late one as opposed to how most of us rote him always on time.
And yes indeed, one can’t have a medical drama without cancer or a bus crash. Bonus points for also using a bus crash for suspense as well!
-
Like I said in the answer to the first question, It Stays With You. I was surprised at how popular that one got. As I was writing it and saw how dark it was getting, I wasn’t sure how people were going to feel about it. Apparently everyone enjoys reading about mental and physical torture. Lol
LOL It's true; we all love torture. The darker the better! The stories I tend to remember are the ones that gave me a reaction and maybe even made me a little uncomfortable, but in a good way. That shows that the author took risks and wrote in a descriptive enough way to put images and feelings in my head that I couldn't forget, which is definitely something you did with that story. I will have to remember this next time I start second-guessing myself because I have been there before too.
It made me realize that I love to write and used to be pretty decent at it.
Used to? I'm sure you still are more than pretty decent at it! While writing is definitely something you get better at with practice, I don't think it's something you get worse at even if you stop doing it. Or maybe you do? I don't really know. Even if you felt a little rusty, I think it would be like riding a bike if you ever went back to writing fanfic. I bet whatever you have been working on lately is great!
-
I posted It Stays as I was writing it. I was one of the first posters on this site before it became open to everyone. Actually before I even had my own site. Although I’m not sure if the review button was a thing right away or not. It’s funny but I don’t really consider It Stays as one of my older fics but I guess maybe it is.
It's crazy how quickly time passes. I guess in the scheme of things, it is one of your older stories, even though it doesn't seem like it's been that long. I still only consider my "old" stories to be pre-Broken, even though Broken itself is now 18 years old. I just had to check my math on that because how can that be??? But I started it in 2003, and yep, that was 18 years ago. WTF LOL.
I’m glad you feel that way about Hope. I’m proud of that one too. The villain in that one was my favorite original character to write, even though I can’t remember his name right now lol
Tim! He's one of my favorite original characters in BSB fanfic too. He was such a creep, yet you wrote him a sympathetic way that made me understand him and even feel a little sorry for him, even though I was rooting against him.
I actually just reread some of Hope last year for inspiration as I was writing The Road to Bethlehem. No villains like Tim in my story, but I was inspired by the bromance and getting-injured-and-stranded-in-the-woods element.
And yes indeed, one can’t have a medical drama without cancer or a bus crash. Bonus points for also using a bus crash for suspense as well!
LOL Didn't we have a conversation in one of the threads referenced in the MIA nostalgia thread about a teenybopper story where the villain kidnapped the boys by causing a bus crash and then diagnosed Nick's cancer? Kidnapping, crashes, and cancer - the holy trinity of BSB fanfic tropes LOL.
-
Are there any aspects of writing you seem to have trouble with? I am generally pretty good with spelling and grammar, but one thing I've noticed about myself is I often want to make compound words out of terms that are really two separate words, like "seat belt" and "light switch." I always write "seatbelt," and I just caught a "lightswitch" in the last sentence of the last chapter I finished. Sometimes Google Docs corrects me, and sometimes it doesn't, so I have to look it up if I'm not sure if it should be one word or two. I also struggle to spell the word "fluorescent" correctly on the first try, although I got it this time - maybe I've finally committed that one to memory LOL. I tend to use it a lot when describing the lighting in my hospital scenes, so it always bugs me when it takes me more than one try to get it right.
-
I commend you for doing it with PBox! Do you think it helped knowing the original version of PBox was already finished, so even if you didn't finish rewriting it, you at least had the old version to fall back on?
Not necessarily! I knew going into PNecklace that I did want to edit some stuff from it and once I got going, I was ready to just keep going and finish it out. :) My only real hangup was the time restraints plus life that I put on myself. Once I relaxed the "10 chapters a week" business, I was happy as a clam to keep going and I think it's better for having received the edit. I think what helped keep me motivated (other than it being my deepest love) was the parameters I set in the beginning: the plot of the whole novel and each individual chapter stays the same. So I wasn't completely scrapping anything, I was just tweaking it (sometimes with a hack and slash, sometimes with minor changes, sometimes with just removing unnecessary dialogue tags).
Now taking the fanfic out of it... That is a much slower and more arduous process!
I have realized that I did some improper commas in my edit and found some typos I still missed, but have been less motivated to go back and fix them than I was motivated to do the initial edit; I keep noticing them and hating them when I go back and reference things, haha! I think if I can get myself back up to 15 or 20 chapters ahead on PNecklace, I might give myself two weeks to go back and fix those.
I don't think being Howie is bad at all. Howie definitely flies under the radar, which can be a good thing. Stealth D!
LOL You're either 90s Nick or Brian in any decade. "Cute tiny one" describes him too. After all, he does resemble a small gnome.
Yes! Stealth D!
lmao Just put him in a gnome hat, I hear they're essential workers! ;) I'd rather be early 90's Nick, because in that world, Brian is the heartthrob and I still get to grow up and become a heartthrob myself. Everyone wins!
It is a fun pattern! This is the third novel I've written this way, alternating chapters in two different first person POVs. It's a nice way to tell a story that has two main characters and keep it balanced between both perspectives, but it can be limiting in situations like this, when one character has a lot more to say than the other.
What's the deciding factor in writing a story with alternating first person POVs as opposed to third person?
-
2. Have you ever written a fanfic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting?
Several. It’s hard to be a suspense writer without using the same plot as other people. The very first fanfic I’d ever written was Nick gets kidnapped after reading Ground Zero by Chaos. It didn’t really effect my writing process at all because I was just starting my writing process. I’m pretty sure the only thing the two had in common was Nick gets kidnapped. We totally told different versions of that same idea. His was much better than mine. After that I’ve used several of the same plot ideas and never felt like I was copying from anyone.
I agree with this, and the same is probably true of medical drama. Every suspense writer needs at least one kidnapping story, just as every medical drama writer needs at least one cancer story. No two are exactly the same though. These are both tropes I could (and have) read over and over again, so the more the better!
And yes indeed, one can’t have a medical drama without cancer or a bus crash. Bonus points for also using a bus crash for suspense as well!
LOL Didn't we have a conversation in one of the threads referenced in the MIA nostalgia thread about a teenybopper story where the villain kidnapped the boys by causing a bus crash and then diagnosed Nick's cancer? Kidnapping, crashes, and cancer - the holy trinity of BSB fanfic tropes LOL.
Isn't there an argument out there that at their cores "there are no new stories"? I feel like as long as enough of it's different and you know going in what elements you'll change to make yours unique, then let's get hundred of BSB fanfics about kidnappings and cancer! ;D
I'll reiterate again that a bus crash is a perfect story catalyst for any BSB fanfic! And we've all probably used it at one point or another. #Team bring back bus crash stories!
And yes, we did talk about a teenybopper story like that. I wish I remembered what it was; that was so long ago.
-
10. Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right?
I don’t think there’s any way to get them all perfectly right but I’m pretty sure I screw up Kevin the most. I’m sure he’s really not as overly protective and responsible and fun lacking as how I tended to portray him.
I think we all tend to portray Kevin this way and have probably reinforced that depiction of him by reading each other's work over the years LOL. I think some of that came from actually seeing him in action during appearances and interviews, and the rest came from our interpretation of his big brother role. The famous stories like him breaking down AJ's door and giving Nick that self-help book definitely lend credence to that, but then we hear other stuff about him that is surprising, like that he is hard to wake up in the morning and is late a lot. That doesn't go with my vision of Kevin as always being punctual because he's such a stickler. But it does go to show that real people are complex and multifaceted and don't fit the tropes as easily as fictional characters. I also think Kevin has mellowed over the years and was more this way in the early days, when he was an adult dealing with teenagers. The age/maturity gap made more of a difference in the group dynamic back then.
People who are sticklers like sleeping in too! Maybe Kevin's a stickler about everything except for time... Or realistically, he says "I'm the one who is late and you all know this. If you are noticeably later than me, then that's clearly a glaring problem."
I think age/maturity for sure has a lot to do with it. He had to come off as more responsible when dealing with teenagers and now he can relax a little more when he doesn't have to wrangle the forty-somethings.
-
13. Was there any fanfic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way?
Like I said in the answer to the first question, It Stays With You. I was surprised at how popular that one got. As I was writing it and saw how dark it was getting, I wasn’t sure how people were going to feel about it. Apparently everyone enjoys reading about mental and physical torture. Lol
LOL It's true; we all love torture. The darker the better! The stories I tend to remember are the ones that gave me a reaction and maybe even made me a little uncomfortable, but in a good way. That shows that the author took risks and wrote in a descriptive enough way to put images and feelings in my head that I couldn't forget, which is definitely something you did with that story. I will have to remember this next time I start second-guessing myself because I have been there before too.
Team Dark! AC is probably the best audience for the dark things, since the majority of us seem to enjoy them. If you all want to put dark things in your stories, I will support you every time, no matter how disturbing! Dark things are also way more memorable than fluffy things, for me anyway. :)
It made me realize that I love to write and used to be pretty decent at it.
Used to? I'm sure you still are more than pretty decent at it! While writing is definitely something you get better at with practice, I don't think it's something you get worse at even if you stop doing it. Or maybe you do? I don't really know. Even if you felt a little rusty, I think it would be like riding a bike if you ever went back to writing fanfic. I bet whatever you have been working on lately is great!
As someone who took a very long hiatus, I can confirm that ability to write does not disappear with time. (And thank goodness, because I would have cried a lot if my writing ability reverted to early teeny Dee writing style. "Let's dance." "I love you." lmao) I won't validate that it is comparable to riding a bike though, as I don't know how to do that! (Fun surprising Dee fact!)
So whenever inspiration strikes again, I think it will be fine! :)
-
Are there any aspects of writing you seem to have trouble with? I am generally pretty good with spelling and grammar, but one thing I've noticed about myself is I often want to make compound words out of terms that are really two separate words, like "seat belt" and "light switch." I always write "seatbelt," and I just caught a "lightswitch" in the last sentence of the last chapter I finished. Sometimes Google Docs corrects me, and sometimes it doesn't, so I have to look it up if I'm not sure if it should be one word or two. I also struggle to spell the word "fluorescent" correctly on the first try, although I got it this time - maybe I've finally committed that one to memory LOL. I tend to use it a lot when describing the lighting in my hospital scenes, so it always bugs me when it takes me more than one try to get it right.
I always second guess myself on spelling conscious, conscience, etcetera. And I have no idea why they get me. All the vowels in a row probably? Every time I type two separate words and then you type them with a hyphen, I mentally chide myself, haha. Does that need a hyphen? I've failed in front of the Almighty General of Grammar.
I think one that always gets me is that I tend to have a "got to list" of ways to describe things based on force (typically) or volume (less so) and I'll catch myself doing them many times in the same chapter and go "Okay, well, not everything has to be 'gripped' or 'thrust,' dang Dee." But then I hate the alternatives and spend too much time deciding on different ones.
And now I'm caught up!
-
It's crazy how quickly time passes. I guess in the scheme of things, it is one of your older stories, even though it doesn't seem like it's been that long. I still only consider my "old" stories to be pre-Broken, even though Broken itself is now 18 years old. I just had to check my math on that because how can that be??? But I started it in 2003, and yep, that was 18 years ago. WTF LOL.
Right? I wrote in my update thread that PBox in some form has existed in my head (and partly on paper) for about fifteen years! That such a long time.
(I forgot that I wanted to comment on this, haha. Now I'm caught up.)
-
lmao Just put him in a gnome hat, I hear they're essential workers! ;)
LOL Is that an Underpants Gnomes reference?! The South ParQ Vaccination Special last night was so good!
What's the deciding factor in writing a story with alternating first person POVs as opposed to third person?
I like first person for stories with just one or two main characters. I have read stories that alternated first person POV between all five Boys, but I haven't attempted one of those yet. I think it could get confusing and hard to capture five different narrative voices, so I stick with third person for group stories. Two is more manageable, and I like the dynamic it creates with telling two different sides of the same story.
-
Isn't there an argument out there that at their cores "there are no new stories"? I feel like as long as enough of it's different and you know going in what elements you'll change to make yours unique, then let's get hundred of BSB fanfics about kidnappings and cancer! ;D
I'll reiterate again that a bus crash is a perfect story catalyst for any BSB fanfic! And we've all probably used it at one point or another. #Team bring back bus crash stories!
Totally agree with both of these points. As long as you're changing some details and not blatantly copying someone else's story, I think it's fine to be inspired by other authors and use the same general premise as other stories. It's not like any of those particular premises are original to begin with, in or outside of BSB fanfic.
I feel like we discussed a challenge one time where everyone was supposed to write a bus crash story, but I don't know if that ever happened. It may have been while I was getting my master's, so maybe it did and I just didn't participate LOL. I don't think I have another bus crash story in me right now, but maybe down the road... haha.
-
LOL Is that an Underpants Gnomes reference?! The South ParQ Vaccination Special last night was so good!
It was a reference to last night's episode! :D I liked it, but did feel kind of sad about their Kenny friend divorce schedule. But it's also been decades, so I'm sure they're running out of ideas that keep the overall status quo.
I like first person for stories with just one or two main characters. I have read stories that alternated first person POV between all five Boys, but I haven't attempted one of those yet. I think it could get confusing and hard to capture five different narrative voices, so I stick with third person for group stories. Two is more manageable, and I like the dynamic it creates with telling two different sides of the same story.
I think it would be really challenging if it was a consistent rotation between all five of them! I gave the other four Boys one third limited chapter each in PBox and definitely felt ready to get back to Nick afterward.
It's always fun hearing two sides of the same story! I think you get a little more from both the major characters and the nuanced different things they would notice that way. :)
-
People who are sticklers like sleeping in too! Maybe Kevin's a stickler about everything except for time... Or realistically, he says "I'm the one who is late and you all know this. If you are noticeably later than me, then that's clearly a glaring problem."
I think age/maturity for sure has a lot to do with it. He had to come off as more responsible when dealing with teenagers and now he can relax a little more when he doesn't have to wrangle the forty-somethings.
This describes me pretty well! I can be particular about things, especially in my classroom, and I hate waking up early! I am not a perpetually late person, but I'm also not an early bird.
"Wrangle the forty-somethings" LOL That made me laugh. But yes, so true!
-
Totally agree with both of these points. As long as you're changing some details and not blatantly copying someone else's story, I think it's fine to be inspired by other authors and use the same general premise as other stories. It's not like any of those particular premises are original to begin with, in or outside of BSB fanfic.
I feel like we discussed a challenge one time where everyone was supposed to write a bus crash story, but I don't know if that ever happened. It may have been while I was getting my master's, so maybe it did and I just didn't participate LOL. I don't think I have another bus crash story in me right now, but maybe down the road... haha.
We all get inspiration from somewhere! And it makes sense that creativity inspires creativity, so there's probably lots of people that have gotten ideas from reading or watching something someone else did. Just don't Tanja it. :)
There's nothing that says you can't write a story for an old challenge if an idea comes along. I've been considering refining my ability to write short works here recently, so I may peruse some old challenges myself. Or i could just go back to Gobosei's bus crash, haha.
-
As someone who took a very long hiatus, I can confirm that ability to write does not disappear with time. (And thank goodness, because I would have cried a lot if my writing ability reverted to early teeny Dee writing style. "Let's dance." "I love you." lmao) I won't validate that it is comparable to riding a bike though, as I don't know how to do that! (Fun surprising Dee fact!)
So whenever inspiration strikes again, I think it will be fine! :)
That is reassuring to hear! Also, wow, that is a fun and surprising Dee fact! Definitely one to bust out during a game of Never Have I Ever.
-
This describes me pretty well! I can be particular about things, especially in my classroom, and I hate waking up early! I am not a perpetually late person, but I'm also not an early bird.
"Wrangle the forty-somethings" LOL That made me laugh. But yes, so true!
As a perpetually "later than I should be" person who also likes a tight ship, I feel for Kevin.
We'd have a more unhappy Kevin if he did have to wrangle the forty-somethings, but possibly a less uptight Brian? It has its pros and cons?
That is reassuring to hear! Also, wow, that is a fun and surprising Dee fact! Definitely one to bust out during a game of Never Have I Ever.
You're right! I have busted that out then, actually, but had to be very clear that it's "without training wheels" though, haha. I did start learning to ride a bike, but outgrew it before I learned and we never bought a more appropriate sized one. I'm a champion tricycle rider though, which served me well at "Trike Race Night" in college.
-
I always second guess myself on spelling conscious, conscience, etcetera. And I have no idea why they get me. All the vowels in a row probably? Every time I type two separate words and then you type them with a hyphen, I mentally chide myself, haha. Does that need a hyphen? I've failed in front of the Almighty General of Grammar.
I think one that always gets me is that I tend to have a "got to list" of ways to describe things based on force (typically) or volume (less so) and I'll catch myself doing them many times in the same chapter and go "Okay, well, not everything has to be 'gripped' or 'thrust,' dang Dee." But then I hate the alternatives and spend too much time deciding on different ones.
And now I'm caught up!
Hyphenates are hard too! If in doubt, I just Google, but sometimes I don't doubt myself when I should LOL. I hear you with the conscious/conscience thing too.
Do you have an actual typed up list of those words or just a mental one? I don't keep actual lists of stuff like that, but I do tend to use similar descriptions and have to watch to make sure I don't repeat myself too often within the same story. I think it's fine if it's in different stories or even different chapters/scenes. But yeah, sometimes certain words just work best.
-
LOL Is that an Underpants Gnomes reference?! The South ParQ Vaccination Special last night was so good!
I like first person for stories with just one or two main characters. I have read stories that alternated first person POV between all five Boys, but I haven't attempted one of those yet. I think it could get confusing and hard to capture five different narrative voices, so I stick with third person for group stories. Two is more manageable, and I like the dynamic it creates with telling two different sides of the same story.
I think you could do it.
I only did that once, with Here We Stand and that was admittedly the biggest challenge, keeping in mind the different types of nuances so that you could tell who was telling the story.
-
It was a reference to last night's episode! :D I liked it, but did feel kind of sad about their Kenny friend divorce schedule. But it's also been decades, so I'm sure they're running out of ideas that keep the overall status quo.
That's what I thought! Yes, it's sad to see the broship end, but I'm sure it's only temporary. Remember when they killed Kenny off "permanently" for a couple of seasons? They eventually brought him back. It was nice to see Mr. Garrison (and Mr. Hat!) back at South Park Elementary. He's not one of my favorite characters, but I liked the nostalgia of it. I especially liked that the episode wasn't about Randy and Tegridy Farms. I'm sick of Randy.
You're right! I have busted that out then, actually, but had to be very clear that it's "without training wheels" though, haha. I did start learning to ride a bike, but outgrew it before I learned and we never bought a more appropriate sized one. I'm a champion tricycle rider though, which served me well at "Trike Race Night" in college.
LOL! You should have your husband teach you how to ride a bike.
-
You know, when I think about fanfic tropes I don't think I did many in terms of actual plotlines. I'm not counting the romance ones cause the one and only fic I have in that genre was to take the most obvious ones on purpose and sort of put my own spin on it. I do have the Bus Crash one in Miles To Go, though that's because that fic is definitely my homage to Misery. Just like how in many ways Song For The Undead did it's thing for The Stand.
-
I think you could do it.
I only did that once, with Here We Stand and that was admittedly the biggest challenge, keeping in mind the different types of nuances so that you could tell who was telling the story.
Thanks! I could, but I don't know that I would do it well. I don't even know if I'm good at differentiatin g between two different voices, which is why I always just label the character at the top of the chapter. But I've come to really enjoy writing that way anyway. After three third person stories in a row, I was ready for another one in first.
The five-voice first person POV would be a good thing to try first with a short story, like one chapter from each perspective.
-
Thanks! I could, but I don't know that I would do it well. I don't even know if I'm good at differentiatin g between two different voices, which is why I always just label the character at the top of the chapter. But I've come to really enjoy writing that way anyway. After three third person stories in a row, I was ready for another one in first.
The five-voice first person POV would be a good thing to try first with a short story, like one chapter from each perspective.
Yeah I don't know if I could do a full blown novel that way. HWS was 10 chapters and that was enough. I'm more comfortable with two when it's alternating. I love first person more than 3rd but that's because I just love, love LOVE to get into a character's head and show their thoughts and feelings on things. You can do that in third but there's more of an in depth thing for first.
-
You know, when I think about fanfic tropes I don't think I did many in terms of actual plotlines. I'm not counting the romance ones cause the one and only fic I have in that genre was to take the most obvious ones on purpose and sort of put my own spin on it. I do have the Bus Crash one in Miles To Go, though that's because that fic is definitely my homage to Misery. Just like how in many ways Song For The Undead did it's thing for The Stand.
That's true; I can't think of many you've done either. Your ideas are more outside the box! Have you ever found other writers seeming to take ideas or inspiration from your stories?
-
Yeah I don't know if I could do a full blown novel that way. HWS was 10 chapters and that was enough. I'm more comfortable with two when it's alternating. I love first person more than 3rd but that's because I just love, love LOVE to get into a character's head and show their thoughts and feelings on things. You can do that in third but there's more of an in depth thing for first.
Yeah, first person definitely feels more intimate and personal.
-
Hyphenates are hard too! If in doubt, I just Google, but sometimes I don't doubt myself when I should LOL. I hear you with the conscious/conscience thing too.
Do you have an actual typed up list of those words or just a mental one? I don't keep actual lists of stuff like that, but I do tend to use similar descriptions and have to watch to make sure I don't repeat myself too often within the same story. I think it's fine if it's in different stories or even different chapters/scenes. But yeah, sometimes certain words just work best.
I also don't doubt myself when I should. Keep on keepin' on!
As a lover of lists... I actually don't have it written down. I do tic them off as I find them though and do my best to not be too repetitive, but I have my pitfalls. Just like fist clenching, Nick smiling is something I've given up on, but that's not necessarily a word choice thing.
That's what I thought! Yes, it's sad to see the broship end, but I'm sure it's only temporary. Remember when they killed Kenny off "permanently" for a couple of seasons? They eventually brought him back. It was nice to see Mr. Garrison (and Mr. Hat!) back at South Park Elementary. He's not one of my favorite characters, but I liked the nostalgia of it. I especially liked that the episode wasn't about Randy and Tegridy Farms. I'm sick of Randy.
LOL! You should have your husband teach you how to ride a bike.
Yes! Mr. Hat was the best part of that! I am very sick of Randy and Tegridy Farms. I stopped caring about it the first episode it appeared in.
You know, he's offered, but he doesn't have a bike right now either, haha.
-
You know, when I think about fanfic tropes I don't think I did many in terms of actual plotlines. I'm not counting the romance ones cause the one and only fic I have in that genre was to take the most obvious ones on purpose and sort of put my own spin on it. I do have the Bus Crash one in Miles To Go, though that's because that fic is definitely my homage to Misery. Just like how in many ways Song For The Undead did it's thing for The Stand.
It's more fun to subvert them. I don't think I've actually ever written a kidnapping story or a cancer story? I'll leave those to y'all.
More bus crashes!
What's your next homage, Rose?
-
The five-voice first person POV would be a good thing to try first with a short story, like one chapter from each perspective.
I was just thinking the same thing, it could be a fun challenge for everyone with a five or ten chapter story. One or two chapters per person seems doable with the right idea.
-
1. Without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic? Why do you think that is and is it the same one you would say is your best one?
I mean... Probably PBox? It was the one I got the most feedback on while I was writing it, but it was also the only thing I worked on for a very long time. I don't really know. I've been gone a long time, but people (or several spam bots) have been reading it while I've been gone (I’ve cheated and do vaguely know it’s numbers off hand), but who knows if anyone who really read it way back when even remembers it much now, haha. It's probably the most popular simply because it's complete more than anything else, but I would say it's my best work, especially if you read it now.
2. Have you ever written a fanfic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting?
Uhhh... No? I don’t think so? It’s harder to tell with fantasy, I feel like, but I’m sure there’s stories out there that are similar, I just haven’t come across them myself. I mean Gobosei is the Backstreet Project with a fantasy flip instead of sci-fi. I'm sure plenty of people have done BSB in college stories at one point too. I guess the important thing is to make sure that you're putting your own spins and self into it. I’ll be honest, I came across so few BSB fantasies, that at one point, I just kind of stopped trying to look for them and decided to focus on writing them instead to keep our genres diverse. If there’s been a great one I missed, someone should probably tell me.
3. Have you ever written a fanfic and decided never to publish it? Why?
You know, I almost didn't come back and post PNecklace just because it had been so long and I figured it wouldn’t be even remotely the same. That and I really did just starting writing it for me and PBox Nick. I'm glad I ultimately decided to come back though and then decided to post it on top of that. It's been fun sharing it again, even if it's quiet on the main site. At least it's chatty here! :)
4. What’s the biggest change between your style when you started in fandom and today? Could you stand to reread your first fanfic?
I had the great gift of brevity when I started out in middle school, but that was only because the plots were so minimal and the characters were really underdeveloped . Once I got more practice with developing a narrative, I lost the gift of brevity. However, now my writing is more interesting and nuanced. I cannot read my early work; it is very cringey.
5. What’s the biggest change in your taste between when you started in fandom and today?
Writing-wise, I guess I've committed to my little fantastical corner of the BSB fanfic-verse; gotta keep it alive! Reading-wise, I've mostly sought out recommendation s. Going well so far!
6. Have you ever purposefully written one fandom/fic idea over another because you knew it’d be more popular?
Nope! I write what's interesting to me, which is definitely not what's popular here. It’s also been a long time since I’ve had more than one idea, so I guess when the time comes, it will probably be based on whatever goes better.
8. Have/would you ever rewrite a fanfic? If yes, would you take the original down?
Yes, and did. I guess I rewrote the edit over the original PBox, so technically I took it down? But as I mentioned, the plot of the whole story and each chapter is the same, so I don’t necessarily consider it a rewrite myself, even though, yes, some of the words are different. I think if I continued anything uncompleted, I would likely give it an edit before continuing it just so it aligned with whatever I was writing now.
-
9. What aspect of your writing do you most enjoy to see praised?
The characters! They're what drive all my works, so I love when they're praised. But in the past, I also enjoyed when people said they were “sucked back into the story and world” of PBox after being away from it. It made me feel like all of my hard world world building was worthwhile for the readers. :)
10. Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right?
I think they’ve all given me trouble at one point or another, but I generally find myself struggling with Kevin overall, because so much of how I see Kevin is in how he relates to the others and not just his Kevin-ness. I think I should maybe join this Kevin trend to challenge myself to focus on Kevin. I used to have more trouble with AJ (it’s part of why he ended up in PBox so late) and Howie (which I challenged myself to overcome in PBox and did mostly). Nick and Brian have always been easier for me.
11. Who’s the one character who shines without you even trying?
I guess Nick? He always ends up the strongest character in any of my works, but I don’t know that I would call him “perfectly right” either. Maybe someday, Nick can read PBox and let me know, lol.
12. Is there any particular character whose scenes always wind up being longer/more frequent than you expected? Does the quality hold up?
I mean, again Nick, but I wouldn’t say that I don’t expect it. I’ve fully given in to him doing what he wants when he wants for however long it takes. The chattyness of Brian when he’s given the proper lead did surprise me. So, basically I am warning all of you that the “Nick is Brian’s guardian angel” story might be the most verbose thing you’ve ever read.
13. Was there any fanfic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way?
No? Thanks everyone who took the time to read anything I wrote. :)
14. If you cross-post your fanfics on multiple sites, do you have a favorite? Are there certain fics you would only post on certain site?
AC is my one true love for the community. I wish it were still popping, but these things happen.
15. If someone you know who isn’t involved in BSB fanfic fandom asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?
Does recruiting them to read it count? Haha I guess PBox? Not sure that letting people read my BSB fanfics as is on purpose if they’re not also BSB fans who read fanfic is a Pandora’s Box I’m ready to open (pun intended!).
16. Does anyone you know from outside of BSB fanfic know you write fanfic? Are they involved in the same BSB fandom too?
My mom did, though I assume she doesn’t think I picked it back up again here recently. Oh, I guess my best friend did and I did talk to her about this adventure as is and she basically said, “Inspiration is inspiration.” They’re not BSB fans.
17. Has anyone in your life ever read your fanfic just because you wrote it?
Uhhh… No idea.
18. What kind of impact has writing fanfic had on your life?
You know, it was a great place to practice and hone my writing skills. I loved being part of this community back in the day and leaving it may have been part of my journey as a lost twenty-something, so I’m happy I’m back (as I’ve mentioned many times).
-
7. If you had to pick one scene to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick? Would you be willing to share it with us?
I initially started answering these yesterday and decided not to because I did not have an answer to this question! There’s a couple in PNecklace that I would feel comfortable representing my portfolio, but do not want to post yet (mainly because… they’re not posted yet at all). So, if we could go for a whole chapter, I feel inclined to recommend PBox’s “Chapter Forty-Four: Disciple (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=44)” or possibly “Chapter Thirty-Two: Abyss (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=33).” If I had to limit it to a scene, I would probably toss out the last scene from “Chapter Thirty: To The Castle (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=31)” that begins with the line "The storm was blinding, a furious blizzard of ice and snow." It was too long to post here in its entirety, but here's some descriptions of the titular castle from that scene for your enjoyment:
It finally stood before them, the castle. It seemed old in appearance, desecrated, rotted, and decayed next to the palaces in the other countries, a beautiful and haunting ghost of bygone times. The moat surrounding it had frozen over and fused to the tall wall surrounding the compound. The keep and several towers could be seen looming over the outer wall. Despite the decay of time, the castle remained untouched by the blizzard that surrounded them.
The grounds of the castle compound were littered with the decayed and rotting remains of patches of pine trees and likely once lush gardens overgrown with weeds. These surrounded the scattered stone remains of the foundations of building compounds and gates. Several holes were nestled in the ground of the barren garden that once held tranquil ponds. Beyond the desolate gardens, a large, sloped stone foundation loomed above them, the only structure fully intact, though the stone was draped in ivy and moss. Towering above that, sat the five story castle’s keep -- the last sanctuary from impending infiltration. Nestled within the stone foundation was a final gate featuring a sloped stone roof and surrounded by four stone columns. Between the columns, listless half-open chipped and rotting wood doors barred the gate and weakly protected this bastion of refuge. Everywhere, the castle smelled of death and decay.
-
It looked like it was going to stay busy and chatty there for a minute, so I was waiting to post my answers, haha.
-
It’s harder to tell with fantasy, I feel like, but I’m sure there’s stories out there that are similar, I just haven’t come across them myself. I mean Gobosei is the Backstreet Project with a fantasy flip instead of sci-fi. I'm sure plenty of people have done BSB in college stories at one point too. I guess the important thing is to make sure that you're putting your own spins and self into it. I’ll be honest, I came across so few BSB fantasies, that at one point, I just kind of stopped trying to look for them and decided to focus on writing them instead to keep our genres diverse.
I do think fantasy lends itself to originality just by the nature of the genre, especially within a real person fandom. Not that people don't borrow ideas from each other in fantasy because of course they can and do. But I bet there's also a lot of ideas that haven't been done, at least not in BSB fanfic.
I had the great gift of brevity when I started out in middle school, but that was only because the plots were so minimal and the characters were really underdeveloped . Once I got more practice with developing a narrative, I lost the gift of brevity. However, now my writing is more interesting and nuanced. I cannot read my early work; it is very cringey.
Same. But I think it's definitely better to have a fully developed plot and characters and descriptive prose in an epic novel than a bare bones novella with no depth. Was PBox your breakout story in terms of learning to fully develop a narrative? If not, what's the first story you don't consider cringey?
Writing-wise, I guess I've committed to my little fantastical corner of the BSB fanfic-verse; gotta keep it alive!
I write what's interesting to me, which is definitely not what's popular here.
Absolutely! I love the diversity in our fandom. Although certain genres seem to be more popular than others, there are BSB fics of every genre out there - something for everyone! AO3 could use some more of that diversity, so you do you! Also, it's much less fun to write something that's not interesting to you.
-
But in the past, I also enjoyed when people said they were “sucked back into the story and world” of PBox after being away from it. It made me feel like all of my hard world world building was worthwhile for the readers. :)
It does sound like you've put a lot of time into world-building, so I'm sure that praise was well-deserved!
I think they’ve all given me trouble at one point or another, but I generally find myself struggling with Kevin overall, because so much of how I see Kevin is in how he relates to the others and not just his Kevin-ness. I think I should maybe join this Kevin trend to challenge myself to focus on Kevin.
Yes, come on board the Kevin train!
The chattyness of Brian when he’s given the proper lead did surprise me. So, basically I am warning all of you that the “Nick is Brian’s guardian angel” story might be the most verbose thing you’ve ever read.
Yay chatty Brian! Bring it!
AC is my one true love for the community. I wish it were still popping, but these things happen.
Me too, but at least there are still a few of us keeping it alive.
I loved being part of this community back in the day and leaving it may have been part of my journey as a lost twenty-something, so I’m happy I’m back (as I’ve mentioned many times).
I'm glad you're back, too! Did you ever consider writing any other fiction while you were away from this fandom? Like original fic or fanfic for other fandoms?
7. If you had to pick one scene to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick? Would you be willing to share it with us?
I initially started answering these yesterday and decided not to because I did not have an answer to this question! There’s a couple in PNecklace that I would feel comfortable representing my portfolio, but do not want to post yet (mainly because… they’re not posted yet at all). So, if we could go for a whole chapter, I feel inclined to recommend PBox’s “Chapter Forty-Four: Disciple (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=44)” or possibly “Chapter Thirty-Two: Abyss (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=33).” If I had to limit it to a scene, I would probably toss out the last scene from “Chapter Thirty: To The Castle (https://www.absolutechaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=6894&chapter=31)” that begins with the line "The storm was blinding, a furious blizzard of ice and snow." It was too long to post here in its entirety, but here's some descriptions of the titular castle from that scene for your enjoyment:
Great description! This definitely captures your world-building prowess. And I agree, that was the question that hardest to answer for me, too.
-
I do think fantasy lends itself to originality just by the nature of the genre, especially within a real person fandom. Not that people don't borrow ideas from each other in fantasy because of course they can and do. But I bet there's also a lot of ideas that haven't been done, at least not in BSB fanfic.
A lot of the originality in BSB fanfic fantasy probably stems from there being less of it. Sci fi is likely similar in our fandom. It's probably harder to be original with fantasy elements in fanfic fandoms that lend themselves to fantasy elements based on the source material.
Borrowing elements from other people is part of why Elves are a standard fantasy race these days (and why a lot of them are LOTR style elves) or why vaguely European Medieval stasis is a common setting for High Fantasy type stories, but also why tropes like "Our Demons are Different (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurDemonsAreDifferent)" exist. Obviously I picked that one on purpose, lol.
Same. But I think it's definitely better to have a fully developed plot and characters and descriptive prose in an epic novel than a bare bones novella with no depth. Was PBox your breakout story in terms of learning to fully develop a narrative? If not, what's the first story you don't consider cringey?
Oh, of course it's better to have fully developed plot and characters with descriptive prose! I will never argue that with you, haha.
This timeline is complicated because I would say Gobosei or an OF I've had popping in my head since 2003ish because they both technically started prior to PBox, but were not originally conceived to be novels. They later became novels, but it was after I started writing PBox. I guess despite not being novels, they did give me practice conceiving and developing character and plot arcs, researching, world building, etcetera. And those would be the two where I really focused on characters as the drivers of plot, which is at the heart of PBox as well. Realistically, it was probably easy enough after those long exercises to come back and say, "Let me work on telling you about this castle in written prose rather than visually drawing it." So I'm going to count it.
I do cringe at other things I published around PBox for different reasons. Like that "Absinthe" story I started, but never finished... The amount of times Nick said "shorty" makes me cringe every time, but that's also why I cringe at She's A Dream sometimes (that and using pesos specifically for a rhyme when it didn't really need to be the currency mentioned?). The late 00's were such a weird time, lmao.
And this isn't to say that PBox didn't have its cringey pieces. The beginning was definitely cringey by the time I got to the end (that's why it deserved a nice revision and why Gobosei should get one too), but the overall narrative wasn't the reason for the cringe so much as "I can tell this even better than when I started and it deserves that care and attention." I think I'm an outlier for doing it, but it probably has more to do with me "technically still writing it" than wanting to edit old things. I have zero desire to go back and edit most of my unfinished works.
Absolutely! I love the diversity in our fandom. Although certain genres seem to be more popular than others, there are BSB fics of every genre out there - something for everyone! AO3 could use some more of that diversity, so you do you! Also, it's much less fun to write something that's not interesting to you.
I think more than other fandoms I've seen, BSB fanfic tends to be very diverse in its stories. And I don't know if that's a symptom of it being RPF where you get characters, but not plot (so much, obviously they have their lives and history). Or if it's based on how we all see the Boys within their unit and their adaptability as that unit. Are other RPF fandoms as diverse? I've never participated in any of them, so I'm genuinely curious.
-
I do cringe at other things I published around PBox for different reasons. Like that "Absinthe" story I started, but never finished... The amount of times Nick said "shorty" makes me cringe every time, but that's also why I cringe at She's A Dream sometimes (that and using pesos specifically for a rhyme when it didn't really need to be the currency mentioned?). The late 00's were such a weird time, lmao.
LOL I think we all (except Rose) cringe at She's a Dream. Oh Shorty...
And this isn't to say that PBox didn't have its cringey pieces. The beginning was definitely cringey by the time I got to the end (that's why it deserved a nice revision and why Gobosei should get one too), but the overall narrative wasn't the reason for the cringe so much as "I can tell this even better than when I started and it deserves that care and attention." I think I'm an outlier for doing it, but it probably has more to do with me "technically still writing it" than wanting to edit old things. I have zero desire to go back and edit most of my unfinished works.
I wondered if the fact that you're still working on the PBox series is what gave you the motivation to go back and do all that rewriting. It makes sense to want the beginning of the series to be of the same quality as the later stories you're writing many years after you started. If I was still working on BMS, maybe I would be more interested in going back and revising Broken.
I think more than other fandoms I've seen, BSB fanfic tends to be very diverse in its stories. And I don't know if that's a symptom of it being RPF where you get characters, but not plot (so much, obviously they have their lives and history). Or if it's based on how we all see the Boys within their unit and their adaptability as that unit. Are other RPF fandoms as diverse? I've never participated in any of them, so I'm genuinely curious.
I also have not participated in any other fandoms, real person or otherwise, so I'm not sure. But I think you have a great point. There's so much you can do with the Boys as themselves without making it AU, and AU offers even more possibilities. The "canon" is constantly changing as time goes by and new events happen in their careers and personal lives, which opens up even more possibilities, whereas the canon is much more limited when you're writing about fictional characters.
-
It does sound like you've put a lot of time into world-building, so I'm sure that praise was well-deserved!
Aw, thanks!
Yes, come on board the Kevin train!
Yay chatty Brian! Bring it!
I mean, I would, except I have zero Kevin-focused ideas. And in an effort to challenge myself to focus on Kevin's Kevin-ness as an individual, starting from "I should write a Kevin story" seems like a terrible idea. It's why "I should give Howie something important to do" would have been terribly executed outside of having a role that would be a good fit for him in a larger narrative (and getting to introduce Brian still sidelined him despite that).
You say "yay" now, but chatty Brian and chatty Nick seems like a wordy undertaking.
Me too, but at least there are still a few of us keeping it alive.
I'm glad you're back, too! Did you ever consider writing any other fiction while you were away from this fandom? Like original fic or fanfic for other fandoms?
I'm doing my best to be a supreme time waster. I've posted at least 2,000 times since coming back, lmao.
I pretty much did zero fiction writing until 2012 and I only know that I wrote something in 2012 because my NaNoWriMo profile says I started some sort of novel in November 2012 and wrote 2,065 words of it. What that novel was or what those words are, I can't remember at all. But clearly it felt like enough of something that I wanted to commit to NaNo again... Maybe one of my goals in 2012 was to try writing fiction again? I did blog under a pen name from fall 2010 to... some time in 2012 probably? But it was all fairly short except for some epic memoir type posts and my "X Things before X age" yearly goals.
In 2013, In A World Like This inspired some Gobosei writing, but it was fairly minimal. Maybe a chapter at most.
Because Nick was on DWTS, I attempted NaNo again in 2015 with Gobosei and actually wrote 15,832 words for that (so my NaNo profile says), but clearly not enough to get inspiration to stick. Probably because I was also meandering back in PBox at the time. It says that I tried Camp NaNo in April 2016 and wrote 753 words for some untitled fantasy novel that I'm willing to bet was PNecklace. I'm not sure why I labeled it "untitled" since it was always called PNecklace even back when PBox was ending, but maybe it wasn't PNecklace. That venture with Gobosei was also my first foray into "write what's interesting" because of NaNo and because whatever chapter I ended on didn't seem interesting enough to keep plowing through. Something to explore when I revisit it, but it feels likely that it was either a lack of connection with the other Boys or maybe a sign that the direction of the plot needed to change.
In 2018, I started turning that 2003 OF into a novel instead of a comic, but didn't focus on it too much. I made that my 2019 NaNo project and wrote 2,684 words that month. Overall, as you can see, I am quite unsuccessful with NanNo. I'm not sure why I kept trying, but I'm happy that I finally completed it once.
My stint writing fanfic for other fandoms was in 2004ish-2007ish and none of them stuck the same way the Boys did, maybe because I enjoyed their cannon stories as is and felt like I didn't have any new stories to tell about them to completion.
I guess the point of this long list was that when the mood to write struck, I was still mostly writing BSB fanfic, it just didn't stick for very long. Who knows if it would have if I'd thought "Inspiration? Be around BSB fans again?" or not. Thanks AJ and Nick for being on reality tv at the same time. I guess I was right when I said AJ spurs inspirational moments, then Nick latches on to them and steers. It did feel a little lonely committing to a fanfic without everyone around, but I think that had more to do with all this than with not having anyone to read it.
Great description! This definitely captures your world-building prowess. And I agree, that was the question that hardest to answer for me, too.
Thanks! :-* I'm sure it was even more difficult for you to pick with your extensive body of work! I could at least say, "definitely something from PBox." I think it's the length of a scene that made it tricky. If it said "which novel would you pick to showcase your entire portfolio," that seems like an easy enough answer. Narrowing down the novel to chapter was harder, but I figured if I could narrow it down to a chapter, I could find the perfect scene.
So I started thinking about what would need to be in a chapter or scene to showcase what's typical for my work and made a mental list. It had to be character-focused, it had to feature world building of some sort, there had to specifically be some of the mythos of the world building featured, fantastical elements, a fight scene would be a good addition since I write a lot of them, some good descriptive chunks, great dialogue, character interactions were a must. Plus it had to be short enough to share and not give away major spoilers, lol.
And I thought, uh... How am I going to find all of that and fit the short/no spoilers requirement? I was able to narrow it down to two chapters, but couldn't decide on a specific chunk to pull out of them, especially because as PBox neared its end, "scene" and "chapter" basically became synonymous. I decided there wasn't a fight scene I could pull that had enough of the other typical elements without having major spoilers, so I started thinking of character focused ones that included mythos type things and settled on either the first or last scene of "To The Castle" and figured you all would enjoy the last scene more since it featured all five of the Boys fairly equally rather than the Nick lean of the first scene, plus more mythos-based fantastical elements. But then realized it was too long to post here in its entirety when I previewed and just gave you all the castle, haha. ~1,200 words is still a lot!
-
I was going to ask Dee this, but thought it would be a fun topic for everyone to discuss. We were talking about breakout stories, the first story you wrote that was actually decent and wouldn't make you cringe to go back and read it now.
What was your breakout story?
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
How did that story change you as a writer?
Why do you think the quality of your writing improved with that story?
-
I mean, I would, except I have zero Kevin-focused ideas. And in an effort to challenge myself to focus on Kevin's Kevin-ness as an individual, starting from "I should write a Kevin story" seems like a terrible idea. It's why "I should give Howie something important to do" would have been terribly executed outside of having a role that would be a good fit for him in a larger narrative (and getting to introduce Brian still sidelined him despite that).
I agree, it's better to have an actual idea than start with "I should write a Kevin story" and try to force one. This is why it has taken me so long to write a Kevin novel, too, and why I only have one Howie novel. I love them both, but let's be honest - neither are my favorites, so why would I force an idea about them when I could just keep writing about Brian or Nick? LOL It needs to come naturally and be something you're actually interested in writing. But maybe that idea will come someday.
I guess the point of this long list was that when the mood to write struck, I was still mostly writing BSB fanfic, it just didn't stick for very long. Who knows if it would have if I'd thought "Inspiration? Be around BSB fans again?" or not. Thanks AJ and Nick for being on reality tv at the same time. I guess I was right when I said AJ spurs inspirational moments, then Nick latches on to them and steers. It did feel a little lonely committing to a fanfic without everyone around, but I think that had more to do with all this than with not having anyone to read it.
I'm impressed with how productive and consistent you've been since officially coming back, especially after dabbling with writing fanfic here and there over the years without sticking with it. I definitely think having a writing community to talk shop with helps. I have never been comfortable talking about my writing or sharing it with other people in person, but I love doing it here. It helps to keep me motivated more than the boys themselves do.
Thanks! :-* I'm sure it was even more difficult for you to pick with your extensive body of work! I could at least say, "definitely something from PBox." I think it's the length of a scene that made it tricky. If it said "which novel would you pick to showcase your entire portfolio," that seems like an easy enough answer. Narrowing down the novel to chapter was harder, but I figured if I could narrow it down to a chapter, I could find the perfect scene.
So I started thinking about what would need to be in a chapter or scene to showcase what's typical for my work and made a mental list. It had to be character-focused, it had to feature world building of some sort, there had to specifically be some of the mythos of the world building featured, fantastical elements, a fight scene would be a good addition since I write a lot of them, some good descriptive chunks, great dialogue, character interactions were a must. Plus it had to be short enough to share and not give away major spoilers, lol.
And I thought, uh... How am I going to find all of that and fit the short/no spoilers requirement? I was able to narrow it down to two chapters, but couldn't decide on a specific chunk to pull out of them, especially because as PBox neared its end, "scene" and "chapter" basically became synonymous. I decided there wasn't a fight scene I could pull that had enough of the other typical elements without having major spoilers, so I started thinking of character focused ones that included mythos type things and settled on either the first or last scene of "To The Castle" and figured you all would enjoy the last scene more since it featured all five of the Boys fairly equally rather than the Nick lean of the first scene, plus more mythos-based fantastical elements. But then realized it was too long to post here in its entirety when I previewed and just gave you all the castle, haha. ~1,200 words is still a lot!
Yes, picking an entire story would have been easier than just one scene. My process was similar to yours; I made a mental list of the most important or prevalent elements of my writing and then started thinking about stories and specific scenes that had those elements, read a few of them, and narrowed it down to one that wouldn't spoil anything for the people who would read my answer on this forum.
-
LOL I think we all (except Rose) cringe at She's a Dream. Oh Shorty...
Sorry, Rose! I forgot the other reason it makes me shake my head sometimes. Is that girl living under a rock? I get that it was 2009 and not 1999, but even in 2009 she still doesn't know what a Backstreet Boy is and she's old enough to date one? And her guy is gone all the time, what does he tell her he's doing for a job where he's not around for a good chunk of time? And other people have to recognize him when they go out! I get telling your family that you don't want to talk about your job, but still... How does that girl not know?! In hindsight, maybe this is my least favorite song on that album, lol!
I wondered if the fact that you're still working on the PBox series is what gave you the motivation to go back and do all that rewriting. It makes sense to want the beginning of the series to be of the same quality as the later stories you're writing many years after you started. If I was still working on BMS, maybe I would be more interested in going back and revising Broken.
Still writing compounded by "after so many years" is probably a lot of it. Since it's finished, but the whole story isn't finished, I do want them all to feel similar and not have one stand out as "a new young adult wrote this" and the rest be "a thirty-year old wrote this." Although, since I did start editing the first nine chapters back in 2008, I probably would have still edited a little bit if the two novels were closer together, but likely just that 10/11/12 chunk and called it good.
I'm glad you have had the chance to work on other things besides BMS. I feel like 2007 you would have been very sad to have to put it on hold during your Masters program.
I also have not participated in any other fandoms, real person or otherwise, so I'm not sure. But I think you have a great point. There's so much you can do with the Boys as themselves without making it AU, and AU offers even more possibilities. The "canon" is constantly changing as time goes by and new events happen in their careers and personal lives, which opens up even more possibilities, whereas the canon is much more limited when you're writing about fictional characters.
I think the more wide-open canon helps. Now I kind of want to poke around on a more recent boy band and see what their fanfic is like. Not in-depth or anything, just to see what kind of genres are represented.
-
I agree, it's better to have an actual idea than start with "I should write a Kevin story" and try to force one. This is why it has taken me so long to write a Kevin novel, too, and why I only have one Howie novel. I love them both, but let's be honest - neither are my favorites, so why would I force an idea about them when I could just keep writing about Brian or Nick? LOL It needs to come naturally and be something you're actually interested in writing. But maybe that idea will come someday.
Maybe it will! I'm not sure what idea will scream "Kevin" to me, but there's gotta be one out there. I agree, why force a Kevin story when I can dedicate more thousands of words to Nick! He just begs to be written about, haha.
I'm impressed with how productive and consistent you've been since officially coming back, especially after dabbling with writing fanfic here and there over the years without sticking with it. I definitely think having a writing community to talk shop with helps. I have never been comfortable talking about my writing or sharing it with other people in person, but I love doing it here. It helps to keep me motivated more than the boys themselves do.
Thanks! I'm happy it finally stuck again, even knowing the catalyst, I'm still not sure what the differentiatin g factor was, but I'll take it.
I do think keeping track of my word count has helped me stay productive since starting, even if I don't have a specific goal (though I definitely got the most done in November). It reminds me that if I don't actually open the page and commit to writing something, nothing will get written. Nick poking helps. I just also make sure to remember that berating myself for not writing anything never actually helped, so I give myself more grace. I've lacked some motivation to write since getting my second dose, but I've focused on jotting down ideas and notes that come to me and include gems like "I probably should have figured this out before sending those chapters over," "Nick obviously has no idea what he's doing (does he ever?)," "Did he know this all along? What an ahole," and "This article says that (spoiler) probably smells like jungle juice, lmao."
Having a writing community is the best! It's nice to be able to talk writing and get lots of different perspectives on it and have people to bounce things off of, even if those things are just writing craft related things. I think it's been motivating for me too because it keeps my mind on writing even if I'm not physically writing anything.
Yes, picking an entire story would have been easier than just one scene. My process was similar to yours; I made a mental list of the most important or prevalent elements of my writing and then started thinking about stories and specific scenes that had those elements, read a few of them, and narrowed it down to one that wouldn't spoil anything for the people who would read my answer on this forum.
"Nick has cancer and has to get his leg chopped off" is pretty common knowledge here even if anyone hasn't read Broken, lol. :)
-
Sorry, Rose! I forgot the other reason it makes me shake my head sometimes. Is that girl living under a rock? I get that it was 2009 and not 1999, but even in 2009 she still doesn't know what a Backstreet Boy is and she's old enough to date one? And her guy is gone all the time, what does he tell her he's doing for a job where he's not around for a good chunk of time? And other people have to recognize him when they go out! I get telling your family that you don't want to talk about your job, but still... How does that girl not know?! In hindsight, maybe this is my least favorite song on that album, lol!
Right?!? I wrote a story making fun of dumbass Shorty for the fairy tale challenge we did here in 2013, and it was so much fun roasting her in a fanfic. I hate that song so much. It's my least favorite BSB song of all time.
I'm glad you have had the chance to work on other things besides BMS. I feel like 2007 you would have been very sad to have to put it on hold during your Masters program.
Me too! I can't imagine how long BMS would be if I had still been working on it in 2013 LOL, but I'm glad I wasn't. Though I may have found the time and energy to keep writing BMS during my master's program because I somehow did during student teaching and my first year of teaching, which had to have been the busiest, most stressful years of my life. I still don't know how I did that. Oh, to be young again LOL.
I think the more wide-open canon helps. Now I kind of want to poke around on a more recent boy band and see what their fanfic is like. Not in-depth or anything, just to see what kind of genres are represented.
I know One Direction fanfic was big a few years ago, and BTS fanfic seems to be popular on AO3. If you do any poking around, let us know your findings.
-
It reminds me that if I don't actually open the page and commit to writing something, nothing will get written. Nick poking helps. I just also make sure to remember that berating myself for not writing anything never actually helped, so I give myself more grace. I've lacked some motivation to write since getting my second dose, but I've focused on jotting down ideas and notes that come to me and include gems like "I probably should have figured this out before sending those chapters over," "Nick obviously has no idea what he's doing (does he ever?)," "Did he know this all along? What an ahole," and "This article says that (spoiler) probably smells like jungle juice, lmao."
This is all good advice. You never know what you'll accomplish if you don't at least open the story and try. But it's good to give yourself grace, especially when you have a good reason not to write. Like, "I just got vaccinated, and my arm hurts, and I don't feel good." Totally valid excuse to skip a day (or several days) and do nothing! At the end of the day, this is a hobby, not a job - it should be fun, not feel like work. If it gets to the point when it feels like a chore, stop forcing it and do something different.
I think it's been motivating for me too because it keeps my mind on writing even if I'm not physically writing anything.
This! It has definitely helped keep me motivated during the work week so I can be productive on the weekends. I even wrote on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday this week.
"Nick has cancer and has to get his leg chopped off" is pretty common knowledge here even if anyone hasn't read Broken, lol. :)
LOL That's what I figured and why I was fine with the scene I picked. That plot point has been talked about so much on this forum, it's no longer a spoiler.
-
Most of my stories are written in first person with five points of view. I find that the easiest way to write for some reason.
That probably seemed very random, but I saw it in conversation and sometimes these threads move so fast I can’t remember where so... lol
-
Most of my stories are written in first person with five points of view. I find that the easiest way to write for some reason.
That probably seemed very random, but I saw it in conversation and sometimes these threads move so fast I can’t remember where so... lol
LOL No worries, we did talk about that the other day. You were good at writing the five different POVs, and I don't remember it getting confusing in your stories.
-
I was going to ask Dee this, but thought it would be a fun topic for everyone to discuss. We were talking about breakout stories, the first story you wrote that was actually decent and wouldn't make you cringe to go back and read it now.
I sort of answered the first two, but not the second two! Although, I do think there's some level of cringe with any old work, especially if there's growth in craft (or life experience for certain elements) between the beginning and the end or then and now.
What was your breakout story?
Probably Gobosei or PBox, but we can all call it PBox since it was complete for several years with minimal cringe and Gobosei is not complete while still possessing some minimal cringe. None of this cringe stops the readability for me though.
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
Gobosei: 2005-2006, 2013, 2015 (17/18, 25, 27)
PBox: 2005-2008 with an update from September 2020-January 2021 (17-20, 32-barely 33)
How did that story change you as a writer?/Why do you think the quality of your writing improved with that story?
I realized that I was answering both of these questions as the same time, so I'm just going to put them together.
Gobosei was my second foray in characters driving the plot, so I worked very hard developing character arcs and focusing on how the characters would react to the plot and drive it forward. The strength of character and character planning in addition to general enjoyment of the plot is probably why I feel like the pull to go back and finish it at some point has merit. Prior to this, I tended to focus on plot ideas and only vaguely on character development, even though in my own reading I chose books for character development. As I learned about character development (and I read many books about it since coming up with that 2003 OF), I started basing characters on people I knew, pretty much to a T, but they weren't doing anything good for the plot or being shaped by the plot, they just kind of... were? Which is why there's other stories I wrote as a high schooler that make me cringe, even ones I would have started around the same time. It got fixed earlier in that 2003 OF because I had a friend reading along that knew I based a character off of them, wholly supported it, and had zero qualms telling me "this sucks" when it did suck. I took this perspective to heart and started looking at my fanfics with the same lens. (The delay in finishing that one was my art ability being worse than my writing ability. That and episodic writing is hard. It also got pushed to the side for our favorite pushy novel.)
All of that makes me see why self-insert stories would have been popular outside of "My life would be awesome if I dated a Backstreet Boy." It's easier to write a character when you know how they would react to things! But this has the same problem as "my friends are characters" if there's no character development over the course of the story. This is all very vague for Gobosei since there's not much there for anyone else to say "oh yes, all these things are there in it," but they're there in it with the whole picture in my head.
But along came pushy PBox that leapt to life, especially after I realized that Nick wasn't a character who was going to go along with the plot, even when the plot happened. More than just being a character, he was protagonist who was going to make the plot happen, grow, and change as he continued on his journey, grew, and changed. And more than being just a reactor (which he's great at), he's a real doer. He's probably the reason it leapt to life more than anything else, so all that hard work on character development really paid off. And over the years, he's ultimately continued to breathe life into it as an entity, something akin to "You're writing it, but this is my story. I drive this bus." (It's cool, Nick, keep driving the bus. I trust you.)
Even with strong characters, I came to the realization that PBox was dark. Even with "our demons are different" at play (which is a type of dark in and of itself if your main characters are this "typically always malevolently chaotic evil" type thing; not that PBox demons are that, or at least not our Boys, they're downright heroic saving innocent bystanders and taking cats out of trees in their free time), it was incredibly dark in a way that Gobosei was not and that I had shied away from in the past. But I wanted to write it and Nick wanted control of that bus... immensely. But how to write a very dark thing? Well? The writing to needed to mature; the fun-fest jokey and at times ridiculous way of writing a Gobosei wouldn't fly for a PBox, not with its inherent setting of "the world is crummy." I learned to embrace the dark (Team Dark!) and how to draw lines for too dark, which I kept crossing as time went on. I guess I learned that you have to write dark things a certain way and saved my fun-fest jokey writing for stories that would support it.
Gobosei is also largely based in our world as is, so it wasn't a whole new adventure world building. At minimum, Gobosei required a "how does this magic system work?" PBox required that and a whole slew of things from geography to climate to political systems to cultural norms and so on. Creating these things meant I had to learn how to research (in a different way than for writing a paper or doing a project in school) and research hard! Even things that wouldn't seem like they needed research, like "how does this magic system work," but that has been a constant fun romp in researching and has gotten me down so many rabbit holes I never knew I would end up in just based on the nature of the answer. I wish I'd kept track of my hours of research because it would be something else, as I'm sure you all know in your own adventures in researching.
And it wasn't only world building or plot elements. I wanted to have fight scenes which I'd never written before, so I watched hours of kung fu movies and sword fighting movies. I've watched fencing competitions. I know a ridiculous amount of vocabulary for parts of weapons that is not useful in any other aspect of my life; at least kung fu movies are just fun. When that Bruce Lee 30 for 30 aired last year, I actually jotted down some notes (though that isn't directly applicable to PBox, it fits this overall point). If an exhibit came to one of our museums that felt relevant, I went (outside of my love for museums). I'd include my mythology related research in this too, but that's just fun and a regular hobby that happens to tie into my love of writing. I have run the gambit of things I've researched for PBox from "plants that typically grow in x climate" to "how the body reacts to toxins and poisons" to "furniture of the Muromachi era" to "how do big things fly." And those are just four examples, in addition to specific ones I listed.
In the name of character development, I also had to learn how to portray real things in believable, nuanced, and non-hand waving ways. Nick is, essentially, an amnesiac with PTSD, so what does that actually look like in real life and not in fiction land? This includes research, but then how to turn research into believable narrative? It's all super subtle and it's only improved with time, since writing is an ongoing process. I don't know if anyone noticed this, for instance, but Nick (especially in the beginning of PBox) usually stands with his back to walls so he can see everything happening in the room and react as needed; he does it less as time goes on because he has other people to "watch his back."
While Gobosei helped me start improving on my meaningful dialogue/character interactions, PBox helped me improve on description because I did all this research and creating that couldn't just be explained with a "they were at a mall" type thing because none of it actually exists in a "this is in the real world" way. And the only way to make it exist outside of my head for anyone reading it is to write it down in a way that makes it exist. I'll admit, I am still fairly lazy with my landscapes more than my buildings, probably because the buildings don't exist outside of PBox's world, but a tree or a mountain does. I guess if anyone wants better descriptions of trees or mountains, I'll do better. I also nerd out about clothing more than I probably should, and possibly more than is necessary. I realize I've never taken much time to describe what a character looks like (especially in later chapters when the "villains of the chapter" are basically faceless even though I know exactly which one is which, though y'all don't then); I think this is a symptom of it being fanfic, I assume y'all know what everyone looks like if they're not an original character (obviously the Boys, but even NSYNC). But, I will always talk to you about Nick's eyes and smile, even more than the other Boys.
I think that's about it? Or at least, those are the major things I associate with PBox and my craft as a writer. And now, this has been your weekly diatribe on PBox and another novel about my novel. At some point, I can publish a book called "And here is everything you wanted to know about the background of PBox and my growth as a writer."
I have now done nothing productive today except post really long winded things on this forum. Supreme time waster indeed!
-
Right?!? I wrote a story making fun of dumbass Shorty for the fairy tale challenge we did here in 2013, and it was so much fun roasting her in a fanfic. I hate that song so much. It's my least favorite BSB song of all time.
I don't know if that's a fairy tale for her, but it's probably a fairy tale for a celebrity, lmao.
Me too! I can't imagine how long BMS would be if I had still been working on it in 2013 LOL, but I'm glad I wasn't. Though I may have found the time and energy to keep writing BMS during my master's program because I somehow did during student teaching and my first year of teaching, which had to have been the busiest, most stressful years of my life. I still don't know how I did that. Oh, to be young again LOL.
Very long! You may have included some of the unwritten third book in it at that point. You probably would have if you did during student teaching and first year, since I can confirm that those are stressful and probably a lot of my lack of inspiration in that 2015-2016 time frame. I'm sure part of it was youth and part of it was hyperfocus on "I care about this A LOT, possibly THE MOST."
I know One Direction fanfic was big a few years ago, and BTS fanfic seems to be popular on AO3. If you do any poking around, let us know your findings.
Those were both of my possible research topics, actually. Since I've done nothing else today, I might as well stay unproductive and go research this, lol.
-
This is all good advice. You never know what you'll accomplish if you don't at least open the story and try. But it's good to give yourself grace, especially when you have a good reason not to write. Like, "I just got vaccinated, and my arm hurts, and I don't feel good." Totally valid excuse to skip a day (or several days) and do nothing! At the end of the day, this is a hobby, not a job - it should be fun, not feel like work. If it gets to the point when it feels like a chore, stop forcing it and do something different.
It doesn't help that Nick cared more about the second half of this chapter than the first half. Stop being quiet Nick, tell me your plans! Realistically, at the end of the day, inspiration can't be forced and the process of forcing it is draining. But if it's one thing that keeps holding up a bunch of other things, it's good to try to bust through it. I am totally using my valid excuse to be a completely useless writer, haha. I preemptively edited my next update chapter, so there's nothing on next week's plate. Gotta get past this "no looming deadlines" bit and write something. It probably doesn't help that I already "see the end" of PNecklace and am trying to figure out what to work on next. I am feeling better and did drink two coffees today, so maybe inspiration will still strike today.
This! It has definitely helped keep me motivated during the work week so I can be productive on the weekends. I even wrote on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday this week.
Woah! Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday writing! You are really productive and motivated on this one! I'm glad you found the thing to work on with very little WADD.
LOL That's what I figured and why I was fine with the scene I picked. That plot point has been talked about so much on this forum, it's no longer a spoiler.
I love when we have ubiquitous things like that, if for nothing else than the jokes.
-
Most of my stories are written in first person with five points of view. I find that the easiest way to write for some reason.
That probably seemed very random, but I saw it in conversation and sometimes these threads move so fast I can’t remember where so... lol
LOL No worries, we did talk about that the other day. You were good at writing the five different POVs, and I don't remember it getting confusing in your stories.
It is never random! If you brought this up two weeks from now, I may have forgotten the original discussion, but not when we talked about it on Thursday.
I can't remember, Mare, did you switch between the POVs evenly or were they skewed toward one of the Boys (I assume Nick if that's the case)? I don't feel like your stories were ever confusing because of it, regardless.
-
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
Gobosei: 2005-2006, 2013, 2015 (17/18, 25, 27)
PBox: 2005-2008 with an update from September 2020-January 2021 (17-20, 32-barely 33)
I asked the age question because I was curious to see how many of us were around the same age when we had that leap in writing development. I was also 17 when I started Broken, so we are alike in that way!
It got fixed earlier in that 2003 OF because I had a friend reading along that knew I based a character off of them, wholly supported it, and had zero qualms telling me "this sucks" when it did suck. I took this perspective to heart and started looking at my fanfics with the same lens.
Wow, that is some friend! Was it hard to hear "this sucks" from her then, or did you welcome the harsh but honest feedback? I'm glad it helped you look at your writing through another lens and learn from her constructive criticism.
All of that makes me see why self-insert stories would have been popular outside of "My life would be awesome if I dated a Backstreet Boy." It's easier to write a character when you know how they would react to things! But this has the same problem as "my friends are characters" if there's no character development over the course of the story. This is all very vague for Gobosei since there's not much there for anyone else to say "oh yes, all these things are there in it," but they're there in it with the whole picture in my head.
Yeah, it's definitely easier to use characters who already exist, whether they're people we know in real life or celebrities. It can be fun to base characters on people, too, but it's also fun to create your own. I think the problem with most of the teenybopper Mary Sue stories back in the day was that if the writers created an original character instead of a self-insert, they focused more on her external traits, like her appearance and clothing, than internal traits, so they ended up with this flat drawing of a pretty girl who everyone seemed to love even though she had no substance, rather than a realistic, three-dimensional character. The ability to create one of those comes with experience, so self-inserts may have been a better choice for beginning writers.
And over the years, he's ultimately continued to breathe life into it as an entity, something akin to "You're writing it, but this is my story. I drive this bus." (It's cool, Nick, keep driving the bus. I trust you.)
Just don't crash the bus, Nick! Or do, and then we can get another fanfic out of it.
Even with strong characters, I came to the realization that PBox was dark. Even with "our demons are different" at play (which is a type of dark in and of itself if your main characters are this "typically always malevolently chaotic evil" type thing; not that PBox demons are that, or at least not our Boys, they're downright heroic saving innocent bystanders and taking cats out of trees in their free time), it was incredibly dark in a way that Gobosei was not and that I had shied away from in the past. But I wanted to write it and Nick wanted control of that bus... immensely. But how to write a very dark thing? Well? The writing to needed to mature; the fun-fest jokey and at times ridiculous way of writing a Gobosei wouldn't fly for a PBox, not with its inherent setting of "the world is crummy." I learned to embrace the dark (Team Dark!) and how to draw lines for too dark, which I kept crossing as time went on. I guess I learned that you have to write dark things a certain way and saved my fun-fest jokey writing for stories that would support it.
I can relate to this too. Broken doesn't seem that dark to me now, but it is certainly angsty and depressing in parts. Back when I was writing it, I had a lot of angst over the impending amputation. I don't know why because I had already put the Boys through all kinds of tragedies in my earlier stories, even killed some of them... but for whatever reason, chopping off Nick's leg felt like a really big deal to me. But it was also a compelling enough idea that I committed to it, and that is when I learned to take risks, cross lines, embrace the darkness, and run with it. The fact that Broken doesn't seem that dark and chopping off Nick's leg doesn't seem like a big deal to me now just shows me how much darker I've gotten since then LOL. As we've talked about before, it's good to occasionally cross lines and write things that make you uncomfortable because by stepping outside your comfort zone, you're more likely to learn and grow. That being said, there's still a place for comic relief and flashes of light in a dark story, and there's nothing wrong with fun-fest jokey writing when it fits the story. I don't know if "Death by Snail" fits your definition of fun-fest jokey writing, being more of a dark humor, but I'm looking forward to it!
Gobosei is also largely based in our world as is, so it wasn't a whole new adventure world building. At minimum, Gobosei required a "how does this magic system work?" PBox required that and a whole slew of things from geography to climate to political systems to cultural norms and so on. Creating these things meant I had to learn how to research (in a different way than for writing a paper or doing a project in school) and research hard! Even things that wouldn't seem like they needed research, like "how does this magic system work," but that has been a constant fun romp in researching and has gotten me down so many rabbit holes I never knew I would end up in just based on the nature of the answer. I wish I'd kept track of my hours of research because it would be something else, as I'm sure you all know in your own adventures in researching.
And it wasn't only world building or plot elements. I wanted to have fight scenes which I'd never written before, so I watched hours of kung fu movies and sword fighting movies. I've watched fencing competitions. I know a ridiculous amount of vocabulary for parts of weapons that is not useful in any other aspect of my life; at least kung fu movies are just fun. When that Bruce Lee 30 for 30 aired last year, I actually jotted down some notes (though that isn't directly applicable to PBox, it fits this overall point). If an exhibit came to one of our museums that felt relevant, I went (outside of my love for museums). I'd include my mythology related research in this too, but that's just fun and a regular hobby that happens to tie into my love of writing. I have run the gambit of things I've researched for PBox from "plants that typically grow in x climate" to "how the body reacts to toxins and poisons" to "furniture of the Muromachi era" to "how do big things fly." And those are just four examples, in addition to specific ones I listed.
In the name of character development, I also had to learn how to portray real things in believable, nuanced, and non-hand waving ways. Nick is, essentially, an amnesiac with PTSD, so what does that actually look like in real life and not in fiction land? This includes research, but then how to turn research into believable narrative? It's all super subtle and it's only improved with time, since writing is an ongoing process. I don't know if anyone noticed this, for instance, but Nick (especially in the beginning of PBox) usually stands with his back to walls so he can see everything happening in the room and react as needed; he does it less as time goes on because he has other people to "watch his back."
I'm always impressed by the level of research you do, as well as your attention to detail when it comes to building worlds and creating characters. I know we've already discussed the strange things we've looked up for stories, but another question could be, "What random knowledge have you acquired thanks to fanfic?" Like parts of weapons and the rules of fencing!
I also admire how much thought you put into your characters and their actions and words. It's one thing to come up with all little quirks, like Nick always standing with his back against the wall in the beginning, but then to write them in such a subtle and nuanced way so that your readers may not even notice that or realize why... That takes a certain level of sophistication . When you spend a lot of time researching and crafting a character or world, it's tempting to want to include every detail you know in the actual story. I struggle with that temptation of wanting to over-explain and include details that don't really need to be in the story just because I find them interesting.
While Gobosei helped me start improving on my meaningful dialogue/character interactions, PBox helped me improve on description because I did all this research and creating that couldn't just be explained with a "they were at a mall" type thing because none of it actually exists in a "this is in the real world" way. And the only way to make it exist outside of my head for anyone reading it is to write it down in a way that makes it exist. I'll admit, I am still fairly lazy with my landscapes more than my buildings, probably because the buildings don't exist outside of PBox's world, but a tree or a mountain does. I guess if anyone wants better descriptions of trees or mountains, I'll do better. I also nerd out about clothing more than I probably should, and possibly more than is necessary. I realize I've never taken much time to describe what a character looks like (especially in later chapters when the "villains of the chapter" are basically faceless even though I know exactly which one is which, though y'all don't then); I think this is a symptom of it being fanfic, I assume y'all know what everyone looks like if they're not an original character (obviously the Boys, but even NSYNC). But, I will always talk to you about Nick's eyes and smile, even more than the other Boys.
With description, I think it's important to find a balance between "not enough" and "too much." Obviously, description is needed to help bring a story to life in the reader's head. But too much description can bog down the story, bore the reader, and put you in purple prose territory. With fantasy, I think it makes sense to save your longer descriptions for things that don't exist the same way in our world. That helps the reader picture and understand the world you've created for your story. They don't need a detailed description of every leaf on a tree. They also don't need constant reminders of what the Backstreet Boys look like, although I never mind a description of their pretty eyes or smiles. Or hair!
-
I'm sure part of it was youth and part of it was hyperfocus on "I care about this A LOT, possibly THE MOST."
Definitely! I'm sure it helped that I was already about halfway through BMS when I started student teaching, so it wasn't like I was writing a new story. I already knew those characters well and was committed to telling the rest of their story, so it was easy to stay inspired and write when I had time.
This was also before smartphones and social media, which have really hurt my focus. The only thing I had to distract me at that time was IM, but even that was usually helpful in the same way this forum is. Most of the people I chatted with were fellow fanfic authors or at least readers (who were reading my story), so we could encourage each other and bounce ideas off each other. There were plenty of nights when I'd have an IM window open with a friend who was also writing, and we would just use it to occasionally check in on each other. "How's the writing going?" "I've written two pages so far! You?" Then we'd send each other chapters to read and give feedback on before we posted them for the rest of the world. We never called it beta-reading, but that's basically what we were doing.
It probably doesn't help that I already "see the end" of PNecklace and am trying to figure out what to work on next. I am feeling better and did drink two coffees today, so maybe inspiration will still strike today.
This is always me toward the end of a novel, too. Sometimes I know (or think I know) what idea I'm going to write next, and I get so excited about it that it's hard to stay focused on finishing the in-progress story. Other times I have no idea what idea I'm going to tackle next, and the uncertainty is what interferes with my focus. And it's dumb because even when I think I know what idea I'm going to work on, that doesn't always end up being the one I really do write next. I always figure it out eventually though.
I'm glad you're feeling better and hope the two coffees help!
Woah! Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday writing! You are really productive and motivated on this one! I'm glad you found the thing to work on with very little WADD.
I didn't write much on any of those days - maybe Monday, which is I think when I finished Chapter 5. I only had like two paragraphs written for Chapter 6 before today. Now I'm up to 1500 words, which is fairly productive for me these days. But it's taken me the better part of the day to get to that point. I wrote all morning, then took a break to shower, eat, watch TV, and do a bit of cleaning, and then wrote more this afternoon. But I am definitely into it, which I'm happy about - I wasn't sure how that would go for my first Kevin story LOL.
-
I know One Direction fanfic was big a few years ago, and BTS fanfic seems to be popular on AO3. If you do any poking around, let us know your findings.
It's weird that there's only about 1,400 BSB fanfics on AO3. I guess it makes sense since AO3 didn't exist in our fanfic heyday, but I know there's way more than 1,400 BSB fanfics out there. And it's weird to think about when fanfiction.net removed all its RPF fandoms and so we all had to go rogue, haha. One Direction and BTS fans are lucky they didn't have to deal with that. (I also have found that there are 66 fanfics about TSwift's Bad Blood music video?)
I also found out "face f-ing" is a tag? And that story is tagged "fantasy" in a way the genre is not intended (I assume, I didn't click on it) in addition to "sexual fantasy" that might be valid?
Here's a smattering of BSB fanfic info via AO3 (1,464 works) and AC for comparison (3,187 stories; it doesn't give hard numbers, so I'm listing pages -- there's about 15 stories per page and 213 pages for all stories if that helps, though obviously most stories are multi-genre):
- romance: 130 (99 pages)
- drama: 124 (108 pages)
- angst: 112 (50 pages)
- suspense: 33 (28 pages)
- horror: 21 (10 pages)
- fantasy: 20 (I'm responsible for two of them and Julie is responsible for three of them, so call it 15 without us) (11 pages)
- sci-fi: 15 (8 pages)
- medical drama: 14? (this one was hard to figure out what tag to use and I went with "medical" since there were two Julie stories, but also noticed that you didn't list Curtain Call as "medical," I assume for the spoilery nature of it) (doesn't exist as a genre on AC)
- supernatural elements: 38 (11 pages)
- action/adventure: 14 (I see me, Rose, Mare, and Tracy here)(16-19 pages, they're different genres here)
- comedy: 39 (48 pages)
- historical: 4 (2 pages)
- AU: 116 (24 pages)
- slash: 917 (12 pages); (anal sex is labeled 111 times on AO3 if anyone wanted more specific statistics)
One Direction on AO3 (63,651 works):
- romance: 2,134
- drama: 499
- angst: 7,401
- suspense: 57
- horror: 105
- fantasy: 590
- sci-fi: 585
- medical drama: 1,037
- supernatural elements: 1,587
- action/adventure: 159
- comedy: 186
- historical: 640
- AU: 8,272
- slash: 56,063 (anal sex is labeled 5,755 times if anyone wanted more specific statistics)
BTS on AO3 (152,327 works... dang that's a lot):
- romance: 11,021
- drama: 2,491
- angst: 25,129
- suspense: 296
- horror: 1,009
- fantasy: 6,367 (hey that's a lot, yay for fantasy)
- sci-fi: 1,250
- medical drama: 2,420
- supernatural elements: 9,986
- action/adventure: 1,276
- comedy: 1,505
- historical: 1,062
- AU: 11,013
- slash: 123,565 (anal sex is labeled 9,572 times if anyone wanted more specific statistics)
I guess our "Additional tags" section included more things that I would call genres and the other two had more subtags for sex (as I noted above with anal sex being listed for all three fandoms in the "additional tags" section) or character related tags. So we might define our work by genre more than the other fandoms do? I also realized I didn't initially look up historical fiction and added it in. And then I realized it was 8pm and I hadn't eaten dinner yet.
Percentage that is slash (again, if you wanted more detailed statistics):
- BSB: 63% (about 6% on AC?)
- One Direction: 88%
- BTS: 81%
I'm willing to do more math and extrapolate more data if anyone would like it. And turn AC's data into numbers of stories rather than pages of stories, I'm just being lazy.
-
It is never random! If you brought this up two weeks from now, I may have forgotten the original discussion, but not when we talked about it on Thursday.
I can't remember, Mare, did you switch between the POVs evenly or were they skewed toward one of the Boys (I assume Nick if that's the case)? I don't feel like your stories were ever confusing because of it, regardless.
On the ones that are all five points of view, it was never really focused on any one person. At least I never intended it to be. Nick seemed to have the most dramatic chapters because Nick was always the most dramatic lol but I always gave them equal time and an equal amount of chapters.
-
It's weird that there's only about 1,400 BSB fanfics on AO3. I guess it makes sense since AO3 didn't exist in our fanfic heyday, but I know there's way more than 1,400 BSB fanfics out there. And it's weird to think about when fanfiction.net removed all its RPF fandoms and so we all had to go rogue, haha. One Direction and BTS fans are lucky they didn't have to deal with that. (I also have found that there are 66 fanfics about TSwift's Bad Blood music video?)
Yeah, I think it's just because AO3 is newer. There are way more than 1,400 BSB fanfics out there, but the majority of them were written in the late 90s or early 2000s and are either still out there on Angelfire or Tripod sites that haven't been updated in 20+ years or went down with Geocities. I'm sure AC has the largest collection of them on one site.
I also found out "face f-ing" is a tag? And that story is tagged "fantasy" in a way the genre is not intended (I assume, I didn't click on it) in addition to "sexual fantasy" that might be valid?
I guess our "Additional tags" section included more things that I would call genres and the other two had more subtags for sex (as I noted above with anal sex being listed for all three fandoms in the "additional tags" section) or character related tags. So we might define our work by genre more than the other fandoms do? I also realized I didn't initially look up historical fiction and added it in. And then I realized it was 8pm and I hadn't eaten dinner yet.
The tags! Everything is a tag there LOL. It honestly drives me nuts. I guess I can see why you might like to search out stories tagged "kidnapping" (there are 14 BSB fics with this tag) or "bus crash" (none!!), but hello spoilers! That's the reason I didn't tag most of my stories as medical dramas specifically - unless it's obvious in the summary or happens in the first chapter, that's a spoiler! Judging by the tags, readers on AO3 seem to care more about the character pairings and sexual positions than genres or plot points though.
I mostly tagged mine with characters and genres because that's how I'm used to classifying them, both here on AC and on my site. I guess that's mainly what I look at after the summary when I'm browsing for stories to read - what's it about, who's it about, and what kind of story is it? I definitely don't need to know if there's anal sex in it or not LOL. If it's a slash, I'm going to assume there is. But maybe this is just us being old-school. The whole concept of tags is a newer thing; we didn't have those back in the day LOL.
Thanks for doing all that research! Holy shit, there's a lot of BTS fanfics! I wonder how many BSB fics there would have been on AO3 if it had been the main place to post fanfics back in the late 90s. I also wonder if they would have been overwhelmingly slash like they are now. Somehow I don't think so. Slash has always been around, but I think het romance was more popular in the peak days of BSB fic.
-
I asked the age question because I was curious to see how many of us were around the same age when we had that leap in writing development. I was also 17 when I started Broken, so we are alike in that way!
I was curious too (for science), so I'm glad you did! I hope other people write long diatribes about their novels too! :) Or short diatribes. Y'all know I'm long-winded.
Wow, that is some friend! Was it hard to hear "this sucks" from her then, or did you welcome the harsh but honest feedback? I'm glad it helped you look at your writing through another lens and learn from her constructive criticism.
The amount of times we edited the first chapter was insane! It hurt a little at the beginning, because I don't think anyone likes to hear that something they wrote sucks? I assume this is universally true? But I'm also grateful that I had that frame for constructive criticism early. In my mind, no one is going to give constructive criticism from a bad place, it all comes from a good place of wanting to get the best story out of it. Especially when it is someone close to you who also cares about your stories or how your writing is going. Similar to how a teacher will only tell you to fix something before a final draft because they want you to get the best grade you possibly can. I definitely think it gave me a thicker skin earlier while also showing me that there's always things to improve, even on something you love. I was definitely better for it in the long run, especially knowing that after reworking things, I usually got "this is much better/more interesting/makes more sense" in that case. So I figured that something like that was true in all cases.
Yeah, it's definitely easier to use characters who already exist, whether they're people we know in real life or celebrities. It can be fun to base characters on people, too, but it's also fun to create your own. I think the problem with most of the teenybopper Mary Sue stories back in the day was that if the writers created an original character instead of a self-insert, they focused more on her external traits, like her appearance and clothing, than internal traits, so they ended up with this flat drawing of a pretty girl who everyone seemed to love even though she had no substance, rather than a realistic, three-dimensional character. The ability to create one of those comes with experience, so self-inserts may have been a better choice for beginning writers.
I think Mary Sue characters are fairly flat in general, or their flaws aren't really flaws (I'm looking at you "clumsy, but in an endearing way.") There was also a danger in the self-inserts that they also lacked flaws because I feel like it's harder to admit your own flaws, let alone write them down for the whole world to see. But at least self-inserts had a little more personality to them in general. Even if the Boys cared more about Nick's relationship with Gypsydoodle than they cared about their own problems.
I feel like we've had this conversation many times, lol.
Just don't crash the bus, Nick! Or do, and then we can get another fanfic out of it.
LMFAO! He doesn't technically know what a bus is, but I guess he's fine because it's a metaphorical bus? Maybe that's what PBox related writer's block is, Nick crashing the bus. Hopefully the others do something useful and Howie doesn't spend the whole time winking. lmao
I can relate to this too. Broken doesn't seem that dark to me now, but it is certainly angsty and depressing in parts. Back when I was writing it, I had a lot of angst over the impending amputation. I don't know why because I had already put the Boys through all kinds of tragedies in my earlier stories, even killed some of them... but for whatever reason, chopping off Nick's leg felt like a really big deal to me. But it was also a compelling enough idea that I committed to it, and that is when I learned to take risks, cross lines, embrace the darkness, and run with it. The fact that Broken doesn't seem that dark and chopping off Nick's leg doesn't seem like a big deal to me now just shows me how much darker I've gotten since then LOL. As we've talked about before, it's good to occasionally cross lines and write things that make you uncomfortable because by stepping outside your comfort zone, you're more likely to learn and grow. That being said, there's still a place for comic relief and flashes of light in a dark story, and there's nothing wrong with fun-fest jokey writing when it fits the story. I don't know if "Death by Snail" fits your definition of fun-fest jokey writing, being more of a dark humor, but I'm looking forward to it!
I can see why chopping off Nick's leg made you feel angsty, especially if it was around the time your writing improved. It's easy enough to say "And he died and everyone was sad, but then they moved on and there was a wedding" or whatever, but it's harder to portray a character's emotions about a dark thing happening to them. Which I know I didn't have pre-Gobosei and still didn't refine until going through PBox. If Broken was your breakout piece, you had to make sure that Nick's feelings about being an amputee were adequately explored, shark dreams and all. ;) :) I agree with all of that! I'm grateful PBox gave me a chance to grow and push boundaries. I knew the potential for dark was there, but the stories never felt like the right place to commit to the dark. I guess with PBox, I just finally thought, "cool, let's get dark?" I think we've discussed before that it's equally important to have those comic relief moments and flashes of light in a dark story; even in dark situations, nothing is always all dark.
Edited to Add: I meant to comment on this and forgot. I'd say, overall "Death by Snail" has a little more of the "fun-fest jokey" type stuff, at least in the beginning.
I'm always impressed by the level of research you do, as well as your attention to detail when it comes to building worlds and creating characters. I know we've already discussed the strange things we've looked up for stories, but another question could be, "What random knowledge have you acquired thanks to fanfic?" Like parts of weapons and the rules of fencing!
Thanks! It has been extensive, but it helps that I like learning about random things, haha. The internet has only made it easier. I love that question! I'll have to come up with a more detailed list. On the topic of parts of weapons, it has always bothered me that "gripped" is one of my go-to verbs, because I cannot properly call the part of a sword's handle that is held the "grip" rather than referring to the whole thing as a "hilt" because variants of "gripped the grip" sound ridiculous. And I know there are other verbs, but "gripped" the verb!
I also admire how much thought you put into your characters and their actions and words. It's one thing to come up with all little quirks, like Nick always standing with his back against the wall in the beginning, but then to write them in such a subtle and nuanced way so that your readers may not even notice that or realize why... That takes a certain level of sophistication . When you spend a lot of time researching and crafting a character or world, it's tempting to want to include every detail you know in the actual story. I struggle with that temptation of wanting to over-explain and include details that don't really need to be in the story just because I find them interesting.
Thanks again! I'm super touched by these nice compliments about my hard work researching and character crafting! :bighug: I work really hard on it, even if it doesn't all end up in the narrative. That's why I like chatting here, because I can share all these interesting facts and details in the context of our discussions without the story feeling bloated from them.
I joked that I wanted to add a chapter called "castles are super f-in interesting," because... well castles are really interesting, first of all, and then I'd have a spot to really explain why the capital of Safaiananpou is a walled city surrounding a castle and the other countries' capitals aren't that way. The short answer is that castle compounds typically house what the sovereign deems essential to running their empire, which typically does not include the average citizen of their empire, but obviously Howie would consider everyone and everything to be essential. Which then leads to the rest of the country being fairly sparse, untouched natural elements and the inherent problems with housing your entire country in the same place (chiefly that it's fairly easy to wipe your entire civilization out if it's in one spot and you're not constantly prepared for that threat, but it's also a choice based directly on an earlier event in universe, so... I digress again).
However, I don't think I've quite obtained Victor Hugo status to natter on about things that interest me for many pages and include it in the narrative, but I also thought it was fascinating to learn all about the Paris sewer system from him (I don't think everyone has this same opinion, haha). I think we all just need to create companion books titled "All the super interesting things I learned while researching x story," then there might be less temptation to bog down the narrative with it? Because I feel you, I also would love to include so much of my research because I find it fascinating (clearly, I wrote a whole story that required me to find it), but I agree that there's places for it in the narrative and there's places where it really doesn't need to be.
With description, I think it's important to find a balance between "not enough" and "too much." Obviously, description is needed to help bring a story to life in the reader's head. But too much description can bog down the story, bore the reader, and put you in purple prose territory. With fantasy, I think it makes sense to save your longer descriptions for things that don't exist the same way in our world. That helps the reader picture and understand the world you've created for your story. They don't need a detailed description of every leaf on a tree. They also don't need constant reminders of what the Backstreet Boys look like, although I never mind a description of their pretty eyes or smiles. Or hair!
"The tree had many leaves, they all looked the same: green, jagged, slightly oval. Just like you would imagine a tree looked. They were also next to this building you've never heard of, but we can't talk about that next time. This magnificent specimen of natural beauty was..." lmao. This is why I don't bother describing terrain aside from "surrounded by a forest" unless knowing something specific about it is important or that same element pops up later for some reason. I'll say that I spend 0.05% of my time waxing poetic about some natural feature because I felt like it; it's not there often, but it is there sometimes. "Gardens of an estate" fall into the same category as "buildings that exist in the imagined world of PBox" for me, so I don't count them in that 0.05%.
Same. Eyes, smiles, hair, Kevin's eyebrows, facial hair. I assume most of us feel the same, so I never feel bad including it or waxing poetic on it (within reason). I won't call it totally purple, but possibly periwinkle prose.
-
Definitely! I'm sure it helped that I was already about halfway through BMS when I started student teaching, so it wasn't like I was writing a new story. I already knew those characters well and was committed to telling the rest of their story, so it was easy to stay inspired and write when I had time.
This was also before smartphones and social media, which have really hurt my focus. The only thing I had to distract me at that time was IM, but even that was usually helpful in the same way this forum is. Most of the people I chatted with were fellow fanfic authors or at least readers (who were reading my story), so we could encourage each other and bounce ideas off each other. There were plenty of nights when I'd have an IM window open with a friend who was also writing, and we would just use it to occasionally check in on each other. "How's the writing going?" "I've written two pages so far! You?" Then we'd send each other chapters to read and give feedback on before we posted them for the rest of the world. We never called it beta-reading, but that's basically what we were doing.
Also true! It's definitely harder to start something new when you feel busy and have to plan or research without feeling committed to the characters or story yet.
Oh, I miss IM and just having it open in the tray while working on something else, it was nice to occasionally check in and get some quick feedback if you needed to bounce something. I often wish that I had joined twitter when it started so I could be twitter famous. I like to think I'm funny, but I just never got super into it.
This is always me toward the end of a novel, too. Sometimes I know (or think I know) what idea I'm going to write next, and I get so excited about it that it's hard to stay focused on finishing the in-progress story. Other times I have no idea what idea I'm going to tackle next, and the uncertainty is what interferes with my focus. And it's dumb because even when I think I know what idea I'm going to work on, that doesn't always end up being the one I really do write next. I always figure it out eventually though.
I'm glad you're feeling better and hope the two coffees help!
It's pretty much me deciding whether to keep going through the next book or take a break and do something different. I think Nick's deliberately pouting right now because he knows what needs to happen in the story and supports his decision, but simultaneously hates it and doesn't want it to happen. So he's being agonizingly silent to stall the inevitable. Stop being complicated like a real person, Nick, and fix whatever broke on the bus so you can keep driving! I don't know if I'm super excited about any of the next ideas yet (other than writing pieces of the next novel of the series), but it's definitely crossed my mind.
If nothing else, the two coffees helped me in my quest to figure out genre numbers for similar fandoms, lol. Which is a different kind of productive?
I didn't write much on any of those days - maybe Monday, which is I think when I finished Chapter 5. I only had like two paragraphs written for Chapter 6 before today. Now I'm up to 1500 words, which is fairly productive for me these days. But it's taken me the better part of the day to get to that point. I wrote all morning, then took a break to shower, eat, watch TV, and do a bit of cleaning, and then wrote more this afternoon. But I am definitely into it, which I'm happy about - I wasn't sure how that would go for my first Kevin story LOL.
Woo! 1,500 words plus personal needs, breaks, and home needs! I'm glad your first Kevin story is going well and you're into it. :)
-
On the ones that are all five points of view, it was never really focused on any one person. At least I never intended it to be. Nick seemed to have the most dramatic chapters because Nick was always the most dramatic lol but I always gave them equal time and an equal amount of chapters.
Nick is the most dramatic.
Mare is so wise and balanced. Teach me your ways, Mare. I keep finding myself saying I should have listened to you a long time ago, lol!
-
Yeah, I think it's just because AO3 is newer. There are way more than 1,400 BSB fanfics out there, but the majority of them were written in the late 90s or early 2000s and are either still out there on Angelfire or Tripod sites that haven't been updated in 20+ years or went down with Geocities. I'm sure AC has the largest collection of them on one site.
Oh man, Angelfire and Tripod! Those are two other things I haven't thought about in a while. Late 90's/early 00's internet was a wild and lawless time.
The tags! Everything is a tag there LOL. It honestly drives me nuts. I guess I can see why you might like to search out stories tagged "kidnapping" (there are 14 BSB fics with this tag) or "bus crash" (none!!), but hello spoilers! That's the reason I didn't tag most of my stories as medical dramas specifically - unless it's obvious in the summary or happens in the first chapter, that's a spoiler! Judging by the tags, readers on AO3 seem to care more about the character pairings and sexual positions than genres or plot points though.
I guess in a tag-culture, people don't really care about spoilers if it ends up searchable in the tags? I also don't like to reveal spoilers in tags (as I've mentioned many times in my perceived difference between "death" and "major character death"), so I figured that was why you only had two listed as "medical," as I mentioned. They also don't have a standard section for genres, which seems weird to me. Like why are warnings a section, but genres are only a tag? Bizarre.
Our dreams are answered though, apparently "I suck at summaries" is a tag and there are 204 people willing to admit it on all of AO3. There's also 11 "really wordy" tags, lol.
I mostly tagged mine with characters and genres because that's how I'm used to classifying them, both here on AC and on my site. I guess that's mainly what I look at after the summary when I'm browsing for stories to read - what's it about, who's it about, and what kind of story is it? I definitely don't need to know if there's anal sex in it or not LOL. If it's a slash, I'm going to assume there is. But maybe this is just us being old-school. The whole concept of tags is a newer thing; we didn't have those back in the day LOL.
I think it's the natural progression for a story in a world with #s and @s. There's a lot less subtext (or more and it's really blatant, haha). There's probably a world in the future where publish novels can be sorted by "hurt/comfort" too. I don't think I've ever wanted to click a tag either? Sorting by genre or characters makes sense to me, but even though I love a good trope, I don't think I feel the need to sort by a specific one? There's 4,850 stories with the tag "demons" if anyone wanted to know. Talking about this has basically became a fascinating adventure in searching for things in the name of science. I won't lie to to you all, I may have also done a quick "is PBox in any of these other fandoms" scan just in case (and curiosity got the better of me, there are 14 pages of stories called "Pandora's Box" on AO3, but only one of them is PBox that I can tell... it glitched halfway through my flicking and started being the same stories over and over again).
Thanks for doing all that research! Holy shit, there's a lot of BTS fanfics! I wonder how many BSB fics there would have been on AO3 if it had been the main place to post fanfics back in the late 90s. I also wonder if they would have been overwhelmingly slash like they are now. Somehow I don't think so. Slash has always been around, but I think het romance was more popular in the peak days of BSB fic.
Happy to help us all in the name of science, two coffees, and minimal inspiration. I guess ff.net would be comparable? Rose might know that answer best, I think she was most involved with it back in the day.
I mean, AC as comparison could be helpful, so I'll do some more specific math. Let's say all slash stories on AC are included in the romance genre and that each possible page of genre has the full 15 stories on it (for the sake of quickness of math, not perfect accuracy).
We know that AC has 3,187 stories. The above logic assumes that 1,485 of them are romance and 180 of them are slash. 47% of the stories on AC have romance as a genre, 6% of the stories are slash. 12% of the romances are slash.
I guess there can be pairings without romance, but it's kind of weird to me that the number of slash stories is overwhelmingly higher than the ones tagged as romance.
If anything, our numbers tell me that BSB fans enjoy drama as a genre more than anything else, lol. I wonder if slash is more popular now because it seems easier to remove a wife for another Boy than an OC female love interest. Or because so many of us have done everything that we've all now tried things we originally said we wouldn't, like slash. Or pairings and AUs are such a big part of fanfic these days that slash and AU are just more popular because of that. Or people are writing more one-chapter things than novels, so the tags are inflated with the preferences of those one-chapter authors who happen to like slash.
I looked out of curiosity and most of the stuff on AO3 doesn't start being multi-chapter (or x/?) until it hits about 11,000 words; based on what updates, I'd be willing to give an extra page of intended multi-chaptered works, plus one more for the few I saw along the way even though their word counts were smaller. So of the 1,465 works on AO3, only about 300 of them have more than one chapter. AC doesn't let you sort by word count, but everything on the most recent page is multi-chapter.
I am so useless today, haha.
-
I guess in a tag-culture, people don't really care about spoilers if it ends up searchable in the tags? I also don't like to reveal spoilers in tags (as I've mentioned many times in my perceived difference between "death" and "major character death"), so I figured that was why you only had two listed as "medical," as I mentioned. They also don't have a standard section for genres, which seems weird to me. Like why are warnings a section, but genres are only a tag? Bizarre.
Yeah, it's definitely a different culture over there. I'm fine with a warnings section, although I haven't used it for most of my stories on AO3 (again, spoilers - and yes, "Major Character Death" gives away a lot more than general "Death"), but I wish there was a genre section too.
Now that I think about it, most of my medical dramas actually aren't on AO3 yet. I think the only other one I could have given that tag was Curtain Call. I consider Bethlehem more of a survival story than a medical drama since most of it's set outside a hospital.
Our dreams are answered though, apparently "I suck at summaries" is a tag and there are 204 people willing to admit it on all of AO3. There's also 11 "really wordy" tags, lol.
LOL! Well, if I ever get bored enough to post BMS on there, I now know another tag to include.
I think it's the natural progression for a story in a world with #s and @s. There's a lot less subtext (or more and it's really blatant, haha). There's probably a world in the future where publish novels can be sorted by "hurt/comfort" too. I don't think I've ever wanted to click a tag either? Sorting by genre or characters makes sense to me, but even though I love a good trope, I don't think I feel the need to sort by a specific one? There's 4,850 stories with the tag "demons" if anyone wanted to know. Talking about this has basically became a fascinating adventure in searching for things in the name of science. I won't lie to to you all, I may have also done a quick "is PBox in any of these other fandoms" scan just in case (and curiosity got the better of me, there are 14 pages of stories called "Pandora's Box" on AO3, but only one of them is PBox that I can tell... it glitched halfway through my flicking and started being the same stories over and over again).
LOL I also went down a rabbit hole of tags earlier, which led to my discovery of two Dobby/Hagrid slash stories by different authors in the Harry Potter fandom. https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dobby*s*Rubeus%20Hagrid/works I read them both out of morbid curiosity and got a good laugh. I think they were both written as jokes...
I came across a Child's Play slash on there a couple years ago... Chucky the killer doll and Andy the little boy. There was no murder in it at all, just doll sex. Rule #34 strikes again. LOL
I guess there can be pairings without romance, but it's kind of weird to me that the number of slash stories is overwhelmingly higher than the ones tagged as romance.
I think that's because a lot of them are just porn without any of the romance that would normally lead up to a sex scene.
If anything, our numbers tell me that BSB fans enjoy drama as a genre more than anything else, lol. I wonder if slash is more popular now because it seems easier to remove a wife for another Boy than an OC female love interest. Or because so many of us have done everything that we've all now tried things we originally said we wouldn't, like slash. Or pairings and AUs are such a big part of fanfic these days that slash and AU are just more popular because of that. Or people are writing more one-chapter things than novels, so the tags are inflated with the preferences of those one-chapter authors who happen to like slash.
Yes, we all love the drama!
Those definitely could be reasons why slash has seen a rise in popularity. I wonder if it's also because homosexuality is more accepted now than it was in the 90s. It's a bigger part of pop culture, and gay characters are more common now.
I looked out of curiosity and most of the stuff on AO3 doesn't start being multi-chapter (or x/?) until it hits about 11,000 words; based on what updates, I'd be willing to give an extra page of intended multi-chaptered works, plus one more for the few I saw along the way even though their word counts were smaller. So of the 1,465 works on AO3, only about 300 of them have more than one chapter. AC doesn't let you sort by word count, but everything on the most recent page is multi-chapter.
I have also noticed that about AO3; there are a lot more one-shots and short stories. Our really long, complete novels are a rarity there. Which is exactly why we should keep posting them.
-
I better answer these myself before they get buried too deep in this thread.
What was your breakout story?
Broken
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
January 2003 - March 2004. I was 17 when I started it and 18 when I finished.
How did that story change you as a writer?
I got a lot better at description and character development during the writing of Broken. You can see that development happen over the course of the story. It starts off still a little teenybopperish and cringey, but it gets better as it goes on. I spent a lot of time in Broken Nick's head, and I think it shows. He really changes throughout the story as I break him down and build him back up. And I think Claire is still one of the strongest original characters I've ever created.
This is also the story that taught me how to research for a fanfic. I had looked things when writing before, especially for Code Blue, but not to the level I had to for Broken, especially once I got to the choppage section because I knew nothing about that and had to learn a lot to be able to write it realistically. That definitely changed the way I write because now I research a ton.
Why do you think the quality of your writing improved with that story?
I think it was a mixture of inspiration and maturity. The idea for Broken came from reading the Swollen Issues series, specifically Swollen Issues II. I was obsessed with that story, and while it wasn't the best quality of writing I've ever read in a fanfic, it hooked me with its strong characters, detailed descriptions, and emotional punch. I wasn't even a big Nick fan back then, but that story just made me want to give him a huge hug. As I refreshed the site it was on multiple times a day as I desperately waited for updates, I wished I could create something that would give my readers that kind of reaction. So when I started writing Broken, that's what I tried to do.
At the same time, I was a senior in high school, taking AP English, where of course we read and analyzed classic literature. I think all our discussions and essays about symbolism and imagery in "The Great Gatsby" and "Of Mice and Men" is what sparked the dream interpretation phase I mentioned not too long ago. I made a lot of awkward attempts at putting some symbolism of my own into Broken, and while they weren't great, they at least added some more depth to my writing.
Then I went away to college, where I wrote the last part of the story, the post-choppage section, which I think is the strongest part. I didn't plan it that way, but it just happened to coincide that my Nick was undergoing a huge life change in the story at the same time I was in real life. I don't know if being on my own for the first time and the life experience and maturity that came with it actually spilled over into my writing or if that would have been the natural progression of it anyway, but that is where I really seemed to make the jump from teenybopper to young adult writer.
-
Yeah, it's definitely a different culture over there. I'm fine with a warnings section, although I haven't used it for most of my stories on AO3 (again, spoilers - and yes, "Major Character Death" gives away a lot more than general "Death"), but I wish there was a genre section too.
Now that I think about it, most of my medical dramas actually aren't on AO3 yet. I think the only other one I could have given that tag was Curtain Call. I consider Bethlehem more of a survival story than a medical drama since most of it's set outside a hospital.
LOL! Well, if I ever get bored enough to post BMS on there, I now know another tag to include.
I'm also fine with a warning section, but, yes, I also wish genre was a section and not just tags.
Yeah, Bethlehem really only becomes a medical drama as a natural consequence of being a survival story. You can't spoil Curtain Call though, so it's better to just call it a drama.
You know, I thought about it for PBox, but I figured the word count spoke for itself. I looked out of curiosity and in the ten wordiest stories, I see you, Rose, Mare, and me. Mare fills out most of the rest of the twenty wordiest stories and I see another one that I know is on AC too. We're all the rebels with our novels in a one-shot world.
LOL I also went down a rabbit hole of tags earlier, which led to my discovery of two Dobby/Hagrid slash stories by different authors in the Harry Potter fandom. https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Dobby*s*Rubeus%20Hagrid/works I read them both out of morbid curiosity and got a good laugh. I think they were both written as jokes...
I came across a Child's Play slash on there a couple years ago... Chucky the killer doll and Andy the little boy. There was no murder in it at all, just doll sex. Rule #34 strikes again. LOL
lmao, Rule #34 strikes again! I think we can never assume things were written as jokes, but you're probably right. I also want to make a joke about BDSM and house elves so badly, but it's only half formed in my head. This will bother me all day.
But there was murder in that story. Andy's childhood was murdered by doll sex.
I think that's because a lot of them are just porn without any of the romance that would normally lead up to a sex scene.
I figured that was why as well. Which if you're only writing a one-shot type thing, you don't really need any romantic buildup to the sex.
Yes, we all love the drama!
Those definitely could be reasons why slash has seen a rise in popularity. I wonder if it's also because homosexuality is more accepted now than it was in the 90s. It's a bigger part of pop culture, and gay characters are more common now.
I have also noticed that about AO3; there are a lot more one-shots and short stories. Our really long, complete novels are a rarity there. Which is exactly why we should keep posting them.
I think loving drama is a characteristic we all share, regardless of our overall genre preferences. Although, I just looked and I've never listed PBox as a drama, even though it's very dramatic.
That might have a lot to do with it too! Just look at all our opinions back in the day "I will never write this," and many of us have at some point or another (although I've never written a BSB one and don't really have an interest in writing one still, reading is fine if it has a story and not just pwp). I think back in the day, it was always there for us too, but possibly a little more taboo.
If nothing else, it takes a lot less effort to write one-shots and short stories. The amount of research I've done for any of them is fairly minimal compared to a novel. When we all have several outside responsibiliti es (I assume), it's easier to put out consistent content if you're keeping it short (or being patient and hoarding).
-
I better answer these myself before they get buried too deep in this thread.
lol! As Mare said, that tends to happen.
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
January 2003 - March 2004. I was 17 when I started it and 18 when I finished.
I feel like I knew that you wrote the whole thing over the course of about a year, but it's always wild to me when I see it confirmed. Did you ever have times where you didn't write it for long stretches of time or were you always writing fairly consistently?
How did that story change you as a writer?
I got a lot better at description and character development during the writing of Broken. You can see that development happen over the course of the story. It starts off still a little teenybopperish and cringey, but it gets better as it goes on. I spent a lot of time in Broken Nick's head, and I think it shows. He really changes throughout the story as I break him down and build him back up. And I think Claire is still one of the strongest original characters I've ever created.
This is also the story that taught me how to research for a fanfic. I had looked things when writing before, especially for Code Blue, but not to the level I had to for Broken, especially once I got to the choppage section because I knew nothing about that and had to learn a lot to be able to write it realistically. That definitely changed the way I write because now I research a ton.
I think the more time you spend with a character, the more nuanced they become, especially when you're directly in their head. Nick's character arc was great! And only became stronger as time went. Claire is definitely a strong original character and she only got better as time went on when she had more of her own motivations and goals. :) I know we've discussed it before, but it feels like that "care and investment" in the characters and their story might be a major turning point in the "teenybopper versus nuanced writer" divide. Or at least for you and I. While I enjoyed writing stories prior to the 2003 OF/Gobosei/PBox era, they lacked a lot of that care and investment that led me to really try crafting a better piece of work to really depict a complete story and write about things in realistic and believable ways.
That's true to your research as well, which I also love your care and attention for the accuracy of the smallest details! It's easy enough to say that Nick's leg was amputated, but in a story full of investment in the character, it almost feels like you gotta do it accurate justice for them, especially when it's something you know nothing about going in. I know I realized that research led to more interesting writing, as I'm sure you did too, so I think we're all better for our days of research. You're much better at keeping yours organized though! I've been slowly trying to recreate mine to keep in a safe place, rather than in the same spot in my head as the lyrics to QPG, haha.
Why do you think the quality of your writing improved with that story?
I think it was a mixture of inspiration and maturity. The idea for Broken came from reading the Swollen Issues series, specifically Swollen Issues II. I was obsessed with that story, and while it wasn't the best quality of writing I've ever read in a fanfic, it hooked me with its strong characters, detailed descriptions, and emotional punch. I wasn't even a big Nick fan back then, but that story just made me want to give him a huge hug. As I refreshed the site it was on multiple times a day as I desperately waited for updates, I wished I could create something that would give my readers that kind of reaction. So when I started writing Broken, that's what I tried to do.
At the same time, I was a senior in high school, taking AP English, where of course we read and analyzed classic literature. I think all our discussions and essays about symbolism and imagery in "The Great Gatsby" and "Of Mice and Men" is what sparked the dream interpretation phase I mentioned not too long ago. I made a lot of awkward attempts at putting some symbolism of my own into Broken, and while they weren't great, they at least added some more depth to my writing.
Then I went away to college, where I wrote the last part of the story, the post-choppage section, which I think is the strongest part. I didn't plan it that way, but it just happened to coincide that my Nick was undergoing a huge life change in the story at the same time I was in real life. I don't know if being on my own for the first time and the life experience and maturity that came with it actually spilled over into my writing or if that would have been the natural progression of it anyway, but that is where I really seemed to make the jump from teenybopper to young adult writer.
I bolded this part specifically because I think this is immensely important advice (sentiment?) for anyone aspiring to write something down. If a work touches you so much that you want to create the feeling of it, then do! (Easier said than done, I know.) But I think that if there's a spark of anything like that in anyone from reading something else, then they have that power to try. We're having a discussion here about breakout novels, but all of us have said we wrote many things before that. Many cringey things. But, we all eventually settled on something where there was care, love, and motivation that switched something on in our brains and forced this progression in writing ability. I'm not going to lie and say that writing is never frustrating (I especially don't think I can), but when there's so many strong feelings about wanting to do it, just doing it helps get you there. Everyone started from somewhere. :)
You know, all those discussions about analyzing literature have always made me wonder how much authors purposefully put things in to be symbolic and how much of it was just them thinking things like "awww, it's so hard for the big one because he loves little things, but doesn't know his own strength" or "I just really like the color green." lmao
It could be a little of both, but I definitely think writing is stronger for those types of "write what you know" things than the "I am very familiar with the climate of mountains" type things. It allows us to put a little of ourselves into the writing without blatantly being ourselves. I think Nick was stronger for his "huge life change" coming during your "huge life change." :)
I was the opposite of mature as a freshman, lmao. Anxious might be a better term. Apparently, I like to write PBox when I'm feeling anxious, haha.
-
I feel like I knew that you wrote the whole thing over the course of about a year, but it's always wild to me when I see it confirmed. Did you ever have times where you didn't write it for long stretches of time or were you always writing fairly consistently?
LOL Yeah, that just shows how fast I used to write compared to now. I was very consistent; I think the longest break I took was about a week when I moved to college. I wasn't sure how much fanfic writing I would get done in a dorm room, but thankfully, my roommate had a double major, a job, and a boyfriend, so she was gone a lot, which gave me time to write uninterrupted.
I think the more time you spend with a character, the more nuanced they become, especially when you're directly in their head. Nick's character arc was great! And only became stronger as time went. Claire is definitely a strong original character and she only got better as time went on when she had more of her own motivations and goals. :) I know we've discussed it before, but it feels like that "care and investment" in the characters and their story might be a major turning point in the "teenybopper versus nuanced writer" divide. Or at least for you and I. While I enjoyed writing stories prior to the 2003 OF/Gobosei/PBox era, they lacked a lot of that care and investment that led me to really try crafting a better piece of work to really depict a complete story and write about things in realistic and believable ways.
Thanks! I agree with what you said about "care and investment" of characters. I have always been more of a plot-driven writer than character-driven, but at a certain point, I started thinking more deeply about not just what was going to happen to the characters, but how that would change them. I definitely spent more time living in Nick's head and developing Claire's character than I had in previous stories.
That's true to your research as well, which I also love your care and attention for the accuracy of the smallest details! It's easy enough to say that Nick's leg was amputated, but in a story full of investment in the character, it almost feels like you gotta do it accurate justice for them, especially when it's something you know nothing about going in. I know I realized that research led to more interesting writing, as I'm sure you did too, so I think we're all better for our days of research. You're much better at keeping yours organized though! I've been slowly trying to recreate mine to keep in a safe place, rather than in the same spot in my head as the lyrics to QPG, haha.
Thanks again! Yeah, I couldn't exactly write it like the children's book version LOL. "Nick, we need to amputate your leg now." "Oh noes!" Nick was sad at first, but then he put on his peg leg and limped out of the hospital and lived happily ever after. The End!
I think the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about it at first actually helped because it forced me to research thoroughly. Whereas with the cancer stuff earlier in the story, I still relied a lot on the background knowledge I already had, which came mostly from reading outdated and simplistic Lurlene McDaniel YA books from the 80s, and it shows. Nick's bone cancer is written more accurately than Claire's leukemia and bone marrow transplant because Lurlene didn't have a book about bone cancer, so I did have to look up some stuff for that LOL. But with the choppage stuff, I looked up everything. I learned a lot, and that probably did make that part of the story more interesting. It was interesting to write, at least.
Folders are your best friend when it comes to organizing bookmarks! I don't know how I would find anything without folders. I organize everything by story and then by subtopic within the story.
I bolded this part specifically because I think this is immensely important advice (sentiment?) for anyone aspiring to write something down. If a work touches you so much that you want to create the feeling of it, then do! (Easier said than done, I know.) But I think that if there's a spark of anything like that in anyone from reading something else, then they have that power to try. We're having a discussion here about breakout novels, but all of us have said we wrote many things before that. Many cringey things. But, we all eventually settled on something where there was care, love, and motivation that switched something on in our brains and forced this progression in writing ability. I'm not going to lie and say that writing is never frustrating (I especially don't think I can), but when there's so many strong feelings about wanting to do it, just doing it helps get you there. Everyone started from somewhere. :)
Absolutely! Everyone does have to start somewhere, and no one's first attempt at writing is their best. (I would hope not - how sad would it be to peak with your first story? You'd have nowhere else to go but down.) Practice makes progress!
This also shows how important it is to read and learn from other writers, whether it's fellow fanfic writers or published authors. Reading inspires us and helps us grow as writers.
You know, all those discussions about analyzing literature have always made me wonder how much authors purposefully put things in to be symbolic and how much of it was just them thinking things like "awww, it's so hard for the big one because he loves little things, but doesn't know his own strength" or "I just really like the color green." lmao
LOL I know, I always wondered that too. I hated analyzing literature for class for that reason. I felt like my teachers always tried to get us to interpret the symbols a certain way and didn't leave a lot of room for our own interpretation . From my teacher perspective now working with younger students who are mostly still pretty literal in their thinking, I get the need to push them to think deeper and model more abstract thinking for them, but it was frustrating to me as a high school student to be forced to read books and then told how to interpret them. Maybe F. Scott Fitzgerald really did just like the color green! LOL
I was the opposite of mature as a freshman, lmao. Anxious might be a better term. Apparently, I like to write PBox when I'm feeling anxious, haha.
LOL Oh same here, for sure! I am an introvert and a homebody, so for me to go away to college by myself and live in a dorm with a roommate I didn't know before the start of the semester was a huge step for me. I'm sure having Broken to write helped me work through my own anxiety about this change, and I probably channeled a lot of that into Nick's angst. It worked out perfectly - for me more so than poor Nick, who would have preferred to keep his leg.
Editing to add: Did you ever read the novel "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell? If not, I highly recommend it for any fanfic author. It's about a girl who writes fanfic for a fictional fandom that's basically Harry Potter and how her life changes when she goes away to college. It didn't come out until I was out of college, but reading it brought back so many memories of my freshman year and writing Broken.
-
LOL Yeah, that just shows how fast I used to write compared to now. I was very consistent; I think the longest break I took was about a week when I moved to college. I wasn't sure how much fanfic writing I would get done in a dorm room, but thankfully, my roommate had a double major, a job, and a boyfriend, so she was gone a lot, which gave me time to write uninterrupted.
I blame real life for our current pace, haha. Moving always makes me useless. I think in half those "where is everybody" threads, I mentioned that I was busy moving, lol. I'm glad it worked out for you. What would you have done if your roommate had been around all the time? Even better, what if your roommate was around all the time, but then it turned out that they were also writing BSB fanfics? That would have been crazy!
Thanks! I agree with what you said about "care and investment" of characters. I have always been more of a plot-driven writer than character-driven, but at a certain point, I started thinking more deeply about not just what was going to happen to the characters, but how that would change them. I definitely spent more time living in Nick's head and developing Claire's character than I had in previous stories.
Your hard work and time speaks for itself. :)
Thanks again! Yeah, I couldn't exactly write it like the children's book version LOL. "Nick, we need to amputate your leg now." "Oh noes!" Nick was sad at first, but then he put on his peg leg and limped out of the hospital and lived happily ever after. The End!
I think the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about it at first actually helped because it forced me to research thoroughly. Whereas with the cancer stuff earlier in the story, I still relied a lot on the background knowledge I already had, which came mostly from reading outdated and simplistic Lurlene McDaniel YA books from the 80s, and it shows. Nick's bone cancer is written more accurately than Claire's leukemia and bone marrow transplant because Lurlene didn't have a book about bone cancer, so I did have to look up some stuff for that LOL. But with the choppage stuff, I looked up everything. I learned a lot, and that probably did make that part of the story more interesting. It was interesting to write, at least.
Folders are your best friend when it comes to organizing bookmarks! I don't know how I would find anything without folders. I organize everything by story and then by subtopic within the story.
What a short story Broken would have been if you did, lol! Oh noes! Not Nick's peg leg! At least he lived happily ever after with it! I was worried the choppage wouldn't go well! lol
I'm glad we all stumbled on "I know absolutely nothing about this" ideas, because I agree, it forces you to grow and do better. lol, I love that your initial justification for research was "Well, Lurlene doesn't have a book about bone cancer, so I guess I'd better figure it out somewhere else!" Whatever makes it happen, right? That's kind of why I think the "write what you know" advice is a little simplistic. It should honestly be "write feelings/emotions/reactions with what you know; write anything else with what you know or what you can thoroughly research." I think when something is interesting to write, it shines through in the narrative. We've all said it, we can tell when writers are doing things for genuine care and when they're doing things for external reasons.
I just didn't keep those bookmarks back then, let alone with that level of organization! That's the problem, haha.
Absolutely! Everyone does have to start somewhere, and no one's first attempt at writing is their best. (I would hope not - how sad would it be to peak with your first story? You'd have nowhere else to go but down.) Practice makes progress!
This also shows how important it is to read and learn from other writers, whether it's fellow fanfic writers or published authors. Reading inspires us and helps us grow as writers.
I'd be curious to hear from someone who thought their first story was their best. It would be an interesting perspective! Because I agree with you, practice makes progress.
That's always the biggest advice I see from published authors is to read as much as you write. There's only so many things to do in a bubble.
LOL I know, I always wondered that too. I hated analyzing literature for class for that reason. I felt like my teachers always tried to get us to interpret the symbols a certain way and didn't leave a lot of room for our own interpretation . From my teacher perspective now working with younger students who are mostly still pretty literal in their thinking, I get the need to push them to think deeper and model more abstract thinking for them, but it was frustrating to me as a high school student to be forced to read books and then told how to interpret them. Maybe F. Scott Fitzgerald really did just like the color green! LOL
I always hated that too! Unless an author comes out and says "there's a lot of x symbolism" is in the story, why try to force interpretation s on it? Reading is an inherently person activity, so each reader should be able to take out the interpretation s and impressions they like! When they're younger, we're still trying to teach them those higher order thinking skills, so it's important to model and scaffold, but most high schoolers should be able to make interpretation s and connections based on their own experience if they had the skills taught and encouraged at a young age. There was a poetry course I took in high school where we did both analyzing and creating, and that teacher was awesome. She let everyone who wanted to discuss whatever symbolism or connections they had before she even inserted her opinion. If she disagreed, her question was always "I wonder why we thought about that differently" instead of saying "this is it, the only interpretation ." College was more like her teaching as well, thank goodness.
LOL Oh same here, for sure! I am an introvert and a homebody, so for me to go away to college by myself and live in a dorm with a roommate I didn't know before the start of the semester was a huge step for me. I'm sure having Broken to write helped me work through my own anxiety about this change, and I probably channeled a lot of that into Nick's angst. It worked out perfectly - for me more so than poor Nick, who would have preferred to keep his leg.
LMAO, sorry anxiety and learning to channel it productively led to you losing your leg, Nick. I also feel a little bad for Nick that he gets to embody anxiety constantly. It must be really stressful for him.
-
I blame real life for our current pace, haha. Moving always makes me useless. I think in half those "where is everybody" threads, I mentioned that I was busy moving, lol. I'm glad it worked out for you. What would you have done if your roommate had been around all the time? Even better, what if your roommate was around all the time, but then it turned out that they were also writing BSB fanfics? That would have been crazy!
So true! Damn real life adult responsibiliti es getting in the way!
I dunno, I may have had to get more creative or go to the library or somewhere else to write. She actually had liked BSB back in the day (as most teenage girls our age did at one point or another) and ended up going to two of their shows with me in 2005. So it was fun to be able to talk BSB with her as a casual fan, but in the three years we lived together, I never let her find out about the fanfic. It would have been crazy if she was also writing fanfic though. I've sometimes wondered if I know anyone outside the fandom who has also written fanfic of some sort and never mentioned it. I might be more willing to talk about it with real life friends if I knew they also wrote fanfic, even if it was for a different fandom. At least there would be a certain level of understanding there. Do any of you know anyone in real life (that you didn't meet through BSB) who writes it?
I'm glad we all stumbled on "I know absolutely nothing about this" ideas, because I agree, it forces you to grow and do better. lol, I love that your initial justification for research was "Well, Lurlene doesn't have a book about bone cancer, so I guess I'd better figure it out somewhere else!" Whatever makes it happen, right? That's kind of why I think the "write what you know" advice is a little simplistic. It should honestly be "write feelings/emotions/reactions with what you know; write anything else with what you know or what you can thoroughly research." I think when something is interesting to write, it shines through in the narrative. We've all said it, we can tell when writers are doing things for genuine care and when they're doing things for external reasons.
LOL I relied on Lurlene's books as my main source of medical information for way too long. In fairness, I didn't have internet in my bedroom for the first year or two I wrote fanfic, so I had to be fairly stealthy in looking stuff up on my mom's computer in the den where anyone in my family could walk by and see the screen. I didn't want them to know what I was doing or writing, so I would save the info I needed on a floppy disc and then delete my internet history and take it back to my own computer to write offline. But I had a whole shelf full of Lurlene books with info on cancer treatments and organ transplants and whatnot in my room, so I used the resources I had on hand. I think Code Blue was the first story where I really had to do more in-depth research, but not to the level I did for Broken.
I totally agree about "write what you know." That is so limiting. Like you said, I think it should be "write what you know or are willing to research." Especially nowadays, when information is so easily accessible. It can still be a challenge to write about an experience you've never had, but that's a big part of the fun of writing - you can put yourself in a character's shoes and imagine a life that's vastly different from your own. That's why I'm so into what I'm researching and writing right now - it's new and interesting.
I just didn't keep those bookmarks back then, let alone with that level of organization! That's the problem, haha.
I bookmark just about everything so I can easily refer back to it if I need to fact-check, instead of going, "I know I read something about this, but I can't remember where..." I have well over a hundred bookmarks already for My Brother's Keeper alone LOL. That's why I keep them so organized, or it would take forever to sort through them all.
I'd be curious to hear from someone who thought their first story was their best. It would be an interesting perspective! Because I agree with you, practice makes progress.
I would too. But so many of us started writing fanfic as adolescents. I'm sure there are people who wrote their first piece of fic as an adult with more education and life experience than us, so it was probably a lot better written than our first stories were. I still assume they would keep growing and getting better with practice because I've certainly gotten better since my first "adult" story, but it may go back to that question of if your "best" work is your best-written work or just the one you like best. I can see how your first story would hold such a special place in your heart that you might consider it your best, even if it wasn't the best-written. That is not my experience, but I will also say that my first story is not my worst either.
I always hated that too! Unless an author comes out and says "there's a lot of x symbolism" is in the story, why try to force interpretation s on it? Reading is an inherently person activity, so each reader should be able to take out the interpretation s and impressions they like! When they're younger, we're still trying to teach them those higher order thinking skills, so it's important to model and scaffold, but most high schoolers should be able to make interpretation s and connections based on their own experience if they had the skills taught and encouraged at a young age. There was a poetry course I took in high school where we did both analyzing and creating, and that teacher was awesome. She let everyone who wanted to discuss whatever symbolism or connections they had before she even inserted her opinion. If she disagreed, her question was always "I wonder why we thought about that differently" instead of saying "this is it, the only interpretation ." College was more like her teaching as well, thank goodness.
Kudos to your poetry teacher! I think that's how it should be. I feel like the most useful skill I learned in my high school English classes was how to bullshit my way through essays, which also came in handy in college. I would just take whatever interpretation the teacher presented in class and write about that, whether I agreed with it or not, and I would get an A. I was also the student that would write the essay first and then write the outline based on that if I was required to turn one in with the final draft. I didn't see outlining as an important part of the writing process until I started doing it for fanfic LOL.
LMAO, sorry anxiety and learning to channel it productively led to you losing your leg, Nick. I also feel a little bad for Nick that he gets to embody anxiety constantly. It must be really stressful for him.
LOL Poor Nick. We've put him through so much.
-
I dunno, I may have had to get more creative or go to the library or somewhere else to write. She actually had liked BSB back in the day (as most teenage girls our age did at one point or another) and ended up going to two of their shows with me in 2005. So it was fun to be able to talk BSB with her as a casual fan, but in the three years we lived together, I never let her find out about the fanfic. It would have been crazy if she was also writing fanfic though. I've sometimes wondered if I know anyone outside the fandom who has also written fanfic of some sort and never mentioned it. I might be more willing to talk about it with real life friends if I knew they also wrote fanfic, even if it was for a different fandom. At least there would be a certain level of understanding there. Do any of you know anyone in real life (that you didn't meet through BSB) who writes it?
But the library is so public! lmao I guess a library, more than most places, people don't really creep on what other people are doing as much. And in a college library, there's more extended hours. You could have done it! Aw, it's fun that she was a BSB fan even if she wasn't a fanfic writer.
I don't know anyone who writes fanfic for any fandom except for you all. I don't know that any of us really tell people away from places like this that we do, so it would be hard to find them unless any of boisterously talked about it! I wonder what percentage of the BSB fandom is into fanfic at all and then what percentage of those people not only read them, but write them too.
We should be more vocal about it and find those people, haha. Maybe that's part of the stigma is people just don't talk about it.
LOL I relied on Lurlene's books as my main source of medical information for way too long. In fairness, I didn't have internet in my bedroom for the first year or two I wrote fanfic, so I had to be fairly stealthy in looking stuff up on my mom's computer in the den where anyone in my family could walk by and see the screen. I didn't want them to know what I was doing or writing, so I would save the info I needed on a floppy disc and then delete my internet history and take it back to my own computer to write offline. But I had a whole shelf full of Lurlene books with info on cancer treatments and organ transplants and whatnot in my room, so I used the resources I had on hand. I think Code Blue was the first story where I really had to do more in-depth research, but not to the level I did for Broken.
I totally agree about "write what you know." That is so limiting. Like you said, I think it should be "write what you know or are willing to research." Especially nowadays, when information is so easily accessible. It can still be a challenge to write about an experience you've never had, but that's a big part of the fun of writing - you can put yourself in a character's shoes and imagine a life that's vastly different from your own. That's why I'm so into what I'm researching and writing right now - it's new and interesting.
So stealthy! Saving things on your floppy disks and deleting your internet history! I used to go to my mom's work with her on the weekends and didn't even think of that. They probably had such a weird search history, haha. I think as long as my mom saw the Boys at the top of whatever website, she didn't question a thing. Or maybe she did? Maybe my mother knows so many things about me that I have no idea. If they're the resources you had, at least you were using your resources. Any research is better than no research if it's a story that needs some level of research. Like if an oncology doctor wanted to write a story like Broken, I would trust them to have the appropriate medical knowledge without research; but for the majority of people, it would need at least something whether that Lurlene's books, internet, whatever.
The wealth of readily accessible things on the internet including academic sources for research is insane! At that point, anything should be researchable. I love researching, especially when it's something I'm interested in; I've learned so many interesting things. I'm glad you're having fun with My Brother's Keeper! :)
I bookmark just about everything so I can easily refer back to it if I need to fact-check, instead of going, "I know I read something about this, but I can't remember where..." I have well over a hundred bookmarks already for My Brother's Keeper alone LOL. That's why I keep them so organized, or it would take forever to sort through them all.
I'm starting to now, but I may need to go back and find things if I need to fact check. I gotta be better about saving, haha.
I would too. But so many of us started writing fanfic as adolescents. I'm sure there are people who wrote their first piece of fic as an adult with more education and life experience than us, so it was probably a lot better written than our first stories were. I still assume they would keep growing and getting better with practice because I've certainly gotten better since my first "adult" story, but it may go back to that question of if your "best" work is your best-written work or just the one you like best. I can see how your first story would hold such a special place in your heart that you might consider it your best, even if it wasn't the best-written. That is not my experience, but I will also say that my first story is not my worst either.
Now we need more people who started writing later to weigh in! Is your early work as cringey for you? I couldn't even tell you what my first story was now. It holds no special places in my heart. I've named the three that do and the rest are kind of "eh, I wrote it?"
Kudos to your poetry teacher! I think that's how it should be. I feel like the most useful skill I learned in my high school English classes was how to bullshit my way through essays, which also came in handy in college. I would just take whatever interpretation the teacher presented in class and write about that, whether I agreed with it or not, and I would get an A. I was also the student that would write the essay first and then write the outline based on that if I was required to turn one in with the final draft. I didn't see outlining as an important part of the writing process until I started doing it for fanfic LOL.
"Fake it 'til you make it" is regular life advice I spout to anyone who will listen to it, lmao. I also tailored essays to the teacher, but in a way, isn't that just knowing your potential audience? I also wrote the outline afterward if I needed one. It was not great. I do the same thing for fanfics. I am more than happy to write an outline to keep track of things once it's written, but while writing, I would rather work from vague scribbles and notes.
LOL Poor Nick. We've put him through so much.
He's gotten stronger for it. I'd say "obviously he survived," but he doesn't always... lmao
Editing to add: Did you ever read the novel "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell? If not, I highly recommend it for any fanfic author. It's about a girl who writes fanfic for a fictional fandom that's basically Harry Potter and how her life changes when she goes away to college. It didn't come out until I was out of college, but reading it brought back so many memories of my freshman year and writing Broken.
I didn't read that! I'd heard of another one about fanfic for a GOT type series and the main fanfic writer in the story was writing with some dude who ended up actually being one of the actors. The one you're discussing sounds better, haha.
-
But the library is so public! lmao I guess a library, more than most places, people don't really creep on what other people are doing as much. And in a college library, there's more extended hours. You could have done it! Aw, it's fun that she was a BSB fan even if she wasn't a fanfic writer.
My college library was awesome because it had like eight floors, so if I needed to go there, I could always find some empty area to work where no one would bother me.
We should be more vocal about it and find those people, haha. Maybe that's part of the stigma is people just don't talk about it.
That's probably true, but I'm never going to be the first to bring it up LOL.
So stealthy! Saving things on your floppy disks and deleting your internet history! I used to go to my mom's work with her on the weekends and didn't even think of that. They probably had such a weird search history, haha. I think as long as my mom saw the Boys at the top of whatever website, she didn't question a thing. Or maybe she did? Maybe my mother knows so many things about me that I have no idea.
LOL I used to read fanfic at my mom's work! My mom's a computer teacher at the middle school I went to, which is basically right across the street from where my parents still live. The summer I discovered fanfic (1999), she got mad at me for tying up the phone line all the time by getting on the dial-up and wasting printer paper and ink printing out fanfics to read offline, so she let me come over to the school computer lab where the internet was faster and read while she worked. I found out what visuals were while I was on one of the school computers - whoops LOL. I wasn't writing fanfic yet then though.
"Fake it 'til you make it" is regular life advice I spout to anyone who will listen to it, lmao. I also tailored essays to the teacher, but in a way, isn't that just knowing your potential audience? I also wrote the outline afterward if I needed one. It was not great. I do the same thing for fanfics. I am more than happy to write an outline to keep track of things once it's written, but while writing, I would rather work from vague scribbles and notes.
Haha, great points! As far as actually outlining chapter by chapter, I'm like you - I don't usually do that all in advance, but more as I go if I do it at all. My outlines are typically more timelines of events and when they happen, character info, and research notes. If the timeline doesn't matter as much or if the story takes place in a short window of time, it's more just a synopsis of all the major events in the order they happen that I add to as I figure out more. That's what Bethlehem's outline was, whereas My Brother's Keeper has the timeline-style outline because it takes place in a specific period of BSB history.
He's gotten stronger for it. I'd say "obviously he survived," but he doesn't always... lmao
No, no he does not. But at least he's always resurrected for a new story. He's like the Jason Vorhees of BSB fanfic LOL.
I didn't read that! I'd heard of another one about fanfic for a GOT type series and the main fanfic writer in the story was writing with some dude who ended up actually being one of the actors. The one you're discussing sounds better, haha.
I haven't heard of the GOT one, but that sounds interesting too. Fangirl was a really fun and relatable read!
-
My college library was awesome because it had like eight floors, so if I needed to go there, I could always find some empty area to work where no one would bother me.
That's huge! I feel like ours was taller than I think, but it was very squat and wide more than tall. Many nooks and crannies. The "library" in my sorority house, less so. I did most of my writing in my room.
That's probably true, but I'm never going to be the first to bring it up LOL.
I'd say I would, but I also won't even tell my husband or anyone who asks specifically what I'm writing about. I just say "demons" when they ask what it's about. Then I always get "You can't say 'demons' with zero context" as a response, lol. But you asked what it's about and it's about demons! ::) I've clearly answered the question!
LOL I used to read fanfic at my mom's work! My mom's a computer teacher at the middle school I went to, which is basically right across the street from where my parents still live. The summer I discovered fanfic (1999), she got mad at me for tying up the phone line all the time by getting on the dial-up and wasting printer paper and ink printing out fanfics to read offline, so she let me come over to the school computer lab where the internet was faster and read while she worked. I found out what visuals were while I was on one of the school computers - whoops LOL. I wasn't writing fanfic yet then though.
She just hated me being home alone if she had to work on the weekends, so she dragged me with her. Which worked out, because I could use one of the computers at her work for BSB to my heart's content! LMAO, I also found a visual at her work and clicked right out of there so fast! 11-year-old me was not prepared for that at the time, lol. At least your mom is pragmatic, if you tied up the phone line and wasted precious printer ink, at least you could do it at her work where it didn't do those things (as much). I once printed one of my fanfics that I wrote at my middle school and it wasted so much paper and ink! I'm not even sure how I got into the computer lab to do it, but I did. My BFF watched the door for me, lmao. I'm not usually that bold.
Haha, great points! As far as actually outlining chapter by chapter, I'm like you - I don't usually do that all in advance, but more as I go if I do it at all. My outlines are typically more timelines of events and when they happen, character info, and research notes. If the timeline doesn't matter as much or if the story takes place in a short window of time, it's more just a synopsis of all the major events in the order they happen that I add to as I figure out more. That's what Bethlehem's outline was, whereas My Brother's Keeper has the timeline-style outline because it takes place in a specific period of BSB history.
As usual, just trying to justify our bad habits, haha.
Yeah, same. I'd call mine more of a chapter-by-chapter synopsis for going back and looking up things I reference or to keep track of what characters are doing. I know in the beginning I used to have a handwritten one, that I can't find, but I specifically remember writing down what Nick was doing in green pen, Howie in purple, Brian in aquamarine, Kevin in blue, and AJ in yellow (written over with orange because I couldn't read it). I want to get back to that again, actually, because it would help me keep character arcs straight.
Always impressed with y'all's timelines. I'd keep it accurate if I did it, but I just have no interest in actual timelines, haha.
No, no he does not. But at least he's always resurrected for a new story. He's like the Jason Vorhees of BSB fanfic LOL.
lmao We have a Samara!Brian, Jason!Nick, is AJ Willy Wonka? lol
I haven't heard of the GOT one, but that sounds interesting too. Fangirl was a really fun and relatable read!
I'll have to check it out. I have a pile of "want to read this books" that hasn't gotten any smaller since I've been busy writing again.
-
I once printed one of my fanfics that I wrote at my middle school and it wasted so much paper and ink! I'm not even sure how I got into the computer lab to do it, but I did. My BFF watched the door for me, lmao. I'm not usually that bold.
LOL I'm sure you were not the first to do that, but I'm glad your friend stood guard so you didn't get caught. Stories are always so much longer on actual paper than they seem online! I actually only printed one of them, the first fanfic I ever read, and that was like 50 pages, which seems like nothing now, but was a lot of paper to print. That's the one I got in trouble for, so I never did it again (except for when I printed out all of Broken so I could see what it looked like - but I specifically bought my own ream of paper and ink for that and did it on my own printer.) Nostalgic hoarder me still has both that first story and Broken in binders though, so at least it didn't go to waste LOL.
Always impressed with y'all's timelines. I'd keep it accurate if I did it, but I just have no interest in actual timelines, haha.
Thanks! I'm loving this one so far. I realized last week I have never actually written about Nick in his hot mess phase. When he was in it in real life, I was writing Broken and BMS, in which he was not that much of a mess.
Then I wrote a bunch of AUs in the mid-2000s, and by the time I got to Curtain Call, Nick had gotten his shit together. So it's kinda fun writing him at the tail end of his hot mess phase at the beginning of 2008 - not that I would ever want to see him go back to his old ways in real life, but it's a different side of him as a character that I haven't ever really explored before.
I'll have to check it out. I have a pile of "want to read this books" that hasn't gotten any smaller since I've been busy writing again.
Ugh, same! I haven't been reading anything except fanfic (and forum posts LOL) lately because I've been writing so much. Here it is Sunday night, and I haven't even watched any of my shows because I would rather write while the inspiration is there. Sunday is my favorite TV night, so you know I'm inspired when I choose writing over watching Walking Dead and 90 Day Fiance LOL.
-
I have been the total opposite. I can’t seem to read fast enough, but that’s all I seem to be able to do lol not much else.
-
LOL I'm sure you were not the first to do that, but I'm glad your friend stood guard so you didn't get caught. Stories are always so much longer on actual paper than they seem online! I actually only printed one of them, the first fanfic I ever read, and that was like 50 pages, which seems like nothing now, but was a lot of paper to print. That's the one I got in trouble for, so I never did it again (except for when I printed out all of Broken so I could see what it looked like - but I specifically bought my own ream of paper and ink for that and did it on my own printer.) Nostalgic hoarder me still has both that first story and Broken in binders though, so at least it didn't go to waste LOL.
They really don't seem as long online! I think it's because there's no page breaks and its just continuous scrolling. 50 pages seems like nothing! I guess even when typing in google docs, I don't really notice the length until it gets to the end of the document and starts being ridiculously slow. And then I say, "Oh, this is 100 pages long." And then I split it and the next part becomes 100 pages long, and so on. PBox on its own is easily 500-600 pages long if I printed it out. When it's online, I tend to think of them more in "Oh this is x words? That will take me about x minutes to read" than "x words is x pages of writing." Glad you saved both of them. And printing that first one taught you to be more stealthy in your fanfic reading, lol. I also have the printed version of that fanfic. Thanks [redacted] for letting me print it rather shadily! Our education system at work!
Thanks! I'm loving this one so far. I realized last week I have never actually written about Nick in his hot mess phase. When he was in it in real life, I was writing Broken and BMS, in which he was not that much of a mess.
Then I wrote a bunch of AUs in the mid-2000s, and by the time I got to Curtain Call, Nick had gotten his shit together. So it's kinda fun writing him at the tail end of his hot mess phase at the beginning of 2008 - not that I would ever want to see him go back to his old ways in real life, but it's a different side of him as a character that I haven't ever really explored before.
Yay! Glad you're loving it! I think it's good to try it if you've never written hot mess Nick! He's definitely a wild card! And fun to dabble with, sometimes... I realize I say this and any present-day story I started during that time never got finished and PBox Nick is an emotional wreck, but not as much of a hot mess. Beta Sigma Beta Nick was probably the closest I got to successfully and sustainably writing hot mess Nick, but that was only in the AU parts -- Nick in the "canon" parts was very much 90's Nick. It's probably easier writing hot mess Nick knowing that it's a moment in time and not forever. Whereas back then, we spent a lot of time going "Oh Nick, I love you, but..." Or maybe that was just me. At least I hit 22 and ended up saying "Still not sorry for worrying about you, Nick, but sorry for judging your decisions."
Ugh, same! I haven't been reading anything except fanfic (and forum posts LOL) lately because I've been writing so much. Here it is Sunday night, and I haven't even watched any of my shows because I would rather write while the inspiration is there. Sunday is my favorite TV night, so you know I'm inspired when I choose writing over watching Walking Dead and 90 Day Fiance LOL.
Same, or writing forum posts, lol. Woah, that is inspiration! You skipped your favorite tv night to write! Good for you!
I had the most unproductive weekend. I wrote a sentence on Friday. I did nothing on Saturday... Well, I wrote 1,000s of words here, but nothing novel-wise. Yesterday, I was feeling pretty inspired and got 543 words of PNecklace written, was still thinking about it during weekly meal prep and feeling pretty inspired, then found out we had a snow day today at like 3pm when we finished cooking. And my motivation drained. So I wrote a few notes for myself on the things I had been thinking about while chopping potatoes and cauliflower, then watched the NCAA tournament bracket announcement show and played on my phone or checked here. I got a second wind of inspiration as I went to bed and wrote another 169 words on my phone. Today feels like a solid inspiration day, so I think I can be a little more productive, especially since refreshing the forum constantly would be silly since 9-5 weekdays are slower here, haha. Wish me luck, basically!
I have been the total opposite. I can’t seem to read fast enough, but that’s all I seem to be able to do lol not much else.
What are you reading right now, Mare?
-
Today feels like a solid inspiration day, so I think I can be a little more productive, especially since refreshing the forum constantly would be silly since 9-5 weekdays are slower here, haha. Wish me luck, basically!
In the spirit of being totally useless and not productive, I decided to see what my word counts were like around this time (14th of the month) for all the other months that I've been keeping track (since November).
- November: 20,412 words
- December: 10,370 words
- January: 20,891 words
- February: 11,027 words
- March: 7,900 words
I broke the pattern, oh noes! lol I'm going to call this fairly consistent. Anyway, all this being said, I think I'm going to do the Camp NaNo in April if anyone wants to join me. It's a little less of a commitment than November's event since you get to set your own word count goal for writing or editing, rather than the 50,000 words of writing November requires for completion. Not sure what my word count goal will be yet, but my plan is to have PNecklace finished by the end of the month; about six months of committed writing, that would be pretty good work! I have about 60,000 words left to go (based on chapters left and my typical chapter length goals); I think I can do it! :)
Now I'll stop stalling, take advantage of this Monday snow day, and go write, lol. :)
-
I have been the total opposite. I can’t seem to read fast enough, but that’s all I seem to be able to do lol not much else.
I go through phases like that too. It's usually either/or for me... either I write a lot, or I read a lot. It's hard to find the time to do a lot of both, and although I love to read, I tend to choose writing when I have the time and motivation because I'm always like, "I can read any time, but I can't write any time, so I should write now." And then I realize it's been a while since I've read an actual book. I have a pile of half-finished, barely-started, or not-started-yet-but-someday books waiting on my night table.
-
Yay! Glad you're loving it! I think it's good to try it if you've never written hot mess Nick! He's definitely a wild card! And fun to dabble with, sometimes... I realize I say this and any present-day story I started during that time never got finished and PBox Nick is an emotional wreck, but not as much of a hot mess. Beta Sigma Beta Nick was probably the closest I got to successfully and sustainably writing hot mess Nick, but that was only in the AU parts -- Nick in the "canon" parts was very much 90's Nick. It's probably easier writing hot mess Nick knowing that it's a moment in time and not forever. Whereas back then, we spent a lot of time going "Oh Nick, I love you, but..." Or maybe that was just me. At least I hit 22 and ended up saying "Still not sorry for worrying about you, Nick, but sorry for judging your decisions."
Yes! Especially the part I bolded. Back when Nick was a hot mess, I was happier writing about a fictional version who wasn't (or was at least less so). But now that he's moved on to a new and better phase of his life, it's been interesting to look back and work some of his real life drama into my fanfic. It makes me appreciate the personal growth he's made since then even more.
Same, or writing forum posts, lol. Woah, that is inspiration! You skipped your favorite tv night to write! Good for you!
I had the most unproductive weekend. I wrote a sentence on Friday. I did nothing on Saturday... Well, I wrote 1,000s of words here, but nothing novel-wise. Yesterday, I was feeling pretty inspired and got 543 words of PNecklace written, was still thinking about it during weekly meal prep and feeling pretty inspired, then found out we had a snow day today at like 3pm when we finished cooking. And my motivation drained. So I wrote a few notes for myself on the things I had been thinking about while chopping potatoes and cauliflower, then watched the NCAA tournament bracket announcement show and played on my phone or checked here. I got a second wind of inspiration as I went to bed and wrote another 169 words on my phone. Today feels like a solid inspiration day, so I think I can be a little more productive, especially since refreshing the forum constantly would be silly since 9-5 weekdays are slower here, haha. Wish me luck, basically!
I told myself I would watch my shows tonight because nothing else is on (except Snowpiercer, which I have already fallen a few weeks behind on - whoops). But I wrote before school again this morning and am hoping to write more tonight, so we'll see. I didn't watch Walking Dead last Sunday night either because I got sucked into the Meghan and Harry interview, and I didn't end up watching it until Saturday night because I wrote most of the other nights. Too much inspiration and not enough time... it's a good problem to have!
I figured you must have had a snow day today when I saw what time you posted on here. We had shitty weather here today too - rain, then freezing rain, then back to regular rain. Not cold enough to get any snow, but some of the trees were covered in ice on the way home, while the grass is starting to get green... very weird looking.
Don't feel bad about having an unproductive weekend. We all have weekends like that, and you weren't feeling your best. I hope you had better luck writing today!
-
In the spirit of being totally useless and not productive, I decided to see what my word counts were like around this time (14th of the month) for all the other months that I've been keeping track (since November).
- November: 20,412 words
- December: 10,370 words
- January: 20,891 words
- February: 11,027 words
- March: 7,900 words
I broke the pattern, oh noes! lol I'm going to call this fairly consistent. Anyway, all this being said, I think I'm going to do the Camp NaNo in April if anyone wants to join me. It's a little less of a commitment than November's event since you get to set your own word count goal for writing or editing, rather than the 50,000 words of writing November requires for completion. Not sure what my word count goal will be yet, but my plan is to have PNecklace finished by the end of the month; about six months of committed writing, that would be pretty good work! I have about 60,000 words left to go (based on chapters left and my typical chapter length goals); I think I can do it! :)
Now I'll stop stalling, take advantage of this Monday snow day, and go write, lol. :)
Wow, you were super productive in November and January! Hopefully you're more productive for the rest of March, especially if you want to write 60,000 words between now and the end of April!
I've never tried keeping track of a monthly word count that way. That is probably helpful for setting a goal for Camp NaNo. I have never done that before either, but I'd be willing to give it a try. I've always wanted to do NaNoWriMo, but November is never a good month for me. April is more doable because at least it starts with my spring break. It doesn't have to be a brand new story/project, right? I can just set a word count goal for what I'm currently writing? That would be good for me.
-
Answering your question, Dee. I just finished The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett. It was really great. I’m now reading Slaughterhouse Five. I promised myself I’d read at least one classic book a year that I’ve never read before. It’s really weird and funny and strange. Very Kurt Vonnegut lol
And I’m the same way too, Julie. Physically all I seem to be able to do is lay in bed or on my recliner so reading is the way to go for me. When I had the writing bug, I barely read anything except maybe a few fanfics I was following.
-
I'm going to come back and respond to all of this, but I need someone to appreciate this that is not my husband, because his response was "Okay, sorry you spent your time doing that instead of being productive." (still mostly productive)
In the name of quick research, I tried looking up videos of birds falling without being injured/able to stick the landing and stumbled on a bunch of videos of baby birds attempting flight for the first time instead. So, have some videos of baby birds attempting flight because they look like tiny puff balls bouncing off the ground that should have some sort of accompanying silly sound effect.
https://youtu.be/8BjYZnJEYwI (https://youtu.be/8BjYZnJEYwI) or https://youtu.be/ZbOCsQbeaZM (https://youtu.be/ZbOCsQbeaZM)
I did stumble on one where the baby bird probably shouldn't have been trying to jump, but a predatory bird and fox wanted to nom on them. It went less well and made me sad. :(
Back to writing while feeling inspired and working hard!
-
Aww, cute! Thanks for only sharing the successful ones LOL. I can't handle sad animal videos.
-
Sorry for not being so chatty in the last few days, I’ve had a really crazy weekend with work and today is my day off so I am here and there. I did manage to write a little bit over the weekend and almost have a new chapter of History written.
I was going to answer questions but they are pretty buried so I am going to try to answer at least one lol
there’s nothing that I’ve ever written that I didn’t post, other than a death I started for 1000 Ways last year, I never finished it so I never posted it but it’s in my drafts on Google Docs somewhere. I also still have the beginnings of that Brian romance story that I was playing with too. Not sure if I want to post it or not, I’m undecided.
I’ve never regretted writing anything but looking back on my older stories recently, there’s things I would change or tweak to make them bettter. I don’t because it’s good to reread them and look back to see how I have grown as a writer. I used to use such short chapters and very little description so it’s nice to see how I have improved in that area.
As for my most popular story? If I had to guess I would say You Give Love A Bad Name only because I know it’s my most read story on Wattpad so it could very well be the same case on AC too. On Wattpad it has 10,400 hits on it.
-
Yes! Especially the part I bolded. Back when Nick was a hot mess, I was happier writing about a fictional version who wasn't (or was at least less so). But now that he's moved on to a new and better phase of his life, it's been interesting to look back and work some of his real life drama into my fanfic. It makes me appreciate the personal growth he's made since then even more.
It's like real life character development! Once again, Nick just screams protagonist, lmao. ;) I appreciate it too. :) In the right crowd, he's got a good head on his shoulders.
Ooh, that actually reminds me of something I was reading today about things people notice about men who are insecure in their masculinity and one of them was something like "Put their friends down constantly. Real men constantly celebrate and love their brothers for their accomplishment s. Insecure men are always trying to one-up everyone or make others look small so they look better." And my first thought was definitely "Nick versus Justin" rather than anyone I knew in real life, lol.
I told myself I would watch my shows tonight because nothing else is on (except Snowpiercer, which I have already fallen a few weeks behind on - whoops). But I wrote before school again this morning and am hoping to write more tonight, so we'll see. I didn't watch Walking Dead last Sunday night either because I got sucked into the Meghan and Harry interview, and I didn't end up watching it until Saturday night because I wrote most of the other nights. Too much inspiration and not enough time... it's a good problem to have!
If you wrote before school, you almost gotta keep the momentum going if you can? Or take a break because you deserve it. I see both arguments. That interview was wild! I think I'd rather have too much inspiration and not enough time rather than loads of time and no inspiration. I can confirm that no writing gets done without inspiration.
I figured you must have had a snow day today when I saw what time you posted on here. We had shitty weather here today too - rain, then freezing rain, then back to regular rain. Not cold enough to get any snow, but some of the trees were covered in ice on the way home, while the grass is starting to get green... very weird looking.
Don't feel bad about having an unproductive weekend. We all have weekends like that, and you weren't feeling your best. I hope you had better luck writing today!
I am bold enough to write at work if I have nothing else to do, no one is around, and I'm feeling inspired. I am not bold enough to check the forums. Or play on my phone... I figure writing looks like doing work, so unless someone sneaks up on me and says "Who stabbed what now?" they would never know, lol.
That's what Saturday was like. Loads and loads of rain. Then our fourth largest snow storm in record-tracking years. And then snow day number two tomorrow! It's a sign to write. Also a great time to be recovering from the vaccine if it had gone more poorly. Extra days. :) It's always super weird when it's green out and there's ice. It's like that here a lot just because of the sun being out most of the time, even when it snows.
I was just mostly bummed that Sunday felt like an inspiration day and ended up being a wash. But you're right, we all have days and weekends and weeks like that. :) After all that, I ended up finishing the chapter I was working on and writing about 1,300 new words today so far. Next chapter is fun because I basically have two versions of it written, I'm just figuring out how to splice it together the best so that it's the most interesting. So I'll go back to having several documents open at once, the worst, lol.
-
I hope you've enjoyed your day off, Tracy! Glad to hear you got some written over the weekend. I also hope you'll finish that Nick death and post it at some point! What has you undecided about the Brian romance?
-
It's like real life character development! Once again, Nick just screams protagonist, lmao. ;) I appreciate it too. :) In the right crowd, he's got a good head on his shoulders.
Ooh, that actually reminds me of something I was reading today about things people notice about men who are insecure in their masculinity and one of them was something like "Put their friends down constantly. Real men constantly celebrate and love their brothers for their accomplishment s. Insecure men are always trying to one-up everyone or make others look small so they look better." And my first thought was definitely "Nick versus Justin" rather than anyone I knew in real life, lol.
Haha, that is so true! I love how our boys embrace their "feminine" side. They're not afraid to share their feelings or cry in front of other people or tell each other "I love you" or, in AJ's case, wear nail polish and eye makeup and women's clothing LOL. They must be fairly confident in their masculinity to do those things. I also think their willingness to emote and show their love for each other makes them more fun fanfic characters to write.
If you wrote before school, you almost gotta keep the momentum going if you can? Or take a break because you deserve it. I see both arguments. That interview was wild! I think I'd rather have too much inspiration and not enough time rather than loads of time and no inspiration. I can confirm that no writing gets done without inspiration.
I've been writing all evening and haven't even turned on my TV! I guess no Walking Dead or 90 Day Fiance again tonight. I'll catch up when my inspiration runs out. It is rare for me to be on such a roll this early on in a story (especially a story I was stuck on for three years LOL), so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
That's what Saturday was like. Loads and loads of rain. Then our fourth largest snow storm in record-tracking years. And then snow day number two tomorrow! It's a sign to write. Also a great time to be recovering from the vaccine if it had gone more poorly. Extra days. :) It's always super weird when it's green out and there's ice. It's like that here a lot just because of the sun being out most of the time, even when it snows.
I was just mostly bummed that Sunday felt like an inspiration day and ended up being a wash. But you're right, we all have days and weekends and weeks like that. :) After all that, I ended up finishing the chapter I was working on and writing about 1,300 new words today so far. Next chapter is fun because I basically have two versions of it written, I'm just figuring out how to splice it together the best so that it's the most interesting. So I'll go back to having several documents open at once, the worst, lol.
Yay for another snow day tomorrow! And congrats on finishing your chapter! I hope you can keep the momentum going and take advantage of the extra writing time tomorrow. Snow days are the best because there's no pressure to go out and do anything with your unexpected day off. You can just stay home and do whatever you want.
I hate splicing!!! And yet, it makes me happy to be able to use excerpts from old versions of a scene in the new one. I just hate the process of putting everything together.
-
Wow, you were super productive in November and January! Hopefully you're more productive for the rest of March, especially if you want to write 60,000 words between now and the end of April!
I've never tried keeping track of a monthly word count that way. That is probably helpful for setting a goal for Camp NaNo. I have never done that before either, but I'd be willing to give it a try. I've always wanted to do NaNoWriMo, but November is never a good month for me. April is more doable because at least it starts with my spring break. It doesn't have to be a brand new story/project, right? I can just set a word count goal for what I'm currently writing? That would be good for me.
Here's to hoping!
NaNo is fun, but an undertaking! This was the only year I've been successful and pretty much all I did was write nonstop, like Hamilton, lol.
They've gotten a lot more lax on the rules over the years, like they didn't use to allow fanfic and verified everyone's word count on their own servers. But even for the actual event in November, the idea is starting a brand new novel (just because they've found people are more successful getting it from start to finish rather than continuing an ongoing project), but they basically say "you do you" now. So rebels who continue old projects can still be winners! :) You just have to write 50,000 words.
But definitely for the April/July Camp Nanos, you can set whatever word count as a goal and have at it for any old or new project or projects, they don't even have to be "novels" in the traditional sense: poems, research papers, scripts, blogs, whatever are all fine as long as we're writing. And then we just cheer each other on and update our word counts as we work. :) Camp used to be a little more complicated set-up wise (like you could join pre-made writing groups based on what you were writing), but it's a lot simpler now that it's all the same site. Here's their little blurb: https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-camp-nanowrimo (https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-camp-nanowrimo)
And I already preemptively made our writing group back whenever we all discussed the July one, so it's ready to go whenever, it just needs a little visual love, lol.
-
Answering your question, Dee. I just finished The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett. It was really great. I’m now reading Slaughterhouse Five. I promised myself I’d read at least one classic book a year that I’ve never read before. It’s really weird and funny and strange. Very Kurt Vonnegut lol
And I’m the same way too, Julie. Physically all I seem to be able to do is lay in bed or on my recliner so reading is the way to go for me. When I had the writing bug, I barely read anything except maybe a few fanfics I was following.
For sure, Slaughterhouse Five is quintessential Kurt Vonnegut! I'm glad you're enjoying everything you're reading. What's next on the list, either general or a classic you haven't read?
I can't think of the last thing I read that wasn't a fanfic... Depending on how writing is going, I think I'm going to commit to reading something over spring break.
I go through phases like that too. It's usually either/or for me... either I write a lot, or I read a lot. It's hard to find the time to do a lot of both, and although I love to read, I tend to choose writing when I have the time and motivation because I'm always like, "I can read any time, but I can't write any time, so I should write now." And then I realize it's been a while since I've read an actual book. I have a pile of half-finished, barely-started, or not-started-yet-but-someday books waiting on my night table.
How do you feel about reading in public places? Like at work?
I have the same pile in our living room. It's bad.
-
Aww, cute! Thanks for only sharing the successful ones LOL. I can't handle sad animal videos.
I'll share any weird video I look up, but I was laughing so hard that they just went for the jump, bounced, then carried on their merry way. I kept expecting to hear the ducks make that weird, surprised gasp/bump sound that kids make when they fall down ("Hnew" seems like a good approximation), but they did not. I also hate sad animal videos; I can't stand those SPCA videos.
-
I hope you've enjoyed your day off, Tracy! Glad to hear you got some written over the weekend. I also hope you'll finish that Nick death and post it at some point! What has you undecided about the Brian romance?
I had so many ideas for one shots over the weekend but also no motivation to write any of them lol.
I’m not sure what is making me hesitate on the Brian story. It could be a few reasons. I think it is a very interesting idea but I don’t think I have enough to make a whole story and commit to regular updates on it. I have not written any romance that is not slash in about two years, so I think that is why i am having trouble connecting to that story again. I find myself revisiting old ideas I’ve had and the stories on AC that I abandoned, like the storm chasing story that had AJ as the main character. I’d love to actually rework it and make another attempt on it one day. It’s just going to need a LOT of research and I just don’t have time to take to do that with how my work is going. It’s been very hectic at my night job for the last month or so. I had to take over a job in my department that’s not my normal job, without being trained properly on said job. I was thrown into it and I winged it. So my stress level has been through the roof.
-
Sorry for not being so chatty in the last few days, I’ve had a really crazy weekend with work and today is my day off so I am here and there. I did manage to write a little bit over the weekend and almost have a new chapter of History written.
We've missed you! (I did at least; it's always more fun when everyone's feeling chatty.) But I hope you're enjoying your well deserved day off after a crazy week and also glad that you're still getting some writing done despite being busy. :) Hope your neck is feeling better too!
I was going to answer questions but they are pretty buried so I am going to try to answer at least one lol
Yay! Answers to questions! Always answer if you want to answer, no matter how buried!
If you wanted to keep answering, this is the post with those questions and the others (and/or the first post of this thread):
Stumbled on some fun questions to answer
Julie asked:
Are there any aspects of writing you seem to have trouble with? I am generally pretty good with spelling and grammar, but one thing I've noticed about myself is I often want to make compound words out of terms that are really two separate words.
And then Julie asked about breakout stories:
We were talking about breakout stories, the first story you wrote that was actually decent and wouldn't make you cringe to go back and read it now.
What was your breakout story?
When did you write it, and/or how old were you when you wrote it?
How did that story change you as a writer?
Why do you think the quality of your writing improved with that story?
And then we had some discussions about keeping things balanced when switching POV and what genres are popular for popular boybands in fanfic and I did lots of math instead of anything writing related, lol. And here we are. Summarizing fast-moving long things is one of my talents. ;)
there’s nothing that I’ve ever written that I didn’t post, other than a death I started for 1000 Ways last year, I never finished it so I never posted it but it’s in my drafts on Google Docs somewhere. I also still have the beginnings of that Brian romance story that I was playing with too. Not sure if I want to post it or not, I’m undecided.
I’ve never regretted writing anything but looking back on my older stories recently, there’s things I would change or tweak to make them bettter. I don’t because it’s good to reread them and look back to see how I have grown as a writer. I used to use such short chapters and very little description so it’s nice to see how I have improved in that area.
As for my most popular story? If I had to guess I would say You Give Love A Bad Name only because I know it’s my most read story on Wattpad so it could very well be the same case on AC too. On Wattpad it has 10,400 hits on it.
Julie asked already, but I'd love to hear your thought process on your Brian story too.
Those ideas for tweaks and changes can always be used for newer stories. I think I'm an outlier in the rewriting/major editing. I wonder if it's similar in other fandoms.
Dang! That's a lot of hits! A kudos for you! :)
-
Haha, that is so true! I love how our boys embrace their "feminine" side. They're not afraid to share their feelings or cry in front of other people or tell each other "I love you" or, in AJ's case, wear nail polish and eye makeup and women's clothing LOL. They must be fairly confident in their masculinity to do those things. I also think their willingness to emote and show their love for each other makes them more fun fanfic characters to write.
Me too, and they always have. It's the best part of their bond. :) I was never sure why anyone called them the "serious ones" like they had zero emotions. They're the best little emoters. ;)
I've been writing all evening and haven't even turned on my TV! I guess no Walking Dead or 90 Day Fiance again tonight. I'll catch up when my inspiration runs out. It is rare for me to be on such a roll this early on in a story (especially a story I was stuck on for three years LOL), so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
Woah! Go, Julie, go! I'm sending good vibes to your inspiration! Now was just the right time to write this one!
Yay for another snow day tomorrow! And congrats on finishing your chapter! I hope you can keep the momentum going and take advantage of the extra writing time tomorrow. Snow days are the best because there's no pressure to go out and do anything with your unexpected day off. You can just stay home and do whatever you want.
I hate splicing!!! And yet, it makes me happy to be able to use excerpts from old versions of a scene in the new one. I just hate the process of putting everything together.
I am so excited. It's a four day weekend! I knew I had it in me eventually. I'm hoping I can as well. I'm trying to keep my sleep schedule fairly consistent, but I'm honestly wide awake, so I may just keep writing until I can't or it hits midnight or something. Tomorrow's schedule is a little writing, a little of my volunteer stuff, some coffee, and paper shredding, lol. Today I deep cleaned the bathrooms, so I deserve some writing time.
I don't mind splicing, but it's usually a "I wrote part of this scene already and now we're here." Then I type over it in suggest mode as I see fit until it goes with the rest of what's there. Suggest mode is my favorite, but the walls of green are something else after a while. I think this one might be a little harder because I have a "here's what happened" version and "here's Nick saying 'here's what happened' as everyone reacts" version. There's good in both, it's just putting them together in the right way, because I don't think it warrants both a "here's what happened" chapter and a "everyone reacts" chapter. Not sure what this is yet! I may have to reread both of them first, then decide.
-
I had so many ideas for one shots over the weekend but also no motivation to write any of them lol.
Write them down and save them for when motivation comes!
I’m not sure what is making me hesitate on the Brian story. It could be a few reasons. I think it is a very interesting idea but I don’t think I have enough to make a whole story and commit to regular updates on it. I have not written any romance that is not slash in about two years, so I think that is why i am having trouble connecting to that story again. I find myself revisiting old ideas I’ve had and the stories on AC that I abandoned, like the storm chasing story that had AJ as the main character. I’d love to actually rework it and make another attempt on it one day. It’s just going to need a LOT of research and I just don’t have time to take to do that with how my work is going. It’s been very hectic at my night job for the last month or so. I had to take over a job in my department that’s not my normal job, without being trained properly on said job. I was thrown into it and I winged it. So my stress level has been through the roof.
Could be a novella if you think it has enough for a little story, but not a lot of story? I wonder if there's a romancey movie that would get you in the groove? 27 Dresses is always one of my go-tos.
I do love that you're getting inspired on old ideas too! Maybe we can all make a commitment to each other to tackle Guilty Roads, Gobosei, and the AJ story (or another old one you like) if we're all feeling inspired about them. :)
It's hard to find creative motivation when work is stressful. Sorry you had an entire new job thrust on you without training; that's always hard! I'm sending you lots of good vibes that it gets better. Make sure that you're taking time for you! Whether that involves writing or not! You're a champ!
-
For sure, Slaughterhouse Five is quintessential Kurt Vonnegut! I'm glad you're enjoying everything you're reading. What's next on the list, either general or a classic you haven't read?
I can't think of the last thing I read that wasn't a fanfic... Depending on how writing is going, I think I'm going to commit to reading something over spring break.
How do you feel about reading in public places? Like at work?
I have the same pile in our living room. It's bad.
Next up is probably a John Grisham novel I haven’t read yet. I think it’s called The Partner? I’ve read his newer stuff but never read much of his older stuff.
I missed the where I read question. I always had a book with me at school in case of last minute assemblies or class no shows. I usually bring a book with me wherever I go, like my Dr. Appt. tomorrow, but if it’s too loud I can’t concentrate on what I’m reading. I prefer reading at home, especially when the weather is warm enough for me to sit outside.
-
But definitely for the April/July Camp Nanos, you can set whatever word count as a goal and have at it for any old or new project or projects, they don't even have to be "novels" in the traditional sense: poems, research papers, scripts, blogs, whatever are all fine as long as we're writing. And then we just cheer each other on and update our word counts as we work. :) Camp used to be a little more complicated set-up wise (like you could join pre-made writing groups based on what you were writing), but it's a lot simpler now that it's all the same site. Here's their little blurb: https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-camp-nanowrimo (https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-camp-nanowrimo)
And I already preemptively made our writing group back whenever we all discussed the July one, so it's ready to go whenever, it just needs a little visual love, lol.
Yeah, that sounds more my speed. I don't like having a lot of requirements for something that's supposed to be fun. I could probably churn out 50,000 in June or July with the right story, but not in any other month. Count me in for the Camp Nano!
How do you feel about reading in public places? Like at work?
I have the same pile in our living room. It's bad.
I can read in public places if I have to (like in waiting rooms or airports), but I prefer to read at home. I do read at work sometimes, but only children's books or professional texts.
-
I had so many ideas for one shots over the weekend but also no motivation to write any of them lol.
I’m not sure what is making me hesitate on the Brian story. It could be a few reasons. I think it is a very interesting idea but I don’t think I have enough to make a whole story and commit to regular updates on it. I have not written any romance that is not slash in about two years, so I think that is why i am having trouble connecting to that story again. I find myself revisiting old ideas I’ve had and the stories on AC that I abandoned, like the storm chasing story that had AJ as the main character. I’d love to actually rework it and make another attempt on it one day. It’s just going to need a LOT of research and I just don’t have time to take to do that with how my work is going. It’s been very hectic at my night job for the last month or so. I had to take over a job in my department that’s not my normal job, without being trained properly on said job. I was thrown into it and I winged it. So my stress level has been through the roof.
I'm glad to hear you have a lot of ideas! Sorry the time/motivation is lacking. Your work situation does sound stressful! I hope it gets better as you get used to it or until you can hire someone new for that position.
I hear you on the romance woes. I usually write romance more as a subplot so I don't worry about running out of ideas or getting bored with it. I've gotta have some other drama outside of the relationship to keep me interested. If it helps, you sound exactly like me when I was getting ready for write By My Side back in the day - worried I wouldn't have enough ideas, worried I wouldn't be able to commit to it. Somehow it turned into a 200-chapter novel that I had no trouble finishing. But even though it is a romance, it definitely had outside drama, too. Maybe there's a way you could combine the Brian romance storyline with another idea to beef it up. Or you could always envision it as a shorter story, like a novella instead of a novel. Not everything needs to be an epic, as I'm learning LOL.
-
I am so excited. It's a four day weekend! I knew I had it in me eventually. I'm hoping I can as well. I'm trying to keep my sleep schedule fairly consistent, but I'm honestly wide awake, so I may just keep writing until I can't or it hits midnight or something. Tomorrow's schedule is a little writing, a little of my volunteer stuff, some coffee, and paper shredding, lol. Today I deep cleaned the bathrooms, so I deserve some writing time.
I don't mind splicing, but it's usually a "I wrote part of this scene already and now we're here." Then I type over it in suggest mode as I see fit until it goes with the rest of what's there. Suggest mode is my favorite, but the walls of green are something else after a while. I think this one might be a little harder because I have a "here's what happened" version and "here's Nick saying 'here's what happened' as everyone reacts" version. There's good in both, it's just putting them together in the right way, because I don't think it warrants both a "here's what happened" chapter and a "everyone reacts" chapter. Not sure what this is yet! I may have to reread both of them first, then decide.
You definitely deserved some writing time after deep cleaning your bathrooms! I hope you got some writing done today too, in between volunteering and paper shredding.
I have never really used suggesting mode for fanfic because I feel like the walls of green would bother me, but it's worth a shot sometime. I can't wait until I can safely delete the copy I made of the original version of My Brother's Keeper when I went back to revise/rewrite some of it. I'm past the point I was in that version, plotwise, but I keep finding new places to put some of the little snippets of dialogue or description I liked in the first version. It is nice not to have to rewrite everything from scratch, but I don't like to have multiple versions of the same story junking up my folders.
Woah! Go, Julie, go! I'm sending good vibes to your inspiration! Now was just the right time to write this one!
Thanks! Apparently so! I wrote before school again this morning and am hoping to write more tonight. I'm almost done with Chapter 9, but then I have to go back and write Chapter 8, which I skipped because the scene I'm working on now was originally tacked onto Chapter 7 until it got too long. So I wrote two Kevin chapters in a row, and next I'll go back and write two Nick ones. And that will put me through Chapter 10, so if this writing streak continues, I'll be ready to start posting this thing in April.
-
Next up is probably a John Grisham novel I haven’t read yet. I think it’s called The Partner? I’ve read his newer stuff but never read much of his older stuff.
I didn't think I've actually ever read one of his novels! Then I looked it up and none of the covers for the books looked familiar, but the film posters did. So, apparently, I have seen a bunch of movies based on his novels without reading them, lol.
Which one that you've read did you like best?
I missed the where I read question. I always had a book with me at school in case of last minute assemblies or class no shows. I usually bring a book with me wherever I go, like my Dr. Appt. tomorrow, but if it’s too loud I can’t concentrate on what I’m reading. I prefer reading at home, especially when the weather is warm enough for me to sit outside.
Mare! Reading during assemblies! Shame. Kidding. ;) I like reading outside too (or at the pool). It's not as bad with a book because you can still wear sunglasses. :)
I can read in public places if I have to (like in waiting rooms or airports), but I prefer to read at home. I do read at work sometimes, but only children's books or professional texts.
I do most of my reading on airplanes these days. That's probably why I feel like I haven't read anything in a while, lol. I don't really read at work either, but I always see other teachers reading on their lunches, so I was curious if you were a work reader or not (and also if Mare was, really).
-
Yeah, that sounds more my speed. I don't like having a lot of requirements for something that's supposed to be fun. I could probably churn out 50,000 in June or July with the right story, but not in any other month. Count me in for the Camp Nano!
Wahoo! Everyone who's interested in joining me for a little craziness, go to nanowrimo.org (http://nanowrimo.org) and click "sign up" if you don't already have an account. Then everyone tell me your usernames and I will invite you to "The Absolutely Chaotic Backstreet Project" writing group. :)
Not everything needs to be an epic, as I'm learning LOL.
Psh! Shhh! ;)
-
You definitely deserved some writing time after deep cleaning your bathrooms! I hope you got some writing done today too, in between volunteering and paper shredding.
I ended up shredding zero papers today, lol. Next time. But I did get a lot of writing done! I successfully spliced the two chapters and still ended up writing 1,700 new words for the chapter, including two times where I actually laughed out loud while writing, which I didn't know this was a chapter for jokes, but apparently it was.
And we can all play another addition of "Which Backstreet Boy is being discussed?" Hooray!:
“Clueless, unpredictable, and impulsive! At least something always gets done!”
I also get to add more kinky tags to this epic story at some point in the future as I constantly write ahead. I assume there's got to be some kind of tag for "kinky claiming by supernatural beings," no? lol I'm a horrible person because I'm sure most of those tags are meant legitimately and I never intend for anything to be kinky and just like to joke.
I have never really used suggesting mode for fanfic because I feel like the walls of green would bother me, but it's worth a shot sometime. I can't wait until I can safely delete the copy I made of the original version of My Brother's Keeper when I went back to revise/rewrite some of it. I'm past the point I was in that version, plotwise, but I keep finding new places to put some of the little snippets of dialogue or description I liked in the first version. It is nice not to have to rewrite everything from scratch, but I don't like to have multiple versions of the same story junking up my folders.
I have so many versions of all of these at this point that it is what it is, haha. I try to limit the walls of green text to one chapter at a time, then track the new words, then accept the changes so it's not always walls and walls of green text. I think it's fun to have a "complete old version" copy, then you can see how much has changed. :) It's why I still have my circa 2008 version of PBox even though I updated it on the site.
Thanks! Apparently so! I wrote before school again this morning and am hoping to write more tonight. I'm almost done with Chapter 9, but then I have to go back and write Chapter 8, which I skipped because the scene I'm working on now was originally tacked onto Chapter 7 until it got too long. So I wrote two Kevin chapters in a row, and next I'll go back and write two Nick ones. And that will put me through Chapter 10, so if this writing streak continues, I'll be ready to start posting this thing in April.
April is so soon! I'm excited for you; you're getting a lot done! Are you changing over to two chapters for Nick and two chapters for Kevin or just this time because of the length?
-
I didn't think I've actually ever read one of his novels! Then I looked it up and none of the covers for the books looked familiar, but the film posters did. So, apparently, I have seen a bunch of movies based on his novels without reading them, lol.
Which one that you've read did you like best?
Mare! Reading during assemblies! Shame. Kidding. ;) I like reading outside too (or at the pool). It's not as bad with a book because you can still wear sunglasses. :)
I do most of my reading on airplanes these days. That's probably why I feel like I haven't read anything in a while, lol. I don't really read at work either, but I always see other teachers reading on their lunches, so I was curious if you were a work reader or not (and also if Mare was, really).
Only the assemblies I did not have to attend lol which was most of them.
Favorite a John Grisham novels are Callico Joe and The Guardians. I just finished Slaughterhouse Five so I’ll be starting The Partner tomorrow.
-
Only the assemblies I did not have to attend lol which was most of them.
Favorite a John Grisham novels are Callico Joe and The Guardians. I just finished Slaughterhouse Five so I’ll be starting The Partner tomorrow.
I feel better that you were only reading if you didn't have to go to the assemblies, not during the assemblies.
You're reading so quickly!
-
Have you ever been dissatisfied and unsure about a chapter and either posted it anyway or not posted it, and why? What made your decision for you.
That was me today. I was very hesitant to post the update for history today because I've been feeling less than confident in many things, writing being one of them. Also it was a silly chapter so I wasn't sure if it would fit in. I just had doubts. I ended up posting it and a couple of my readers on wattpad liked it so I'm happy I changed my mind about rewriting the whole thing.
-
Wahoo! Everyone who's interested in joining me for a little craziness, go to nanowrimo.org (http://nanowrimo.org) and click "sign up" if you don't already have an account. Then everyone tell me your usernames and I will invite you to "The Absolutely Chaotic Backstreet Project" writing group. :)
Done! I'm RokofAges75.
I ended up shredding zero papers today, lol. Next time. But I did get a lot of writing done! I successfully spliced the two chapters and still ended up writing 1,700 new words for the chapter, including two times where I actually laughed out loud while writing, which I didn't know this was a chapter for jokes, but apparently it was.
And we can all play another addition of "Which Backstreet Boy is being discussed?" Hooray!:
“Clueless, unpredictable, and impulsive! At least something always gets done!”
I'm glad you got a lot of writing done! That is more satisfying than shredding papers.
I guess Nick!
I have so many versions of all of these at this point that it is what it is, haha. I try to limit the walls of green text to one chapter at a time, then track the new words, then accept the changes so it's not always walls and walls of green text. I think it's fun to have a "complete old version" copy, then you can see how much has changed. :) It's why I still have my circa 2008 version of PBox even though I updated it on the site.
That is smart to go one chapter at a time. I don't like having multiple versions of a story and typically delete the old ones after I don't need them anymore, but that is for works in progress. I do think if I ever went back and rewrote a finished story that was already posted, I would save the original version. Although I didn't do that for Code Blue, so maybe not. (But Code Blue also wasn't finished.)
April is so soon! I'm excited for you; you're getting a lot done! Are you changing over to two chapters for Nick and two chapters for Kevin or just this time because of the length?
No, I'm still switching back and forth between their POVs every chapter, but I ended up splitting the two scenes I had written for Chapter 7 into two separate chapters, which would make the other one Chapter 9, since they're both from Kevin's POV. That means I have to go back and write Chapter 8, which will come between them and be from Nick's POV.
-
Have you ever been dissatisfied and unsure about a chapter and either posted it anyway or not posted it, and why? What made your decision for you.
That was me today. I was very hesitant to post the update for history today because I've been feeling less than confident in many things, writing being one of them. Also it was a silly chapter so I wasn't sure if it would fit in. I just had doubts. I ended up posting it and a couple of my readers on wattpad liked it so I'm happy I changed my mind about rewriting the whole thing.
I loved your chapter! It was really cute. I didn't think it was too silly; it fit with the theme of the story, and I liked how it told the story behind that picture of the four of them in the bed.
I think there's a difference between being dissatisfied and being unsure. I have definitely felt both. If I'm dissatisfied with the chapter and feel I can do better, I will revise it before posting. If I'm unsure, I think about my reasons for writing whatever I was unsure about it and whether it warrants changing or not. If I'm really unsure, I'll ask someone else for an opinion before posting it for everyone to read. If I think it needs changing, I'll go back and revise, but as long as I can justify my decisions within the chapter, I'll go ahead and post it. The chapters I tend to be most unsure about are the ones that make me uncomfortable. I'll wonder, "Is this too much? Too intense/inappropriate/gross/weird?" I usually end up going for it and not regretting it. At the end of the day, we have to write what we want to write and not worry about what other people think, although I know that's easier said than done.
-
Have you ever been dissatisfied and unsure about a chapter and either posted it anyway or not posted it, and why? What made your decision for you.
That was me today. I was very hesitant to post the update for history today because I've been feeling less than confident in many things, writing being one of them. Also it was a silly chapter so I wasn't sure if it would fit in. I just had doubts. I ended up posting it and a couple of my readers on wattpad liked it so I'm happy I changed my mind about rewriting the whole thing.
I really need to catch up! Sorry I'm running behind! I think silly chapters absolutely have value, even in serious stories, and I'm happy to hear that some of your readers on Wattpad enjoyed it. :) It's always a good feeling when you hear otherwise about your worries.
I think dissatisfied or unsure are smaller things for me that I try to address before posting. Nervous, though, definitely!
Like Julie said, If I'm feeling dissatisfied, I keep tweaking it until I feel like it's good enough for me, then I'll post it. No matter how long that takes, whether it's a week or six months, lol. Especially now, haha. My process is usually write, quick edit a couple of days after finishing, let it sit, edit again. I don't really have beta readers anymore since I've been gone so long, but in the past I did bounce parts off people if I was unsure about what I wrote. Now, letting it sit usually helps me work through it myself.
There's a lot of things I've been nervous to post! I think we've talked about it before, usually ones that felt too dark (character deaths and whatnot) or like Beta Sigma Beta where I knew it would be part AU/part "canon." I was worried to post my big reveals ch.10/ch.11 in PNecklace and people still read those two, so I figure all was good. But then no one's read the last two chapters I posted, so maybe everyone did hate it, lmao. It is what it is and I'm happy with the direction of the story, so that's really what matters. And think positively! You obviously felt like including it had merit when you started writing it. :) I always take that as a good sign when I feel like writing something to begin with, and you should too. :)
Julie's absolutely right with this:
At the end of the day, we have to write what we want to write and not worry about what other people think, although I know that's easier said than done.
-
Done! I'm RokofAges75.
Hooray! Invite sent!
I'm glad you got a lot of writing done! That is more satisfying than shredding papers.
I guess Nick!
Some day I will finish shredding my old phone bills, haha. It was more satisfying.
It is Nick. And he is fine with it because he said something to the effect of "I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing" directly prior.
That is smart to go one chapter at a time. I don't like having multiple versions of a story and typically delete the old ones after I don't need them anymore, but that is for works in progress. I do think if I ever went back and rewrote a finished story that was already posted, I would save the original version. Although I didn't do that for Code Blue, so maybe not. (But Code Blue also wasn't finished.)
I think I'd save whatever I had for me depending on the level of rewriting. I have three different version of PBox right now, so I'm just rolling with it, haha.
No, I'm still switching back and forth between their POVs every chapter, but I ended up splitting the two scenes I had written for Chapter 7 into two separate chapters, which would make the other one Chapter 9, since they're both from Kevin's POV. That means I have to go back and write Chapter 8, which will come between them and be from Nick's POV.
Oh that makes sense! Whose chapters spill on to the page easier or is it about the same?
-
Hooray! Invite sent!
Thanks! Accepted!
Oh that makes sense! Whose chapters spill on to the page easier or is it about the same?
I guess it's been about the same. Kevin's chapters have been more research-intensive, which slows me down some, but they've been interesting to write. A Nick chapter is where I got stuck on this story the first time around, and his chapters are the ones I've been splicing, rewriting, and piecing back together. But the new Nick parts I've written from scratch have flowed pretty well. I'll be writing a lot of Nick this weekend, so we'll see!
-
Thanks! Accepted!
Hope a bunch of the rest of you join this adventure! Especially if you're writing anyway. :biggrin:
I guess it's been about the same. Kevin's chapters have been more research-intensive, which slows me down some, but they've been interesting to write. A Nick chapter is where I got stuck on this story the first time around, and his chapters are the ones I've been splicing, rewriting, and piecing back together. But the new Nick parts I've written from scratch have flowed pretty well. I'll be writing a lot of Nick this weekend, so we'll see!
Harder to keep track of Kevin's whereabouts via memory in the Unbreakable-era, haha. I wonder if you got stuck before because Nick had some tiny hot mess stuff going on 3-4 years ago. Like a "oh no, it's back" type thing. Glad they've all been flowing well though! Did you spend most of yesterday writing or did you finally catch up on your shows?
I've been going through my OF edit the past couple of days and adding a chapter that probably should have been there in the beginning and I have been dilly-dallying because I keep thinking "Nick was such a wreck in the beginning of this. It's been so long since we've been here (editing aside), that I'd forgotten!" I'm all over the place. I should really focus on my two other writing commitments, haha. Yet, I've got nothing to do since my husband is out of town, so I just sit here click clacking away.
-
Harder to keep track of Kevin's whereabouts via memory in the Unbreakable-era, haha. I wonder if you got stuck before because Nick had some tiny hot mess stuff going on 3-4 years ago. Like a "oh no, it's back" type thing. Glad they've all been flowing well though! Did you spend most of yesterday writing or did you finally catch up on your shows?
LOL Yeah, Kevin kinda just disappeared during that era. Nah, I didn't think my Nick struggles had anything to do with Nick himself. It was more finding myself in a Nick chapter that would never end and realizing I needed to change the order of some events to be able to switch back to Kevin's perspective in the next chapter. That's what got me stuck in the first place, and then life happened. I took an extended break and then came back and wrote A Heart That Isn't Mine instead of getting myself unstuck on this one. No regrets about that because I think I needed to get the idea for AHTIM out of my head before I could concentrate on something else. I always felt pretty confident I would come back to this one when the time was right, and I guess that time is now. I wrote before school again yesterday (and today!), but I was so tired last night, I actually watched The Masked Singer live and went to bed right after. I still haven't watched this week's Walking Dead!
I've been going through my OF edit the past couple of days and adding a chapter that probably should have been there in the beginning and I have been dilly-dallying because I keep thinking "Nick was such a wreck in the beginning of this. It's been so long since we've been here (editing aside), that I'd forgotten!" I'm all over the place. I should really focus on my two other writing commitments, haha. Yet, I've got nothing to do since my husband is out of town, so I just sit here click clacking away.
Is it hard to get back into your characters' heads when it's been that long and you're hopping from story to story? I would probably need to do a lot of rereading.
Hey, as long as you're working on some writing project, that's all that matters. I get the frustration of feeling like you're all over the place though. I hate feeling that way. I hope you can refocus and take advantage of the quiet time while your husband's away.
It occurred to me earlier this week that April Fool's Day is in two weeks and, as usual, I have nothing planned or started. I know we talked about pranks in one of these threads a while back, so I went looking to see what fantastic ideas you all came up with for me. I think I've got a fun one now, but it's going to require some writing, and I'm like, "Ugh... I just wanna keep writing what I've been writing and not get derailed writing something dumb for a joke that no one else will even appreciate." Hopefully I'll have a little more motivation this weekend when I'm not so tired.
-
LOL Yeah, Kevin kinda just disappeared during that era. Nah, I didn't think my Nick struggles had anything to do with Nick himself. It was more finding myself in a Nick chapter that would never end and realizing I needed to change the order of some events to be able to switch back to Kevin's perspective in the next chapter. That's what got me stuck in the first place, and then life happened. I took an extended break and then came back and wrote A Heart That Isn't Mine instead of getting myself unstuck on this one. No regrets about that because I think I needed to get the idea for AHTIM out of my head before I could concentrate on something else. I always felt pretty confident I would come back to this one when the time was right, and I guess that time is now. I wrote before school again yesterday (and today!), but I was so tired last night, I actually watched The Masked Singer live and went to bed right after. I still haven't watched this week's Walking Dead!
I think Nick's preference is to have his chapters never end! At least for me, haha! He just demands to be the center of attention.
I always hate when I get something written and then after the fact think that the order needs to be shuffled. It's always a headache, so I feel you. AHTIM sounds like another pushy idea. How many of your stories would you say were pushy ideas when they started?
You're really on a roll! That's every day this week so far, isn't it? I'm surprised you still haven't watched Walking Dead! That's commitment to writing. I watched Masked Singer live (as usual, and laughed so hard at "pork grind," I have the worst taste in jokes.), then said to my little group chat that I had to go write. It helps that Masked Singer is a 7pm show here.
Is it hard to get back into your characters' heads when it's been that long and you're hopping from story to story? I would probably need to do a lot of rereading.
You know, it's not too bad since it's the same characters at different points in the story; I did let Snail drop off a bit because of it, though. I feel like I can comfortably hop back and forth between the whole PBox series, within reason, but probably not the whole of PBox plus Snail... Maybe I'll feel better once I get this "new in an old part of the story" chapter written, because then the rest is back to hacking and slashing something that exists on paper instead of only in my head. I mostly just realized it had been a month since I'd given my non-BSB test audience anything to look over for me, so I figured I should get back to work, especially since I was writing from scratch. And then it came up in PNecklace in passing, so it seemed like the right time to commit backstory to paper. I think most of what throws me is that PBox Nick now is very different from PBox Nick at the beginning. He's done so much character developing, good for him. *sniff* :D
Mood listening has actually helped a lot. When I know that I'm focusing on PNecklace and it's fairly Nick focused, I've been listening to a lot of I'm Taking Off (especially during my commute, but sometimes quietly in the background if I want some ambient sounds and the tv is too distracting). When I'm focusing back on PBox and it's fairly Nick focused (as the first few chapters I'm currently in are), I listen to a lot of Now or Never. Guess that means I'll be enjoying a lot of All American for the next one, lol. When I did the big PBox edit, I did find myself gravitating to BSB songs pre-2008 as well when I was in shuffle mode (unless one of my favorites off a later album came on). My years of playing all my favorite songs on repeat non-stop have prepared me for listening to one CD for six months! No regrets! (I'm mostly kidding.) I do miss the other Boys after only listening to Nick for a while, haha. And sometimes I've gotta mix it up in general.
Hey, as long as you're working on some writing project, that's all that matters. I get the frustration of feeling like you're all over the place though. I hate feeling that way. I hope you can refocus and take advantage of the quiet time while your husband's away.
It's my fault for listening to Nick and writing what's interesting instead of writing what's in order, haha. I think I'm almost done with this chapter though and then I can let OFPBox sit and percolate for a while. It's a perfect writing week, really! A weekend, two snow days, and then no husband around and another weekend. March Madness may get me though.
It occurred to me earlier this week that April Fool's Day is in two weeks and, as usual, I have nothing planned or started. I know we talked about pranks in one of these threads a while back, so I went looking to see what fantastic ideas you all came up with for me. I think I've got a fun one now, but it's going to require some writing, and I'm like, "Ugh... I just wanna keep writing what I've been writing and not get derailed writing something dumb for a joke that no one else will even appreciate." Hopefully I'll have a little more motivation this weekend when I'm not so tired.
I'd be impressed if you did have something planned out that far in advance! Pansting is appropriate for April Fool's!
Just make your site a 404 error, lol. The joke is that there are no jokes and also no fanfics. And then you can keep writing and working hard on Nick and Kevin, especially if you think you might be able to start posting next month! :)
-
AHTIM sounds like another pushy idea. How many of your stories would you say were pushy ideas when they started?
Hm... there are pushy ideas that demand to be written right away, and then there are ideas that don't push but linger. They're more patient, but they still demand to be written at some point. AHTIM was one that lingered. It took me three tries within a year or so to get it going, but I knew I had to give it a shot and get it out of my system before I could concentrate on anything else.
I don't tend to have a lot of truly pushy ideas; if I start writing an idea right after getting it, it's usually because I'm not in the middle of writing anything else, so I'm like, "Well, this is something I could write, so I will try it." The pushiest idea I've ever had was probably Curtain Call. I had just started posting another new novel (Guilty Roads) a month before, and it was going well, and then came the idea for Curtain Call. I didn't want to start another story, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I thought, "Well, it won't hurt to write a chapter or two and get it out of my system. I don't have to post anything." So I wrote two chapters... and then four more... and by then I couldn't stop, so I went ahead and started posting it. The only thing it hurt was Guilty Roads LOL.
You're really on a roll! That's every day this week so far, isn't it? I'm surprised you still haven't watched Walking Dead! That's commitment to writing. I watched Masked Singer live (as usual, and laughed so hard at "pork grind," I have the worst taste in jokes.), then said to my little group chat that I had to go write. It helps that Masked Singer is a 7pm show here.
Yes!
I feel like I need to watch Walking Dead when it's dark, and now that it's getting dark later, I'm usually already on here or writing by then and don't feel like watching TV. I'll watch it tomorrow or Saturday when I have more time.
The reveal on Masked Singer was so obvious last night. I'm not a good guesser on that show, but I knew who it was even before the clue package was over. I'm ashamed to admit I can say that about this person and not the Crocodile, but that's how obvious it was LOL.
You know, it's not too bad since it's the same characters at different points in the story; I did let Snail drop off a bit because of it, though. I feel like I can comfortably hop back and forth between the whole PBox series, within reason, but probably not the whole of PBox plus Snail... Maybe I'll feel better once I get this "new in an old part of the story" chapter written, because then the rest is back to hacking and slashing something that exists on paper instead of only in my head. I mostly just realized it had been a month since I'd given my non-BSB test audience anything to look over for me, so I figured I should get back to work, especially since I was writing from scratch. And then it came up in PNecklace in passing, so it seemed like the right time to commit backstory to paper. I think most of what throws me is that PBox Nick now is very different from PBox Nick at the beginning. He's done so much character developing, good for him. *sniff* :D
I think that's what would be hard, hopping back and forth between different phases of a character's development. But it shows what a dynamic character you created that you can see how different he was at the beginning compared to the end. That's great!
Mood listening has actually helped a lot. When I know that I'm focusing on PNecklace and it's fairly Nick focused, I've been listening to a lot of I'm Taking Off (especially during my commute, but sometimes quietly in the background if I want some ambient sounds and the tv is too distracting). When I'm focusing back on PBox and it's fairly Nick focused (as the first few chapters I'm currently in are), I listen to a lot of Now or Never. Guess that means I'll be enjoying a lot of All American for the next one, lol. When I did the big PBox edit, I did find myself gravitating to BSB songs pre-2008 as well when I was in shuffle mode (unless one of my favorites off a later album came on). My years of playing all my favorite songs on repeat non-stop have prepared me for to listen to one CD for six months! No regrets! (I'm mostly kidding.) I do miss the other Boys after only listening to Nick for a while, haha. And sometimes I've gotta mix it up in general.
I'm Taking Off is a great album to channel Nick. It's so very him. It's nice to be able to go back to Now or Never for younger Nick too. LOL I listen to the same stuff over and over again too.
It's my fault for listening to Nick and writing what's interesting instead of writing what's in order, haha. I think I'm almost done with this chapter though and then I can let OFPBox sit and percolate for a while. It's a perfect writing week, really! A weekend, two snow days, and then no husband around and another weekend. March Madness may get me though.
It really is! I don't usually follow March Madness at all, but go Illini!
I'd be impressed if you did have something planned out that far in advance! Pansting is appropriate for April Fool's!
Just make your site a 404 error, lol. The joke is that there are no jokes and also no fanfics. And then you can keep writing and working hard on Nick and Kevin, especially if you think you might be able to start posting next month! :)
Pantsing is usually what I end up doing for April Fool's, but then I always get stressed out about it and wish I had planned more in advance LOL.
I've even done the 404 error before! But I think the idea I have will be fun once I get started on it. Hopefully this weekend. It might be a nice little break from Nick and Kevin's drama.
-
Hm... there are pushy ideas that demand to be written right away, and then there are ideas that don't push but linger. They're more patient, but they still demand to be written at some point. AHTIM was one that lingered. It took me three tries within a year or so to get it going, but I knew I had to give it a shot and get it out of my system before I could concentrate on anything else.
I don't tend to have a lot of truly pushy ideas; if I start writing an idea right after getting it, it's usually because I'm not in the middle of writing anything else, so I'm like, "Well, this is something I could write, so I will try it." The pushiest idea I've ever had was probably Curtain Call. I had just started posting another new novel (Guilty Roads) a month before, and it was going well, and then came the idea for Curtain Call. I didn't want to start another story, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I thought, "Well, it won't hurt to write a chapter or two and get it out of my system. I don't have to post anything." So I wrote two chapters... and then four more... and by then I couldn't stop, so I went ahead and started posting it. The only thing it hurt was Guilty Roads LOL.
I knew Curtain Call was a pushy one, since we've talked about our pushy ideas leaving some things unfinished, lol. "It won't hurt to write a chapter or two..." LMAO. Famous last words. If it's something you can't stop thinking about, it will hurt... only your other novel in progress. Hopefully. At least Guilty Roads was the only casualty, lol.
Didn't you say that AHTIM didn't really click until it had a title? I feel like I remember that... So which ones are worse, the pushy ideas that come with demands or the pushy ideas that linger? Worse might not be exactly what I mean, but I assume you understand my intent in asking.
I feel like I need to watch Walking Dead when it's dark, and now that it's getting dark later, I'm usually already on here or writing by then and don't feel like watching TV. I'll watch it tomorrow or Saturday when I have more time.
The reveal on Masked Singer was so obvious last night. I'm not a good guesser on that show, but I knew who it was even before the clue package was over. I'm ashamed to admit I can say that about this person and not the Crocodile, but that's how obvious it was LOL.
I've been a much happier person since it started getting dark later. But I feel you on certain shows needing a certain mood. I've put off most of the most recent season of This Is Us because I just haven't felt like sobbing for an hour. Now I have like nine hours of sobbing left to squeeze in at some point, lol.
I had an inkling, but I am terrible at this game, lol. I was mostly disappointed that a neat costume was going home right away. I have a couple of guesses on some others, but our Boy Croc was the only one I was ever sure of. His linebacker thighs and chipmunk voice! I just knew! And then he opened his mouth without distortion, of course.
I think that's what would be hard, hopping back and forth between different phases of a character's development. But it shows what a dynamic character you created that you can see how different he was at the beginning compared to the end. That's great!
I'm Taking Off is a great album to channel Nick. It's so very him. It's nice to be able to go back to Now or Never for younger Nick too. LOL I listen to the same stuff over and over again too.
Aww, thanks! :) I'm happy for his sake that he's no longer a neurotic mess, lol.
It is very Nick, a good blend of silly and serious. It's interesting to listen to it so much now, because it's this weird dichotomy of it reminding me of being 22/23 while I'm now around the age Nick was when he was recording it, so I relate to it on a new level. Same with Now or Never once I hit 22. I was like "Yes, this is 22," but also it pulls me right back to being 14/15. I was thinking about that the other day, actually, because I stumbled on one of those "old pictures we thought were attractive in the 90's" articles and there were a few BSB ones and I thought "Yes, they are so attractive!" Like eighteen-year-old Nick, the love of my life from 1997/1998 on, and still very attractive. Is this weird? Is it fine because he's now a forty-one year-old man and I am not twice his age as is? I look at eighteen-year-old actors or singers now and think "That is a child." But teenage Nick will get me every time.
It really is! I don't usually follow March Madness at all, but go Illini!
I've got them going fairly far in my bracket. My alma mater is in it too! And the husband's hometown team that he cares about more than his alma mater. As long as we don't play each other, we're golden!
Pantsing is usually what I end up doing for April Fool's, but then I always get stressed out about it and wish I had planned more in advance LOL.
I've even done the 404 error before! But I think the idea I have will be fun once I get started on it. Hopefully this weekend. It might be a nice little break from Nick and Kevin's drama.
Don't stress so much over a joke! Unless you need to code an entire video game for your April Fool's joke, you're fine to pants.
Aw, man. You've really done everything. If Nick and Kevin are being dramatic, you tell them to shape up or ship out. Or get more dramatic? :shrug: Whatever works for you, really, lol.
-
Didn't you say that AHTIM didn't really click until it had a title? I feel like I remember that... So which ones are worse, the pushy ideas that come with demands or the pushy ideas that linger? Worse might not be exactly what I mean, but I assume you understand my intent in asking.
Yeah, I had started two different versions under different titles before Don't Go Breaking My Heart came out, and it never quite felt right. Then I changed the title and started over again from scratch, and that's the version I kept and continued. I don't know if it really was the title that did it, or if it was just a case of "Third time's the charm," but the title definitely was what re-inspired me to go back and give it another try.
I actually love both kinds of pushy ideas because at least they're inspiring. The demanding ones are fun because they tend to be those lightbulb flashes of inspiration, followed by days of feverish outlining and writing. The downside is sometimes they disrupt what you're already doing. I like the ones that linger because I can come back to them when the time is right, when I'm between projects and they're not going to be pushing anything else aside.
How about you?
I've been a much happier person since it started getting dark later. But I feel you on certain shows needing a certain mood. I've put off most of the most recent season of This Is Us because I just haven't felt like sobbing for an hour. Now I have like nine hours of sobbing left to squeeze in at some point, lol.
If it helps, I haven't cried much at this season of This Is Us. A few episodes, but not every episode. It's been a good season, but nothing compares to that first season... when I literally did cry every episode LOL.
It is very Nick, a good blend of silly and serious. It's interesting to listen to it so much now, because it's this weird dichotomy of it reminding me of being 22/23 while I'm now around the age Nick was when he was recording it, so I relate to it on a new level. Same with Now or Never once I hit 22. I was like "Yes, this is 22," but also it pulls me right back to being 14/15. I was thinking about that the other day, actually, because I stumbled on one of those "old pictures we thought were attractive in the 90's" articles and there were a few BSB ones and I thought "Yes, they are so attractive!" Like eighteen-year-old Nick, the love of my life from 1997/1998 on, and still very attractive. Is this weird? Is it fine because he's now a forty-one year-old man and I am not twice his age as is? I look at eighteen-year-old actors or singers now and think "That is a child." But teenage Nick will get me every time.
LOL I feel the same way looking back on old pictures of them. Teenage Nick never did anything for me, but late 90s Brian still makes me swoon. But yes, actual 18-year-olds do look like children. I think it's just because the guys have always been older than us, so we still see them as older even when we look at pictures when they were like half our current age.
I've got them going fairly far in my bracket. My alma mater is in it too! And the husband's hometown team that he cares about more than his alma mater. As long as we don't play each other, we're golden!
I actually went to Illinois State, not the University of Illinois, but I'll root for them when they're as good as they apparently are this year. Good luck to your teams too!
Don't stress so much over a joke! Unless you need to code an entire video game for your April Fool's joke, you're fine to pants.
Aw, man. You've really done everything. If Nick and Kevin are being dramatic, you tell them to shape up or ship out. Or get more dramatic? :shrug: Whatever works for you, really, lol.
I know I shouldn't stress, but I feel a certain level of pressure to deliver after doing something twenty years in a row. Then I wonder if anyone would even mention it if I didn't do something?
Aww, you know I love them best when they're being dramatic. Bring it, boys!
-
Yeah, I had started two different versions under different titles before Don't Go Breaking My Heart came out, and it never quite felt right. Then I changed the title and started over again from scratch, and that's the version I kept and continued. I don't know if it really was the title that did it, or if it was just a case of "Third time's the charm," but the title definitely was what re-inspired me to go back and give it another try.
I actually love both kinds of pushy ideas because at least they're inspiring. The demanding ones are fun because they tend to be those lightbulb flashes of inspiration, followed by days of feverish outlining and writing. The downside is sometimes they disrupt what you're already doing. I like the ones that linger because I can come back to them when the time is right, when I'm between projects and they're not going to be pushing anything else aside.
How about you?
Did you splice either of those other two versions into the final version or did you delete them once the third one stuck? I'm glad that the third version finally stuck! :)
I think you're right on that. If Curtain Call is the only truly pushy one, which ones have been lingering pushy besides AHTIM?
You know, the pushy ones are fun because it just feels like they leap to life. And if a break for life is necessary, they still breathe and leap to life. I guess the lingering ones are nice because I know they're always there if I want to come back to them. What's interesting, actually, is that Gobosei was a pushy idea when it started, but then it quietly sat aside for PBox, not sure why.
If it helps, I haven't cried much at this season of This Is Us. A few episodes, but not every episode. It's been a good season, but nothing compares to that first season... when I literally did cry every episode LOL.
That does help! That's why I don't watch it live anymore because the first season wrecked me!
LOL I feel the same way looking back on old pictures of them. Teenage Nick never did anything for me, but late 90s Brian still makes me swoon. But yes, actual 18-year-olds do look like children. I think it's just because the guys have always been older than us, so we still see them as older even when we look at pictures when they were like half our current age.
That's probably true about them always being older than us. I'm sure if BSB existed now like they did then (same ages as in 1999, but in 2021 I mean), I probably wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe I'd be team Kevin, lol. Thank goodness they did not because my life would not be the same if I was an NSYNC fan.
I actually went to Illinois State, not the University of Illinois, but I'll root for them when they're as good as they apparently are this year. Good luck to your teams too!
I think I did remember that, actually, but you've gotta support Illinois teams, right? They've both moved on, so we're a happy household! :) Funny story, my bracket's doing pretty well and it has a little fire emoji by it on the app. I was telling my husband about it and he said "You're my fire." And this is at like 11pm last night and I just couldn't help it, so I said "But am I your one desire?" And he laughed quietly and whispered "Damnit." So I responded, "Well, believe when I say that I want it that way." And I laughed so hard that I was no longer tired and he was not amused at all, lol.
I know I shouldn't stress, but I feel a certain level of pressure to deliver after doing something twenty years in a row. Then I wonder if anyone would even mention it if I didn't do something?
Aww, you know I love them best when they're being dramatic. Bring it, boys!
Oh, I know. You've gotta keep the streak alive! But I suppose you'll never know if anyone would mention it unless you don't do something?
Alright, Nick and Kevin. Hear that? Continue being as dramatic as possible!
-
So I've been scouring for new questions and stumbled on someone's answer to their first story they ever wrote:
"I think my first was a fanfic about Backstreet Boys that I wrote when I was about 14. It was so horribly written and I was given so much praise for it in the fandom that I thought I was a fantastic author. Yeah, it gave me a big head for a short period of time and thank whatever high power there is that I ended up losing it in one of the moves that I did since then!"
My first question is: Well what was this fanfic about? I definitely think certain characters and genres would garner more praise in general. But then it also makes me curious, think anyone who use to write fanfic around here has moved on to other fandoms or only to original fiction?
I also found a "question" that was: Send me assumptions you have about me based on my writing. Which is interesting, but I feel like we're all familiar enough with each other that assumptions need not be made?
Anyway, here's some work-in-progress questions (obviously skip any you worry would be spoilers):
1. Summarize your work-in-progress in 10 words or less.
2. Post a line from your work-in-progress with no context.
3. Does your work-in-progress have a title? If so, explain its significance. If not, what are you calling it for now?
4. Describe the setting of your work-in-progress.
5. Search for the word "knife" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
6. Search for the word "dream" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
7. What are you most proud of?
8. What is your biggest challenge?
9. How would you describe your writing style for your work-in-progress?
10. How would you describe your work-in-progress' narrative style?
11. Which character do you have the most in common with?
12. Which character do you have the least in common with?
13. Your characters are stranded on a deserted island? What happens?
14. Have you chosen birthdays for any of your characters? If so, what are they? (Exclude any Boys, because I assume their birthdays in your stories are their birthdays.)
15. Do you know your characters' MBTI personalities?
16. What would your characters be for Halloween?
17. Does your work-in-progress have any themes or motifs?
18. What's easier, dialogue or description?
19. Post a picture or gif that describes your work-in-progress.
20. Post a brief excerpt.
-
Did you splice either of those other two versions into the final version or did you delete them once the third one stuck? I'm glad that the third version finally stuck! :)
I think you're right on that. If Curtain Call is the only truly pushy one, which ones have been lingering pushy besides AHTIM?
You know, the pushy ones are fun because it just feels like they leap to life. And if a break for life is necessary, they still breathe and leap to life. I guess the lingering ones are nice because I know they're always there if I want to come back to them. What's interesting, actually, is that Gobosei was a pushy idea when it started, but then it quietly sat aside for PBox, not sure why.
I may have used bits and pieces of dialogue from the first two versions, but most of it was rewritten from scratch. I think I kept the old versions until I got through the first few chapters of the third one and then deleted them. I'm glad the third one stuck too!
As for lingering ideas, Guilty Roads was one of those. I'd had that idea in one form or another for like eight years before I finally wrote it. Same with Heroic Measures. The two I've been working on this year, My Brother's Keeper and Fallen Angel, are both lingering ideas I've been hanging onto for years too.
I agree, both kinds of ideas are nice in different ways. I guess PBox was just pushier than Gobosei!
That's probably true about them always being older than us. I'm sure if BSB existed now like they did then (same ages as in 1999, but in 2021 I mean), I probably wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe I'd be team Kevin, lol. Thank goodness they did not because my life would not be the same if I was an NSYNC fan.
Same! They would probably just be like another One Direction to me - some good songs, but not a group I care about any more than any other pop group. Thank goodness they were born when they were.
I think I did remember that, actually, but you've gotta support Illinois teams, right? They've both moved on, so we're a happy household! :) Funny story, my bracket's doing pretty well and it has a little fire emoji by it on the app. I was telling my husband about it and he said "You're my fire." And this is at like 11pm last night and I just couldn't help it, so I said "But am I your one desire?" And he laughed quietly and whispered "Damnit." So I responded, "Well, believe when I say that I want it that way." And I laughed so hard that I was no longer tired and he was not amused at all, lol.
Yep!
LOL That is cute. Hubby walked right into that one LOL.
Oh, I know. You've gotta keep the streak alive! But I suppose you'll never know if anyone would mention it unless you don't do something?
Alright, Nick and Kevin. Hear that? Continue being as dramatic as possible!
Good news on the April Fool's front. I got a new idea that required less writing than my original idea and spent my day working on that. I'm saving the other idea for another year or maybe even a real story - it actually could be a cute one if I ever felt like taking a break from Team Dark and writing something light and fluffy.
I have not written anything for MBK yet today, but I'm hoping now that I got this April Fool's stuff out of my way, I'll be able to refocus on that.
How's the writing going for the rest of you?
-
I may have used bits and pieces of dialogue from the first two versions, but most of it was rewritten from scratch. I think I kept the old versions until I got through the first few chapters of the third one and then deleted them. I'm glad the third one stuck too!
As for lingering ideas, Guilty Roads was one of those. I'd had that idea in one form or another for like eight years before I finally wrote it. Same with Heroic Measures. The two I've been working on this year, My Brother's Keeper and Fallen Angel, are both lingering ideas I've been hanging onto for years too.
I agree, both kinds of ideas are nice in different ways. I guess PBox was just pushier than Gobosei!
You really hate having multiple versions of the same story, haha.
It's nice that you have so many patiently waiting to possibly be chosen. Good for MBK that it's finally getting its turn! I can't remember if I already asked this, when you go through ideas in progress/stored ideas when you're starting something new, how often do you go with one of those and how often do you go with a completely new idea?
The pushiest, really, lol.
Same! They would probably just be like another One Direction to me - some good songs, but not a group I care about any more than any other pop group. Thank goodness they were born when they were.
Definitely! Like how I feel about that BTS song in the galaxy commercials. It's pretty boppy, but I could care less about them. I also found out they call their fans an army? And I was like, uhh... the original boy band army existed when y'all were born. Respect your elders BTS fans! lol
LOL That is cute. Hubby walked right into that one LOL.
He knew it, he accepted it begrudgingly. And I laughed a lot.
Good news on the April Fool's front. I got a new idea that required less writing than my original idea and spent my day working on that. I'm saving the other idea for another year or maybe even a real story - it actually could be a cute one if I ever felt like taking a break from Team Dark and writing something light and fluffy.
I have not written anything for MBK yet today, but I'm hoping now that I got this April Fool's stuff out of my way, I'll be able to refocus on that.
Glad to hear it didn't require too much writing! Gasp! Taking a break from Team Dark? But we have cookies, kidnapping, stabbings, and death! lmao Stories that start as jokes are my favorites.
Sending you good vibes!
How's the writing going for the rest of you?
I actually ventured out of the house and watched our basketball game at a sports bar with hubby and a friend who was in town to visit. I'm exhausted!
I wrote two words though, haha.
-
You really hate having multiple versions of the same story, haha.
It's nice that you have so many patiently waiting to possibly be chosen. Good for MBK that it's finally getting its turn! I can't remember if I already asked this, when you go through ideas in progress/stored ideas when you're starting something new, how often do you go with one of those and how often do you go with a completely new idea?
I really do! LOL
It's about half and half. I take so long to finish stories, I tend to accumulate a lot of ideas during that time. My plan is always to use one of them for my next project, but sometimes a new idea will pop up at the perfect time. Bethlehem and Sick as My Secrets were both brand new ideas when I started writing them.
Definitely! Like how I feel about that BTS song in the galaxy commercials. It's pretty boppy, but I could care less about them. I also found out they call their fans an army? And I was like, uhh... the original boy band army existed when y'all were born. Respect your elders BTS fans! lol
Damn right! Also, they have seven members, which is too many for a boyband.
I wrote two words though, haha.
Congrats on your two words LOL. I wrote a sentence on MBK last night at 11:45 when I realized if I didn't add something, I would break my week-long writing streak. So the streak is still alive LOL.
I'm glad you got to get out of the house and do something though. I didn't write yesterday morning because I met my parents for lunch, which was also nice.
-
So I've been scouring for new questions and stumbled on someone's answer to their first story they ever wrote:
"I think my first was a fanfic about Backstreet Boys that I wrote when I was about 14. It was so horribly written and I was given so much praise for it in the fandom that I thought I was a fantastic author. Yeah, it gave me a big head for a short period of time and thank whatever high power there is that I ended up losing it in one of the moves that I did since then!"
My first question is: Well what was this fanfic about? I definitely think certain characters and genres would garner more praise in general. But then it also makes me curious, think anyone who use to write fanfic around here has moved on to other fandoms or only to original fiction?
I know some former BSB authors who have moved on to writing about other boybands, like One Direction and BTS. I wouldn't be surprised if some wrote for completely different, not real person fandoms as well.
I also found a "question" that was: Send me assumptions you have about me based on my writing. Which is interesting, but I feel like we're all familiar enough with each other that assumptions need not be made?
Yeah, I think we've all discussed our writing enough here that there's not a lot left to assume. But it would be interesting to hear the assumptions of readers who have never actually talked to me or seen my posts here.
I'm gonna save the list of questions for a separate post!
-
It's about half and half. I take so long to finish stories, I tend to accumulate a lot of ideas during that time. My plan is always to use one of them for my next project, but sometimes a new idea will pop up at the perfect time. Bethlehem and Sick as My Secrets were both brand new ideas when I started writing them.
Especially if you're not typically writing much during the school year, that's a long time to accumulate story ideas! Would you say those two were pushy or just "right time, right place."
Damn right! Also, they have seven members, which is too many for a boyband.
lol! I mean, in the countries that do more of the "boy band factory" model, they seem less stringent on the five boys in a boy band rule. But what are the stereotypes of the last two? What needs to be added to "the cute young one," "the heartthrob," "the bad boy," "the shy one," and "the older brother"? "The sick one?" "The brooding one?" "The smart one?" "The angsty one?" I have no idea!
Congrats on your two words LOL. I wrote a sentence on MBK last night at 11:45 when I realized if I didn't add something, I would break my week-long writing streak. So the streak is still alive LOL.
I'm glad you got to get out of the house and do something though. I didn't write yesterday morning because I met my parents for lunch, which was also nice.
I also sat down to write so that I didn't break my streak since last Saturday, haha. My very important two words were "I can," I'm basically a literary genius! ;) Glad your streak is still alive as well!
Me too. It definitely reminded me of my life in pre-COVID days. Don't remember being completed exhausted afterward though, lol! Glad you got lunch with your parents! That sounds like a fun way to get out of the house too. :)
-
I know some former BSB authors who have moved on to writing about other boybands, like One Direction and BTS. I wouldn't be surprised if some wrote for completely different, not real person fandoms as well.
Are the ones writing about other boybands mostly younger or is it a mixed bag? I suppose just because I can't see myself really caring about another boyband doesn't mean that other people around our age wouldn't. :shrug: There's other things I've enjoyed, but not enough to write stories about them. I dabbled a bit in the 2005-2007 days, but nothing really gave me as much enjoyment as writing about the Boys (or just not fanfic). While characters are more important to me than plot, I wonder if that's because there's never been a plot that stuck out to me for other characters I've enjoyed.
Yeah, I think we've all discussed our writing enough here that there's not a lot left to assume. But it would be interesting to hear the assumptions of readers who have never actually talked to me or seen my posts here.
I'm gonna save the list of questions for a separate post!
Writing and just lives in general. No secrets!
"Julie's an apocalypse-prepper with a medicine-related degree of some sort." "Dee's a scientologist with a demon fetish." lol
-
1. Summarize your work-in-progress in 10 words or less.
I ruin Kevin's life.
2. Post a line from your work-in-progress with no context.
"It’s a good thing I have such expressive eyebrows."
3. Does your work-in-progress have a title? If so, explain its significance. If not, what are you calling it for now?
I was originally going to call it "Take Care" after the song that inspired it, but when I actually started writing it, I changed it to my "My Brother's Keeper." This is a Bible reference that means brothers should take care of one another and have each other's back, which is the theme of this story.
4. Describe the setting of your work-in-progress.
It's set in early 2008 in L.A.
5. Search for the word "knife" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
I have not used the word "knife" in this story.
6. Search for the word "dream" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
I've used "dream" eight times already! Here is the first occurrence: "It had been a dream come true… until it wasn’t." This is Kevin reflecting on why he left the Backstreet Boys. He goes on to say, "When I realized I was no longer living the dream, but dreading the next tour, I knew my time with the group needed to come to an end."
7. What are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the time and effort I've put into researching and "world-building" for this one. Once again, I've found myself writing about a situation I have no firsthand experience with, so I've tried to immerse myself in stories of people who do. I read an entire memoir three or four years ago when I was first working on this idea, and since coming back to it, I've been listening to podcasts and watching YouTube channels about the issues I'm writing about in this story.
8. What is your biggest challenge?
Going along with my answer to the last question, I think it's going to be writing about something I've never experienced in a realistic, sensitive way that will make for a compelling story without getting too melodramatic.
9. How would you describe your writing style for your work-in-progress?
10. How would you describe your work-in-progress' narrative style?
I feel like these questions go together. I'm writing this one in first person, alternating between Kevin and Nick's point of view. Because it's in first person, there's more emphasis on the characters' thoughts and feelings than flowery descriptions of the setting and whatnot. I'm trying to only describe what the character who's telling the story would notice.
11. Which character do you have the most in common with?
12. Which character do you have the least in common with?
I don't really have anything in common with any of them LOL. I guess that's the fun of writing fiction, though, trying to put myself in their shoes.
13. Your characters are stranded on a deserted island? What happens?
Nick would probably flourish on a deserted island, away from all the temptations of society, but Kevin would be screwed.
14. Have you chosen birthdays for any of your characters? If so, what are they? (Exclude any Boys, because I assume their birthdays in your stories are their birthdays.)
Not for this story. It doesn't have any original main characters, and those are the only ones I would go as far as choosing birthdays for.
15. Do you know your characters' MBTI personalities?
I took a test at https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test for Nick and Kevin in my story.
According to that, Nick is a Campaigner, ENFP-T. Extraverted, intuitive, feeling, prospecting, turbulent.
"The Campaigner personality is a true free spirit. They are often the life of the party, but unlike types in the Explorer Role group, Campaigners are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others. Charming, independent, energetic and compassionate, the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd."
(https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality)
Kevin is an Advocate, INFJ-A. Introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging, assertive.
"Advocates are the rarest personality types of all. Still, Advocates leave their mark on the world. They have a deep sense of idealism and integrity, but they aren’t idle dreamers – they take concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting impact.
Advocates’ unique combination of personality traits makes them complex and quite versatile. For example, Advocates can speak with great passion and conviction, especially when standing up for their ideals. At other times, however, they may choose to be soft-spoken and understated, preferring to keep the peace rather than challenge others."
(https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality)
It would be interesting to see if others got the same or similar results for the Boys.
16. What would your characters be for Halloween?
Kevin would probably be something cute for his son Mason, who would have been a year old on Halloween 2008. Maybe Thomas the Tank Engine... Train as a train LOL.
Nick had a show on Halloween 2008 and apparently dressed up as a gecko. Geico Gecko, perhaps? https://youtu.be/l9ZyY5XpScI This was in Montclair, NJ. Were you at this show, Tracy?
17. Does your work-in-progress have any themes or motifs?
Role reversal, dependability vs. dependency, brotherhood, and change are going to be the big themes of this one. The only motif I can think of that has come up so far is dancing.
18. What's easier, dialogue or description?
Dialogue
19. Post a picture or gif that describes your work-in-progress.
Here's the banner: https://i2.wp.com/dreamers-sanctuary.com/fanfic/wp-content/uploads/brotherbanner.png
20. Post a brief excerpt.
As the other guys returned to their own rooms to get ready to go, AJ and I picked up around mine. He grabbed every piece of clothing I’d left laying around and tossed it to me to put in my luggage.
“You need to invest in a laundry bag, dude,” he said, giving me a look of disgust as he lifted a pair of my dirty underwear with his thumb and forefinger, trying to touch as little of the fabric as possible. “Since when do you even wear undies? What happened to going commando?”
“Chafing. Chafing happened,” I said, ducking out of the way as he whipped them at my head.
Chuckling, AJ went into the bathroom.
“Wait!” I called, suddenly remembering what I’d left on the counter. “I’ll clean up in there!”
AJ didn’t say anything until he walked back out a few seconds later. “Too late, Prick,” he replied, holding up a plastic baggie in each of his hands. One contained a small amount of white powder; the other, an array of colorful pills. “I already found your stash.”
My heart sank as I heard the disappointment in his voice and saw the look of defeat on his face. I hung my head, ashamed, as he continued, “Damn it, Nick, I thought you quit this shit!”
“I did!” I cried. “It’s not like I do it all the time, just… you know, sometimes, when I’m out partying. It’s like how some people only smoke when they drink.” I hesitated. “You’re not gonna tell the other guys, are you? Please, AJ… What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?” I knew I sounded pathetic, but I didn’t care. As far as Brian and Howie knew, I had cleaned up my act over the past few months. They had enough to worry about without finding out I was still using. I didn’t want them to see what a mess I was.
AJ shook his head. “Now’s not the time for that.” At least we agreed on that much. “We’ll talk about it later.”
He flushed my drugs down the toilet while I finished packing my bag. Neither of us spoke again until we were out in the hall with the others.
-
Especially if you're not typically writing much during the school year, that's a long time to accumulate story ideas! Would you say those two were pushy or just "right time, right place."
I have gotten better at writing during the school year the last few years. It was really just when I was in my master's program that I hardly wrote during the school year because I didn't have time, since I spent most weekends doing homework. Since I came back from my little hiatus with AHTIM, I've been able to at least write pretty consistently on the weekends.
Bethlehem was definitely "right place, right time," since it took place during the pandemic. But I had been wanting to write a survival story for a while, so I guess it wasn't an entirely new idea - the car accident and Kevin's injury were elements I was planning for a survival story that would have taken place in the desert outside Vegas during the residency. Everything else I came up with shortly before I started writing it.
SAMS was a little pushier. It came at a time when I had other stories in progress - Undead, Guilty Roads, and my Harry Potter crossover - but none that I was actually updating regularly. So I followed my inspiration and started writing it in the summer of 2013, but didn't post any of it until February 2014.
lol! I mean, in the countries that do more of the "boy band factory" model, they seem less stringent on the five boys in a boy band rule. But what are the stereotypes of the last two? What needs to be added to "the cute young one," "the heartthrob," "the bad boy," "the shy one," and "the older brother"? "The sick one?" "The brooding one?" "The smart one?" "The angsty one?" I have no idea!
"The sick one!" LMAO! Dead. I dunno about boyband archetypes, but the sick one, the brooding one, and the angsty one would all be great for fanfic.
I also sat down to write so that I didn't break my streak since last Saturday, haha. My very important two words were "I can," I'm basically a literary genius! ;) Glad your streak is still alive as well!
Me too. It definitely reminded me of my life in pre-COVID days. Don't remember being completed exhausted afterward though, lol! Glad you got lunch with your parents! That sounds like a fun way to get out of the house too. :)
Those are very inspiring words! "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." Better than "I can't." LOL
It is definitely weird going out to places again after a year of quarantining. I've pretty much only gone to work, the grocery store, and occasionally my parents' house in the past year. The monthly Google Maps timeline emails I get are so pathetic because they only show the same three places every month.
Are the ones writing about other boybands mostly younger or is it a mixed bag? I suppose just because I can't see myself really caring about another boyband doesn't mean that other people around our age wouldn't. :shrug: There's other things I've enjoyed, but not enough to write stories about them. I dabbled a bit in the 2005-2007 days, but nothing really gave me as much enjoyment as writing about the Boys (or just not fanfic). While characters are more important to me than plot, I wonder if that's because there's never been a plot that stuck out to me for other characters I've enjoyed.
The two I'm thinking of are around my age. I can't see myself ever caring enough about another boyband to write about them either, but I also don't write or read fanfic for other fandoms that I do really love, like Harry Potter or The Walking Dead. I have shrines to both HP and TWD in my house, but fanfic? Not interested. There's just something uniquely special about BSB.
"Julie's an apocalypse-prepper with a medicine-related degree of some sort." "Dee's a scientologist with a demon fetish." lol
LOL Pretty much! And then they find out you're a sorority girl and we're both elementary school teachers.
-
1. Summarize your work-in-progress in 10 words or less.
I ruin Kevin's life.
2. Post a line from your work-in-progress with no context.
"It’s a good thing I have such expressive eyebrows."
LMFAO!
3. Does your work-in-progress have a title? If so, explain its significance. If not, what are you calling it for now?
I was originally going to call it "Take Care" after the song that inspired it, but when I actually started writing it, I changed it to my "My Brother's Keeper." This is a Bible reference that means brothers should take care of one another and have each other's back, which is the theme of this story.
Ooh themes! Do you plan out your themes and motifs ahead of time or do they just kind of happen?
6. Search for the word "dream" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
I've used "dream" eight times already! Here is the first occurrence: "It had been a dream come true… until it wasn’t." This is Kevin reflecting on why he left the Backstreet Boys. He goes on to say, "When I realized I was no longer living the dream, but dreading the next tour, I knew my time with the group needed to come to an end."
Aww. :( Glad it became living the dream again. :) I missed Kevin and I bet hot mess Nick did too! I look back on some of the things he said in regards to Kevin back then with the wisdom of age and say, "Ah, yes, there's a scared kid who feels betrayed by what he thought was a constant in his life."
But also, poor Kevin. He probably deserved more sympathy from all of us than he got.
7. What are you most proud of?
I'm proud of the time and effort I've put into researching and "world-building" for this one. Once again, I've found myself writing about a situation I have no firsthand experience with, so I've tried to immerse myself in stories of people who do. I read an entire memoir three or four years ago when I was first working on this idea, and since coming back to it, I've been listening to podcasts and watching YouTube channels about the issues I'm writing about in this story.
8. What is your biggest challenge?
Going along with my answer to the last question, I think it's going to be writing about something I've never experienced in a realistic, sensitive way that will make for a compelling story without getting too melodramatic.
That's cool! Do you often find your research involving reading other books or is it typically "things you can find on the internet"? When you do need to read other books, do you feel like writing goes slower afterward or quicker?
9. How would you describe your writing style for your work-in-progress?
10. How would you describe your work-in-progress' narrative style?
I feel like these questions go together. I'm writing this one in first person, alternating between Kevin and Nick's point of view. Because it's in first person, there's more emphasis on the characters' thoughts and feelings than flowery descriptions of the setting and whatnot. I'm trying to only describe what the character who's telling the story would notice.
Do you find yourself starting to write about things they wouldn't notice often or after you switch POV, writing about something Nick or Kevin would notice, but not both?
13. Your characters are stranded on a deserted island? What happens?
Nick would probably flourish on a deserted island, away from all the temptations of society, but Kevin would be screwed.
Nick would learn to build a boat, escape, and save Kevin on a harrowing high seas adventure, lol.
15. Do you know your characters' MBTI personalities?
I took a test at https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test for Nick and Kevin in my story.
According to that, Nick is a Campaigner, ENFP-T. Extraverted, intuitive, feeling, prospecting, turbulent.
"The Campaigner personality is a true free spirit. They are often the life of the party, but unlike types in the Explorer Role group, Campaigners are less interested in the sheer excitement and pleasure of the moment than they are in enjoying the social and emotional connections they make with others. Charming, independent, energetic and compassionate, the 7% of the population that they comprise can certainly be felt in any crowd."
(https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality)
Kevin is an Advocate, INFJ-A. Introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging, assertive.
"Advocates are the rarest personality types of all. Still, Advocates leave their mark on the world. They have a deep sense of idealism and integrity, but they aren’t idle dreamers – they take concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting impact.
Advocates’ unique combination of personality traits makes them complex and quite versatile. For example, Advocates can speak with great passion and conviction, especially when standing up for their ideals. At other times, however, they may choose to be soft-spoken and understated, preferring to keep the peace rather than challenge others."
(https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality)
It would be interesting to see if others got the same or similar results for the Boys.
I love 16-personalities. It's actually a tab I often have open on my phone. Taking their little mini quiz polls and reading research results is fun.
I feel like Nick and Kevin could be both of those!
16. What would your characters be for Halloween?
Kevin would probably be something cute for his son Mason, who would have been a year old on Halloween 2008. Maybe Thomas the Tank Engine... Train as a train LOL.
Nick had a show on Halloween 2008 and apparently dressed up as a gecko. Geico Gecko, perhaps? https://youtu.be/l9ZyY5XpScI This was in Montclair, NJ. Were you at this show, Tracy?
Aww, train as a train!
lol, a Gecko is like a tiny crocodile.
17. Does your work-in-progress have any themes or motifs?
Role reversal, dependability vs. dependency, brotherhood, and change are going to be the big themes of this one. The only motif I can think of that has come up so far is dancing.
Interesting! Did you pick these ahead of time or did they come out as you were planning and writing?
19. Post a picture or gif that describes your work-in-progress.
Here's the banner: https://i2.wp.com/dreamers-sanctuary.com/fanfic/wp-content/uploads/brotherbanner.png
The stark white is interesting! Less busy than many banners!
20. Post a brief excerpt.
Oh, hot mess Nick. "I only do x when x" is a slippery slope! It really hits when it's AJ being disappointed. I laughed that he picked up Nick's underpants at all, lol. Also the "chafing" bit.
-
I have gotten better at writing during the school year the last few years. It was really just when I was in my master's program that I hardly wrote during the school year because I didn't have time, since I spent most weekends doing homework. Since I came back from my little hiatus with AHTIM, I've been able to at least write pretty consistently on the weekends.
It's hard to write for fun when you have constantly looming deadlines, especially when they involve intense amounts of writing.
Bethlehem was definitely "right place, right time," since it took place during the pandemic. But I had been wanting to write a survival story for a while, so I guess it wasn't an entirely new idea - the car accident and Kevin's injury were elements I was planning for a survival story that would have taken place in the desert outside Vegas during the residency. Everything else I came up with shortly before I started writing it.
SAMS was a little pushier. It came at a time when I had other stories in progress - Undead, Guilty Roads, and my Harry Potter crossover - but none that I was actually updating regularly. So I followed my inspiration and started writing it in the summer of 2013, but didn't post any of it until February 2014.
The pandemic was what you needed for the survival story to click! Nothing that happened seemed too crazy and it was plausibly remote. :) I enjoyed it.
Poor Guilty Roads. It keeps getting knocked to the side, haha.
"The sick one!" LMAO! Dead. I dunno about boyband archetypes, but the sick one, the brooding one, and the angsty one would all be great for fanfic.
2Ge+her did it sympatheticall y! lol And you're right, they're all great in fanfics. Perhaps "the brooding one" and "the angsty one" are better combined as "the one who can be changed with love." That's all boyband archetypes are, right? Different types of boys that would be "good" romantic interests for the target demographic?
Those are very inspiring words! "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." Better than "I can't." LOL
If only they were that inspiring! lol I changed the less consent-oriented "I'll" to the more consent oriented "I can" in the line "I can give you a boost [up this tree]?” And then I laid on the couch and watched tv instead.
It is definitely weird going out to places again after a year of quarantining. I've pretty much only gone to work, the grocery store, and occasionally my parents' house in the past year. The monthly Google Maps timeline emails I get are so pathetic because they only show the same three places every month.
I don't even go to the grocery store, hubby does that! lol I stopped looking at the Google Maps timeline because I don't want to be reminded that I don't go anywhere, haha.
The two I'm thinking of are around my age. I can't see myself ever caring enough about another boyband to write about them either, but I also don't write or read fanfic for other fandoms that I do really love, like Harry Potter or The Walking Dead. I have shrines to both HP and TWD in my house, but fanfic? Not interested. There's just something uniquely special about BSB.
It's that little spark of care and love. :) I wish RPF was less taboo in the fanfic world. But I get it. I enjoy it more because it feels like there's more creating that gets to be done, even when the story sticks closer to "canon."
LOL Pretty much! And then they find out you're a sorority girl and we're both elementary school teachers.
I'm the peppiest, most exuberant kind of dark, haha! I think it works both ways, people outside the writing/fanfic world would never know that we're secretly so dark and people in the writing/fanfic world would never know that we're so... fluffy (?) outside of writing. I'm going to call us well balanced, lol.
-
Ooh themes! Do you plan out your themes and motifs ahead of time or do they just kind of happen?
With themes, it depends on the story. Some ideas already have an obvious theme, whereas with others, they come about as the plot and characters develop. My Brother's Keeper is one that had themes sort of built in to the idea. I don't usually plan out motifs in advance; they happen as the story progresses.
Aww. :( Glad it became living the dream again. :) I missed Kevin and I bet hot mess Nick did too! I look back on some of the things he said in regards to Kevin back then with the wisdom of age and say, "Ah, yes, there's a scared kid who feels betrayed by what he thought was a constant in his life."
But also, poor Kevin. He probably deserved more sympathy from all of us than he got.
Aww, I did too, and I'm sure Nick and all the guys did. Nick could have used his guidance during that time, although he probably wouldn't have accepted it then. I think everything worked out the way it was meant to be. It gave Kevin a chance to start his family and rediscover the love he had for being part of a group, and it gave Howie a chance to shine and Nick a chance to grow up.
That's cool! Do you often find your research involving reading other books or is it typically "things you can find on the internet"? When you do need to read other books, do you feel like writing goes slower afterward or quicker?
My research is typically things I can find on the internet, but sometimes I need more of an in-depth, personal account. Memoirs are good for that. In my experience, they slow my writing down, but make it stronger in the long run. I read one called "Sick Girl" about a woman's experience as a heart transplant recipient while researching for Secrets of the Heart, and it was really good. One thing I learned that I had never realized before was that when they put the new heart in, they can't reattach the nerves that connected to the old heart, so the new one is slower to respond to stimuli that would normally tell it to speed up, like exercise or being startled. It will eventually react due to adrenaline, but it's a delayed response. I never would have thought to include that detail in the story if I hadn't read the firsthand description of how it feels in that book.
Do you find yourself starting to write about things they wouldn't notice often or after you switch POV, writing about something Nick or Kevin would notice, but not both?
I probably do both. I have so much more experience writing in third person that I'm sure it bleeds into my first person stories. I try to find a balance between my more flowery, descriptive third person prose and writing first person the way a real person would actually tell a story, which would probably make it a rambling mess. And when I write stories like these that alternate between two POVs, I'm not sure I do enough to differentiate between the two voices.
Nick would learn to build a boat, escape, and save Kevin on a harrowing high seas adventure, lol.
Sounds like a good story to me! That, or Nick and the other could just cannibalize Kevin to stay alive after he dies. Maybe it could be a choose your own adventure!
I love 16-personalities. It's actually a tab I often have open on my phone. Taking their little mini quiz polls and reading research results is fun.
I feel like Nick and Kevin could be both of those!
I thought the descriptions fit both of them pretty well!
lol, a Gecko is like a tiny crocodile.
Boy likes his reptiles! LOL He also went as a Ninja Turtle on one of the cruises.
The stark white is interesting! Less busy than many banners!
It's definitely simple. I made it a few years ago when I started the story, but I haven't felt the urge to remake it yet. I'm not really sure what else I would do that wouldn't spoil anything.
Oh, hot mess Nick. "I only do x when x" is a slippery slope! It really hits when it's AJ being disappointed. I laughed that he picked up Nick's underpants at all, lol. Also the "chafing" bit.
Yeah, that's the kind of thing addicts say because they can't see that it's a problem. This was written before AJ came out with all the stuff last year about just how often he fell off the wagon over the years when we thought he was still sober. But he claimed to have been five years sober when Unbreakable came out, so I'm just gonna stick with that for this story.
Glad you liked the funny parts! Thanks!
-
The pandemic was what you needed for the survival story to click! Nothing that happened seemed too crazy and it was plausibly remote. :) I enjoyed it.
Yeah, it gave me what the desert idea was missing - a good reason for the five of them to be in a remote location with none of their families or security or anyone else around. And the inherent craziness of 2020 made every bad thing that happened seem more believable. Thanks!
2Ge+her did it sympatheticall y! lol And you're right, they're all great in fanfics. Perhaps "the brooding one" and "the angsty one" are better combined as "the one who can be changed with love." That's all boyband archetypes are, right? Different types of boys that would be "good" romantic interests for the target demographic?
That's true; I did think of QT. And you're right about the reason for the archetypes. There's a boy for every fan!
If only they were that inspiring! lol I changed the less consent-oriented "I'll" to the more consent oriented "I can" in the line "I can give you a boost [up this tree]?” And then I laid on the couch and watched tv instead.
LOL Well, kudos for making sure that boost was consensual.
I have spent more time lying on the couch and watching TV this weekend than actually writing too. I made the same mistake I always used to make with Heroic Measures, when I started watching ER for "research purposes" and then get sucked into a marathon and stop writing. I started watching another old favorite of mine for "research purposes" last weekend and have since finished half of the first season and no new chapters. Fail LOL. I did finally watch Walking Dead Friday night though.
It's that little spark of care and love. :) I wish RPF was less taboo in the fanfic world. But I get it. I enjoy it more because it feels like there's more creating that gets to be done, even when the story sticks closer to "canon."
Yeah... I get it too. I'm just glad there's a community of us who get the appeal and don't judge.
I'm the peppiest, most exuberant kind of dark, haha! I think it works both ways, people outside the writing/fanfic world would never know that we're secretly so dark and people in the writing/fanfic world would never know that we're so... fluffy (?) outside of writing. I'm going to call us well balanced, lol.
LOL So true!
-
With themes, it depends on the story. Some ideas already have an obvious theme, whereas with others, they come about as the plot and characters develop. My Brother's Keeper is one that had themes sort of built in to the idea. I don't usually plan out motifs in advance; they happen as the story progresses.
I wanted to know so much that I asked it twice, apparently. lol I wonder if new themes will appear as you keep writing.
Aww, I did too, and I'm sure Nick and all the guys did. Nick could have used his guidance during that time, although he probably wouldn't have accepted it then. I think everything worked out the way it was meant to be. It gave Kevin a chance to start his family and rediscover the love he had for being part of a group, and it gave Howie a chance to shine and Nick a chance to grow up.
He would have been too stubborn to do so! And all good points. With the bonus of Howie getting some love too.
My research is typically things I can find on the internet, but sometimes I need more of an in-depth, personal account. Memoirs are good for that. In my experience, they slow my writing down, but make it stronger in the long run. I read one called "Sick Girl" about a woman's experience as a heart transplant recipient while researching for Secrets of the Heart, and it was really good. One thing I learned that I had never realized before was that when they put the new heart in, they can't reattach the nerves that connected to the old heart, so the new one is slower to respond to stimuli that would normally tell it to speed up, like exercise or being startled. It will eventually react due to adrenaline, but it's a delayed response. I never would have thought to include that detail in the story if I hadn't read the firsthand description of how it feels in that book.
I didn't know that either! That is really interesting. I wonder what kind of adverse reaction that has when exercising.
I probably do both. I have so much more experience writing in third person that I'm sure it bleeds into my first person stories. I try to find a balance between my more flowery, descriptive third person prose and writing first person the way a real person would actually tell a story, which would probably make it a rambling mess. And when I write stories like these that alternate between two POVs, I'm not sure I do enough to differentiate between the two voices.
It's especially a rambling mess if Nick is really telling the story, lol! Which Boy is most likely to do flowery, descriptive third person prose in their head as they narrate their life? (In general, not necessarily Nick or Kevin specifically.)
Your Nick excerpt sounded pretty Nick. I'd say "give me a Kevin excerpt" but I understand, spoilers.
Sounds like a good story to me! That, or Nick and the other could just cannibalize Kevin to stay alive after he dies. Maybe it could be a choose your own adventure!
I've secretly always wanted to write a CYOA story, but I've never really thought I could make it strong enough to carry a narrative, let alone multiple narratives.
Boy likes his reptiles! LOL He also went as a Ninja Turtle on one of the cruises.
A super hero reptile, you say? I believe that.
It's definitely simple. I made it a few years ago when I started the story, but I haven't felt the urge to remake it yet. I'm not really sure what else I would do that wouldn't spoil anything.
There's beauty in simplicity.
Yeah, that's the kind of thing addicts say because they can't see that it's a problem. This was written before AJ came out with all the stuff last year about just how often he fell off the wagon over the years when we thought he was still sober. But he claimed to have been five years sober when Unbreakable came out, so I'm just gonna stick with that for this story.
Glad you liked the funny parts! Thanks!
I'm guilty of it, or qualifiers would be more accurate: "I only drink heavily on the weekends" is something I said a lot in my twenties.
Having known other addicts, I always assumed he actually fell off the wagon a lot, but that he didn't want to disappoint anyone by saying so. But I did like believing that he had gotten everything together and was sticking to it. I think it's fine if you stick with what he said, especially if he was hiding the "falling off" from the POV characters. Unless they caught him, they wouldn't know. I suspect AJ would worry about disappointing the other Boys a lot.
-
Yeah, it gave me what the desert idea was missing - a good reason for the five of them to be in a remote location with none of their families or security or anyone else around. And the inherent craziness of 2020 made every bad thing that happened seem more believable. Thanks!
They were escaping fans who wanted to kidnap them! lol
That's true; I did think of QT. And you're right about the reason for the archetypes. There's a boy for every fan!
Unless she likes green. You can only love someone if you have the same favorite colors!
LOL Well, kudos for making sure that boost was consensual.
I have spent more time lying on the couch and watching TV this weekend than actually writing too. I made the same mistake I always used to make with Heroic Measures, when I started watching ER for "research purposes" and then get sucked into a marathon and stop writing. I started watching another old favorite of mine for "research purposes" last weekend and have since finished half of the first season and no new chapters. Fail LOL. I did finally watch Walking Dead Friday night though.
haha. Can't let our hero do toxic things! Plus I figure someone who avoids being touched would probably ask other people before touching them when they're consciously thinking about it.
I've been useless today. Glad you finally watched Walking Dead. I've mostly watched basketball and did some house things. I was a little productive this morning and hopefully I can get back to that point.
Hopefully your research is going well, even if it's not productive right now.
Yeah... I get it too. I'm just glad there's a community of us who get the appeal and don't judge.
Same!
-
1. Summarize your work-in-progress in 10 words or less.
Demons save the day! Plucky Nick angsts through life!
2. Post a line from your work-in-progress with no context.
“Nick…” Brian batted his eyelashes as he put his hand to his chest, stifling a laugh with his other hand.
3. Does your work-in-progress have a title? If so, explain its significance. If not, what are you calling it for now?
Despite me calling it “PNecklace” (call it a lazy holdover from calling the first one “PBox”), it’s actually called Pandora’s Necklace. I always envisioned this second story being called “Pandora’s Necklace” because it really focused on Nick’s journey, more than anything else. Outside of their bodies, demon hearts became gemstones and Nick’s popped out as a necklace. So I guess you could call the story “Nick’s Heart,” but that seems silly in comparison.
4. Describe the setting of your work-in-progress.
A “medieval stasis" Asian-inspired fantasy world of suck.
5. Search for the word "knife" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
You know, in a “sword and sorcery” world, the word “knife” doesn’t appear at all. “Sword” (or “swords” or “sword-something”) is in it 61 times and “dagger” four times. Since “dagger” is more spiritually akin to knife, I’ll go with that one. And the question doesn’t specify that the first instance needs to be used, so I’ll go with the second, because I like it better:
“That is a price of battle. We own many daggers; they are easily replaced, you are not.”
As always, a key tenet of our heroes’ MO is that someones should not be sacrificed for somethings, even when those somethings are the goal. I hesitate to use “people” and “things” because, well… are demons people? A question to ponder… perhaps in our themes and motifs… ;)
6. Search for the word "dream" in your work-in-progress. If you find it, paste the line and explain the significance.
“Dream” (or “dreams” or “dreaming” and so on) appears 53 times so far, which is not at all surprising to me since the dichotomy of dreams and nightmares is a recurring motif in the series.
I like the next one better, but it’s less funny without the surrounding context of “other crazy things Nick has said,” so have the following:
The immovable power of fate makes me call out in my dreams.
I mostly think it’s pretty, but it does tie into a theme. Is it fate, Nick, or is it choices? Hmmm...
7. What are you most proud of?
Being able to still write it after letting the idea sit for a decade! Once I “retired,” I honestly wasn’t ever sure that I would get back into writing again, let alone finishing an idea that wasn’t even partially on paper. So, I guess thanks to the whole of the PBox series for being pushy?
8. What is your biggest challenge?
Not immediately feeling frustrated if it suddenly doesn’t go well. I think in the back of my head, I’m having nightmare flashbacks to my six-month PBox hiatus and how writing went after I finished it. I think if I had more going on besides writing in my free time, I would worry about it a lot less. But, since I don’t really have anywhere to go or anything else to do, I do worry.
9. How would you describe your writing style for your work-in-progress?
Plantsing, foreshadowing, and call-backs. Gardening? Like planting things and letting them grow for the next book.
10. How would you describe your work-in-progress' narrative style?
Limited third pov. It’s pretty Nick focused in this one, but it still switches between him and Minako like it did before and the other Boys do get their moments to shine. But Nick made it clear a long time ago that he drives this bus.
11. Which character do you have the most in common with?
12. Which character do you have the least in common with?
None of them? Howie might be the most? Howie is all of us, after all.. There’s bits of me in all of them, but no one where it’s abundantly most or least. Kevin might be the least?
13. Your characters are stranded on a deserted island? What happens?
Mass hysteria, lol. I’m kidding. Since no one is actively looking to kill them, I think they’d work together to stay alive while they figured out how to leave. I think they’d be fine? Nick would complain a lot.
14. Have you chosen birthdays for any of your characters? If so, what are they? (Exclude any Boys, because I assume their birthdays in your stories are their birthdays.)
I’d call Minako a pisces, so somewhere in the late February to early March timeframe. I don’t think I ever actually picked a birthday for her, because it never came up in the story, haha. Renee’s is some time in August. I haven’t really thought about the other two Pandoras.
15. Do you know your characters' MBTI personalities?
Even though I love MBTI, I did not! Until I took the same quiz Julie used on their behalf. (I know mine: ENFJ forever!)
I took it for Nick and started taking it for Minako, but didn’t agree with the result, so I did it again, and then I got tired of looking at it, especially after Nick got it too and they are not the same thing. Clearly I am the turbulent one, lol! Ask me later.
I also took it twice for Nick, I think because I’m so all over the place in the grand scheme of the story, but the only thing that changed was the introverted/extroverted part when I retook it. I guess the difference in growing over the course of the story? I don’t know, I’m not entirely happy with either of these choices either... I guess PBox Nick is either:
The Adventurer (ISFP): Introverted, Observant, Feeling, and Prospecting (plus turbulent)
Adventurer personalities are true artists, but not necessarily in the typical sense where they’re out painting happy little trees. Often enough though, they are perfectly capable of this. Rather, it’s that they use aesthetics, design and even their choices and actions to push the limits of social convention. Adventurers enjoy upsetting traditional expectations with experiments in beauty and behavior – chances are, they’ve expressed more than once the phrase “Don’t box me in!”
The Entertainer (ESFP): Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Prospecting (plus turbulent)
If anyone is to be found spontaneously breaking into song and dance, it is the Entertainer personality type. Entertainers get caught up in the excitement of the moment, and want everyone else to feel that way, too. No other personality type is as generous with their time and energy as Entertainers when it comes to encouraging others, and no other personality type does it with such irresistible style.
16. What would your characters be for Halloween?
What’s Halloween? lol This is a lazy copout on my part; they are obviously too busy fighting the forces of evil to participate in holidays. Nick would do it because Minako asked, but question every minute of it until he actually got the costume on, then he would love it. AJ would probably be Nick or Kevin, because they would hate it, then he would laugh about it with Brian.
17. Does your work-in-progress have any themes or motifs?
Hahahahahahaha ha, obviously.
Themes: What measure is a non-human?/What measure is a monster?, light versus dark (all incarnations including, but not limited to: the Holy light, light is not good, dark is not evil, the sacred dark, etcetera), Right Makes Might versus Might Makes Right, definitions, fate versus choice, the power of intangible things, sacrifices, strength in true companionship… I could go on, but I’d call a lot of these sub-themes to the big themes of how to define yourself and the world plus another I won’t say.
Motifs: light/darkness, dreams and nightmares, loneliness and togetherness… I guess juxtaposition of opposing things is a motif in and of itself.
18. What's easier, dialogue or description?
When I write interesting bits ahead of where I am currently working, I usually end up writing dialogue. So I will say dialogue. I often don’t even add “so and so said” tags unless I have a clear body language thing to convey. Who speaks what is all very clear to me.
19. Post a picture or gif that describes your work-in-progress.
This one should work! https://images.app.goo.gl/NtCi9LSyRSTVj321A
20. Post a brief excerpt.
A knock sounded at the door.
He turned toward it quickly. “Uh, hang on…” He picked up a crumpled pair of jeans from the floor between the bed and the window, yanking them over each leg as he hopped toward a chair between the door and a large closet. After grabbing the gray sweatshirt slung over the arm, he pulled it over his head quickly before opening the door. “Kevin…”
The second man leaned on his door frame, his black button down shirt contrasting against the dark wood. Kevin narrowed his thick eyebrows against his green eyes as he matched the tone of his voice. “Nick…”
“You’re doing house calls again?” Nick crossed his arms.
He smiled and patted Nick’s shoulder. “Just making sure you’re awake and not staring at that necklace again.”
Nick hung his head.
Kevin lips quirked into a frown. “Well, you’re awake at least. Step one.”
“It… I… That weird dream again…” Nick put his hand to his head, but kept his arms crossed.
Kevin mirrored Nick and crossed his arms as well. “Do you want to talk to someone about it?”
“No, I’ll just sound crazy repeating myself…” Nick shook his head.
“Nick…”
He raised his hands in mock defense. “You keep suggesting that I talk to someone other than you all, you obviously also think I sound crazy… ‘I keep having this dream where I scream for someone I don’t know.’ ‘This weird necklace I had a death grip on when I woke up four months ago… Also a ring!’ ‘No other updates, still don’t know where anything came from.’ Did I forget a crazy sounding thing I’ve said?”
Kevin frowned. “You know I’m just worried about you…”
“Yeah, because it sounds--”
“Because it’s bothering you.” He smirked. “You’ve done plenty of things over the years that seem ‘crazy,’ I’m used to it.”
Nick crossed his arms again and crumpled into himself. “Gee… thanks…”
-
2. Post a line from your work-in-progress with no context.
Aww, I could picture Brian doing this. So cute LOL.
Outside of their bodies, demon hearts became gemstones and Nick’s popped out as a necklace. So I guess you could call the story “Nick’s Heart,” but that seems silly in comparison.
How did you come up with the idea to have demon hearts become gemstones? Is Pandora's Necklace like the [Nick's] Heart of the Ocean? LOL
You know, in a “sword and sorcery” world, the word “knife” doesn’t appear at all. “Sword” (or “swords” or “sword-something”) is in it 61 times and “dagger” four times. Since “dagger” is more spiritually akin to knife, I’ll go with that one. And the question doesn’t specify that the first instance needs to be used, so I’ll go with the second, because I like it better:
As always, a key tenet of our heroes’ MO is that someones should not be sacrificed for somethings, even when those somethings are the goal. I hesitate to use “people” and “things” because, well… are demons people? A question to ponder… perhaps in our themes and motifs… ;)
Good point - plus, "dagger" sounds a lot cooler than "knife." I love that line you posted. It does seem very thematic, especially with the way you described it after the quote. It seems like you do put effort into planning motifs and whatnot in advance with all your lists, but did you know the theme(s) of PBox before you started writing it? And would you say PNecklace has its own theme separate from PBox, or do they share a common theme?
I mostly think it’s pretty, but it does tie into a theme. Is it fate, Nick, or is it choices? Hmmm...
This reminds me of our conversation about stubborn characters who control the plot. Do our characters have free will to make choices, or is it "fate" (a.k.a. the author's choices) that guide them? "The immovable power of fate" = the words the author writes on the screen LOL. Those words are pretty!
Being able to still write it after letting the idea sit for a decade! Once I “retired,” I honestly wasn’t ever sure that I would get back into writing again, let alone finishing an idea that wasn’t even partially on paper. So, I guess thanks to the whole of the PBox series for being pushy?
You should definitely be proud of that! Ten years is a long time to let something sit and still come back to it. That's an accomplishment!
Not immediately feeling frustrated if it suddenly doesn’t go well. I think in the back of my head, I’m having nightmare flashbacks to my six-month PBox hiatus and how writing went after I finished it. I think if I had more going on besides writing in my free time, I would worry about it a lot less. But, since I don’t really have anywhere to go or anything else to do, I do worry.
I totally get this. I did not have a good writing weekend; I only wrote a few paragraphs of my story today. But I just keep telling myself that happens; the streak couldn't last forever (although technically my streak is still alive since I did write something today, even if it wasn't a lot). My pattern is usually that if I have a really good, productive writing day, the next day will not be great. It's like I need more than one night to recharge. I guess that may apply to weeks, too.
I know you'll push through this rough patch and get back on track. It does help if you have something else to focus on instead of worrying about writing, but that's what TV and basketball are for!
11. Which character do you have the most in common with?
12. Which character do you have the least in common with?
None of them? Howie might be the most? Howie is all of us, after all.. There’s bits of me in all of them, but no one where it’s abundantly most or least. Kevin might be the least?
LOL I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't have an answer to these questions. I put bits of myself in all of my characters too, but yeah, there wasn't an obvious most or least.
I also took it twice for Nick, I think because I’m so all over the place in the grand scheme of the story, but the only thing that changed was the introverted/extroverted part when I retook it. I guess the difference in growing over the course of the story? I don’t know, I’m not entirely happy with either of these choices either... I guess PBox Nick is either:
The Adventurer (ISFP): Introverted, Observant, Feeling, and Prospecting (plus turbulent)
Adventurer personalities are true artists, but not necessarily in the typical sense where they’re out painting happy little trees. Often enough though, they are perfectly capable of this. Rather, it’s that they use aesthetics, design and even their choices and actions to push the limits of social convention. Adventurers enjoy upsetting traditional expectations with experiments in beauty and behavior – chances are, they’ve expressed more than once the phrase “Don’t box me in!”
The Entertainer (ESFP): Extraverted, Observant, Feeling, and Prospecting (plus turbulent)
If anyone is to be found spontaneously breaking into song and dance, it is the Entertainer personality type. Entertainers get caught up in the excitement of the moment, and want everyone else to feel that way, too. No other personality type is as generous with their time and energy as Entertainers when it comes to encouraging others, and no other personality type does it with such irresistible style.
I feel like Nick is a combination of these two. The Entertainer sounds more like his real life personality, but he definitely has that artistic side of The Adventurer too.
When I have more time, maybe I'll go back and take this for some of my original characters from other stories.
When I write interesting bits ahead of where I am currently working, I usually end up writing dialogue. So I will say dialogue. I often don’t even add “so and so said” tags unless I have a clear body language thing to convey. Who speaks what is all very clear to me.
I do this, too. When I think through upcoming scenes, I think of them in terms of the dialogue, so if I'm short on time and trying to get the words on the page before I have to go to bed or go to work, I just write the dialogue. Then I go back and add in description, dialogue tags, body language, etc. later.
This one should work! https://images.app.goo.gl/NtCi9LSyRSTVj321A
Still my favorite of their album photo shoots! I love the concept of them each representing a different element.
20. Post a brief excerpt.
Aww, I love the brotherly Nick and Kevin exchange. Leave it to Kevin to be worried about Nick.
-
Which Boy is most likely to do flowery, descriptive third person prose in their head as they narrate their life? (In general, not necessarily Nick or Kevin specifically.)
Your Nick excerpt sounded pretty Nick. I'd say "give me a Kevin excerpt" but I understand, spoilers.
Thanks!
I have actually never written first person from Brian or AJ's POV, so I don't know how they compare, but I make Kevin and Howie slightly more flowery/eloquent than Nick. I guess that is how I differentiate, but I don't think it's a huge difference. I try not to make any of them sound like Bella from Twilight LOL. But I know my Howie can't be that accurate because I searched Sick as My Secrets and didn't find a single "and stuff like that." LOL
Though who knows, maybe Nick is actually the one who narrates his life in purple prose. He is certainly the most dramatic one. And he's also written a book and a screenplay, so maybe I don't give him enough credit for his literary prowess.
I've secretly always wanted to write a CYOA story, but I've never really thought I could make it strong enough to carry a narrative, let alone multiple narratives.
I think Mare wrote one a long time ago. From what I remember, she said it was harder than she thought it would be. Mare, please weigh in with your perspective. It sounds fun, but challenging.
I'm guilty of it, or qualifiers would be more accurate: "I only drink heavily on the weekends" is something I said a lot in my twenties.
Having known other addicts, I always assumed he actually fell off the wagon a lot, but that he didn't want to disappoint anyone by saying so. But I did like believing that he had gotten everything together and was sticking to it. I think it's fine if you stick with what he said, especially if he was hiding the "falling off" from the POV characters. Unless they caught him, they wouldn't know. I suspect AJ would worry about disappointing the other Boys a lot.
Eh, the drinking heavily on the weekends thing is true of a lot of people. It only becomes a problem when it's every night or starts interfering with other aspects of your life. I'm definitely a social drinker; how much I drink has a lot to do with who I'm with and how much they like to drink.
Yeah, I knew AJ had fallen off the wagon before, but I guess I was naive and thought he had it together more than he did since starting a family. I respect his honesty in admitting he slipped up so recently, but now I'm not sure we can ever really trust him when he claims to be sober. Not judging him though - it's really none of our business, as long as it doesn't affect the group. I hope he can stay clean and sober for Rochelle and the girls' sake though, as well as for himself and the group.
That's a good point; he could be drinking behind the scenes and hiding it from the other guys, and Nick or Kevin would never know. Thanks!
Unless she likes green. You can only love someone if you have the same favorite colors!
I guess that means I'm stuck with Howie LOL.
-
Aww, I could picture Brian doing this. So cute LOL.
Making fun of Nick? Yes. Yes, I could also picture him doing that, lol. "Hi my name is Nick." Thanks for enjoying my Brian quips.
How did you come up with the idea to have demon hearts become gemstones? Is Pandora's Necklace like the [Nick's] Heart of the Ocean? LOL
You know... It was mostly leaning into the gemstone aesthetic with the countries in the story. That and they needed to be something tangible for the end of PBox/beginning of PNecklace. I never intended it to be anything deep and poetic necessarily. Please tell the children that I “just liked green,” lmao
lol Nick's heart of the ocean, he'll never let go.
I think it just ended up being a necklace because Nick would probably subconsciously think, "Well if I'm literally giving this to you, it better be easy for you to have and hold on to." It's easier to wear jewelry than hold a loose gemstone.
Good point - plus, "dagger" sounds a lot cooler than "knife." I love that line you posted. It does seem very thematic, especially with the way you described it after the quote. It seems like you do put effort into planning motifs and whatnot in advance with all your lists, but did you know the theme(s) of PBox before you started writing it? And would you say PNecklace has its own theme separate from PBox, or do they share a common theme?
"Dagger" does sound way cooler than "knife." And thanks!
You know, some of them I did, some of them I didn't. "True Companions/The Power of Friendship" is both a trope and a theme I use often, probably more than anything else, so it obviously went in. The "what measure is non-human?/what measure is a monster?" was planned from the beginning, but is definitely strongest in PBox. So was "what defines individuals/groups/the world?" I also knew that our heroes would definitely be on the "right makes might" side of that scale. A few of those grew with time, like the juxtapositions and the theme I wouldn't say didn't come into play until PNecklace. They share common themes for sure, but I'd say the “fate versus choices” is really just starting to come into play in PNecklace. They were all pretty adamant about their “fate” in life in the first book.
This reminds me of our conversation about stubborn characters who control the plot. Do our characters have free will to make choices, or is it "fate" (a.k.a. the author's choices) that guide them? "The immovable power of fate" = the words the author writes on the screen LOL. Those words are pretty!
Thanks, I try to save my more poetic moments for when they’ll really pack a punch! lol! I mean, I told Nick his fate and he said, “F that, I’m not dying.” So… I’ll let them have free will as long as it’s great for the story. Nick’s never steered the bus wrong yet.
You should definitely be proud of that! Ten years is a long time to let something sit and still come back to it. That's an accomplishment!
I accept this kudos and would like to thank the academy and AC and pushy free will Nick for the honor. lol
I totally get this. I did not have a good writing weekend; I only wrote a few paragraphs of my story today. But I just keep telling myself that happens; the streak couldn't last forever (although technically my streak is still alive since I did write something today, even if it wasn't a lot). My pattern is usually that if I have a really good, productive writing day, the next day will not be great. It's like I need more than one night to recharge. I guess that may apply to weeks, too.
I know you'll push through this rough patch and get back on track. It does help if you have something else to focus on instead of worrying about writing, but that's what TV and basketball are for!
I did end up finishing the chapter I was working on today by finally finishing the fight scene I was putting off for no discernible reason. Now I can get back to PNecklace? Probably? I’m vaguely sure of what’s happening next, but not quite sure on how to execute it. We'll all push through together! Having March Madness has helped. My bracket is now destroyed, but I am loving all the madness and getting to back the Pac this year. Glad your streak is still alive! Hopefully today is a productive writing day.
Speaking of knives, I did get to write this today, so that was fun:
Nick tossed the knife on the ground. "You left this in the tree."
I bet y'all could come up with any random word and I've probably written it down somewhere in this epic.
LOL I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't have an answer to these questions. I put bits of myself in all of my characters too, but yeah, there wasn't an obvious most or least.
I want to see people who have a definitive answer. I don’t think I even had one for my whole body of work.
I feel like Nick is a combination of these two. The Entertainer sounds more like his real life personality, but he definitely has that artistic side of The Adventurer too.
Well now I feel better about it! Yesterday I just gave up. Haha I got so sick of looking at it that I didn’t even bother trying Brian or Howie like I had planned on to round out more of the Boys we had character MBTIs for.
I do this, too. When I think through upcoming scenes, I think of them in terms of the dialogue, so if I'm short on time and trying to get the words on the page before I have to go to bed or go to work, I just write the dialogue. Then I go back and add in description, dialogue tags, body language, etc. later.
I wonder why it’s dialogue scenes that stick out to us more than other types? I think I’ve written maybe two “I have clear pictures of the action here in this section” scenes ever and they were both for the next book.
Still my favorite of their album photo shoots! I love the concept of them each representing a different element.
Same!! It was a fun addition to the “stark white” that is Millennium. It was the photo shoot I had in mind for this “find an image” because of the mirroring and reflecting of the water, but I don’t think I’d actually seen this specific photo before. Happy accident.
Aww, I love the brotherly Nick and Kevin exchange. Leave it to Kevin to be worried about Nick.
Thanks! He felt like the right one to do this health and wellness check I was envisioning, haha. I figured that I kept mentioning Nick talking about how he’s crazy, so may as well share it, haha.
-
I have actually never written first person from Brian or AJ's POV, so I don't know how they compare, but I make Kevin and Howie slightly more flowery/eloquent than Nick. I guess that is how I differentiate, but I don't think it's a huge difference. I try not to make any of them sound like Bella from Twilight LOL. But I know my Howie can't be that accurate because I searched Sick as My Secrets and didn't find a single "and stuff like that." LOL
I've written all of them in limited third (close enough?) and Howie's the most eloquent but I also chalk that up to his persona as "the good king" in the story. I have never made him say "and stuff like that." Someone give me an eloquent way to say it and I will, lol!
Though who knows, maybe Nick is actually the one who narrates his life in purple prose. He is certainly the most dramatic one. And he's also written a book and a screenplay, so maybe I don't give him enough credit for his literary prowess.
I figure he would be the most likely to narrate his life at all, dramatically or not! However he wants to do it is fine, unless he thinks things like "I'm drowning in the ocean of disappointment in Kevin's Persian green orbs." Then we'll have to have a serious talk with him!
I think Mare wrote one a long time ago. From what I remember, she said it was harder than she thought it would be. Mare, please weigh in with your perspective. It sounds fun, but challenging.
Geez, as always, Mare is so wise. Please inspire us with your wisdom, Mare!
It wouldn't be the worst type of thing to collaborate on; different people could write different paths.
Eh, the drinking heavily on the weekends thing is true of a lot of people. It only becomes a problem when it's every night or starts interfering with other aspects of your life. I'm definitely a social drinker; how much I drink has a lot to do with who I'm with and how much they like to drink.
Yes, the crowd for sure changes it. Don't tell my primary care physician! lol
Yeah, I knew AJ had fallen off the wagon before, but I guess I was naive and thought he had it together more than he did since starting a family. I respect his honesty in admitting he slipped up so recently, but now I'm not sure we can ever really trust him when he claims to be sober. Not judging him though - it's really none of our business, as long as it doesn't affect the group. I hope he can stay clean and sober for Rochelle and the girls' sake though, as well as for himself and the group.
That's a good point; he could be drinking behind the scenes and hiding it from the other guys, and Nick or Kevin would never know. Thanks!
I also respect his honesty, that's a tough thing to share with the world when they're your own demons and whatnot. I figure, everyone's got their own, so the best thing we can do is to give them support and grace. :) Me too! Getting told you smell off by your kid and that they don't want to hang out with you must be heartbreaking for everyone involved.
Any time! Happy to help make your story as dramatic as possible in the background. ;)
I guess that means I'm stuck with Howie LOL.
Stuck with Howie or dancing the night away on the Lido Deck with Howie or having the time of your life committing murder and getting away with it with Howie? Hardly stuck.
Meanwhile, guess I'll go back to liking green. I'm not super committed to pink or yellow anyway. I just look great in them, but I can pull off a good green too, lol.
-
I've all written them in limited third (close enough?) and Howie's the most eloquent but I also chalk that up to his persona as "the good king" in the story. I have never made him say "and stuff like that." Someone give me an eloquent way to say it and I will, lol!
He could be like the king in The King and I: "Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!" That's "and stuff like that" in Latin LOL.
I figure he would be the most likely to narrate his life at all, dramatically or not! However he wants to do it is fine, unless he thinks things like "I'm drowning in the ocean of disappointment in Kevin's Persian green orbs." Then we'll have to have a serious talk with him!
LMAO!!
It wouldn't be the worst type of thing to collaborate on; different people could write different paths.
Yes, it would be less overwhelming as a collaboration. *wonders if the word COLLABORATION will summon Rose to the forum*
Stuck with Howie or dancing the night away on the Lido Deck with Howie or having the time of your committing murder and getting away with it with Howie? Hardly stuck.
Good points!
-
That last one literally took me half an hour to write during the commercial breaks of this basketball game!
I also just came up with the stupidest idea while thinking of this discussion:
I have read stories that alternated first person POV between all five Boys, but I haven't attempted one of those yet. I think it could get confusing and hard to capture five different narrative voices, so I stick with third person for group stories.
for a short novella with this premise:
8. "Nick gets a 'Summer of Happiness' where all the other Boys are main characters and he gets a nice paid vacation to pull from some of their old fanfic habits like 'only sleeps,' 'wears several hats throughout,' 'gets to pop in to make silly jokes,' or 'shakes his head at *someone's* antics.' haha"
but set in the '90s and the other four plots are all old fanfic cliches. All because this gem of an exchange popped into my head:
"Nick, are you trying to look at me sternly?"
"Yes. Is it working? It's hard without you know... your eyebrows." If anything, he looked constipated.
I tried so hard to hide my smile, but ended up chuckling. "No, it definitely isn't."
-
That last one literally took me half an hour to write during the commercial breaks of this basketball game!
I also just came up with the stupidest idea while thinking of this discussion:
for a short novella with this premise:
but set in the '90s and the other four plots are all old fanfic cliches. All because this gem of an exchange popped into my head:
"Nick, are you trying to look at me sternly?"
"Yes. Is it working? It's hard without you know... your eyebrows." If anything, he looked constipated.
I tried so hard to hide my smile, but ended up chuckling. "No, it definitely isn't."
LOL! I love that idea.
-
He could be like the king in The King and I: "Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!" That's "and stuff like that" in Latin LOL.
"I've all written them!" Yikes! You can tell I was not fully paying attention to writing that.
LMAO "in Latin." I will do my best to sneak it in at some point when it makes sense. ;D
Yes, it would be less overwhelming as a collaboration. *wonders if the word COLLABORATION will summon Rose to the forum*
You know, it used to. Maybe we have to say it three times like Beetlejuice. I wonder what the differing plot lines would look like in a collaboration CYOA? Maybe the inciting incident is a bus crash!
Good points!
I'm always here with my #TeamHowie sign.
-
LOL! I love that idea.
Me too! lmao
Apparently that's what happens when I retire for a decade. I come back and want to write my magnum opus and the weirdest joke fanfics that somehow end up very dramatic and serious.
-
You know, it used to. Maybe we have to say it three times like Beetlejuice. I wonder what the differing plot lines would look like in a collaboration CYOA? Maybe the inciting incident is a bus crash!
That sounds like a great inciting incident for a CYOA COLLABORATION.
Me too! lmao
Apparently that's what happens when I retire for a decade. I come back and want to write my magnum opus and the weirdest joke fanfics that somehow end up very dramatic and serious.
You know, when you're an active member of Team Dark, you need to write weird joke fanfics from time to time. Hence my stupid pandaskunk stories.
-
That sounds like a great inciting incident for a CYOA COLLABORATION.
Now we wait. :biggrin:
You know, when you're an active member of Team Dark, you need to write weird joke fanfics from time to time. Hence my stupid pandaskunk stories.
Maybe that's it. I'm trying to offset the dark.
Now what to make their very cliche plots... AJ should clearly be the Mary Sue becomes an opening act or backup dancer so that Nick has many opportunities to make perverted jokes while wearing several hats/having several wardrobe changes, lol.
OMG, Nick hits his head and becomes fandom savvy and that's how he avoids being the main character, lmao.
A new girl suddenly joining our tour? Nope! I'm out of here! I pushed AJ toward her as I ran away. "She's all yours, Bone!"
-
I saw my name up there somewhere and you asked me to weigh in on something that I tried but was hard? I have no clue what that was in reference to lol but I do enjoy when Dee calls me wise. So what where you talking about? It looks like a collaboration? Was it a choose your own adventure?
-
I saw my name up there somewhere and you asked me to weigh in on something that I tried but was hard? I have no clue what that was in reference to lol but I do enjoy when Dee calls me wise. So what where you talking about? It looks like a collaboration? Was it a choose your own adventure?
Yes, Julie and I both said that writing a CYOA story intrigues us, but seems difficult. And she said you had possibly written one already.
I'll call you wise as many times as you'd like to hear it. :biggrin:
-
I occasionally browse the writing and fanfiction subreddits on Reddit and saw this post that someone had linked, claiming switching to Comic Sans will help with writer's block. https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/dplcz0/comic_sans_is/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 I feel like I've heard this theory before, but I don't know that I've ever tried it. Has anyone else? If not, we should try it next time we feel uninspired and see if it makes a difference.
Personally, I don't understand the hatred of Comic Sans. Maybe because it's the font I used for my entire website when I first created it as a young teenybopper. Maybe it's because I teach elementary school, so I appreciate cutesy, kid-friendly fonts. I get that it's not appropriate for serious/professional documents, but there's nothing wrong with it for fun, lighthearted stuff.
-
Interesting! Maybe I'll do it in my next chapter and let you know how it goes. I'm not personally super offended by it either, but I think it is that cutesy teenybopper stigma. In my mind it's really just an italic type face where the letters are more distinct. Great for anyone with the -lexia/-graphia/-etceterias. (lol That joke was awesome.) And as far as cutesy fonts go, it's not even the worst one out there! Like looking at google docs, "indie flower" is one I would call way cutesier. I figure, life could use a little whimsy.
Also on the topic of writer's block, NaNo has dubbed April's Camp "NaNoFinMo," so they writing resources they're providing throughout the month are all geared toward finishing novels (it's like they read my mind). Let's see what pops up! :)
-
I saw my name up there somewhere and you asked me to weigh in on something that I tried but was hard? I have no clue what that was in reference to lol but I do enjoy when Dee calls me wise. So what where you talking about? It looks like a collaboration? Was it a choose your own adventure?
I did attempt one of those. I only posted it on my site because it would’ve been too complicated to post it on AC. Sadly when my site went down, so did the story. It wasn’t very long but it was pretty complicated to do. It would probably work much better as a collab.
I do believe I did alternate endings on whatever the night may bring as well.
-
I did attempt one of those. I only posted it on my site because it would’ve been too complicated to post it on AC. Sadly when my site went down, so did the story. It wasn’t very long but it was pretty complicated to do. It would probably work much better as a collab.
I do believe I did alternate endings on whatever the night may bring as well.
I wondered that too. Does a CYOA have an update chapter for each path? Are they just scenes in one chapter? Are the chapters long? Short? I guess it's personal preference, probably.
Oh fun! How was it to write multiple alternate endings?
-
I wondered that too. Does a CYOA have an update chapter for each path? Are they just scenes in one chapter? Are the chapters long? Short? I guess it's personal preference, probably.
Oh fun! How was it to write multiple alternate endings?
Oh my God! I had written a whole answer to this question and then lost it! So frustrating lol
The plot was very simple and kind of a short story. About five chapters long. But with each chapter having two choices I think I ended up writing almost twenty five chapters. It was a big undertaking and I doubt I’d ever do anything like it again. The chapters were short, probably about 1,500 or so. I wish I had figured out a way to save it.
The alternate endings were fun. I only wrote three of them and I did manage to post those onto AC using pick a,b or c.
-
Oh my God! I had written a whole answer to this question and then lost it! So frustrating lol
I hate when this happens. And then whatever I type afterward is just so half-assed because I can't be bothered.
The plot was very simple and kind of a short story. About five chapters long. But with each chapter having two choices I think I ended up writing almost twenty five chapters. It was a big undertaking and I doubt I’d ever do anything like it again. The chapters were short, probably about 1,500 or so. I wish I had figured out a way to save it.
The alternate endings were fun. I only wrote three of them and I did manage to post those onto AC using pick a,b or c.
That's crazy that a five chapter story ended up being 25 chapters because of the choices. Do you remember the basic plot you picked, out of curiosity?
That's fun! You really have done everything. I always wanted to write alternate endings for a story that made sense, but then tell people there was one other one and have them all freak out trying to find it. :biggrin:
Any other wisdom you'd like to impart on us? Just in case I missed out on any! lol
-
I hate when this happens. And then whatever I type afterward is just so half-assed because I can't be bothered.
That's crazy that a five chapter story ended up being 25 chapters because of the choices. Do you remember the basic plot you picked, out of curiosity?
That's fun! You really have done everything. I always wanted to write alternate endings for a story that made sense, but then tell people there was one other one and have them all freak out trying to find it. :biggrin:
Any other wisdom you'd like to impart on us? Just in case I missed out on any! lol
It was AJ centered story. He was going to go to the store and one choice was going with Howie and the other was Nick and depending on which one he chose, different things happened. After thinking about it yesterday, I’m beginning to remember that maybe I never actually finished it. I can’t seem to remember actually posting it. I’m not positive though. I know I wrote at least 25 chapters but I think maybe at that point I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew? I do remember that the end result was going to be how AJ meets Rochelle.
I can’t think of any words of wisdom I have except that maybe always save everything you write and always have a plan B lol
-
It was AJ centered story. He was going to go to the store and one choice was going with Howie and the other was Nick and depending on which one he chose, different things happened. After thinking about it yesterday, I’m beginning to remember that maybe I never actually finished it. I can’t seem to remember actually posting it. I’m not positive though. I know I wrote at least 25 chapters but I think maybe at that point I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew? I do remember that the end result was going to be how AJ meets Rochelle.
I can’t think of any words of wisdom I have except that maybe always save everything you write and always have a plan B lol
I'm not sure you ever posted it either. I went looking on your old site through the Wayback Machine on archive.org and couldn't find it posted. https://web.archive.org/web/20110207224137/http://mares-braincandy.com/
I can't remember if you shared some of it through email or your Yahoo group, or if you just talked about the fact that you were writing it. I remember you writing it, but I can't remember anything about the actual plot, so maybe I never read it.
But yes... words of wisdom: save everything!
-
It was AJ centered story. He was going to go to the store and one choice was going with Howie and the other was Nick and depending on which one he chose, different things happened. After thinking about it yesterday, I’m beginning to remember that maybe I never actually finished it. I can’t seem to remember actually posting it. I’m not positive though. I know I wrote at least 25 chapters but I think maybe at that point I felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew? I do remember that the end result was going to be how AJ meets Rochelle.
I can’t think of any words of wisdom I have except that maybe always save everything you write and always have a plan B lol
So much can happen if you go to the store with Howie or Nick, lol.
Got it. Update days, chapter hoarding, save everything, plan B.
I don't have a plan B. Can I get the non-pharmaceutical kind at the store with Howie or Nick? lol
I'm not sure you ever posted it either. I went looking on your old site through the Wayback Machine on archive.org and couldn't find it posted. https://web.archive.org/web/20110207224137/http://mares-braincandy.com/
Oh man, the wayback machine! That's something I haven't thought of in a long time.
-
New questions? Feel free to skip ones you feel like we've already answered; I italicized some of them.
1. Is there a story you're holding off on writing for some reason?
2. What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?
3. What order do you write in? Front of book to back? Chronological? Favorite scenes first? Something else?
4. Favorite character you've written?
5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?
6. Something you would go back and change in your writing that it's too late/complicated to change now?
7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?
8. Favorite genre to write?
9. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?
10. Write in silence or with background noise? With people or alone?
11. What aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?
12. Your weakness as an author.
13. Your strengths as an author.
14. Do you make playlists for your stories while working on them?
15. Why did you start writing?
16. Are there any characters who haunt you?
17. If you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?
18. Were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? What were they?
19. When it come to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etcetera?
20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?
21. What do you think when you read over your older work?
22. Are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?
23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?
24. Have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about in order to better a scene or a story?
25. Copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you're particularly proud of.
-
I'm not sure you ever posted it either. I went looking on your old site through the Wayback Machine on archive.org and couldn't find it posted. https://web.archive.org/web/20110207224137/http://mares-braincandy.com/
I can't remember if you shared some of it through email or your Yahoo group, or if you just talked about the fact that you were writing it. I remember you writing it, but I can't remember anything about the actual plot, so maybe I never read it.
But yes... words of wisdom: save everything!
Oh my God! Thank you for that link! I didn’t even know I could access my old site again. I think that I was probably sharing the chapters with Mersey, Maria and probably Kris but ended up never finishing it and because it was a cyoa, never posting what I had. In the end I think I took some of my ideas and chapters and turned it into another story and I’m pretty sure it was the cough medicine one. I can’t see myself just leaving it totally be and that one seems to match up the best with where it was going, minus Howie lol sorry Howie.
-
Oh my God! Thank you for that link! I didn’t even know I could access my old site again. I think that I was probably sharing the chapters with Mersey, Maria and probably Kris but ended up never finishing it and because it was a cyoa, never posting what I had. In the end I think I took some of my ideas and chapters and turned it into another story and I’m pretty sure it was the cough medicine one. I can’t see myself just leaving it totally be and that one seems to match up the best with where it was going, minus Howie lol sorry Howie.
You're welcome! Here's another link to an older(?) version I also had linked. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204191925/http://brain_candy.pitas.com/ It's so fun to see these old sites with the guestbooks and mailing lists and shoutboxes and frames. Such a throwback!
Angelfire is still online, so everything posted there still works without the Wayback Machine. It's the domain (mares-braincandy.com) and the pitas.com stuff that doesn't work. I don't know if you can still access your old Angelfire account, but if you created a new index page and linked to all the other pages - My Stories, Favorite Stories, About Me, etc. - you would have a fully functional website again. If you want help tracking down links to preserve everything, I'd be happy to help.
-
1. Is there a story you're holding off on writing for some reason?
I actually thought I would hold off on the one I'm currently writing, My Brother's Keeper, because of what it has in common with my last two stories. I thought I would need a break from the medical drama aspect of it, but maybe I've just been building up to it.
I guess the one I'm holding off on now is the Brian horror story I thought I was going to write next. Although it would seem "easier" to write than MBK because it requires less research, I'm anticipating it being harder because it's something different from what I'm used to writing. Let's just say psychological stuff seems more intimidating than physical stuff.
2. What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?
That would be a "novel" I wrote in 2000 called Silent Desperation. It's about Brian getting addicted to painkillers after being injured in a car accident. Decent idea... terrible execution. I didn't come up with the premise myself; it was given to me by a friend, and at fifteen, I was still too young and naive to do it justice. This was when I didn't have internet in my bedroom, so I did a scant amount of research using the only source I had easy access to - Encarta '95 on CD-Rom LOL. It definitely shows that I had no idea what I was talking about. After all, Lurlene McDaniel didn't have a book about drug addiction LOL.
5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?
I'm pleasantly surprised to finally be writing a Kevin novel. I guess after 21 years, it was about freaking time. Sorry, Kevin LOL.
As far as original characters go, my first thought was Jori from Secrets of the Heart. I based her on my sister, which is not something I thought I would do. I don't even remember why I did, but it worked for that story. My sister would hate her portrayal, but I love it. She made for an interesting character.
6. Something you would go back and change in your writing that it's too late/complicated to change now?
I would go back and fix the grammatical mistakes I used to make - stuff like writing "His heart sunk" instead of "His heart sank." Another one I learned just a few years ago is that "blonde" is the female version of the word and "blond" is the male version, so technically Nick has blond hair, not blonde. I probably still mess that one up from time to time because I am so used to using "blonde" indiscriminate ly. If I'm editing a story anyway and come across mistakes like that, I'll fix them, but I haven't gone as far as reposting chapters of old stories just to correct that stuff. It wouldn't really be complicated, just time-consuming. I haven't gotten that bored yet LOL.
7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?
Embarrassed. I never even mention writing when I'm asked about my hobbies, even though it's been my favorite hobby for two decades and is the only real hobby I have these days outside of watching TV, which I don't think really counts LOL. I just don't want to have to any follow-up questions about what I write or if someone else can read it. No!
Part of that has to do with it being BSB fanfic, part of it is the subject matter I write about it, and part of it is just me. I have always been shy about sharing my writing, even before I started writing fanfic. I wrote a story for the Young Author's competition every year in elementary school, and I won for my class every year from 4th grade to 8th, but I was always embarrassed about letting anyone but my teacher read my story.
9. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?
Lately, I've been listening to a podcast and watching YouTube videos. I have a mental list of other stuff to watch for inspiration when the time is right, such as the Unbreakable concert video from London, but I haven't gotten that far in the story yet.
14. Do you make playlists for your stories while working on them?
Sometimes. I don't do this as often as I did in the mid-2000s with Broken and BMS, 00Carter, and Undead. The last story-specific one I made was for A Heart That Isn't Mine. Otherwise, I just have playlists of instrumental writing music that I add on to as I discover new pieces. Sometimes certain pieces or scores will remind me of certain stories because of how often I listened to it when writing that story. The Braveheart soundtrack reminds me of Broken, especially the track called "The Princess Pleads for Wallace's Life," (https://youtu.be/Xv3Kxg56Dak) which I listened to on repeat when I was writing the choppage chapter. There's a song called "Primavera," (https://youtu.be/n-Jl71LY5tc) that is still a staple of my writing playlist because it's so sad and beautiful, but I'll always associate it with Sick as My Secrets. My favorite piece for My Brother's Keeper is "Arrival of the Birds," (https://youtu.be/n88MReEC27k) although I've also been loving these long piano medleys of Linkin Park songs (https://youtu.be/iHylxc5-_ak).
15. Why did you start writing?
I read a Brian story that was about his illness when he was five, told from the perspective of his best friend at the time, the little girl who lived next door. It started out the same as the version Brian tells, but Brian ended up dying... only it turned out the whole thing was just a dream that the girl was having as a grown woman. She woke up at the end and found herself in bed next to Brian, her husband. It was a cute little story, but I went into it expecting a novel and was disappointed to discover it was only a short story. I wanted to read more, so I decided to try my hand at writing a story of my own about Brian and his childhood best friend growing up and falling in love. I never finished the first version of it, but that's how I started writing fanfic. I eventually went back to that idea and rewrote it as "Years of Grace."
19. When it come to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etcetera?
I have one big outline for each novel that includes all that kind of information. The outline for my current story is 13 pages long so far and has a section on settings, a section on characters, a timeline, a chapter by chapter outline that I'm adding to as I go, a bulleted list of future plot points and ideas, and a section for research notes. It's one of my more elaborate outlines because it's a medical drama set in BSB history, so there's a lot to keep track of.
20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?
I can sit in front of my computer and "write" for hours, but in reality, I'm not actually writing that whole time. Usually I'll write a few words or maybe a few sentences, then open a new tab to look something up or check Twitter or this forum. Then I'll go back to the story and write a little more. So I'm not sure if that counts as long sit-down sessions or little spurts LOL. I guess it's a combination of both.
21. What do you think when you read over your older work?
I am generally proud of everything I've written post-Broken. The really old, pre-Broken stuff is pretty bad, but when I think about how young I was then, I'm still proud of myself for putting forth the effort to write it. Everyone starts somewhere, and I had to write those stories to become a better fiction writer. I can't say I really go back and read those stories, but on the rare occasion I've skimmed through one for whatever reason, it puts a smile on my face - partly because of how bad it was, but also because of the nostalgia. I love the references to early-2000s pop culture and outdated technology. All those old fanfics - not just mine - are such a throwback to one of my favorite times in my life.
22. Are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?
Darker sexual stuff, like rape and fetishes.
23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?
I studied abroad at the University of Stirling in Scotland for a summer when I was in college. Stirling is where William Wallace and the Scottish army defeated the English - the "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our FREEDOM!" scene in Braveheart. One day we went to see the Wallace Monument there, which is this beautiful tower on top of a big hill. You have to walk up the hill to get to it. There is a paved path, but for some reason, one of my friends suggested we take the "scenic route" by hiking up what looked like a trail that snaked through the trees on the hill. I was not a fan of this idea, but I followed the others off the path. As we picked our way up the hill, the "trail" disappeared, and the terrain got steeper and harder to climb. None of us were prepared for that intense of a hike. As I was climbing one particularly steep section, my foot slipped out from under me in the mud, and I fell and landed hard on my right side. I'm pretty sure I broke or at least bruised a rib because it was sore for weeks, to the point that I couldn't sleep on that side. But we eventually made it to the top of the hill and saw the monument, and I got a good story of it, so it all worked out. Anyway, that is the obscure life experience I draw on when writing about broken ribs or hiking injuries, such as in Road to Bethlehem.
-
Happy Saturday! How's everyone's day going?
I finished Chapter 8 of my story this morning, so I'm feeling good. Chapter 9 is already written, so I'm on track to at least have Chapter 10 started by spring break, which starts on Friday for me.
-
Happy Saturday! That's great that you finished Chapter Eight and you'll probably finish Chapter 10 over Spring Break! You're on a roll!
I'm counting down the days to Spring Break. We're in the weird part where the main school district is on break all of next week and we're not yet, so we're just going to do some fun things Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday is an Inservice Day. Then our very short break. Several of the students said that they would be gone on extended trips and I'm hoping it's true; I really need a break, lol
Writing-wise, I'm joining this little Kevin party in a more truncated form with a Kevin-focused chapter. I realized it was what was missing in this portion of the novel. It's going slower than some of the others (much like that Kevin part that held me up back in January/February), which tells me that I may need to go soul searching with Kevin. Anyone have any "This is great to reconnect with Kevin" videos or anything like that they've saved during their adventures with Kevin? My current plan was to aimlessly scour youtube or listen to Nobody But You on repeat for hours, lol.
I'll come back to engage in conversations about questions a little later since I'm writing some things down that feel important, but I re-stumbled on this video yesterday that made me nod and laugh: How To Do Research (https://youtu.be/sigJwoeU6OI) because it reminded me of our research conversations, but also "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down" is me in a nutshell -- which is insane for the amount of research I do when I write, lol.
-
You're welcome! Here's another link to an older(?) version I also had linked. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204191925/http://brain_candy.pitas.com/ It's so fun to see these old sites with the guestbooks and mailing lists and shoutboxes and frames. Such a throwback!
Angelfire is still online, so everything posted there still works without the Wayback Machine. It's the domain (mares-braincandy.com) and the pitas.com stuff that doesn't work. I don't know if you can still access your old Angelfire account, but if you created a new index page and linked to all the other pages - My Stories, Favorite Stories, About Me, etc. - you would have a fully functional website again. If you want help tracking down links to preserve everything, I'd be happy to help.
Thanks so much! I might take you up on that offer at some point. For now it’s just nice to know it’s there. I’m going to have fun exploring it.
-
Dee, I feel you! I remember how frustrating it was to see the district off while we still had school followed by a smaller break than everyone else. I never understood why Catholic schools never took off the entire Holy Week!! I mean it’s their time to shine for goodness sake!!
Today’s been okay. Yesterday, I finally got an appointment for a vaccine at the end of the month. That took forever. I’ve been feeling okay today for the first time in days. I was able to walk from one end of my apartment to the other without having to stop. My brain and my legs haven’t been working together lately. I know I don’t talk about it very much, but every once in while it’s nice to share.
I plan on finishing up Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which is a fantastic book and was also a fantastic movie.
That’s about all from me. Maybe I’ll try to answer some of those questions later.
-
I'm counting down the days to Spring Break. We're in the weird part where the main school district is on break all of next week and we're not yet, so we're just going to do some fun things Monday and Tuesday, then Wednesday is an Inservice Day. Then our very short break. Several of the students said that they would be gone on extended trips and I'm hoping it's true; I really need a break, lol
I hear ya. I hope your students do go on trips to lighten your load a little this week. Hang in there!
Writing-wise, I'm joining this little Kevin party in a more truncated form with a Kevin-focused chapter. I realized it was what was missing in this portion of the novel. It's going slower than some of the others (much like that Kevin part that held me up back in January/February), which tells me that I may need to go soul searching with Kevin. Anyone have any "This is great to reconnect with Kevin" videos or anything like that they've saved during their adventures with Kevin? My current plan was to aimlessly scour youtube or listen to Nobody But You on repeat for hours, lol.
My absolute favorite Kevin performance is from the 2013 cruise. They each did a solo event, and Kevin's was called "Cover Story" - a little late night concert of him performing covers of some of his favorite songs. He was supposed to release a solo album like this in 2015, but that never happened. Anyway, he brought everyone (including himself) to tears singing "Danny's Song." There is also a beautiful studio version (https://youtu.be/krKDi_iFrm0) of his cover that I listened to on repeat three years ago when I was starting MBK, but watch the live performance (https://youtu.be/TeJKP_7e8Fc) too. It's such a perfect representation of Kevin and his tender heart. Otherwise, maybe watch the documentary or that Instagram live he did with Nick.
I'll come back to engage in conversations about questions a little later since I'm writing some things down that feel important, but I re-stumbled on this video yesterday that made me nod and laugh: How To Do Research (https://youtu.be/sigJwoeU6OI) because it reminded me of our research conversations, but also "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down" is me in a nutshell -- which is insane for the amount of research I do when I write, lol.
Watching it now, and I'm already nodding in agreement. I absolutely love Wikipedia. I get why it's not considered a reputable source, but it's great for an overview and, like the video said, to find reputable sources. I never use Wikipedia as my only source, but the information I read there almost always aligns with what other sources say and is easier to understand than scholarly articles. The beauty of researching for writing fiction is that no one's going to nail you for not using 100% "reputable" sources, as long as your information is correct enough to be believable.
I hear you with the "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down." I don't trust myself to remember it, which is why I bookmark every site I find useful, but I don't take a ton of notes for most fanfics. I tend to include more research notes in my outlines for my medical dramas, where there may be a lot of new information or complicated treatment schedules to keep track of. If I'm researching far in advance of when I'll need the information, I'm more likely to write it down so I don't have to start all over from scratch when I actually get to that part, but usually I have a more general idea of what I'm writing about and look up specific details when I need them.
-
Thanks so much! I might take you up on that offer at some point. For now it’s just nice to know it’s there. I’m going to have fun exploring it.
Anytime!
I never understood why Catholic schools never took off the entire Holy Week!! I mean it’s their time to shine for goodness sake!!
Right?! That makes no sense.
One perk of teaching in a predominantly Christian area is that our spring break almost always aligns with Easter, and we always get a week off. If Easter is super late, we sometimes have spring break in March and then still get a four-day weekend around Easter. I know some districts got rid of spring break this year to give the kids more instructional time, but I'm really glad mine didn't. We all - staff and students alike - need the break!
Today’s been okay. Yesterday, I finally got an appointment for a vaccine at the end of the month. That took forever. I’ve been feeling okay today for the first time in days. I was able to walk from one end of my apartment to the other without having to stop. My brain and my legs haven’t been working together lately. I know I don’t talk about it very much, but every once in while it’s nice to share.
I plan on finishing up Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which is a fantastic book and was also a fantastic movie.
That’s about all from me. Maybe I’ll try to answer some of those questions later.
I'm glad you've been feeling good and super happy to hear you finally got your vaccine appointment! You can share any time here, and I hope you will answer some of those questions. It's more fun when lots of people participate.
-
I'll come back later again as I'm about to leave the house again (omg) and it's more complicated to use the forum on my cell phone, but this was stuck in my head and I know that no one else would appreciate it.
So I apparently really need to stop doing "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down" because I ended up in an internet rabbit hole today, as one often does, and was watching something and going "Why does this sound like PBox?" And then a lightbulb went off and I was like "Oh yeah, this was in my inspiration and plans way back when I first started writing. Oops." So, I may need to go back and actually write down some of my research as the plot thickens back to it. I'm a mess. However, the thing gave me some new ideas to research and include that I don't think I'd originally seen, so yay?
-
I'll come back later again as I'm about to leave the house again (omg) and it's more complicated to use the forum on my cell phone, but this was stuck in my head and I know that no one else would appreciate it.
So I apparently really need to stop doing "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down" because I ended up in an internet rabbit hole today, as one often does, and was watching something and going "Why does this sound like PBox?" And then a lightbulb went off and I was like "Oh yeah, this was in my inspiration and plans way back when I first started writing. Oops." So, I may need to go back and actually write down some of my research as the plot thickens back to it. I'm a mess. However, the thing gave me some new ideas to research and include that I don't think I'd originally seen, so yay?
Well that's good you got some new ideas from old inspiration! I bet it is hard to remember things you came across a decade ago without writing them down LOL.
-
Dee, I feel you! I remember how frustrating it was to see the district off while we still had school followed by a smaller break than everyone else. I never understood why Catholic schools never took off the entire Holy Week!! I mean it’s their time to shine for goodness sake!!
lol! They're trying to be humble, of course.
Right?! That makes no sense.
One perk of teaching in a predominantly Christian area is that our spring break almost always aligns with Easter, and we always get a week off. If Easter is super late, we sometimes have spring break in March and then still get a four-day weekend around Easter. I know some districts got rid of spring break this year to give the kids more instructional time, but I'm really glad mine didn't. We all - staff and students alike - need the break!
Lucky! That sounds so nice! I'm glad your district didn't remove Spring Break. We removed Spring Break last year since we were operating as usual for essential workers and I was a little bummed, but I understood, gotta makes some sacrifices to help get pandemics under control. However, I was also ready for a break.
This is only slightly related to both of these because of Easter/Holy Week, but my friend got a weird ad yesterday and I'm so grateful she shared it with me because I laughed so hard. So if anyone was looking for a good Easter outfit (https://www.saturdaymorningpancakes.com/products/oh-my-god-hes-back-again-adult-unisex-tee), I've got you covered. haha
Today’s been okay. Yesterday, I finally got an appointment for a vaccine at the end of the month. That took forever. I’ve been feeling okay today for the first time in days. I was able to walk from one end of my apartment to the other without having to stop. My brain and my legs haven’t been working together lately. I know I don’t talk about it very much, but every once in while it’s nice to share.
I plan on finishing up Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which is a fantastic book and was also a fantastic movie.
That’s about all from me. Maybe I’ll try to answer some of those questions later.
Yay! I'm glad you finally got a vaccine appointment close to you! I was sending good thoughts out into the universe. :) I'm also glad you were having a good health day yesterday! That's great! Like Julie said, always share when you want to. :) Love hearing from you too. :) And also you're a book reading machine! Makes me feel like I should read something.
And it is more fun when everyone answers the questions.
-
I hear ya. I hope your students do go on trips to lighten your load a little this week. Hang in there!
Fingers crossed!
My absolute favorite Kevin performance is from the 2013 cruise. They each did a solo event, and Kevin's was called "Cover Story" - a little late night concert of him performing covers of some of his favorite songs. He was supposed to release a solo album like this in 2015, but that never happened. Anyway, he brought everyone (including himself) to tears singing "Danny's Song." There is also a beautiful studio version (https://youtu.be/krKDi_iFrm0) of his cover that I listened to on repeat three years ago when I was starting MBK, but watch the live performance (https://youtu.be/TeJKP_7e8Fc) too. It's such a perfect representation of Kevin and his tender heart. Otherwise, maybe watch the documentary or that Instagram live he did with Nick.
This is great! Thanks for the help as always! I was thinking about rewatching the documentary as well. Perhaps someday I will be able to provide you with assistance. :)
Watching it now, and I'm already nodding in agreement. I absolutely love Wikipedia. I get why it's not considered a reputable source, but it's great for an overview and, like the video said, to find reputable sources. I never use Wikipedia as my only source, but the information I read there almost always aligns with what other sources say and is easier to understand than scholarly articles. The beauty of researching for writing fiction is that no one's going to nail you for not using 100% "reputable" sources, as long as your information is correct enough to be believable.
I hear you with the "I'll remember this. I don't need to write it down." I don't trust myself to remember it, which is why I bookmark every site I find useful, but I don't take a ton of notes for most fanfics. I tend to include more research notes in my outlines for my medical dramas, where there may be a lot of new information or complicated treatment schedules to keep track of. If I'm researching far in advance of when I'll need the information, I'm more likely to write it down so I don't have to start all over from scratch when I actually get to that part, but usually I have a more general idea of what I'm writing about and look up specific details when I need them.
I also always start with Wikipedia because of the wealth of other sources, unless I don't think I'll find the answer to my question there (e.g., are snails smart?) or a quick youtube serach would be more beneficial (e.g., show me birds falling out of trees and sticking the landing). I've always loved the little references section, there's so many neat things there. I enjoy scholarly articles sometimes, but I think that's because of the subject matter I tend to research. I know that if I was looking up medical information, I would gloss over at all of the large vocabulary words. Math and science are the same way. Humanities topics are a little easier until it gets into philosophical stuff, then it becomes a process.
That's so true! Unless you're writing historical fiction, the plausibility is more important than exact accuracy. I imagine anyone who writes historical fiction does a lot of exact research.
I think your way is probably better and I'm trying to use it to inspire myself to create more documentation for myself. I am always impressed by your level of organization. Bookmarks seems daunting, but note pages are probably more my speed. Then I can do my self-reactionary commentary that I enjoy.
Well that's good you got some new ideas from old inspiration! I bet it is hard to remember things you came across a decade ago without writing them down LOL.
I was pretty excited about it! New things to research and learn. And now some old weird doodles and notes I found make a lot more sense again, rather than the vague vagueness I remembered. I looked back over the original version of PBox and found some seeds where the inspiration shone through a little, but I think all the initial classical mythology inspiration got overshadowed by my (at the time) new found love of Asian mythology. PBox is kind of a mess in that way, it's a mishmash of all the bits and pieces of mythology that I love. There's even some Ancient Egyptian inspired stuff in there, It's just a lot less prevalent!
-
1. Is there a story you're holding off on writing for some reason?
I actually thought I would hold off on the one I'm currently writing, My Brother's Keeper, because of what it has in common with my last two stories. I thought I would need a break from the medical drama aspect of it, but maybe I've just been building up to it.
I guess the one I'm holding off on now is the Brian horror story I thought I was going to write next. Although it would seem "easier" to write than MBK because it requires less research, I'm anticipating it being harder because it's something different from what I'm used to writing. Let's just say psychological stuff seems more intimidating than physical stuff.
I always found some hesitation with starting new projects, even if I enjoyed the idea. I wonder why this is. Since medical drama is your wheelhouse, how often do you find yourself wanting to "take a break" from it?
Ooh, horror. Psychological stuff is harder! The brain is a mysterious thing and getting into someone's psyche can take a toll.
2. What work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?
That would be a "novel" I wrote in 2000 called Silent Desperation. It's about Brian getting addicted to painkillers after being injured in a car accident. Decent idea... terrible execution. I didn't come up with the premise myself; it was given to me by a friend, and at fifteen, I was still too young and naive to do it justice. This was when I didn't have internet in my bedroom, so I did a scant amount of research using the only source I had easy access to - Encarta '95 on CD-Rom LOL. It definitely shows that I had no idea what I was talking about. After all, Lurlene McDaniel didn't have a book about drug addiction LOL.
How many of your premises were ideas from other people? It seems like the ones that came from other people are your least favorite stories. Oh Encarta '95. World Book '98 on CD-Rom was also one of my research tools, so I understand this completely! lmao, you needed to call up Lurlene and tell her that you needed some teen drug addiction stories, stat!
5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?
I'm pleasantly surprised to finally be writing a Kevin novel. I guess after 21 years, it was about freaking time. Sorry, Kevin LOL.
I guess we need a new hashtag around here. #TeamKevin! What do you think made you put off writing a Kevin story for such a long time?
6. Something you would go back and change in your writing that it's too late/complicated to change now?
I would go back and fix the grammatical mistakes I used to make - stuff like writing "His heart sunk" instead of "His heart sank." Another one I learned just a few years ago is that "blonde" is the female version of the word and "blond" is the male version, so technically Nick has blond hair, not blonde. I probably still mess that one up from time to time because I am so used to using "blonde" indiscriminate ly. If I'm editing a story anyway and come across mistakes like that, I'll fix them, but I haven't gone as far as reposting chapters of old stories just to correct that stuff. It wouldn't really be complicated, just time-consuming. I haven't gotten that bored yet LOL.
I'm about to blow your mind, lol. Brunet is male, brunette is female. Luckily, "has brown hair" is a perfectly acceptable equivalent, whereas "has yellow hair" is not. This might be one of English's more bizarre borrows from French language, since adjectives get changed to match the genders (and quantities) of nouns, but our nouns aren't gendered. I think Spanish, Italian, and Latin may do the same thing, but I'm not as familiar with them. If anything stuck from my years of French, it was definitely that Nick is blond and not blonde.
How bored would you have to be to go back and fix stuff like that? (I'm channeling Howie, lol.)
7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?
Embarrassed. I never even mention writing when I'm asked about my hobbies, even though it's been my favorite hobby for two decades and is the only real hobby I have these days outside of watching TV, which I don't think really counts LOL. I just don't want to have to any follow-up questions about what I write or if someone else can read it. No!
Part of that has to do with it being BSB fanfic, part of it is the subject matter I write about it, and part of it is just me. I have always been shy about sharing my writing, even before I started writing fanfic. I wrote a story for the Young Author's competition every year in elementary school, and I won for my class every year from 4th grade to 8th, but I was always embarrassed about letting anyone but my teacher read my story.
Watching TV is a hobby, I think. I haven't ever actually gotten many follow-up questions. I think it's all about how you frame the initial response? But I understand the shyness aspect of it. Writing is fairly personal. What happens after you win the Young Author's competition? Does it get published?
14. Do you make playlists for your stories while working on them?
Sometimes certain pieces or scores will remind me of certain stories because of how often I listened to it when writing that story. The Braveheart soundtrack reminds me of Broken, especially the track called "The Princess Pleads for Wallace's Life," (https://youtu.be/Xv3Kxg56Dak) which I listened to on repeat when I was writing the choppage chapter. There's a song called "Primavera," (https://youtu.be/n-Jl71LY5tc) that is still a staple of my writing playlist because it's so sad and beautiful, but I'll always associate it with Sick as My Secrets. My favorite piece for My Brother's Keeper is "Arrival of the Birds," (https://youtu.be/n88MReEC27k) although I've also been loving these long piano medleys of Linkin Park songs (https://youtu.be/iHylxc5-_ak).
I love that you listened to the Braveheart soundtrack so much while writing Broken. Why was that?
Also Linkin Park, how emo.
15. Why did you start writing?
I wanted to read more, so I decided to try my hand at writing a story of my own about Brian and his childhood best friend growing up and falling in love. I never finished the first version of it, but that's how I started writing fanfic. I eventually went back to that idea and rewrote it as "Years of Grace."
I love that wanting to read more made you decide to start writing. I think that happens a lot with inspiration, something was just too short.
19. When it come to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etcetera?
I have one big outline for each novel that includes all that kind of information. The outline for my current story is 13 pages long so far and has a section on settings, a section on characters, a timeline, a chapter by chapter outline that I'm adding to as I go, a bulleted list of future plot points and ideas, and a section for research notes. It's one of my more elaborate outlines because it's a medical drama set in BSB history, so there's a lot to keep track of.
This is so organized! Teach me your ways, haha.
20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?
I can sit in front of my computer and "write" for hours, but in reality, I'm not actually writing that whole time. Usually I'll write a few words or maybe a few sentences, then open a new tab to look something up or check Twitter or this forum. Then I'll go back to the story and write a little more. So I'm not sure if that counts as long sit-down sessions or little spurts LOL. I guess it's a combination of both.
Maybe it depends on how long those "breaks" are? Or whatever you would like to call it; you're the writer after all.
21. What do you think when you read over your older work?
I am generally proud of everything I've written post-Broken. The really old, pre-Broken stuff is pretty bad, but when I think about how young I was then, I'm still proud of myself for putting forth the effort to write it. Everyone starts somewhere, and I had to write those stories to become a better fiction writer. I can't say I really go back and read those stories, but on the rare occasion I've skimmed through one for whatever reason, it puts a smile on my face - partly because of how bad it was, but also because of the nostalgia. I love the references to early-2000s pop culture and outdated technology. All those old fanfics - not just mine - are such a throwback to one of my favorite times in my life.
I think that, overall, you have the most positive feelings about your old writing. I think that's great!
Yes, references to early-2000s pop culture! Those are always hilarious to look back on. Technological advancement is wild! Have you ever watched the "Kids React" episodes on YouTube? Whenever they pull out old technology, it is hilarious.
23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?
But we eventually made it to the top of the hill and saw the monument, and I got a good story of it, so it all worked out. Anyway, that is the obscure life experience I draw on when writing about broken ribs or hiking injuries, such as in Road to Bethlehem.
That sounds like it was painful! Glad you made it to the top, injury aside, and have a good story. How often do you tell this one?
-
This is only slightly related to both of these because of Easter/Holy Week, but my friend got a weird ad yesterday and I'm so grateful she shared it with me because I laughed so hard. So if anyone was looking for a good Easter outfit (https://www.saturdaymorningpancakes.com/products/oh-my-god-hes-back-again-adult-unisex-tee), I've got you covered. haha
LMAO!! I saw that same ad on Facebook weeks ago and died laughing at it too.
This is great! Thanks for the help as always! I was thinking about rewatching the documentary as well. Perhaps someday I will be able to provide you with assistance. :)
You're welcome! Happy to help.
I almost asked for suggestions for what my character should see in a hallucination, but I figured it out just now. While browsing for ideas, I found this fun Wikipedia article about animal stereotypes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_animals I went down a rabbit hole in the section on lemmings and learned that the stereotype about lemmings committing mass suicide by jumping off cliffs one after the other was perpetuated by Disney in a nature documentary they did in the 50s where the movie makers literally threw the lemmings off the cliff themselves to get more dramatic footage. There's your disturbing fact of the day. Disney is fucked up.
I enjoy scholarly articles sometimes, but I think that's because of the subject matter I tend to research. I know that if I was looking up medical information, I would gloss over at all of the large vocabulary words. Math and science are the same way. Humanities topics are a little easier until it gets into philosophical stuff, then it becomes a process.
I love medical journal articles, especially case reports, because the information is so much more detailed than the stuff on medical sites designed for patients and families, but I definitely have to look up some of the vocabulary. At one point yesterday, I had like ten tabs open at the same time trying to figure out something for my story. Math and science that's not biology make my head hurt. Philosophy is interesting, but also complex.
I was pretty excited about it! New things to research and learn. And now some old weird doodles and notes I found make a lot more sense again, rather than the vague vagueness I remembered. I looked back over the original version of PBox and found some seeds where the inspiration shone through a little, but I think all the initial classical mythology inspiration got overshadowed by my (at the time) new found love of Asian mythology. PBox is kind of a mess in that way, it's a mishmash of all the bits and pieces of mythology that I love. There's even some Ancient Egyptian inspired stuff in there, It's just a lot less prevalent!
That's cool that you were able to use bits and pieces of mythology from different cultures. That seems like a good way to do it when you're world-building in a fantasy because then you can make it more your own.
-
LMAO!! I saw that same ad on Facebook weeks ago and died laughing at it too.
Glad I wasn't the only one. I wondered if it made me a terrible person!
I almost asked for suggestions for what my character should see in a hallucination, but I figured it out just now. While browsing for ideas, I found this fun Wikipedia article about animal stereotypes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_animals I went down a rabbit hole in the section on lemmings and learned that the stereotype about lemmings committing mass suicide by jumping off cliffs one after the other was perpetuated by Disney in a nature documentary they did in the 50s where the movie makers literally threw the lemmings off the cliff themselves to get more dramatic footage. There's your disturbing fact of the day. Disney is fucked up.
Ooh, hallucinations . Fun! I was reading about hallucinations today too, not for any specific reasons, just kind of ended up there, lol. There's apparently theories about old religious rites involving the use of fungi, molds, parasites, etcetera to induce hallucinogenic effects for immersion in the rites, but we can't be sure since ancient mystery cults don't really write down their rituals being... well mystery cults and all. Things like that have only become more fascinating to me after being in a sorority; not sure if it's the "I get it" factor or what.
I did know that about the lemmings! It's so sad! Early Hollywood is wild! The other one that's really fascinating is all the crazy behind-the-scenes stuff from Wizard of Oz.
I love medical journal articles, especially case reports, because the information is so much more detailed than the stuff on medical sites designed for patients and families, but I definitely have to look up some of the vocabulary. At one point yesterday, I had like ten tabs open at the same time trying to figure out something for my story. Math and science that's not biology make my head hurt. Philosophy is interesting, but also complex.
Ten tabs would drive me crazy! I try to keep my tabs as clean as possible, but it's near impossible when researching. Case reports are great! I remember enjoying them a lot when I was getting my licensure. I always love things written for other professionals because it gets into the nitty gritty rather than broad overviews, like you said.
That's cool that you were able to use bits and pieces of mythology from different cultures. That seems like a good way to do it when you're world-building in a fantasy because then you can make it more your own.
I love mythology. I think it's fascinating how religion, science, culture, etcetera all get woven together into interesting stories. I think it speaks to the part of me that loves writing. And you're correct, it definitely helps create something a little more unique. Though PBox as is definitely leans heavily into Asiatic aesthetics. I've been working on the more well-roundedness of it as I delve into OF territory. Including just going full-Tolkien and creating a language. I'm a little worried about it, to be honest.
-
I always found some hesitation with starting new projects, even if I enjoyed the idea. I wonder why this is. Since medical drama is your wheelhouse, how often do you find yourself wanting to "take a break" from it?
Ooh, horror. Psychological stuff is harder! The brain is a mysterious thing and getting into someone's psyche can take a toll.
I think it's a comfort thing. The longer you write a story, the more comfortable you feel with it. Once you finish it and are facing starting a brand new project, there's the fear of, "Can I pull this off? Will it be as good as my last story?" I feel that way even when I'm excited about the idea. At least with my medical drama, I've gotten to the point where I trust in my own ability to do it justice, even when I know it's going to take a lot of research. I look forward to the challenge. That's probably why I went with My Brother's Keeper over Fallen Angel - they're both ideas that will challenge me, but in different ways. MBK is still solidly in my wheelhouse, whereas Fallen Angel is totally new territory for me.
I probably say I'm ready to take a break from medical drama every time I finish writing a particularly intense one, but I always go right back to it within a few months LOL. I finished A Heart That Isn't Mine (medical drama) in November 2019, took a break to write The Year Without a Pandaskunk (not medical drama), and then went back to Heroic Measures (medical drama) in April 2020. Road to Bethlehem started out being a break from medical drama and then kind of turned into a medical drama, which is why I thought I was ready for another break from it. But here I am, back at it again. LOL
How many of your premises were ideas from other people? It seems like the ones that came from other people are your least favorite stories. Oh Encarta '95. World Book '98 on CD-Rom was also one of my research tools, so I understand this completely! lmao, you needed to call up Lurlene and tell her that you needed some teen drug addiction stories, stat!
Only a couple that I can think of offhand, but yes, those are probably my two least favorite stories of all time LOL. I obviously liked the ideas enough at the time to try writing them, but I just wasn't as committed to them as I am with most of my own ideas. With Silent Desperation, I just didn't really know what I was doing. The other one like this was my first AU, a long-lost sibling story called The Other Child, and that one I just ran out of steam on and wrapped it up too quickly so I could be done writing it.
LOL I think addiction was too scandalous for Lurlene. Her books were all pretty wholesome.
I guess we need a new hashtag around here. #TeamKevin! What do you think made you put off writing a Kevin story for such a long time?
#TeamKevin! I just never had a good idea for a Kevin novel. The closest I've come is with Guilty Roads, which feels like a Nick/Kevin story because a lot of the focus is on Kevin... but since Kevin gets shot in the head in Chapter 3 and has been in a coma ever since, he doesn't really do enough for me to consider him a main character LOL.
I'm about to blow your mind, lol. Brunet is male, brunette is female. Luckily, "has brown hair" is a perfectly acceptable equivalent, whereas "has yellow hair" is not. This might be one of English's more bizarre borrows from French language, since adjectives get changed to match the genders (and quantities) of nouns, but our nouns aren't gendered. I think Spanish, Italian, and Latin may do the same thing, but I'm not as familiar with them. If anything stuck from my years of French, it was definitely that Nick is blond and not blonde.
How bored would you have to be to go back and fix stuff like that? (I'm channeling Howie, lol.)
I think I actually discovered the brunet/brunette thing at the same time as blond/blonde. (I obviously did not take French LOL.) I don't tend to use that word to describe men with brown hair though the way I use "blond" for men... mainly Nick LOL. Like you said, "brown hair" sounds a lot better than "yellow hair."
I don't think I would ever get bored enough to go back and fix stuff like that in anything pre-Broken. I did get bored enough during quarantine last year to go back and fix typos in some of my post-BMS novels. I had highlighted every mistake I came across when reading them on my Kindle as I was working on my 20th anniversary blogs, so when I decided to start putting some of my stories on AO3, I thought I better go back through them and fix that stuff before I posted them. I have not gotten bored enough to go back to Broken and BMS because the number of highlights is overwhelming LOL.
Watching TV is a hobby, I think. I haven't ever actually gotten many follow-up questions. I think it's all about how you frame the initial response? But I understand the shyness aspect of it. Writing is fairly personal. What happens after you win the Young Author's competition? Does it get published?
Well, good! Then I have more hobbies than I thought LOL.
Writing is definitely personal. I don't have any non-fandom friends who write for fun that I'm aware of, but maybe some of them have secret hobbies too LOL.
A copy of the winning Young Author's books would be put in the school library so other kids could check them out, and the winners would get a trophy or plaque. In 8th grade, I won first place for the whole district, and my grandparents had my book professionally bound as a hardback as a gift for me. That was the last piece of fiction I wrote before I started writing fanfic, and it was the perfect bridge into what I'm best known for now - it was a cancer story LOL. Another girl in my class had won first place the year before for a story about drunk driving, which gave me the idea that if I also wrote a tearjerker about a serious topic, I would have a better shot at winning. Well, sure enough... my plan totally worked LOL. That was the start of me writing medical drama.
I love that you listened to the Braveheart soundtrack so much while writing Broken. Why was that?
Also Linkin Park, how emo.
The Broken era is when I really got into listening to music while I wrote, so I started with what I had, which was the Titanic soundtracks and apparently Braveheart. I don't remember if I actually owned the Braveheart soundtrack before Broken or if I bought it while I was writing Broken for that purpose, but I have always loved that score. James Horner is one of my favorite movie composers. I needed something sad and dramatic to listen to while I angsted my way through that story, and it fit that mood well.
I've always loved Linkin Park. But yes, very emo! I listened to a lot of LP and Evanescence while writing Broken too LOL.
Maybe it depends on how long those "breaks" are? Or whatever you would like to call it; you're the writer after all.
LOL I call them "focus fails." But being able to focus fail and go back to actually writing when I feel like it is part of what makes it fun for me and not something that feels like word. I don't ever want it to feel like work.
Yes, references to early-2000s pop culture! Those are always hilarious to look back on. Technological advancement is wild! Have you ever watched the "Kids React" episodes on YouTube? Whenever they pull out old technology, it is hilarious.
Yes, it's crazy! Writing a story set in 2008 has been interesting because, to me, 2008 doesn't feel that long ago... and yet, I find myself having to fact check so many little details to make sure I'm not writing about things that didn't exist yet then. Questions I've looked up include: Did people have smartphones then? (The first iPhone came out in 2007, so yes.) Did most households still have a landline phone then? (Yes.) Did TMZ exist? (Yes. I had fun browsing TMZ's website from 2008 via the Wayback Machine yesterday. It was actually way more user friendly than TMZ's current site because there weren't a ton of ads slowing it down!)
I love the Kids React videos. I'm assuming you've seen the Kids React to BSB one? And BSB reacts to Kids React to BSB? LOL
That sounds like it was painful! Glad you made it to the top, injury aside, and have a good story. How often do you tell this one?
I don't think I've ever told it online before, but I've told it a few times in real life.
-
Glad I wasn't the only one. I wondered if it made me a terrible person!
If I was more religious, I'd probably buy it, but it would just look sacrilegious on me LOL. It reminded me of these funny Jesus condiment shirts (https://www.etsy.com/listing/666721134/christian-condiments-shirts-catch-up?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-clothing-unisex_adult_clothing-tops_and_tees-tshirts&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_GR91vfs8rx4pt6f137JbvHzjkDK8ld-WMsCILXKxOX0a_8ZquydjMaAk5FEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_11756615436_112903794134_483580457511_pla-299872739640_c__666721134_115254808&utm_custom2=11756615436&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_GR91vfs8rx4pt6f137JbvHzjkDK8ld-WMsCILXKxOX0a_8ZquydjMaAk5FEALw_wcB) Rose and I saw in Tennessee a few years ago.
Ooh, hallucinations . Fun! I was reading about hallucinations today too, not for any specific reasons, just kind of ended up there, lol. There's apparently theories about old religious rites involving the use of fungi, molds, parasites, etcetera to induce hallucinogenic effects for immersion in the rites, but we can't be sure since ancient mystery cults don't really write down their rituals being... well mystery cults and all. Things like that have only become more fascinating to me after being in a sorority; not sure if it's the "I get it" factor or what.
Yeah, I came across multiple anecdotes by different people about having hallucinations as a side effect of certain medications, so I decided that would be fun to include.
There's a theory that the Salem Witch Trials were perpetuated by the effects of a type of fungus that grows in bread and can cause hallucinations, paranoia, spasms, and so on. I wrote a paper about it once in college. It was an interesting theory.
I did know that about the lemmings! It's so sad! Early Hollywood is wild! The other one that's really fascinating is all the crazy behind-the-scenes stuff from Wizard of Oz.
I have heard some of the Wizard of Oz stuff, like the guy supposedly hanging from the tree. I love that behind-the-scenes stuff in movies; it's so interesting!
Ten tabs would drive me crazy! I try to keep my tabs as clean as possible, but it's near impossible when researching. Case reports are great! I remember enjoying them a lot when I was getting my licensure. I always love things written for other professionals because it gets into the nitty gritty rather than broad overviews, like you said.
It drove me crazy once I looked up and realized how many there were! I like to keep my tabs clean too. My students drive me crazy cause they'll have like 20 tabs open at the same time. I'm like, "No wonder your Chromebook is slow! Close all those tabs!"
I love mythology. I think it's fascinating how religion, science, culture, etcetera all get woven together into interesting stories. I think it speaks to the part of me that loves writing. And you're correct, it definitely helps create something a little more unique. Though PBox as is definitely leans heavily into Asiatic aesthetics. I've been working on the more well-roundedness of it as I delve into OF territory. Including just going full-Tolkien and creating a language. I'm a little worried about it, to be honest.
It really is interesting. I also think it's cool how many connections you can make between mythology and religion from different cultures and time periods in history. It just goes to show how much humans have in common. If only we could focus more on our similarities than our differences.
I came across a cool-looking tool this weekend called the Fantasy Language Generator: https://www.vulgarlang.com/ I didn't delve into it much, so don't know if this would be helpful to you or not, but it looked interesting.
I think creating your own language would be complicated, but really cool if you could pull it off. How much do you think you would actually use it in the story? I wonder because, as a reader, I would probably just skim right over anything not written in English. I remember reading the "Redwall" books as a kid and skimming through the heavy dialect some of the characters spoke with because it took so much effort to figure out what their dialogue was actually saying LOL.
-
I think it's a comfort thing. The longer you write a story, the more comfortable you feel with it. Once you finish it and are facing starting a brand new project, there's the fear of, "Can I pull this off? Will it be as good as my last story?" I feel that way even when I'm excited about the idea. At least with my medical drama, I've gotten to the point where I trust in my own ability to do it justice, even when I know it's going to take a lot of research. I look forward to the challenge. That's probably why I went with My Brother's Keeper over Fallen Angel - they're both ideas that will challenge me, but in different ways. MBK is still solidly in my wheelhouse, whereas Fallen Angel is totally new territory for me.
That's true! There is a level of uncertainty when starting something new, no matter how much research or planning has gone into it. I always worry about how things will go further down the line.
I think it's great that you relish in the challenge and continue to challenge yourself, whether they're wheelhouse challenges or otherwise!
I probably say I'm ready to take a break from medical drama every time I finish writing a particularly intense one, but I always go right back to it within a few months LOL. I finished A Heart That Isn't Mine (medical drama) in November 2019, took a break to write The Year Without a Pandaskunk (not medical drama), and then went back to Heroic Measures (medical drama) in April 2020. Road to Bethlehem started out being a break from medical drama and then kind of turned into a medical drama, which is why I thought I was ready for another break from it. But here I am, back at it again. LOL
Bethlehem was a little bit of a break, it was mostly a survival story, lol. I get this too. When something feels like an undertaking, looking at any other thing like it just feels like yet another undertaking. But it all seems to be going well for you, so maybe Bethlehem was enough of a break! :)
Only a couple that I can think of offhand, but yes, those are probably my two least favorite stories of all time LOL. I obviously liked the ideas enough at the time to try writing them, but I just wasn't as committed to them as I am with most of my own ideas. With Silent Desperation, I just didn't really know what I was doing. The other one like this was my first AU, a long-lost sibling story called The Other Child, and that one I just ran out of steam on and wrapped it up too quickly so I could be done writing it.
LOL I think addiction was too scandalous for Lurlene. Her books were all pretty wholesome.
Commitment to the idea probably makes a big difference. lol, addiction is scandalous. You've become so scandalous since expanding from Lurlene for research. ;D
#TeamKevin! I just never had a good idea for a Kevin novel. The closest I've come is with Guilty Roads, which feels like a Nick/Kevin story because a lot of the focus is on Kevin... but since Kevin gets shot in the head in Chapter 3 and has been in a coma ever since, he doesn't really do enough for me to consider him a main character LOL.
I don't know if you can be a main character if you're in a coma... More like an inciting incident or a macguffin? Unless there was anything paranormal going on?
I think I actually discovered the brunet/brunette thing at the same time as blond/blonde. (I obviously did not take French LOL.) I don't tend to use that word to describe men with brown hair though the way I use "blond" for men... mainly Nick LOL. Like you said, "brown hair" sounds a lot better than "yellow hair."
I figured you did, actually; writing it that way just made me laugh. It's men! Brian's fairly blond also, especially compared to AJ, Kevin, and Howie. I wonder why "yellow hair" sounds weird, but "brown hair," "black hair," and "red hair" all seem fine. To be fair, French for the last two would be "hair of x color" instead of having a widely used term. And technically, black is lumped in with brown in practice.
I don't think I would ever get bored enough to go back and fix stuff like that in anything pre-Broken. I did get bored enough during quarantine last year to go back and fix typos in some of my post-BMS novels. I had highlighted every mistake I came across when reading them on my Kindle as I was working on my 20th anniversary blogs, so when I decided to start putting some of my stories on AO3, I thought I better go back through them and fix that stuff before I posted them. I have not gotten bored enough to go back to Broken and BMS because the number of highlights is overwhelming LOL.
So basically, you need a quarantine round two to even think about Broken or BMS, lol! Maybe for your thirtieth anniversary. ;)
Well, good! Then I have more hobbies than I thought LOL.
Writing is definitely personal. I don't have any non-fandom friends who write for fun that I'm aware of, but maybe some of them have secret hobbies too LOL.
According to the authority on hobbies that is me, lol. I say take it and run with it.
I've been so curious on other peoples' hobbies that they don't talk about since this has come up a few times. But just asking people "what's a hobby you have that you don't talk about" seems like a great way to open up a can of worms. Maybe if it's prefaced with "I won't ask additional questions"...
A copy of the winning Young Author's books would be put in the school library so other kids could check them out, and the winners would get a trophy or plaque. In 8th grade, I won first place for the whole district, and my grandparents had my book professionally bound as a hardback as a gift for me. That was the last piece of fiction I wrote before I started writing fanfic, and it was the perfect bridge into what I'm best known for now - it was a cancer story LOL. Another girl in my class had won first place the year before for a story about drunk driving, which gave me the idea that if I also wrote a tearjerker about a serious topic, I would have a better shot at winning. Well, sure enough... my plan totally worked LOL. That was the start of me writing medical drama.
I love that you pandered to the audience for glory, lol! What made you pick cancer specifically for that one other than "tearjerker about a serious topic"? Did writing Broken feel like going back to that at all?
It's sweet that your grandparents had it bound for you. :) That whole thing sounds fun! Did only one person get picked for each grade? And were the district-wide prizes by grade or just overall for all submissions?
The Broken era is when I really got into listening to music while I wrote, so I started with what I had, which was the Titanic soundtracks and apparently Braveheart. I don't remember if I actually owned the Braveheart soundtrack before Broken or if I bought it while I was writing Broken for that purpose, but I have always loved that score. James Horner is one of my favorite movie composers. I needed something sad and dramatic to listen to while I angsted my way through that story, and it fit that mood well.
I've always loved Linkin Park. But yes, very emo! I listened to a lot of LP and Evanescence while writing Broken too LOL.
That all makes sense to me! It's a pretty sad and dramatic soundtrack! I would love it even more if you bought it specifically for Broken and didn't already have it, lol.
The summer I liked Blink 182 and Linkin Park was my teenage emo phase, haha. Angsty Nick needs emo inspiration, of course.
LOL I call them "focus fails." But being able to focus fail and go back to actually writing when I feel like it is part of what makes it fun for me and not something that feels like word. I don't ever want it to feel like work.
Aw, a "focus fail" sounds way more productive than "time suck." I'm going to start calling them that. Except sometimes I focus fail and sometimes I focus BSOD. Like that time a couple of weeks ago when I spent my time determining differing diversity in different boy band fanfic circles, lol.
Yes, it's crazy! Writing a story set in 2008 has been interesting because, to me, 2008 doesn't feel that long ago... and yet, I find myself having to fact check so many little details to make sure I'm not writing about things that didn't exist yet then. Questions I've looked up include: Did people have smartphones then? (The first iPhone came out in 2007, so yes.) Did most households still have a landline phone then? (Yes.) Did TMZ exist? (Yes. I had fun browsing TMZ's website from 2008 via the Wayback Machine yesterday. It was actually way more user friendly than TMZ's current site because there weren't a ton of ads slowing it down!)
1990 doesn't feel that long ago to me and yesterday someone told me they were born in 1995 and I just... felt so old. I also had to fact check things like that for my little holiday story. What cell phone would Nick reasonably had in 1999? A Nokia brick? (Technically the model before the infamous brick.) Great. Oh man, TMZ back in the day... I miss when websites didn't have a million ads. Does the Wayback Machine cut out ads too or if there were ads, would it have had ads?
I love the Kids React videos. I'm assuming you've seen the Kids React to BSB one? And BSB reacts to Kids React to BSB? LOL
I have! It's one of my favorites when I need a quick BSB laugh. Brian's singing commentary ("I could be your dad..."), the whole "why are we in a tube?" bit, and how excited Howie was when the one teenager said "Howie had the great hair?" LOL!
-
I don't know if you can be a main character if you're in a coma... More like an inciting incident or a macguffin? Unless there was anything paranormal going on?
Only if the whole story is a coma dream or there's something paranormal going on, which is not the case. Kevin is not irrelevant enough to be a MacGuffin, but I agree, he's not a main character either. He's more like... a carrot. Poor Koma Kevin, stuck in limbo for the last decade because I stopped updating that story LOL.
I love that you pandered to the audience for glory, lol! What made you pick cancer specifically for that one other than "tearjerker about a serious topic"? Did writing Broken feel like going back to that at all?
It's sweet that your grandparents had it bound for you. :) That whole thing sounds fun! Did only one person get picked for each grade? And were the district-wide prizes by grade or just overall for all submissions?
That was all because of Lurlene again! LOL My favorite book in middle school was "Don't Die, My Love," which was a tearjerker romance about a high school football player who dies of cancer. I was inspired by that story, but I made my main character a basketball player instead and let him live at the end. Broken didn't really remind me of that because it was a lot different and because I had already written a bad Brian cancer story called Don't Wanna Lose You Now LOL.
It was really fun, one of my favorite parts of grade school! There was one winner from each classroom in grades 2-8 and then an overall winner for the whole district. I won for my classroom every year from grades 4-8 and then got the overall in 8th grade, so I went out on a high note. That's really the only fiction writing I remember doing in school, so it was good practice for my future fanfics.
That all makes sense to me! It's a pretty sad and dramatic soundtrack! I would love it even more if you bought it specifically for Broken and didn't already have it, lol.
I very well may have! LOL I don't remember.
The summer I liked Blink 182 and Linkin Park was my teenage emo phase, haha. Angsty Nick needs emo inspiration, of course.
Did we all have a teenage emo summer? LOL Mine was when I was 15. My dad got into a car accident and couldn't sleep on the waterbed my parents still had at that time because he had broken ribs and a busted knee and needed more support, so he moved into my bedroom, and I spent the summer living in the cold, spider-infested basement. I started listening to Papa Roach, Linkin Park, and other early 2000s emo-rock bands and writing stories about suicide. It was an angsty summer. LOL But yes, perfect inspiration for emo Nick. I listened to a lot of angry Eminem music around the Broken era too.
Does the Wayback Machine cut out ads too or if there were ads, would it have had ads?
I'm not sure if it cut out the ads or if there were just significantly fewer ads. All I know is that it scrolled much faster than the current site, which I could hardly stand trying to navigate.
-
If I was more religious, I'd probably buy it, but it would just look sacrilegious on me LOL. It reminded me of these funny Jesus condiment shirts (https://www.etsy.com/listing/666721134/christian-condiments-shirts-catch-up?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_d-clothing-unisex_adult_clothing-tops_and_tees-tshirts&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_GR91vfs8rx4pt6f137JbvHzjkDK8ld-WMsCILXKxOX0a_8ZquydjMaAk5FEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_11756615436_112903794134_483580457511_pla-299872739640_c__666721134_115254808&utm_custom2=11756615436&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_GR91vfs8rx4pt6f137JbvHzjkDK8ld-WMsCILXKxOX0a_8ZquydjMaAk5FEALw_wcB) Rose and I saw in Tennessee a few years ago.
Same, I won't say that I don't buy things that make me laugh, because that's a driving factor in me buying lots of things. But it just feels like crossing a line. Those condiment shirts are also hilarious!
Yeah, I came across multiple anecdotes by different people about having hallucinations as a side effect of certain medications, so I decided that would be fun to include.
There's a theory that the Salem Witch Trials were perpetuated by the effects of a type of fungus that grows in bread and can cause hallucinations, paranoia, spasms, and so on. I wrote a paper about it once in college. It was an interesting theory.
I believe that! What an interesting thing to include.
I'd heard that theory too; it seems pretty plausible to me. Grains in general are really susceptible to all kinds of fungi, bacteria, infections, infestations, and so on. I wonder if these things happen less because society has gotten better about recognizing that these things happen before it gets into cooked food or if everything is so processed that it doesn't matter.
I have heard some of the Wizard of Oz stuff, like the guy supposedly hanging from the tree. I love that behind-the-scenes stuff in movies; it's so interesting!
The stunts gone wrong ones are interesting too! Like Isla Fisher almost drowning for real in the "trick gone wrong" that's in the script for Now You See Me.
It drove me crazy once I looked up and realized how many there were! I like to keep my tabs clean too. My students drive me crazy cause they'll have like 20 tabs open at the same time. I'm like, "No wonder your Chromebook is slow! Close all those tabs!"
Since we were talking about it, I've been closing some of the tabs I'm not actively using, haha.
It really is interesting. I also think it's cool how many connections you can make between mythology and religion from different cultures and time periods in history. It just goes to show how much humans have in common. If only we could focus more on our similarities than our differences.
Yes! So many cultures have similar myths about creation and similar legends surrounding various gods or goddesses and their roles. And then that leads to whether there's common ancestry or how myths move. It's all so neat. And I agree, there's so many similarities even in modern monotheistic religions. I wish we could all reframe how we look at the differences.
I came across a cool-looking tool this weekend called the Fantasy Language Generator: https://www.vulgarlang.com/ I didn't delve into it much, so don't know if this would be helpful to you or not, but it looked interesting.
I think creating your own language would be complicated, but really cool if you could pull it off. How much do you think you would actually use it in the story? I wonder because, as a reader, I would probably just skim right over anything not written in English. I remember reading the "Redwall" books as a kid and skimming through the heavy dialect some of the characters spoke with because it took so much effort to figure out what their dialogue was actually saying LOL.
Vulgar is cool! I also found Zompist (https://www.zompist.com/kit.html) when I started looking into this, which is root word building, and The International Phonic Alphabet (http://www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/), which is interesting to hear sounds and distinguish how they're formed (which is what Vulgar uses for the basis of their generator). I've also read that The Art of Language Invention (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611649-the-art-of-language-invention) by David J. Peterson (the guy who created Dothraki for GOT, among other things) is an interesting read. I've always found linguistics fascinating and wish it had been part of my major or I'd actually looked into it for fun. I did take a class in college that was part of my minor that focused on how culture influenced the Japanese language and it was so fascinating.
I don't know how much time I would spend on it, since how much slower can I get in my actual writing? lol! But I do think that I need to get away from using real languages in an otherwise non-explicitly "x country" setting ("inspired by" is more appropriate), especially when representation, but not appropriation, is something that's been on my mind. It would probably be similar to all it is now, for the reason you mentioned: names, places, landmarks. And even character names are English anyway, but I did come up with an in-universe reason for that, so that's all good. I think there's one point where something is mentioned as being written in an older text, but what's written there is just summarized in English by our crew. I remember having similar issues with the heavy dialect in Redwall as a kid; that's part of why I try not to use dialects. But then there's fun instances like the rabbit language in Watership Down where it's mostly noted in footnotes until the end of the story where a sentence is made up of words in the footnotes. The only other reasoning I could think of for mentioning it in the text and not just in my head and plans would be something for rites and rituals, maybe swears of some sort (the Boys swear way more than I ever have them do, but I wouldn't mind writing it as much if I made them up), and possibly a few other specific places just based on the age of the characters in question.
-
Only if the whole story is a coma dream or there's something paranormal going on, which is not the case. Kevin is not irrelevant enough to be a MacGuffin, but I agree, he's not a main character either. He's more like... a carrot. Poor Koma Kevin, stuck in limbo for the last decade because I stopped updating that story LOL.
Aww, I would never consider Kevin irrelevant. #TeamKevin! LMAO! A carrot! Poor Koma Karrot Kevin in limbo.
That was all because of Lurlene again! LOL My favorite book in middle school was "Don't Die, My Love," which was a tearjerker romance about a high school football player who dies of cancer. I was inspired by that story, but I made my main character a basketball player instead and let him live at the end. Broken didn't really remind me of that because it was a lot different and because I had already written a bad Brian cancer story called Don't Wanna Lose You Now LOL.
LOL! Lurlene strikes again! I'm glad you let your high school basketball player live. Now I know why when you poked around making Broken OF that Nick was a high school basketball player (well that, and Nick is more basketball oriented). Did your Brian cancer story remind you of it? lol
It was really fun, one of my favorite parts of grade school! There was one winner from each classroom in grades 2-8 and then an overall winner for the whole district. I won for my classroom every year from grades 4-8 and then got the overall in 8th grade, so I went out on a high note. That's really the only fiction writing I remember doing in school, so it was good practice for my future fanfics.
I love things like that! It sounds awesome! And such a great way to get students excited about writing. I'm glad it helped you in your career as a fanfic writer. You should look into the NaNo Young Writer's Program for your students. I always wanted to do it with a classroom, but I ended up teaching too young. Unless the district you're in now does that Young Authors thing too.
Did we all have a teenage emo summer? LOL Mine was when I was 15. My dad got into a car accident and couldn't sleep on the waterbed my parents still had at that time because he had broken ribs and a busted knee and needed more support, so he moved into my bedroom, and I spent the summer living in the cold, spider-infested basement. I started listening to Papa Roach, Linkin Park, and other early 2000s emo-rock bands and writing stories about suicide. It was an angsty summer. LOL But yes, perfect inspiration for emo Nick. I listened to a lot of angry Eminem music around the Broken era too.
At least! From what I can tell, it was "teenage emo years" if said teenagers were not firmly in team boyband (specific or general). I feel like it's hard to be super emo when the Backstreet Boys exist.
A cold spider-infested basement sounds like my nightmare, that would have made me want to be emo. Mine was... Eighth grade? Seventh grade? Eighth grade sounds right. I'm mostly glad I got it out of the way before high school so I could go back to "happy sunshine Backstreet joy" full time. I can't remember what was the catalyst for it? Peer pressure of some sort, probably.
-
I'll reply to the last couple posts tomorrow when I have more time, but as I stay up too late writing, I just thought of a question I'll probably forget by morning.
What is the funniest or most random word you've added to your personal dictionary on whatever word processing program you use?
I feel like I had a lot more on Microsoft Word, but my top three favorites on Google Docs are:
1. esophagull (as in, Aaron Carter's pronunciation of his fake esophageal cancer he claimed to be in the early stages of)
2. pandaskunk
3. Sphynkter
-
You know, I just looked and don't have any words added at all! I'm pretty surprised!
-
That is surprising! But I guess you either use the personal dictionary, or you don't. I use it to stop the red squiggles on words it insists aren't real words LOL.
-
LOL! Lurlene strikes again! I'm glad you let your high school basketball player live. Now I know why when you poked around making Broken OF that Nick was a high school basketball player (well that, and Nick is more basketball oriented). Did your Brian cancer story remind you of it? lol
LOL! The Brian cancer story may have reminded me of it more than Broken did. With OF Broken, I made him a basketball player more because, as you said, Nick liked basketball at that age, and it seemed like a sport he could conceivably play again once he learned how to run on the prosthetic leg.
I love things like that! It sounds awesome! And such a great way to get students excited about writing. I'm glad it helped you in your career as a fanfic writer. You should look into the NaNo Young Writer's Program for your students. I always wanted to do it with a classroom, but I ended up teaching too young. Unless the district you're in now does that Young Authors thing too.
My district now does it too! I just looked it up because I wasn't sure how widespread of a program it was, and I guess it's just an Illinois thing. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Young-Authors.aspx I bet the NaNo program is great too!
At least! From what I can tell, it was "teenage emo years" if said teenagers were not firmly in team boyband (specific or general). I feel like it's hard to be super emo when the Backstreet Boys exist.
A cold spider-infested basement sounds like my nightmare, that would have made me want to be emo. Mine was... Eighth grade? Seventh grade? Eighth grade sounds right. I'm mostly glad I got it out of the way before high school so I could go back to "happy sunshine Backstreet joy" full time. I can't remember what was the catalyst for it? Peer pressure of some sort, probably.
One word: hormones. LOL
I'm glad you were able to go back to happy sunshine Backstreet joy full time by high school!
-
LOL! The Brian cancer story may have reminded me of it more than Broken did. With OF Broken, I made him a basketball player more because, as you said, Nick liked basketball at that age, and it seemed like a sport he could conceivably play again once he learned how to run on the prosthetic leg.
Nick's determined enough, he would try to get back to it before learning to run on the prosthetic leg! lol!
My district now does it too! I just looked it up because I wasn't sure how widespread of a program it was, and I guess it's just an Illinois thing. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Young-Authors.aspx I bet the NaNo program is great too!
Aw! That conference sounds awesome! That's great that your BOE does that! :) Are you nurturing any young authors in your classroom?
One word: hormones. LOL
I'm glad you were able to go back to happy sunshine Backstreet joy full time by high school!
Yes, yes, that's probably exactly it, lol!
Me too! To be honest, I got all my drama out of the way early, divorced parents and what not. And like I said, it's hard to be super emo when the Backstreet Boys exist (at least for me, personally).
-
Nick's determined enough, he would try to get back to it before learning to run on the prosthetic leg! lol!
LOL True. At least he could shoot free-throws... or play wheelchair basketball.
Aw! That conference sounds awesome! That's great that your BOE does that! :) Are you nurturing any young authors in your classroom?
We didn't have it this year because of COVID. :( But we do a fiction writing unit every year in fourth grade, so they at least all got to write a story.
Me too! To be honest, I got all my drama out of the way early, divorced parents and what not. And like I said, it's hard to be super emo when the Backstreet Boys exist (at least for me, personally).
I agree. I was #blessed with a pretty happy childhood, so I didn't have any real reason to be emo. Most of my drama was self-created or fictional LOL. And making up fictional drama about the Backstreet Boys actually makes me happy, so...
-
LOL True. At least he could shoot free-throws... or play wheelchair basketball.
Work on his 3-pointers or Harlem Globetrotter moves. Mostly I'm a jerk picturing him hopping around a basketball court, lol.
We didn't have it this year because of COVID. :( But we do a fiction writing unit every year in fourth grade, so they at least all got to write a story.
That's disappointing, but at least they got to write something. Do you share any of your writing expertise with your students or do they also not know your history with writing?
I agree. I was #blessed with a pretty happy childhood, so I didn't have any real reason to be emo. Most of my drama was self-created or fictional LOL. And making up fictional drama about the Backstreet Boys actually makes me happy, so...
You don't need to be dramatic to make life dramatic for fictional Backstreet Boys! Maybe it's gotten a lot of your drama out of the way, lol.
That is surprising! But I guess you either use the personal dictionary, or you don't. I use it to stop the red squiggles on words it insists aren't real words LOL.
Like "Howie." Poor Howie.
-
Work on his 3-pointers or Harlem Globetrotter moves. Mostly I'm a jerk picturing him hopping around a basketball court, lol.
LMAO!
That's disappointing, but at least they got to write something. Do you share any of your writing expertise with your students or do they also not know your history with writing?
I write in front of them when I'm modeling things, but no, they have no idea I regularly write for fun. I have brought in my Young Authors story from 4th grade to show them though.
You don't need to be dramatic to make life dramatic for fictional Backstreet Boys! Maybe it's gotten a lot of your drama out of the way, lol.
LOL Maybe. Writing fictional drama always makes me feel better about my own mundane problems.
Like "Howie." Poor Howie.
Seriously!
-
I write in front of them when I'm modeling things, but no, they have no idea I regularly write for fun. I have brought in my Young Authors story from 4th grade to show them though.
I love that! What a fun way to share an experience in a relatable way! I hope you're not demonizing "said" for them. What kinds of stories do you start writing when you're modeling? I'm guessing it's not the type of things you usually write, lol.
LOL Maybe. Writing fictional drama always makes me feel better about my own mundane problems.
Yes! Torturing Backstreet Boys is a powerful form of catharsis, lol! Thanks for being scapegoats, guys!
-
I love that! What a fun way to share an experience in a relatable way! I hope you're not demonizing "said" for them. What kinds of stories do you start writing when you're modeling? I'm guessing it's not the type of things you usually write, lol.
LOL Definitely not. We focus on realistic fiction, so I have them start by creating a character who's kind of like them in some ways and either drawing on real life experiences or writing the kind of story they would like to read. I have them help me create a character and come up with a problem for him/her to have that will be the basis for the plot. This year we ended up with a girl who wants to try out for a softball team because her friends are on the team, but she is not coordinated or athletically gifted, so she has to practice really hard to get better before tryouts. Pushing that growth mindset! LOL I'm just happy if they include dialogue and dialogue tags, "said" or otherwise!
-
LOL Definitely not. We focus on realistic fiction, so I have them start by creating a character who's kind of like them in some ways and either drawing on real life experiences or writing the kind of story they would like to read. I have them help me create a character and come up with a problem for him/her to have that will be the basis for the plot. This year we ended up with a girl who wants to try out for a softball team because her friends are on the team, but she is not coordinated or athletically gifted, so she has to practice really hard to get better before tryouts. Pushing that growth mindset! LOL I'm just happy if they include dialogue and dialogue tags, "said" or otherwise!
Fourth grade is probably too young to convert children to Team Dark, lol.
Ah, yes, self inserts and autobiographie s are good places to start fiction from. Easier for the author to relate to before they learn how to research properly! Aw, your softball character sounds like me. That's why I have a kickball scar on my arm! That's fun that you all create the character and problem together, plus yes, getting them focused on growth mindset!
I try to coach mine through dialogue and they have no interest. Alas. Especially my feisty one, every time it's writing stamina, it's like pulling teeth. Meanwhile I'm like, "I would love it if someone said 'You have fifteen minutes, write about anything' to me."
-
Fourth grade is probably too young to convert children to Team Dark, lol.
LOL I can usually tell which ones are already on Team Dark. Some of them want to write horror stories or stories where the main character ends up in the hospital. As long as they can keep them semi-realistic, I let them go for it. Except for the one year I had a little girl who, when working on a "Somebody... wanted... but... so... then..." summary of her story idea, had a character named "Mangle" who wanted to make the swim team, but she couldn't stop hurting other kids. Imagining Mangle as a budding young serial killer who couldn't control her impulses to drown her classmates in the pool, I was like, "So... are you saying Mangle's a bully? And she has to learn to be a better friend and not bully her teammates if she's going to be on the team?" I'm not sure if that was actually her intent or not, but that's what she went with LOL. She was a girl after my own heart - sweet and quiet on the outside, secretly dark and twisted on the inside LOL.
I try to coach mine through dialogue and they have no interest. Alas. Especially my feisty one, every time it's writing stamina, it's like pulling teeth. Meanwhile I'm like, "I would love it if someone said 'You have fifteen minutes, write about anything' to me."
Right?! Although I never liked being forced to write for fifteen minutes right there in the classroom. I've always written better when I'm by myself, on my own schedule.
By fourth grade, most of them do include dialogue, especially after I've modeled it for them and taught them about showing not telling, but some of their stories are like ALL dialogue... just characters talking back and forth without a lot of description or action in between.
-
Fun fact, I still have them to this day cause my mom had saved it, but my elementary school had a "publishing" program where they'd pick kids from each grade who wrote the best stories to make a little book with their story. In 2nd grade, which was legitimately the grade I discovered I loved writing, I wrote a story about a Fox that loved life but got hunted down by a hunter and died lmao. In 3rd grade I got picked again and this time it was about a kid who's stepmother tried to cook them after marrying her dad - like a hybrid of cinderella and hansel and gretel LOL.
My teachers were always encouraging but sometimes I wonder if my weird ideas didn't scare them a bit lmao.
-
Fun fact, I still have them to this day cause my mom had saved it, but my elementary school had a "publishing" program where they'd pick kids from each grade who wrote the best stories to make a little book with their story. In 2nd grade, which was legitimately the grade I discovered I loved writing, I wrote a story about a Fox that loved life but got hunted down by a hunter and died lmao. In 3rd grade I got picked again and this time it was about a kid who's stepmother tried to cook them after marrying her dad - like a hybrid of cinderella and hansel and gretel LOL.
My teachers were always encouraging but sometimes I wonder if my weird ideas didn't scare them a bit lmao.
LMAO That is awesome! I love how twisted you were even as a kid! The fox story... brutal!!! Of course, so is the cannibalistic stepmom, but Hansel & Gretel was always one of my favorite fairy tales LOL. I must read these someday.
Hopefully your teachers were secretly twisted like me, in which case they probably loved your weird ideas!
-
LMAO That is awesome! I love how twisted you were even as a kid! The fox story... brutal!!! Of course, so is the cannibalistic stepmom, but Hansel & Gretel was always one of my favorite fairy tales LOL. I must read these someday.
Hopefully your teachers were secretly twisted like me, in which case they probably loved your weird ideas!
The fox one cracks me up cause I gave the fox a cutesy name, for such a morbid story. Foxy Fox lol. Very 2nd grade. But getting picked twice and asking my mom to buy me notebooks is what got her to buy me a typewriter for my birthday. I loved the hell out of that thing LOL.
-
I love that you had a typewriter, too! So cool!
The most morbid story I wrote as a kid was an epic survival tale about three kids trying to find their way out of the woods after a grizzly bear ate their parents on a camping trip LOL. That was my third grade entry for Young Authors, and it did not win. I should have known my audience better - my teacher that year was not the type to appreciate my illustrations of an angry, blood-soaked grizzly bear. She picked a cutesy story about a kitten instead. LOL
-
LOL I can usually tell which ones are already on Team Dark. Some of them want to write horror stories or stories where the main character ends up in the hospital. As long as they can keep them semi-realistic, I let them go for it. Except for the one year I had a little girl who, when working on a "Somebody... wanted... but... so... then..." summary of her story idea, had a character named "Mangle" who wanted to make the swim team, but she couldn't stop hurting other kids. Imagining Mangle as a budding young serial killer who couldn't control her impulses to drown her classmates in the pool, I was like, "So... are you saying Mangle's a bully? And she has to learn to be a better friend and not bully her teammates if she's going to be on the team?" I'm not sure if that was actually her intent or not, but that's what she went with LOL. She was a girl after my own heart - sweet and quiet on the outside, secretly dark and twisted on the inside LOL.
Forget my earlier statement! Give these kids cookies and initiate them already! I love that a character named "Mangle" was sparking your imagination, yet you kept a straight face. There are so many times I have to fight not to react to things. It's usually laughter, to be honest.
Right?! Although I never liked being forced to write for fifteen minutes right there in the classroom. I've always written better when I'm by myself, on my own schedule.
By fourth grade, most of them do include dialogue, especially after I've modeled it for them and taught them about showing not telling, but some of their stories are like ALL dialogue... just characters talking back and forth without a lot of description or action in between.
Oh, I know. I've tried help her come up with ideas when it's not that time because she always says she has no ideas. I have also run out of ideas about princesses getting married to princes, so I understand her struggle.
You can tell a short story with only dialogue! But this way, they just have something to improve on for the next draft. :)
-
Fun fact, I still have them to this day cause my mom had saved it, but my elementary school had a "publishing" program where they'd pick kids from each grade who wrote the best stories to make a little book with their story. In 2nd grade, which was legitimately the grade I discovered I loved writing, I wrote a story about a Fox that loved life but got hunted down by a hunter and died lmao. In 3rd grade I got picked again and this time it was about a kid who's stepmother tried to cook them after marrying her dad - like a hybrid of cinderella and hansel and gretel LOL.
My teachers were always encouraging but sometimes I wonder if my weird ideas didn't scare them a bit lmao.
I like to think that if they picked them, they were also Team Dark! ;D Nurture the twisted young and initiate them! :) That poor fox though. Cinderella would have been a wild ride if she was getting cooked instead of married!
My school had something similar. In Kindergarten, my story was about a family of four cats who went to a spooky graveyard. The details are vague in my mind, but there were definitely cats and a graveyard. Third grade was a detective story (because I really liked Harriet the Spy) where the villain was posing as a doctor, but was actually Dracula and in true hammy villain nature called himself "Dr. Acula" because... well, names were not my strong point back then, lol. I think in second grade, I wrote about frogs and it did not get picked; I was bitter and that should have been my indicator that I should have been Team Dark, or maybe my frog story was dark and my teacher was not. I can't remember!
The fox one cracks me up cause I gave the fox a cutesy name, for such a morbid story. Foxy Fox lol. Very 2nd grade. But getting picked twice and asking my mom to buy me notebooks is what got her to buy me a typewriter for my birthday. I loved the hell out of that thing LOL.
Foxy Fox would love life. Poor Foxy Fox. :(
Aww, the origin story of the oft-mentioned typewriter!
The most morbid story I wrote as a kid was an epic survival tale about three kids trying to find their way out of the woods after a grizzly bear ate their parents on a camping trip LOL. That was my third grade entry for Young Authors, and it did not win. I should have known my audience better - my teacher that year was not the type to appreciate my illustrations of an angry, blood-soaked grizzly bear. She picked a cutesy story about a kitten instead. LOL
You learned an important lesson that year. Team Fluffy does not like angry, blood-soaked grizzly bears, lol! Team Dark rewards morbid. I approve this morbid tale.
-
Tomorrow Camp NaNo starts! Come join Julie and I in committing to April writing of some sort for the Absolutely Chaotic Backstreet Project! ;D
-
Third grade was a detective story (because I really liked Harriet the Spy) where the villain was posing as a doctor, but was actually Dracula and in true hammy villain nature called himself "Dr. Acula" because... well, names were not my strong point back then, lol.
That is actually really clever! Of course Dracula would pose as a doctor - easy access to blood! Dr. Acula LOL - I love that!! It sounds like something out of Bailey School Kids.
-
Tomorrow Camp NaNo starts! Come join Julie and I in committing to April writing of some sort for the Absolutely Chaotic Backstreet Project! ;D
Yes, join us! Here is the link: https://nanowrimo.org/writing-groups/the-absolutely-chaotic-backstreet-project
-
That is actually really clever! Of course Dracula would pose as a doctor - easy access to blood! Dr. Acula LOL - I love that!! It sounds like something out of Bailey School Kids.
Haha, thanks! I think he was murdering patients if I remember correctly? It was all very twisted, lol. This is really what we should have been discussing in out "how dark is too dark" chat. When did you know that you were Team Dark? Apparently all very young. I wonder why that is... I'd actually forgotten about this one until we started discussing children's writing. I think I know where the cat story is, but I'm not sure about this Dracula detective story.
-
Yes, join us! Here is the link: https://nanowrimo.org/writing-groups/the-absolutely-chaotic-backstreet-project
So it is day two of April and I wrote six words yesterday. Not currently on pace with my goal, but we'll get there! I blame Opening Day and a PD training I registered for.
I did, however, mention that I was writing a book to a friend with the usual "it's about demons, but they're the heroes" lack of context when asked (although, saying "they're the heroes" does provide more information about the story, I guess). And my friend was telling me how he hadn't written anything in a while, but that he used to write fanfic when he was younger! Like completely unprompted! Curiosity got the better of me and I asked about what and he said Redwall (and also said "you probably haven't heard of this," like what... I haven't heard of Redwall? We've clearly never discussed reading before apparently, lol). So I decided to live dangerously and said "I wrote fanfics when I was younger too, about the Backstreet Boys" (which is technically true and leaves off the end of that sentence "and I still do and that novel we were talking about earlier is a Backstreet Boys fanfic," lol). I sensed no judgement, but he also said "you don't seem like the type of person that would ever write fanfics, but I also didn't know you were writing a book at all or liked to write. I think it sounds cool. I'd read it... Your book, not the Backstreet Boys fanfics you used to write."
So... I guess the moral of this story is... get your friends drinking and then tell them you starting writing novels during COVID and they might tell you that they used to write fanfics! lmao
-
Haha, thanks! I think he was murdering patients if I remember correctly? It was all very twisted, lol. This is really what we should have been discussing in out "how dark is too dark" chat. When did you know that you were Team Dark? Apparently all very young. I wonder why that is... I'd actually forgotten about this one until we started discussing children's writing. I think I know where the cat story is, but I'm not sure about this Dracula detective story.
I have been Team Dark my entire life LOL. I have always had a love of horror and a morbid fascination with death, disease, and medical stuff. Even as a little kid, my favorite Curious George book was "Curious George Goes to the Hospital." I remember watching the old black and white Universal monster movies - Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. - with my mom when I was like five years old. That was my introduction to horror movies, and I loved them. They gave me nightmares, but I never told my parents that because then they wouldn't let me watch those movies anymore. Jurassic Park also gave me nightmares, but I loved it so much, I saw it two or three times in the theater when it came out. I've always liked the things that scare me.
I hope you still have your Dracula detective story!
-
So it is day two of April and I wrote six words yesterday. Not currently on pace with my goal, but we'll get there! I blame Opening Day and a PD training I registered for.
I did, however, mention that I was writing a book to a friend with the usual "it's about demons, but they're the heroes" lack of context when asked (although, saying "they're the heroes" does provide more information about the story, I guess). And my friend was telling me how he hadn't written anything in a while, but that he used to write fanfic when he was younger! Like completely unprompted! Curiosity got the better of me and I asked about what and he said Redwall (and also said "you probably haven't heard of this," like what... I haven't heard of Redwall? We've clearly never discussed reading before apparently, lol). So I decided to live dangerously and said "I wrote fanfics when I was younger too, about the Backstreet Boys" (which is technically true and leaves off the end of that sentence "and I still do and that novel we were talking about earlier is a Backstreet Boys fanfic," lol). I sensed no judgement, but he also said "you don't seem like the type of person that would ever write fanfics, but I also didn't know you were writing a book at all or liked to write. I think it sounds cool. I'd read it... Your book, not the Backstreet Boys fanfics you used to write."
So... I guess the moral of this story is... get your friends drinking and then tell them you starting writing novels during COVID and they might tell you that they used to write fanfics! lmao
That's awesome! Redwall would be a fun fandom to write for. Fellow fanfic writers are probably more understanding than people who have never written or read fanfic. If I found out someone I knew in real life wrote fanfic, I would probably admit that I "used to" write it too. Maybe you can share the OF version of Pbox with him someday and not tell him it was a BSB fanfic.
-
I have been Team Dark my entire life LOL. I have always had a love of horror and a morbid fascination with death, disease, and medical stuff. Even as a little kid, my favorite Curious George book was "Curious George Goes to the Hospital." I remember watching the old black and white Universal monster movies - Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. - with my mom when I was like five years old. That was my introduction to horror movies, and I loved them. They gave me nightmares, but I never told my parents that because then they wouldn't let me watch those movies anymore. Jurassic Park also gave me nightmares, but I loved it so much, I saw it two or three times in the theater when it came out. I've always liked the things that scare me.
I hope you still have your Dracula detective story!
I would call mine a fascination with "what happens when you die." That's probably why I like mythology so much, lol! Except for ghosts and zombies kind of freak me out too. I guess if the dead people go somewhere else and aren't actively bothering me when I'm alive, it's all good. Except for maybe Dia de los Muertos. I think that's fascinating and wouldn't mind being visited one day a year by deceased relatives. Graveyards aren't my favorite, but I think that's more in the vein of them being a "sacred space" that I don't really want to be traipsing around in. I felt the same way at Pompeii. Like this is all super interesting, but also a place where a bunch of people died horrifically. I'll call it "awed fear and reverence." And I guess there's this "removed" feeling from something that's thousands of years old versus "could have died yesterday."
Horror movies freak me out, but I don't mind the older ones as much. The newer ones, the special effects get me. My favorite game growing up was this "VHS game" called Doorways to Horror where you tried to collect monsters and money throughout the game and people tried to steal them from you, but you could protect them with magic spells. And the monsters up for grabs were determined by rolling a colored die and fast forwarding to the next "doorway" of that color on the VHS tape, then a monster movie clip would play and you had until the end of your clip to capture/protect the monsters up for grabs that round. They for sure gave me nightmares and that's probably why I'm Team Dark now, lol! I don't really like being scared (haunted houses make my skin crawl even though I know they're actors and they aren't supposed to touch you), but I find scary and macabre things fascinating. I don't know what it is. If the jump scares aren't there, it's better. It's probably that I don't like being scared and startled at the same time, lol.
You know, my mom gave me a box of my old school stuff recently, so it might be in there, I just wasn't ready to tackle it yet while I'm still tackling other "paper" type things and not sentimental things.
-
That's awesome! Redwall would be a fun fandom to write for. Fellow fanfic writers are probably more understanding than people who have never written or read fanfic. If I found out someone I knew in real life wrote fanfic, I would probably admit that I "used to" write it too. Maybe you can share the OF version of Pbox with him someday and not tell him it was a BSB fanfic.
Who doesn't love rodents going on adventures! I was pleasantly surprised, and like you said, wanted to share that moment since I didn't think anyone I know away from fanfic ever wrote fanfic. You know, I might, but won't say it was BSB fanfic unless he asks. I feel like if one of my friends straight up asked "Did this start its life as a BSB fanfic?" I don't think I'd be able to lie. I'm finding out that a lot of my friends think demons are "interesting" here lately (or they just want to be overly supportive of the fact that I decided to write a book). This is how I find out who's Team Dark away from the fanfic world, apparently, lol!
-
I would call mine a fascination with "what happens when you die." That's probably why I like mythology so much, lol! Except for ghosts and zombies kind of freak me out too. I guess if the dead people go somewhere else and aren't actively bothering me when I'm alive, it's all good. Except for maybe Dia de los Muertos. I think that's fascinating and wouldn't mind being visited one day a year by deceased relatives. Graveyards aren't my favorite, but I think that's more in the vein of them being a "sacred space" that I don't really want to be traipsing around in. I felt the same way at Pompeii. Like this is all super interesting, but also a place where a bunch of people died horrifically. I'll call it "awed fear and reverence." And I guess there's this "removed" feeling from something that's thousands of years old versus "could have died yesterday."
I don't really like being scared (haunted houses make my skin crawl even though I know they're actors and they aren't supposed to touch you), but I find scary and macabre things fascinating. I don't know what it is. If the jump scares aren't there, it's better. It's probably that I don't like being scared and startled at the same time, lol.
That makes sense. I am more of a skeptic when it comes to paranormal stuff like ghosts, which is maybe why I don't get scared easily by horror movies. I prefer older horror movies to the newer ones that seem to rely more on cheap jump scares. I don't like haunted houses either - they're too reliant on jump scares and darkness. I would rather slow down and appreciate the details than be rushed through and only get a glimpse of everything because of the strobe lights flashing.
I love graveyards, but that has to do with my love of history as well as my fascination with death. I love finding really old tombstones. I understand what you mean about Pompeii. That's really cool that you've been there! I haven't, but I imagine I would feel the same way. Same goes for any historical site of mass death - concentration camps, battlegrounds, Ground Zero, etc. It's interesting, but sad.
Horror movies freak me out, but I don't mind the older ones as much. The newer ones, the special effects get me. My favorite game growing up was this "VHS game" called Doorways to Horror where you tried to collect monsters and money throughout the game and people tried to steal them from you, but you could protect them with magic spells. And the monsters up for grabs were determined by rolling a colored die and fast forwarding to the next "doorway" of that color on the VHS tape, then a monster movie clip would play and you had until the end of your clip to capture/protect the monsters up for grabs that round. They for sure gave me nightmares and that's probably why I'm Team Dark now, lol!
I don't know that game, but it sounds fun! It reminded me of a horror-themed VHS game I had as a kid called Nightmare, which was a staple at all my slumber parties. It was a board game set in a graveyard, and you had to finish it in under an hour to win. You put in a tape that had a countdown clock, and this creepy Grim Reaper type guy would pop up and scare you and make threats about how you were running out of time throughout. I loved it so much, I actually still have it. I have no idea if the tape still works or not.
-
Who doesn't love rodents going on adventures! I was pleasantly surprised, and like you said, wanted to share that moment since I didn't think anyone I know away from fanfic ever wrote fanfic. You know, I might, but won't say it was BSB fanfic unless he asks. I feel like if one of my friends straight up asked "Did this start its life as a BSB fanfic?" I don't think I'd be able to lie. I'm finding out that a lot of my friends think demons are "interesting" here lately (or they just want to be overly supportive of the fact that I decided to write a book). This is how I find out who's Team Dark away from the fanfic world, apparently, lol!
I haven't read Redwall in a long time, but those books had such a vivid world and history, it seems like perfect source material for fanfic.
I'm glad your friends are interested and supportive! I'm sure mine would be too (supportive, not necessarily interested LOL), but I have never even been tempted to tell them. That's a big no for me LOL. It is nice to have friends in the fandom who are genuinely interested and understanding though. I guess that's why I've never felt the need to talk about my writing in real life.
-
That makes sense. I am more of a skeptic when it comes to paranormal stuff like ghosts, which is maybe why I don't get scared easily by horror movies. I prefer older horror movies to the newer ones that seem to rely more on cheap jump scares. I don't like haunted houses either - they're too reliant on jump scares and darkness. I would rather slow down and appreciate the details than be rushed through and only get a glimpse of everything because of the strobe lights flashing.
I totally believe ghosts are real, but I also absolutely do not want to meet one. I did a lantern tour at Cave of the Winds (there's another thing that's really fascinating: caves) and I didn't feel anything paranormal. I know that the tour guides specifically pick on people who seem like they'll have big reactions, so I purposefully went with the persona of "externally cool as a cucumber, internally screaming" to the point that when they volunteered me and and another friend (who was one of my bridesmaids) to do the 'Lover's Lane" walk, I said "We're not even that close. Business associates really." Then I let her volunteer someone else, lol.
I love graveyards, but that has to do with my love of history as well as my fascination with death. I love finding really old tombstones. I understand what you mean about Pompeii. That's really cool that you've been there! I haven't, but I imagine I would feel the same way. Same goes for any historical site of mass death - concentration camps, battlegrounds, Ground Zero, etc. It's interesting, but sad.
I love history too, which is why it probably gets easier for me the more removed it is from modern. Of the ancient preserved sites we went too, I liked Akrotiri (in Santorini) better, but they were both really interesting (this might be my predisposition to all things Greek over Roman, but who knows). In Akrotiri, there's a theory that everyone escaped the town before the eruption since they've found things preserved in the layers of ash but never any remains. They also built a structure around the ruins to keep them from deteriorating as they excavated, which was also fascinating. I would go again to either in a heartbeat. It had been unbearably hot the week we went to Pompeii and that day it started pouring rain (but wasn't cold), so most of the tour groups left and ours didn't, so we basically had all of Pompeii to ourselves. It was amazing.
I only went to Ground Zero after it became the memorial, but it was a huge gut punch since the original tower site is now this big water structure surrounded by the black name walls. I definitely stood there for a long time pondering existence and tragedy.
I don't know that game, but it sounds fun! It reminded me of a horror-themed VHS game I had as a kid called Nightmare, which was a staple at all my slumber parties. It was a board game set in a graveyard, and you had to finish it in under an hour to win. You put in a tape that had a countdown clock, and this creepy Grim Reaper type guy would pop up and scare you and make threats about how you were running out of time throughout. I loved it so much, I actually still have it. I have no idea if the tape still works or not.
It was super fun. I still have it as well, but also don't know if the tape even works! I'd love to get that and all my old BSB VHS tapes on to some other type of media so I could use them again.
Nightmare sounds fun! Like Jumanji crossed with an escape room!
-
I haven't read Redwall in a long time, but those books had such a vivid world and history, it seems like perfect source material for fanfic.
I haven't either, but I feel like that one and Watership Down (the rabbit one) are both so vivid that they would make great source material.
I'm glad your friends are interested and supportive! I'm sure mine would be too (supportive, not necessarily interested LOL), but I have never even been tempted to tell them. That's a big no for me LOL. It is nice to have friends in the fandom who are genuinely interested and understanding though. I guess that's why I've never felt the need to talk about my writing in real life.
I am too, albeit a little surprised. And now I get to find out about everyone's writing related history or aspirations, it's been fascinating. You know, other than the two I recruited as gamma readers? delta readers? (I guess the old version of PBox was pretty much just written and posted with minimal editing from me, then AC got to read it, then I edited it, and now AC gets to read it again, now I'm editing it again, and they read it... so whatever that is... third version? Sixth if you count all the editing?), it mostly comes up when people start talking about all the bread and puzzles they did during quarantine/stay-at-home recommendation s, lol. I didn't bake any bread or do any puzzles, but I did start writing a book.
We're here for you! (I assume this is another case where I can speak for everyone.)
-
So NaNoFinMo is more like NaOhnoFinMo for me... I wrote my six words on Thursday and then have had no inspiration whatsoever on it, but I did have some major inspiration on OFPBox, so I did about 2100 words of that instead yesterday. NaNo won't let you have multiple projects associated with official events, but I figure if it's all PBox universe related, it all counts, so I counted it. I have this sneaking suspicion that this chapter may stick me for a while and I'll just have to find some other part of the story to start writing ahead. I'm just trying to decide which section would be more immediately interesting for me. I thought it would be the more Nick focused portion (for obvious reasons), but the other one is where little bits and pieces have been popping up lately, so... :shrug:
Also, just wanted to let everyone know that this:
How did you come up with the idea to have demon hearts become gemstones? Is Pandora's Necklace like the [Nick's] Heart of the Ocean? LOL
You know... It was mostly leaning into the gemstone aesthetic with the countries in the story. That and they needed to be something tangible for the end of PBox/beginning of PNecklace. I never intended it to be anything deep and poetic necessarily. Please tell the children that I “just liked green,” lmao
apparently did have a reason that I just found again while researching the "additional things that would be interesting" that came up last week, although what I said ("just leaning into the gemstone aesthetic") is still true. But I don't know that I can say "why gemstones" without giving something big away that has yet to be revealed. I have really got to stop thinking I'll remember things and actually write them down! I'm pretty good about remembering that things are important for PBox et al., but not where the inspiration came from, lol! At this point, I should just assume that any tiny thing is "all mythology somewhere," probably...
Julie, how's Camp Nano going for you? It seems that on a whole MBK is going great! Also how was your April Fool's joke? I forgot to check.
Anyone else writing who wants to challenge themselves to NaNo with us? Or has writing they want to talk about without necessarily taking on a challenge?
-
I totally believe ghosts are real, but I also absolutely do not want to meet one. I did a lantern tour at Cave of the Winds (there's another thing that's really fascinating: caves) and I didn't feel anything paranormal. I know that the tour guides specifically pick on people who seem like they'll have big reactions, so I purposefully went with the persona of "externally cool as a cucumber, internally screaming" to the point that when they volunteered me and and another friend (who was one of my bridesmaids) to do the 'Lover's Lane" walk, I said "We're not even that close. Business associates really." Then I let her volunteer someone else, lol.
The part of me that likes creepy stuff would like to believe in ghosts, but I've never had a paranormal experience that has convinced me they're real. The only thing that even came close was once when I was in college, a group of friends and I drove to this supposedly haunted bridge in another town. In typical urban legend fashion, the story went that a school bus crashed off the bridge, and if you stopped your car in the center and put it in neutral, the ghosts of the dead children would push the car to safety. We tried it in the middle of the night - stopped the car just past the center of the bridge and put it in neutral. And sure enough... the car started rolling slowly backwards, going slightly UPHILL back over the bridge. It was freaky. We didn't see anything, but we couldn't explain how it could have rolled up an incline. We ended up going back the next night in a different car and put baby powder on the hood and bumper to try to get finger prints, but nothing happened, and there were no obvious prints. So who knows.
Cave of the Winds makes me think of South Park too LOL. Did you see Manbearpig there? Someday I will have to make it out to Colorado and do a tour of places referenced in South Park - Casa Bonita and Cave of the Winds for sure.
I love history too, which is why it probably gets easier for me the more removed it is from modern. Of the ancient preserved sites we went too, I liked Akrotiri (in Santorini) better, but they were both really interesting (this might be my predisposition to all things Greek over Roman, but who knows). In Akrotiri, there's a theory that everyone escaped the town before the eruption since they've found things preserved in the layers of ash but never any remains. They also built a structure around the ruins to keep them from deteriorating as they excavated, which was also fascinating. I would go again to either in a heartbeat. It had been unbearably hot the week we went to Pompeii and that day it started pouring rain (but wasn't cold), so most of the tour groups left and ours didn't, so we basically had all of Pompeii to ourselves. It was amazing.
I only went to Ground Zero after it became the memorial, but it was a huge gut punch since the original tower site is now this big water structure surrounded by the black name walls. I definitely stood there for a long time pondering existence and tragedy.
Your trip to Greece sounds so cool! I like ancient Greece better than Rome too, although I would happily visit either place.
I went on a high school choir trip to NYC nine months after 9/11, so I got to see Ground Zero when it was still a hole. There was a temporary monument made of plywood there at the time, where people had written messages and put up pictures, flags, flowers, etc. It was incredibly sad. I haven't been back to that site since they built the new building and memorial, but I'd like to someday. I take my class there via Google Maps street view every year when we do our 9/11 lesson, so I have seen what it looks like now, just not in person.
-
So NaNoFinMo is more like NaOhnoFinMo for me... I wrote my six words on Thursday and then have had no inspiration whatsoever on it, but I did have some major inspiration on OFPBox, so I did about 2100 words of that instead yesterday. NaNo won't let you have multiple projects associated with official events, but I figure if it's all PBox universe related, it all counts, so I counted it. I have this sneaking suspicion that this chapter may stick me for a while and I'll just have to find some other part of the story to start writing ahead. I'm just trying to decide which section would be more immediately interesting for me. I thought it would be the more Nick focused portion (for obvious reasons), but the other one is where little bits and pieces have been popping up lately, so... :shrug:
Oh no! Sorry to hear you're having a hard time so far. Do you think the pressure of having a goal and a time limit is getting to you, or were you just due to hit a road block? It happens to all of us. I'm glad you were inspired to work on something. I think it still counts, since it's all in the same universe. Sending good vibes your way; hope you can keep making progress on one project or the other!
Julie, how's Camp Nano going for you? It seems that on a whole MBK is going great! Also how was your April Fool's joke? I forgot to check.
Anyone else writing who wants to challenge themselves to NaNo with us? Or has writing they want to talk about without necessarily taking on a challenge?
So far so good! I've written every day of April, and my streak is up to 22 consecutive days. I didn't update my word count the first day and now wish I had when I saw there was a badge I could have earned for doing so. Rookie mistake!
Three people acknowledged my April Fool's joke, which is better than some years, so I guess it was a success. That is partly why I went ahead and posted MBK this week, since my new Brian story was obviously not real.
Yes, I hope more people come on here and share!
-
The part of me that likes creepy stuff would like to believe in ghosts, but I've never had a paranormal experience that has convinced me they're real. The only thing that even came close was once when I was in college, a group of friends and I drove to this supposedly haunted bridge in another town.
The car went uphill?!!! I hate everything about that, lol. I bet they didn't help you the second time because they saw the baby powder and knew you weren't actually in trouble. That's like a definite "meant to be here, meant to test this" sign.
Have we talked about sleep paralysis here yet? Because that's the only thing that's ever happened to me that felt paranormal and I thought maybe I saw something, but could have just been spooky shadows while unable to move. It only happened once, but it was horrifying.
Cave of the Winds makes me think of South Park too LOL. Did you see Manbearpig there? Someday I will have to make it out to Colorado and do a tour of places referenced in South Park - Casa Bonita and Cave of the Winds for sure.
I'm sure that I could mention anything vaguely Coloradoan and it would remind you of South Park, lol. The waterpark episode, for instance, is based on our waterpark, but I'm betting they were not on board with them saying the water was 99% pee anyway. But the shot with the little "street sign" for the rides is all accurate.
lol! I did not see Manbearpig, but maybe that's the monster that pulls people into the pit, lol. I wonder if they have one of those that's already being run... There's not that I can find, which is surprising to me, but I found this little article that would be a start: https://www.outtherecolorado.com/adventures/11-real-south-park-locations-you-ll-find-in-colorado/article_495a072e-dc36-58ca-a174-5eaa87de649c.html (https://www.outtherecolorado.com/adventures/11-real-south-park-locations-you-ll-find-in-colorado/article_495a072e-dc36-58ca-a174-5eaa87de649c.html)
Your trip to Greece sounds so cool! I like ancient Greece better than Rome too, although I would happily visit either place.
I went on a high school choir trip to NYC nine months after 9/11, so I got to see Ground Zero when it was still a hole. There was a temporary monument made of plywood there at the time, where people had written messages and put up pictures, flags, flowers, etc. It was incredibly sad. I haven't been back to that site since they built the new building and memorial, but I'd like to someday. I take my class there via Google Maps street view every year when we do our 9/11 lesson, so I have seen what it looks like now, just not in person.
It was super cool! I wish we'd had more time. There were a lot of things I wanted to see, but it was a lot of "____ or _____" things. And we didn't see Crete at all because we docked at like 7am and left at noon, so it just wasn't worth it to rush to any place only to rush back to the boat.
The temporary monument seems even more sad, the freshness probably. That's cool that you do a virtual tour for them. It's nice that we have access to stuff like that now.
-
Oh no! Sorry to hear you're having a hard time so far. Do you think the pressure of having a goal and a time limit is getting to you, or were you just due to hit a road block? It happens to all of us. I'm glad you were inspired to work on something. I think it still counts, since it's all in the same universe. Sending good vibes your way; hope you can keep making progress on one project or the other!
I'm just happy to be writing at all, so I'm not super worried yet. If I go the entire month without writing PNecklace anything, then I will worry. I was probably just due for a roadblock. I also had a small "if I could go back and change x in the beginning" moment, so I'm trying to get away from wanting to do major editing while posting (especially when x thing in the beginning is semi-helpful to the story as is, but becomes redundant with some additions to the OF version, which is where the want to change it probably came from, I think). It probably doesn't help that I'm also thinking "Yeah, that series discussion, I think that this is the weak one right now... still got some awesome stuff, but could use some love..." while I'm writing, ha. I think it will all be fine. I just need to get out of my head and back into the characters' heads. Thanks for the good vibes!
So far so good! I've written every day of April, and my streak is up to 22 consecutive days. I didn't update my word count the first day and now wish I had when I saw there was a badge I could have earned for doing so. Rookie mistake!
Woo! 22-day streak! That's awesome! You can go back and add it after the fact and it will count it in your streak! Go to https://nanowrimo.org/stats (https://nanowrimo.org/stats) and it should pop up with MBK as your current project. Then in the "Progress Updates" box, you can click the "+Add New Update" link and at the bottom where the date is, just change it to the first by either manually writing "01" where "03" is or by clicking the little calendar icon and selecting the first. You deserve those words you wrote on April 1st to count toward your goal and give you a two-day streak badge!
Three people acknowledged my April Fool's joke, which is better than some years, so I guess it was a success. That is partly why I went ahead and posted MBK this week, since my new Brian story was obviously not real.
Yes, I hope more people come on here and share!
What was this fake Brian story about? Self-insert romance and a bus crash? lol
-
The car went uphill?!!! I hate everything about that, lol. I bet they didn't help you the second time because they saw the baby powder and knew you weren't actually in trouble. That's like a definite "meant to be here, meant to test this" sign.
Yep! We had that thought, too, that if there were ghosts, they saw the baby powder and decided not to cooperate the second time. Who knows.
Have we talked about sleep paralysis here yet? Because that's the only thing that's ever happened to me that felt paranormal and I thought maybe I saw something, but could have just been spooky shadows while unable to move. It only happened once, but it was horrifying.
That does sound terrifying! I'm glad it only happened to you once.
I'm sure that I could mention anything vaguely Coloradoan and it would remind you of South Park, lol. The waterpark episode, for instance, is based on our waterpark, but I'm betting they were not on board with them saying the water was 99% pee anyway. But the shot with the little "street sign" for the rides is all accurate.
lol! I did not see Manbearpig, but maybe that's the monster that pulls people into the pit, lol. I wonder if they have one of those that's already being run... There's not that I can find, which is surprising to me, but I found this little article that would be a start: https://www.outtherecolorado.com/adventures/11-real-south-park-locations-you-ll-find-in-colorado/article_495a072e-dc36-58ca-a174-5eaa87de649c.html (https://www.outtherecolorado.com/adventures/11-real-south-park-locations-you-ll-find-in-colorado/article_495a072e-dc36-58ca-a174-5eaa87de649c.html)
That's awesome! I love that list. Adding Fairplay to my personal list of places to go.
I'm just happy to be writing at all, so I'm not super worried yet. If I go the entire month without writing PNecklace anything, then I will worry. I was probably just due for a roadblock. I also had a small "if I could go back and change x in the beginning" moment, so I'm trying to get away from wanting to do major editing while posting (especially when x thing in the beginning is semi-helpful to the story as is, but becomes redundant with some additions to the OF version, which is where the want to change it probably came from, I think). It probably doesn't help that I'm also thinking "Yeah, that series discussion, I think that this is the weak one right now... still got some awesome stuff, but could use some love..." while I'm writing, ha. I think it will all be fine. I just need to get out of my head and back into the characters' heads. Thanks for the good vibes!
I hate when that happens. I get stuck in my own head sometimes too, obsessing over small details. "Is this right? Should I go back and change this?" I was doing it yesterday and spent way too long researching, trying to find an answer to what seemed like a simple question. But I never could find a clear answer... I assume because every case is different. I finally decided if I am actively searching and can't find an answer, no one is going to be able to fact-check me anyway, so I might as well just stick with my thought and not worry about whether it's right or not. As long as it sounds realistic, no one's going to question it.
That is one challenge of writing a series - always comparing the later stories to the earlier ones and trying to live up to the original. It's hard to compare a work in progress to one that is already complete though. PNecklace probably only seems like the weak one because it's not done. By the time you finish it, I'm sure you'll be happy with the final product. I have faith in you!
Woo! 22-day streak! That's awesome! You can go back and add it after the fact and it will count it in your streak! Go to https://nanowrimo.org/stats (https://nanowrimo.org/stats) and it should pop up with MBK as your current project. Then in the "Progress Updates" box, you can click the "+Add New Update" link and at the bottom where the date is, just change it to the first by either manually writing "01" where "03" is or by clicking the little calendar icon and selecting the first. You deserve those words you wrote on April 1st to count toward your goal and give you a two-day streak badge!
Thanks for the tip! I went back and added Thursday's writing too and got my badge.
What was this fake Brian story about? Self-insert romance and a bus crash? lol
http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/2021-04-01/
-
Yep! We had that thought, too, that if there were ghosts, they saw the baby powder and decided not to cooperate the second time. Who knows.
That does sound terrifying! I'm glad it only happened to you once.
Next time do it when it's snowing. Could be "in trouble," could catch hand prints in the snow, win-win.
I don't know if you've ever googled it in your adventures, but it is crazy what is likely going on in your brain and then the weird stories people have.
That's awesome! I love that list. Adding Fairplay to my personal list of places to go.
It's a cute little town. :)
I hate when that happens. I get stuck in my own head sometimes too, obsessing over small details. "Is this right? Should I go back and change this?" I was doing it yesterday and spent way too long researching, trying to find an answer to what seemed like a simple question. But I never could find a clear answer... I assume because every case is different. I finally decided if I am actively searching and can't find an answer, no one is going to be able to fact-check me anyway, so I might as well just stick with my thought and not worry about whether it's right or not. As long as it sounds realistic, no one's going to question it.
That is one challenge of writing a series - always comparing the later stories to the earlier ones and trying to live up to the original. It's hard to compare a work in progress to one that is already complete though. PNecklace probably only seems like the weak one because it's not done. By the time you finish it, I'm sure you'll be happy with the final product. I have faith in you!
It's always the small details that get me too! Whether that's a research thing or getting stuck on one word and none of the options sounding right. That sounds frustrating that it seemed like a thing that would be easy to fact-check and then wasn't. I say if you did your due diligence, then you're all good.
I guess that's true. And I also wanted to edit early PBox while I was writing it too, lol. I think this is just a place I hit once I get a third of the way through. It doesn't help that my brain is like "We're stuck. Let's go back and do this instead!" So once again, I've worked for about two hours, edited about 700 words, and researched materials for paving streets, the history of columns in architecture, and when carriages were invented/where they were widely used, but nothing for PNecklace. I'm hoping something will come to me tonight as I lay awake that is as persistent as the stuff I wrote yesterday. I've also spent some time making my first verb, but I don't think any of the conlang sites can do what I want... So, I've been messing around with that and just putting in a placeholder for now as I familiarize myself with verb conjugation in Greek, lol.
Thanks for the tip! I went back and added Thursday's writing too and got my badge.
Yay! Keep that writing streak up!
http://dreamers-sanctuary.com/2021-04-01/
LMFAO! The sound effects! The video effects! I'm dying! It reminded me of that episode of South Park where it reveals Gerald is the internet troll, lol. Was that your real voice? Because I think that's brave.
-
Next time do it when it's snowing. Could be "in trouble," could catch hand prints in the snow, win-win.
I don't know if you've ever googled it in your adventures, but it is crazy what is likely going on in your brain and then the weird stories people have.
Good idea!
I have looked up a little bit on sleep paralysis because it's something I may include in my Brian horror story if I ever get around to writing more of it. It is interesting!
It's always the small details that get me too! Whether that's a research thing or getting stuck on one word and none of the options sounding right. That sounds frustrating that it seemed like a thing that would be easy to fact-check and then wasn't. I say if you did your due diligence, then you're all good.
I guess that's true. And I also wanted to edit early PBox while I was writing it too, lol. I think this is just a place I hit once I get a third of the way through. It doesn't help that my brain is like "We're stuck. Let's go back and do this instead!" So once again, I've worked for about two hours, edited about 700 words, and researched materials for paving streets, the history of columns in architecture, and when carriages were invented/where they were widely used, but nothing for PNecklace. I'm hoping something will come to me tonight as I lay awake that is as persistent as the stuff I wrote yesterday. I've also spent some time making my first verb, but I don't think any of the conlang sites can do what I want... So, I've been messing around with that and just putting in a placeholder for now as I familiarize myself with verb conjugation in Greek, lol.
Wow! At least you've gotten a ton of research done. As you've told me many times, that still counts! Research can be a way to get re-inspired too. I hope it helps!
LMFAO! The sound effects! The video effects! I'm dying! It reminded me of that episode of South Park where it reveals Gerald is the internet troll, lol. Was that your real voice? Because I think that's brave.
Thanks! I had fun making that LOL. I love that it reminded you of South Park - high praise! And yes, that is my real voice, although I lowered the pitch a little because I always think my voice sounds too high-pitched in recordings.
-
I have looked up a little bit on sleep paralysis because it's something I may include in my Brian horror story if I ever get around to writing more of it. It is interesting!
It definitely belongs in a horror story, haha. I look forward to this actual Brian horror story and not internet troll Brian horror story, lol!
Wow! At least you've gotten a ton of research done. As you've told me many times, that still counts! Research can be a way to get re-inspired too. I hope it helps!
It was mostly mundane things I didn't look up before and an attempt to smooth out the blatant fantasy Asia aspects by mixing them up with some fun fantasy Mediterranean stuff. I actually did end up writing about 300 words of two little scenes from PNecklace, so maybe it will happen!
Thanks! I had fun making that LOL. I love that it reminded you of South Park - high praise! And yes, that is my real voice, although I lowered the pitch a little because I always think my voice sounds too high-pitched in recordings.
I can tell! It's too funny not to enjoy while making it. I'm surprised you didn't just laugh hysterically take after take. Ugh, my voice is also too high-pitched, but we've talked about this. I don't think I would ever make anyone listen to it that didn't need to, lol.
-
I stumbled on this little compilation of Tumblr posts about fanfics and it made me laugh: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf (https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf)
Although not all of them apply to us, technically. My two main questions were, did we ever have "my parents sold me to the Backstreet Boys"? I don't think I've ever read something like that. And do we have salt fics? Are the "Everybody Hates Leighanne" fics our salt fics? I feel like those are the only ones, because we're fine with the Boys doing whatever.
-
It definitely belongs in a horror story, haha. I look forward to this actual Brian horror story and not internet troll Brian horror story, lol!
LOL Thanks! Hopefully I'll get around to writing it someday. I did write the first scene back in February and then moved on to MBK.
It was mostly mundane things I didn't look up before and an attempt to smooth out the blatant fantasy Asia aspects by mixing them up with some fun fantasy Mediterranean stuff. I actually did end up writing about 300 words of two little scenes from PNecklace, so maybe it will happen!
Mundane is okay; sometimes that's what is needed. I'm glad you got something written! Every little bit moves the story forward.
I can tell! It's too funny not to enjoy while making it. I'm surprised you didn't just laugh hysterically take after take. Ugh, my voice is also too high-pitched, but we've talked about this. I don't think I would ever make anyone listen to it that didn't need to, lol.
It actually only took me two takes to record it, and I made it through without laughing. The part that kept cracking me up was the Psycho music playing as his tweet pops up.
I think everyone hates the sound of their own voice on a recording! Please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyone out there love to listen to themselves? LOL
-
I stumbled on this little compilation of Tumblr posts about fanfics and it made me laugh: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf (https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf)
I could relate to most of those!
“People are naturally lazy and will never do any kind of work for free.”
Fanfiction Writers: Words: 1,066,979
LOL So true. Writing fanfic definitely takes time and effort, but I don't think of it as "work." It's a hobby, and we do it for the fun of it, not for money. Sure, we're providing free reading material, but we also benefit from the free books provided by fellow fanfic writers. Feedback is our form of compensation, which is why it's so important to give it after reading someone's work,
fanfiction is so wild cause im like…..ugh im not in the mood to read a book…..i’ll just read an 82k word fic instead……
I used to be like this at the height of my fanfic addiction. I'm not really anymore, but I understand the feeling. Fanfic is like the comfort food of reading. Sometimes you just wanna read something that doesn't require a lot of thought - not that fanfic plots are simple, but because you're already familiar with the main characters, it doesn't take as much commitment to get into the world of the story. It's like watching reruns of your favorite show instead of starting a new series. The familiarity is comforting.
me externally: I write fanfic because I enjoy it! I write for myself!
me internally: validate me. drown me in kudos. i will sell my soul for comments and fic recs
Behind every writer on AO3 is actually a dragon that hoards kudos, comments and bookmarks.
Yep! I do write fanfic because I enjoy it, and I write for myself to a certain extent, but obviously I want validation and feedback too, or I wouldn't post my work for the world to read. I squeed with excitement when I opened my email and found two comments and an email about my new story. An email is rare; I don't get many of those anymore. I like how AO3 and AC save all your reviews in one place, but I miss the days of hoarding feedback emails. I save every one I get, but I lost a bunch of the old ones that I used to have saved in my old Hotmail and Yahoo accounts that were deactivated after I switched to Gmail and stopped signing in. So sad!
My coping mechanism is reading fanfiction from 9pm-3am every night and my therapist is not pleased.
Again, this was more me in my early days of reading fanfic than it is now, but if you replace reading with writing, it still applies. If I had less self-control, I could easily stay up writing until 3 a.m. most nights and would be even more continually sleep-deprived than I am now LOL. Although my new weekend routine has been writing from 9am-3pm instead. I'm getting old!
Fanfiction is the literal embodiment of “if you want something done right, do it yourself
I just told the story of how I got started writing fanfic the other day, and yep, it was pretty much this. My Brother's Keeper came about this way too. Who else can relate?
i can read 100,000 words of fanfiction a day but if a professor assigns more than 30 pages of reading i just stare off into space while tears fill my eyes
100% accurate.
*me writing fic*
me to me: don’t use the word eyes, you just used it in the previous sentence. use something else
my inner me to me: no, don’t call eyes orbs, it’s cringey
my deeper inner me to me: call them face balls
This one cracked me up because... orbs. Let's call them face balls!
Although not all of them apply to us, technically. My two main questions were, did we ever have "my parents sold me to the Backstreet Boys"? I don't think I've ever read something like that. And do we have salt fics? Are the "Everybody Hates Leighanne" fics our salt fics? I feel like those are the only ones, because we're fine with the Boys doing whatever.
I don't think I've ever read a "my parents sold me to the Backstreet Boys" story either. That sounds like a sex trafficking situation.
I had to look up what salt fics are. For anyone else wondering, it's when the author doesn't like something about the canon (or in our case, the Boys in real life) and writes a story that fixes it, reworks it, or bashes certain characters. I do think you could make a case for Leighanne bashing being a form of salt fic in our fandom. I also thought of Hot Mess Nick and how so many of us wrote Nick romance in which he was not a hot mess during that time - trying to fix canon LOL. There may be a bit of that going on with Brian stories right now. Seems like the Brian stories being written are either set in the past or put him with Nick instead of Leighanne (or both). 90s Brian was better.
-
LOL Thanks! Hopefully I'll get around to writing it someday. I did write the first scene back in February and then moved on to MBK.
Definitely stay inspired on MBK! Always sending you and everyone good vibes for whatever compelling thing is currently being written!
Mundane is okay; sometimes that's what is needed. I'm glad you got something written! Every little bit moves the story forward.
It definitely does! And then yet again today, I had a stroke of genius because of the 300 words I wrote yesterday, but still not for PNecklace. I'm apparently just sitting here writing an entire epic out of order and not caring about being structured or focused at all, lol. I wonder how PBox would have gone if I hadn't written in strict order back then. Would I still be writing the first version? I hope not.
It actually only took me two takes to record it, and I made it through without laughing. The part that kept cracking me up was the Psycho music playing as his tweet pops up.
I think everyone hates the sound of their own voice on a recording! Please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyone out there love to listen to themselves? LOL
Only two takes! Impressive! Yes, the Psycho music got me too; the way it just zoomed in on the tweet with the Psycho music in the background, I laughed so hard.
People on radio? I think that's all. You'd have to if you were listening to yourself all the time. The Boys? Do the Boys or any actor, singer, etcetera mind the sound of their own voice? Maybe the more your job involves hearing your voice recorded and/or blared over speakers, the less it bothers you.
-
I stumbled on this little compilation of Tumblr posts about fanfics and it made me laugh: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf (https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellymartinez/fanfiction-tumblr-posts?origin=web-hf)
Although not all of them apply to us, technically. My two main questions were, did we ever have "my parents sold me to the Backstreet Boys"? I don't think I've ever read something like that. And do we have salt fics? Are the "Everybody Hates Leighanne" fics our salt fics? I feel like those are the only ones, because we're fine with the Boys doing whatever.
Why aren’t there drive-throughs for fanfiction though?
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’d like a modern “pretend boyfriends” AU, no dub-con, add frottage, please.”
“Would you like a happy ending with that?”
“Yes, please.”
“And for length?”
“Oh, a 50k-er, please.”
“Will do, please pull around to the first window.”
If you could "order up" the ideal fanfic to read, what would yours include?
-
I could relate to most of those!
Your thoughts were pretty much on par with my thoughts; everything you've said is spot on. Especially the investment back in the day. It was so easy to get invested in a BSB fanfic because the investment for the Boys and more of them and new things happening to them was so much of my dedication. (I am also guilty of rewatching the same four tv shows over and over again.)
I love that you got email feedback! That's awesome! And commitment rather than just being able to comment on the story itself.
This one cracked me up because... orbs. Let's call them face balls!
I laughed so hard at this too! Because my first thought was "I wonder what Mare thinks about 'face balls'." And then, "I have to share this list over at AC because Julie will also laugh really hard at 'orbs' followed by 'face balls.'" lmao So, yes, let's start calling them "face balls" unless Mare disapproves.
I don't think I've ever read a "my parents sold me to the Backstreet Boys" story either. That sounds like a sex trafficking situation.
I had to look up what salt fics are. For anyone else wondering, it's when the author doesn't like something about the canon (or in our case, the Boys in real life) and writes a story that fixes it, reworks it, or bashes certain characters. I do think you could make a case for Leighanne bashing being a form of salt fic in our fandom. I also thought of Hot Mess Nick and how so many of us wrote Nick romance in which he was not a hot mess during that time - trying to fix canon LOL. There may be a bit of that going on with Brian stories right now. Seems like the Brian stories being written are either set in the past or put him with Nick instead of Leighanne (or both). 90s Brian was better.
That's what I thought; it sounded squicky. Also, why would someone's parents sell them to the Backstreet Boys when they could be a backup dancer or an opening act instead?! More drama. More exposure. More fun.
I have to stop using fandom type terms I come across without defining them, my bad!
Poor Hot Mess Nick. I would call those a retcon more than salt, since we all enjoy Nick, just when he's less of a hot mess. Thank goodness he had all of us around to give him some great potential ladies that encouraged him to do things other than being a hot mess. lol
You're right, Brian stories may be intentionally avoiding his current political shennaniganery . What are we going to call "blatantly conservative Brian" so we can reference this time later. It needs a good ring to it like Hot Mess Nick. Internet Troll Brian? Trump Troll Brian? lol #Team90'sBrian
-
If you could "order up" the ideal fanfic to read, what would yours include?
Just our Boys True Companioning in any setting/plot. I'm not super picky. Preferences for none of their actual wives or children being involved; fictional wives and children are fine.
-
Definitely stay inspired on MBK! Always sending you and everyone good vibes for whatever compelling thing is currently being written!
Thanks! I plan to. Although it's still early in the plot, I think I'm past the point of wondering whether MBK is a story I will stick with or not. I've gotten into it, and it's going well enough that I'm not worried about it.
It definitely does! And then yet again today, I had a stroke of genius because of the 300 words I wrote yesterday, but still not for PNecklace. I'm apparently just sitting here writing an entire epic out of order and not caring about being structured or focused at all, lol. I wonder how PBox would have gone if I hadn't written in strict order back then. Would I still be writing the first version? I hope not.
Yay for your stroke of genius! Sorry it wasn't for PNecklace, but if it helps you write another piece of the epic, that's still progress. Eventually everything will connect. As long as you're okay with writing out of order, go for it! Whatever works for you.
Only two takes! Impressive! Yes, the Psycho music got me too; the way it just zoomed in on the tweet with the Psycho music in the background, I laughed so hard.
People on radio? I think that's all. You'd have to if you were listening to yourself all the time. The Boys? Do the Boys or any actor, singer, etcetera mind the sound of their own voice? Maybe the more your job involves hearing your voice recorded and/or blared over speakers, the less it bothers you.
Yay! Thanks!
Yeah, I'm sure people who record themselves for a living (radio personalities, voice actors, singers, audiobook readers, etc.) do get used to the sound of their own voice. I thought about the Boys too. I bet even they cringe sometimes when they hear themselves, especially on older songs. The AIHTG Conversation Mix comes to mind... LOL.
-
Thanks! I plan to. Although it's still early in the plot, I think I'm past the point of wondering whether MBK is a story I will stick with or not. I've gotten into it, and it's going well enough that I'm not worried about it.
How does it feel to get to the point of not worrying? I bet it's a relief knowing that you'll keep going even if you get stuck a little.
Yay for your stroke of genius! Sorry it wasn't for PNecklace, but if it helps you write another piece of the epic, that's still progress. Eventually everything will connect. As long as you're okay with writing out of order, go for it! Whatever works for you.
It felt good to write something down on the big mystery even if it's still a long way off, since, like you said, eventually everything will connect. You know, I don't mind it. I thought it would bother me, but it gets the exciting things out. :) Then there's more space for the things I get stuck on to grow in the "garden."
Yeah, I'm sure people who record themselves for a living (radio personalities, voice actors, singers, audiobook readers, etc.) do get used to the sound of their own voice. I thought about the Boys too. I bet even they cringe sometimes when they hear themselves, especially on older songs. The AIHTG Conversation Mix comes to mind... LOL.
lol! Yes! Oh the Conversation Mix...
I wonder how Howie feels about suggesting his ideal lady cooks all his meals and he just eats them.
Meanwhile, Nick's probably like "Yup, kiss her, and kiss her, and kiss her. Good job 17-year-old me." I did feel glad for him that in that "I hate watching myself" youtube thing that they did not play the "resign" interview. I'm sure he would have hated that, but for nothing that was related to the sound of his voice.
-
Your thoughts were pretty much on par with my thoughts; everything you've said is spot on. Especially the investment back in the day. It was so easy to get invested in a BSB fanfic because the investment for the Boys and more of them and new things happening to them was so much of my dedication. (I am also guilty of rewatching the same four tv shows over and over again.)
Exactly. It's easier to read stories where you already love the characters than try something totally new and different. That's why so many people (kids especially) seem to prefer series to standalone stories. There's a familiarity there. My mom used to get on my case as a kid for only wanting to read books from my favorite series - Babysitter's Club, Goosebumps, etc. - instead of branching out, but I loved those books because they were comfortable and entertaining without being overly challenging. Goosebumps had different characters from book to book, but with BSC, it was nice to read about the same characters from book to book and not have to get to know all new ones.
I am terrible about that with TV shows. I was told to watch Queen's Gambit on Netflix. I watched the first episode a few weeks ago. It was good, but long, so I didn't feel like watching the second one immediately after. Then I started rewatching Friday Night Lights from the beginning and am now on the second season, but still haven't watched the second episode of Queen's Gambit. But damn, I almost forgot just how good FNL was, especially that first season.
I laughed so hard at this too! Because my first thought was "I wonder what Mare thinks about 'face balls'." And then, "I have to share this list over at AC because Julie will also laugh really hard at 'orbs' followed by 'face balls.'" lmao So, yes, let's start calling them "face balls" unless Mare disapproves.
Face balls sounds exactly like a funny Mare description LOL.
That's what I thought; it sounded squicky. Also, why would someone's parents sell them to the Backstreet Boys when they could be a backup dancer or an opening act instead?! More drama. More exposure. More fun.
Yeah. I know squicky stuff has always existed in our fandom to some extent, but AO3 seems to have brought it into the mainstream. I noticed a new story on there yesterday that was written in Chinese, which I thought was cool. It was clearly tagged "Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot," but just for kicks, I clicked on it and let Chrome translate it so I could see what it looked like in English. From what I understood in my skimming, the Boys (or at least Brian and Kevin) were bunnies? Literally rabbits, with long ears and puffball tails. And, as you might imagine, they were doing what rabbits are stereotypicall y known for doing. That was something I'd never seen in our fandom LOL.
I have to stop using fandom type terms I come across without defining them, my bad!
It doesn't seem like our fandom uses as many of those terms as other fandoms do. Obviously we've adopted some, like "slash" and "visuals/vizzies," but most of the other ones I know, I've picked up from pages about fanfic in general, not specifically BSB fic. Since I don't read or write in any other fandoms, there are a lot I don't know. But it's always nice to learn some new terminology.
Poor Hot Mess Nick. I would call those a retcon more than salt, since we all enjoy Nick, just when he's less of a hot mess. Thank goodness he had all of us around to give him some great potential ladies that encouraged him to do things other than being a hot mess. lol
You're right, Brian stories may be intentionally avoiding his current political shennaniganery . What are we going to call "blatantly conservative Brian" so we can reference this time later. It needs a good ring to it like Hot Mess Nick. Internet Troll Brian? Trump Troll Brian? lol #Team90'sBrian
Yes, you're probably right about Nick, since we weren't really bashing him, just making his life different.
LOL Oh jeez... Brian probably does need a nickname to reflect this era. I bet Mare will come up with something better than me. Blatantly Conservative Brian and Trump Troll Brian both have a nice ring, though I would rather not have to type Trump's name when discussing this 10+ years in the future. Damn it Brian.
-
Just our Boys True Companioning in any setting/plot. I'm not super picky. Preferences for none of their actual wives or children being involved; fictional wives and children are fine.
I'm all for more True Companioning and less kinky slash!
If you could "order up" the ideal fanfic to read, what would yours include?
Mine would include:
- all five guys but Brian or Nick as the main character
- bromance
- hurt/comfort angst
- some sort of illness, injury, or life-threatening situation
-
How does it feel to get to the point of not worrying? I bet it's a relief knowing that you'll keep going even if you get stuck a little.
It is a relief! Especially after getting stuck and staying like that for three years LOL. I may get stuck again, but I feel like I'm committed enough to the story at this point that I'll be able to push through it sooner the next time it happens.
It felt good to write something down on the big mystery even if it's still a long way off, since, like you said, eventually everything will connect. You know, I don't mind it. I thought it would bother me, but it gets the exciting things out. :) Then there's more space for the things I get stuck on to grow in the "garden."
I feel like it would bother me too, but maybe I'll have to try it sometime and find out for myself. I would be most worried about maintaining continuity, trying to keep track of what has already happened and what hasn't happened yet, and that sort of thing. Does that get complicated for you?
lol! Yes! Oh the Conversation Mix...
I wonder how Howie feels about suggesting his ideal lady cooks all his meals and he just eats them.
Meanwhile, Nick's probably like "Yup, kiss her, and kiss her, and kiss her. Good job 17-year-old me." I did feel glad for him that in that "I hate watching myself" youtube thing that they did not play the "resign" interview. I'm sure he would have hated that, but for nothing that was related to the sound of his voice.
It always makes me laugh when it pops up on my BSB playlist. Sometimes I skip it, and other times I listen to it and crack myself up saying all the lines along with them. I'm sure I took it way too literally as a young teenybopper, but Howie was my least favorite for a while because of his stupid part in that song LOL. Howie! Your wife is not just there to cook you food! Make your own damn breakfast!
Brian and AJ came off looking the best, although it's interesting that Brian talked about being attracted to a smart girl who had a good head on her shoulders and liked to go to school (teenybopper me was like, "That's me!"), yet he married an uneducated bimbo with big boobs. Nick was right for calling him out in the song LOL.
I bet Nick and Kevin both cringe at the sound of their voice in that one - Nick because he sounds so young and Kevin because he's doing that cheesy Boys II Men-style sexy deep voice. "Yes, baby... no diggity." LMFAO!
-
Exactly. It's easier to read stories where you already love the characters than try something totally new and different.
I assume that this is what people who write book series are counting on. Though I feel like there's less serial type ones going on now than there used to be? Like how did Ann M. Martin come up with so many plots involving the same 10 girls?
I am terrible about that with TV shows. I was told to watch Queen's Gambit on Netflix. I watched the first episode a few weeks ago. It was good, but long, so I didn't feel like watching the second one immediately after. Then I started rewatching Friday Night Lights from the beginning and am now on the second season, but still haven't watched the second episode of Queen's Gambit. But damn, I almost forgot just how good FNL was, especially that first season.
I keep meaning to watch FNL. That exact situation you describe is me, just replace Queen's Gambit with The Crown, and FNL with the Big Bang Theory. I finally caved and started watching HBO Max. Friends is next.
Face balls sounds exactly like a funny Mare description LOL.
If we keep writing her name, she'll eventually see it and comment a week from now, lol. We need to know!
Yeah. I know squicky stuff has always existed in our fandom to some extent, but AO3 seems to have brought it into the mainstream. I noticed a new story on there yesterday that was written in Chinese, which I thought was cool. It was clearly tagged "Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot," but just for kicks, I clicked on it and let Chrome translate it so I could see what it looked like in English. From what I understood in my skimming, the Boys (or at least Brian and Kevin) were bunnies? Literally rabbits, with long ears and puffball tails. And, as you might imagine, they were doing what rabbits are stereotypicall y known for doing. That was something I'd never seen in our fandom LOL.
I saw that one today when I just kind of checked to see what else was going on/if tons of people were still posting on Wednesdays. I did not go to the lengths that you did to figure out what it was about because I saw "cousin incest" and noped on out of there.
lol, rabbits! Happy Easter, here's a BSB pwp bunny fanfic. I don't think I can judge too much, since I'm probably at the top of the list of "writes stories where the Boys have odd body parts."
It doesn't seem like our fandom uses as many of those terms as other fandoms do. Obviously we've adopted some, like "slash" and "visuals/vizzies," but most of the other ones I know, I've picked up from pages about fanfic in general, not specifically BSB fic. Since I don't read or write in any other fandoms, there are a lot I don't know. But it's always nice to learn some new terminology.
I wonder if it's just a compound of it being RPF and an older fandom. Like "slash" and "visuals/vizzies" I would consider older terms. I feel like now fandoms just portmanteau names for couples and then you just know it's slash or not based on that? And then I think PWP is the new version of "visuals." "Salt" wasn't a thing I saw until the last year or so when I'm looking up something and fandom-related things appear. Curiosity always got the better of me and I like fanart more than fanfic for other things. The Boys are my only fanfic love.
Yes, you're probably right about Nick, since we weren't really bashing him, just making his life different.
LOL Oh jeez... Brian probably does need a nickname to reflect this era. I bet Mare will come up with something better than me. Blatantly Conservative Brian and Trump Troll Brian both have a nice ring, though I would rather not have to type Trump's name when discussing this 10+ years in the future. Damn it Brian.
We got through Hot Mess Nick, we'll get through Blatantly Conservative Brian together too (I also prefer not typing Trump a billion times). We could always just call him BAnon, lol. We loved Nick and we'll love Brian too. Unless anyone plans on bashing him, I guess.
-
I'm all for more True Companioning and less kinky slash!
Just to round it out a little. If people want to write slash, people want to read it. But I also like writing True Companions, so there must be people who want to read that too.
Mine would include:
- all five guys but Brian or Nick as the main character
- bromance
- hurt/comfort angst
- some sort of illness, injury, or life-threatening situation
I probably lean Nick as main character too, now that you mention it.
-
I assume that this is what people who write book series are counting on. Though I feel like there's less serial type ones going on now than there used to be? Like how did Ann M. Martin come up with so many plots involving the same 10 girls?
They were ghostwritten after the first 36 books - that's how. But still, 36 books is a lot! It seems like the big series are more prevalent in books written for elementary readers, probably because of the point you made - the authors know kids who read and like one book in a series will keep coming back for more because of that familiarity, and they capitalize on that.
Series don't seem as prevalent for adult fiction. Most of the ones I've read as an adult were actually YA fiction, like Twilight and The Hunger Games.
I keep meaning to watch FNL. That exact situation you describe is me, just replace Queen's Gambit with The Crown, and FNL with the Big Bang Theory. I finally caved and started watching HBO Max. Friends is next.
FNL is so good!! I grew up in a small town that was obsessed with high school football, so I could relate to so much of it. But also, the cast is excellent, and it has one of the best pilot episodes I've ever seen. If you make it to the end of the first episode, you'll be hooked.
I'm the same way with The Crown. I started watching that over a year ago, and I'm only on episode 9 of the first season LOL. It's well done, but it's not a binge-worthy show for me. I have to be in the right mood for it, which apparently doesn't happen very often. Meanwhile, I caught up on all 9 seasons of The Office in a matter of months when it was on Netflix. I'm not a big sitcom person, but it's much easier to binge-watch 22-minute episodes of a comedy than 60-minute episodes of a period drama.
lol, rabbits! Happy Easter, here's a BSB pwp bunny fanfic. I don't think I can judge too much, since I'm probably at the top of the list of "writes stories where the Boys have odd body parts."
LOL Yep! I can't judge too much either because I've written my own weird/squicky stuff. To each their own. It just made me laugh. Gold star for originality, especially in a PWP!
I wonder if it's just a compound of it being RPF and an older fandom. Like "slash" and "visuals/vizzies" I would consider older terms. I feel like now fandoms just portmanteau names for couples and then you just know it's slash or not based on that? And then I think PWP is the new version of "visuals." "Salt" wasn't a thing I saw until the last year or so when I'm looking up something and fandom-related things appear. Curiosity always got the better of me and I like fanart more than fanfic for other things. The Boys are my only fanfic love.
Oh absolutely, that makes sense. And you're right, PWP is the new version of visual. I guess it's because there just aren't many places to discuss BSB fanfic anymore that we don't adopt or create as many terms. And since we mainly only write about five "characters," we don't have as many cutesy couple names as other fandoms. Go figure, the only one I've ever used is "Nowie," and I don't think that's a popular pairing on AO3.
I like learning new terms, though, so keep sharing them as you come across them! I remember the first time I came across the term "hurt/comfort" years ago - I was like, "OMG... that's exactly what I like to read and write!" I never knew there was a specific name for that trope. That was way before TV Tropes existed, or at least before I discovered that site.
We got through Hot Mess Nick, we'll get through Blatantly Conservative Brian together too (I also prefer not typing Trump a billion times). We could always just call him BAnon, lol. We loved Nick and we'll love Brian too. Unless anyone plans on bashing him, I guess.
BAnon LOL. I like BCB best too. And yes, this too shall pass. I hope we can get to a place where being conservative isn't seen as a bad thing. I still love Brian and will only bash him with love. All in good fun!
-
Just to round it out a little. If people want to write slash, people want to read it. But I also like writing True Companions, so there must be people who want to read that too.
Yes, very true. I don't mean to knock slash; I've actually grown to appreciate slash more over the years. I just get tired of scrolling through AO3 and seeing so much of it, especially the PWP kind.
-
It is a relief! Especially after getting stuck and staying like that for three years LOL. I may get stuck again, but I feel like I'm committed enough to the story at this point that I'll be able to push through it sooner the next time it happens.
I think you will too! And I'm here to commiserate with you should it happen. Because I get being committed and getting stuck. I'm like the poster child for it, really. I'm pretty sure when PBox was featured, Mare said she picked it because it "might inspire you to update it this month." That did not happen, lol.
I feel like it would bother me too, but maybe I'll have to try it sometime and find out for myself. I would be most worried about maintaining continuity, trying to keep track of what has already happened and what hasn't happened yet, and that sort of thing. Does that get complicated for you?
I think I only noticed it once and it was more in the vein of "tiny plot hole, oops!" that I forgot to write down, but had clearly always thought because I did write it and say "you know, I don't think that I actually wrote that down the first time, my bad." I've got the overall continuity down pretty well. It helps that PBox was fairly self-contained, being an "in search of MacGuffin" type story and I have two notes documents going that are basically timelines (but in the more jumbled way I tend to write things down rather than outlines) where I'll note things that have yet to happen in PNecklace or things that clearly happen in the next one.
Anything I write ahead of time, I label it very meticulously as "Book title (likely chapter range if I know it, plot point or sub-plot): description of thing that's happening." I'll make up an example since everything I have in there now is fairly spoilery to list verbatim even with character names replaced with letters. Let's say back in PBox days I got an idea for the little excerpt I posted of the Kevin talking about medicinal salves scene and wrote it, I would have labeled it as "PBox (early twenties, after Renee/NSYNC stuff; while traveling to Rubiihoppou to find AJ): Kevin has a hobby making medicinal salves and Nick thinks it smells terrible (haha), demons smell really well and all smell different." That meticulous labeling also shows you that Nick's hilarious reaction is probably why I wanted to write it down so badly, lol. Then all the scenes are put in the order they probably go in once they're actually in chapters, though I did end up moving some around in PNecklace from my initial thought of where they should go once I actually got around to writing the full chapter and have also ultimately decided to take some things I thought were interesting out after I decided it wasn't important. So it lives and breathes.
It's only getting slightly confusing now in the OF editing since I have an opportunity to bring even more things in earlier and different things that are better than the laziness of the fanfic version, like some early symbolism for the "omg they're x" stuff that was poorly done in the original fanfic/too late to majorly change now. That and I've thought "aww, I wish I could add this to the fanfic" several times, but it would create a domino effect of stuff to change and it just feels like I would be constantly changing the fanfic version, which would break my "nothing major actually changes in the fanfic edit down to the plot of each chapter" rule.
And half of my changes to the narrative right now are in my effort to demonstrate, "See this little demon that is not at all Nick Carter (*cough*), you should care about him so much and invest in his story, here is why" versus "in this story, Nick is demon! Let's continue to the part that does need an explanation for you to enjoy this story, the world building." lol
It always makes me laugh when it pops up on my BSB playlist. Sometimes I skip it, and other times I listen to it and crack myself up saying all the lines along with them. I'm sure I took it way too literally as a young teenybopper, but Howie was my least favorite for a while because of his stupid part in that song LOL. Howie! Your wife is not just there to cook you food! Make your own damn breakfast!
Sometimes I go out of my way to listen to it, lol. I thought Howie was ridiculous for it, but also understood that someone who liked to cook would be an awesome person to be with, because then I could just eat it, lol. Although cooking together is more enjoyable.
Howie and Kevin were tied for me. Nick, then Brian (aka the blond/blue-eyed not Nick, lol), then AJ, then Howie and Kevin. Now it's probably either Nick and everybody else or Nick, then Howie and I could be thick as thieves, but I love all of you for the good times. It's hard to shake the Nick love even being an old married lady at this point. All my favorite songs now are the ones they all have solo bits on, where in my younger years, they were all the Nick and Brian dominated ones (which wasn't hard to do, lol).
Brian and AJ came off looking the best, although it's interesting that Brian talked about being attracted to a smart girl who had a good head on her shoulders and liked to go to school (teenybopper me was like, "That's me!"), yet he married an uneducated bimbo with big boobs. Nick was right for calling him out in the song LOL.
You sound so reasonable. Teenybopper me was like "Yeah, I'll kiss you at the movies, and when we go dancing, and whenever! Name the place! I'm there!" Nick was right to call him out. He knew. Guardian angel, boom.
I bet Nick and Kevin both cringe at the sound of their voice in that one - Nick because he sounds so young and Kevin because he's doing that cheesy Boys II Men-style sexy deep voice. "Yes, baby... no diggity." LMFAO!
I don't know that Nick does. That video where they're all calling out IYWITBGG (and AJ even says "It should have never been made, it should not exist"). And Nick's just like, "I don't know. We have a lot of great songs." like he didn't think it was that bad, lol. And there are points in that song where his voice is pretty cringey sounding too. Speaking of young Nick, now I have a deep desire to go listen to Tell Me That I'm Dreaming, lol!
Kevin is probably so glad to have moved on from songs with the cheesy sexy deep voice. I bet he got so tired of that. "No diggity," lmfao. Poor Kevin.
-
They were ghostwritten after the first 36 books - that's how. But still, 36 books is a lot! It seems like the big series are more prevalent in books written for elementary readers, probably because of the point you made - the authors know kids who read and like one book in a series will keep coming back for more because of that familiarity, and they capitalize on that.
Series don't seem as prevalent for adult fiction. Most of the ones I've read as an adult were actually YA fiction, like Twilight and The Hunger Games.
Did not know that! That makes so much more sense. It's like Magic Tree House. I pick them up and think, you've got to have run out of places for Jack and Annie to go by now. No? This is new? Okay. What are they doing now? lol
I think if it's a series in adult fiction, there's not a million of them, but there's more than three or four (i'm thinking GOT and Sookie Stackhouse). YA is usually like "You have three to four of these before your target audience moves on, tick tock." lol
FNL is so good!! I grew up in a small town that was obsessed with high school football, so I could relate to so much of it. But also, the cast is excellent, and it has one of the best pilot episodes I've ever seen. If you make it to the end of the first episode, you'll be hooked.
I liked the movie a lot and I've heard good things, so I really keep meaning to! Is it back on Netflix now?
I'm the same way with The Crown. I started watching that over a year ago, and I'm only on episode 9 of the first season LOL. It's well done, but it's not a binge-worthy show for me. I have to be in the right mood for it, which apparently doesn't happen very often. Meanwhile, I caught up on all 9 seasons of The Office in a matter of months when it was on Netflix. I'm not a big sitcom person, but it's much easier to binge-watch 22-minute episodes of a comedy than 60-minute episodes of a period drama.
Same on all of that, even The Office bit, lol. You can watch about three episodes in an hour of a sitcom, it takes much less time.
LOL Yep! I can't judge too much either because I've written my own weird/squicky stuff. To each their own. It just made me laugh. Gold star for originality, especially in a PWP!
Right? lol Gives some substance to the PWP.
Oh absolutely, that makes sense. And you're right, PWP is the new version of visual. I guess it's because there just aren't many places to discuss BSB fanfic anymore that we don't adopt or create as many terms. And since we mainly only write about five "characters," we don't have as many cutesy couple names as other fandoms. Go figure, the only one I've ever used is "Nowie," and I don't think that's a popular pairing on AO3.
I like learning new terms, though, so keep sharing them as you come across them! I remember the first time I came across the term "hurt/comfort" years ago - I was like, "OMG... that's exactly what I like to read and write!" I never knew there was a specific name for that trope. That was way before TV Tropes existed, or at least before I discovered that site.
We're too old to change and all have the same terminology. It's fine, lol.
There's at most, what?... 25 cutesy couple names? But we're just as likely to use them platonically as we are to use them for couples? That's why we need "slash" too, lol. I can't think of any besides Frick & Frack, ARok, and Nowie though. Kentucky Cousins? Is that one?
I like coming across new terms too, especially when it's things like that where I was like "This thing I enjoy has name? Awesome!" I can't think of any examples right now, but I do always like when I know the specific trope for whatever thing.
BAnon LOL. I like BCB best too. And yes, this too shall pass. I hope we can get to a place where being conservative isn't seen as a bad thing. I still love Brian and will only bash him with love. All in good fun!
Alright, unless anyone else has objections, it sounds like Blatantly Conservative Brian (BCB for short) is our term for this, lol. I think as we get further away from the extreme right that it has been, it'll be fine. :)
Yes, very true. I don't mean to knock slash; I've actually grown to appreciate slash more over the years. I just get tired of scrolling through AO3 and seeing so much of it, especially the PWP kind.
I didn't think you did. I didn't either. I get tired of scrolling through all the PWP on AO3 whether it's slash or not! It's more the PWP aspect of it than the slash aspect for me. As I said before, I'm really not that picky as long as there's a plot, lol.
-
I think you will too! And I'm here to commiserate with you should it happen. Because I get being committed and getting stuck. I'm like the poster child for it, really. I'm pretty sure when PBox was featured, Mare said she picked it because it "might inspire you to update it this month." That did not happen, lol.
Aww, thanks! This forum is great for commiserating. I'm either going to hit a wall soon, or I'm going to roll right through it. I can't tell yet. I'm already almost through the first phase of the story, which I had a pretty clear vision for. I also have a lot planned for the third phase of the story, which I feel is really the heart of the whole story idea. It's the second phase I'm unsure about. That's the part I wish I could film as a brief montage set to some upbeat 80s music and move on from. It's really just the bridge between the first and third phase of the story, but I can't completely rush through it. I just don't have a lot of specific scenes planned out yet, so I need to get on that. I did take your suggestion and start a list, but it's a pretty short list so far LOL. I'm hoping when I get to the point of actually needing scenes, I'll come up with something. This is me plantsing LOL.
Anything I write ahead of time, I label it very meticulously as "Book title (likely chapter range if I know it, plot point or sub-plot): description of thing that's happening." I'll make up an example since everything I have in there now is fairly spoilery to list verbatim even with character names replaced with letters. Let's say back in PBox days I got an idea for the little excerpt I posted of the Kevin talking about medicinal salves scene and wrote it, I would have labeled it as "PBox (early twenties, after Renee/NSYNC stuff; while traveling to Rubiihoppou to find AJ): Kevin has a hobby making medicinal salves and Nick thinks it smells terrible (haha), demons smell really well and all smell different." That meticulous labeling also shows you that Nick's hilarious reaction is probably why I wanted to write it down so badly, lol. Then all the scenes are put in the order they probably go in once they're actually in chapters, though I did end up moving some around in PNecklace from my initial thought of where they should go once I actually got around to writing the full chapter and have also ultimately decided to take some things I thought were interesting out after I decided it wasn't important. So it lives and breathes.
It's only getting slightly confusing now in the OF editing since I have an opportunity to bring even more things in earlier and different things that are better than the laziness of the fanfic version, like some early symbolism for the "omg they're x" stuff that was poorly done in the original fanfic/too late to majorly change now. That and I've thought "aww, I wish I could add this to the fanfic" several times, but it would create a domino effect of stuff to change and it just feels like I would be constantly changing the fanfic version, which would break my "nothing major actually changes in the fanfic edit down to the plot of each chapter" rule.
And half of my changes to the narrative right now are in my effort to demonstrate, "See this little demon that is not at all Nick Carter (*cough*), you should care about him so much and invest in his story, here is why" versus "in this story, Nick is demon! Let's continue to the part that does need an explanation for you to enjoy this story, the world building." lol
I almost asked you about labeling all these scenes, but I remembered you talking a while back about naming your files in Google Drive. The way you explained it here makes more sense and seems like it would help you remember what you wrote and find the right scene when you need it.
I think you're wise to save the big changes for the OF version instead of constantly editing the fanfic. Especially since the fanfic is already online. And yeah, you probably would need to focus more on character development in the OF version, since you're no longer writing about "Nick."
That seems like it would be one of the biggest differences between writing fanfic and original fic. I know in the stories where I have created original characters that play an important role, I've put a lot more time into developing them than I did the Boys, because the readers already know the Boys. It's more about orienting them to when in Backstreet time the story takes place and showing how the Boys change as a result of whatever happens in the plot.
Howie and Kevin were tied for me. Nick, then Brian (aka the blond/blue-eyed not Nick, lol), then AJ, then Howie and Kevin. Now it's probably either Nick and everybody else or Nick, then Howie and I could be thick as thieves, but I love all of you for the good times. It's hard to shake the Nick love even being an old married lady at this point. All my favorite songs now are the ones they all have solo bits on, where in my younger years, they were all the Nick and Brian dominated ones (which wasn't hard to do, lol).
I was the same way with having a clear order of favorites in my teenybopper days, although it changed from time to time. Brian was always my favorite, and AJ was #2 for a long time. Nick was my least favorite very early on, which I think was based on a combination of wanting to go against the grain of him being everyone else's favorite and finding him annoying in their Millennium era appearances. But then Nick started to grow on me (helped by fanfic, no doubt), which left Howie and Kevin alternating between the #4 and #5 spot. I know Nick had risen to my second favorite by 2001 because my custom license plate on my first car began with BNAHK, and I put their initials in order of favorites LOL. Now I would rank them in two tiers: Brian and Nick on the top tier, Kevin, Howie, and AJ on the bottom tier. I don't have a least favorite anymore; I love them all.
I don't know that Nick does. That video where they're all calling out IYWITBGG (and AJ even says "It should have never been made, it should not exist"). And Nick's just like, "I don't know. We have a lot of great songs." like he didn't think it was that bad, lol. And there are points in that song where his voice is pretty cringey sounding too. Speaking of young Nick, now I have a deep desire to go listen to Tell Me That I'm Dreaming, lol!
Kevin is probably so glad to have moved on from songs with the cheesy sexy deep voice. I bet he got so tired of that. "No diggity," lmfao. Poor Kevin.
I'm with Nick on that. Sure, IYWITBGG is bad, but it's far from their worst song. It's a guilty pleasure song - catchy and fun, even if it the lyrics are cringey. Boys Will Be Boys is just as bad, and I love both songs. I would take songs like that any day over She's a Dream. Tell Me That I'm Dreaming is adorable.
I wonder if Kevin realized how cheesy it was when he got roped into doing that deep voice back then, or if it actually seemed cool and sexy at the time because Boys II Men had done it. I agree; I'm sure he's glad that trend is over LOL.
-
Did not know that! That makes so much more sense. It's like Magic Tree House. I pick them up and think, you've got to have run out of places for Jack and Annie to go by now. No? This is new? Okay. What are they doing now? lol
I think if it's a series in adult fiction, there's not a million of them, but there's more than three or four (i'm thinking GOT and Sookie Stackhouse). YA is usually like "You have three to four of these before your target audience moves on, tick tock." lol
Yes, I almost mentioned Magic Tree House as an example! I guess with those books, they just have to think of a historical time period or event or a scientific topic they want to focus on and develop the plot around that. All those series are so formulaic, I'm sure that helps the authors (or ghostwriters) churn them out quickly.
YA series aiming for 3-4 books to match their readers' attention span totally makes sense LOL.
I liked the movie a lot and I've heard good things, so I really keep meaning to! Is it back on Netflix now?
The show is better than the movie, but I may be biased because I didn't see the movie until after I fell in love with the show. It used to be on Netflix, but I think it's only on Hulu right now.
There's at most, what?... 25 cutesy couple names? But we're just as likely to use them platonically as we are to use them for couples? That's why we need "slash" too, lol. I can't think of any besides Frick & Frack, ARok, and Nowie though. Kentucky Cousins? Is that one?
There must be one for Kevin/Nick, but I'm not sure what is most commonly used. Kick? Nevin? I think Brian/Kevin would be Kentucky Cousins or KFC (Kentucky's Finest Cousins). Not sure if there is one for AJ/Kevin, AJ/Howie, AJ/Nick, Howie/Kevin, or Howie/Brian. I don't see those pairings often, if ever. Can you imagine a Howie/Brian slash? LMAO.
I get tired of scrolling through all the PWP on AO3 whether it's slash or not! It's more the PWP aspect of it than the slash aspect for me. As I said before, I'm really not that picky as long as there's a plot, lol.
I'm with you! It's not the slash that annoys me; it's the PWP. It just so happens that most of the PWP on AO3 seems to be slash, not het. I'm fine with slash with a plot. And slash without a plot is fine too for people who prefer that. It's just not my thing.
-
Aww, thanks! This forum is great for commiserating. I'm either going to hit a wall soon, or I'm going to roll right through it. I can't tell yet. I'm already almost through the first phase of the story, which I had a pretty clear vision for. I also have a lot planned for the third phase of the story, which I feel is really the heart of the whole story idea. It's the second phase I'm unsure about. That's the part I wish I could film as a brief montage set to some upbeat 80s music and move on from. It's really just the bridge between the first and third phase of the story, but I can't completely rush through it. I just don't have a lot of specific scenes planned out yet, so I need to get on that. I did take your suggestion and start a list, but it's a pretty short list so far LOL. I'm hoping when I get to the point of actually needing scenes, I'll come up with something. This is me plantsing LOL.
I hope you roll with it. :biggrin:
lmao, I'm sorry, I had to, lol! On a more serious note, I always feel frustrated when the beginning seems clear and the end seems clear and the middle is just kind of wibbly wobbly. But yay for Team Plantsing! Maybe that's the part where you test out writing things out of order and see what happens. ;)
I almost asked you about labeling all these scenes, but I remembered you talking a while back about naming your files in Google Drive. The way you explained it here makes more sense and seems like it would help you remember what you wrote and find the right scene when you need it.
You're right, I've fully admitted to being disorganized and mislabeling things for fun, lol. I didn't do it at first when it was whole chunks of nearly upcoming chapters (when they were just called "chapter something or other"), but once it started being a big document, and especially now that it has two books worth of scenes here and there written, I made a point to be a little better about it. With the added bonus that I can turn them into headings and not have to scroll through the whole document to get to a certain one. That little "outline" navigation bar on the side of google docs is the best.
I think you're wise to save the big changes for the OF version instead of constantly editing the fanfic. Especially since the fanfic is already online. And yeah, you probably would need to focus more on character development in the OF version, since you're no longer writing about "Nick."
That seems like it would be one of the biggest differences between writing fanfic and original fic. I know in the stories where I have created original characters that play an important role, I've put a lot more time into developing them than I did the Boys, because the readers already know the Boys. It's more about orienting them to when in Backstreet time the story takes place and showing how the Boys change as a result of whatever happens in the plot.
Big changes indeed! I'm about five chapters in, I opted to skip tackling the first chapter of the fanfic for the moment to start with Nick, so we'll call it chapter 2-5 of the fanfic, and I've already written about 9,000 new words, including an entirely new chapter. It's an undertaking! He's still PBox Nick to me, but I've definitely had to fill out a few things that would be settled by "It's Nick!" in the fanfic. I've had a few "oops" moments that have been pointed out to me so far, but not in a "oops, this was blatantly a BSB fanfic way," thank goodness, lol. I'm almost to the point of needing to give Howie a new name and I'm dreading it. Then I'm dreading having to scour the story for accidental "Brain" on top of "Brian," lol. Sorry everybody else, you were the casualty for Nick to keep on keepin' on mostly as is.
The blessing and the curse of the Boys as characters. "This is Nick in 1999," great! Versus "This is Gypsydoodle in 1999," who? lol But the "why you should care about me right away even when I x" definitely needed a little love. Because "why you should care about Nick in a BSB fanfic, well he's Nick" is more implied.
Where are we in Backstreet Time? lol If it happened in the past, is it still subject to Backstreet Time? Are we all in a fanfic where the author has been writing about the Boys making a Christmas album, but they've had writer's block since 1999? lol
I was the same way with having a clear order of favorites in my teenybopper days, although it changed from time to time. Brian was always my favorite, and AJ was #2 for a long time. Nick was my least favorite very early on, which I think was based on a combination of wanting to go against the grain of him being everyone else's favorite and finding him annoying in their Millennium era appearances. But then Nick started to grow on me (helped by fanfic, no doubt), which left Howie and Kevin alternating between the #4 and #5 spot. I know Nick had risen to my second favorite by 2001 because my custom license plate on my first car began with BNAHK, and I put their initials in order of favorites LOL. Now I would rank them in two tiers: Brian and Nick on the top tier, Kevin, Howie, and AJ on the bottom tier. I don't have a least favorite anymore; I love them all.
I love that your license plate was BNAHK! Aw. Thank goodness AJ provides a vowel so their initials can actually sound like a word. You know what, go against the grain, save more Nick for the rest of us to fight over, lol. I'm kidding. I don't think I wanted to rank Howie and Kevin because I didn't want one of them to feel bad for being the least favorite. That's probably why I said they were tied, lol.
I'm with Nick on that. Sure, IYWITBGG is bad, but it's far from their worst song. It's a guilty pleasure song - catchy and fun, even if it the lyrics are cringey. Boys Will Be Boys is just as bad, and I love both songs. I would take songs like that any day over She's a Dream. Tell Me That I'm Dreaming is adorable.
I wonder if Kevin realized how cheesy it was when he got roped into doing that deep voice back then, or if it actually seemed cool and sexy at the time because Boys II Men had done it. I agree; I'm sure he's glad that trend is over LOL.
And I mean, it was all marketing. "The tiny one is less sexually threatening than the others. Make him sing an entire song about sex by himself." It's a guilty pleasure for sure. Boys Will Be Boys is just as bad, but I think they think that they can get away with not talking about it since it wasn't technically released worldwide and it wasn't mostly Nick singing, lol. Stay classy, Shorty, lol.
I wanted the Boys to carry my books home and help me with my homework so badly, lol. They just sounded so sweet and wholesome.
I would be fine adding that to the list of "questions I would not at all be embarrassed to ask them." I could see Kevin going either way, but with the emphasis that he would rather sing than speak in a song.
-
Yes, I almost mentioned Magic Tree House as an example! I guess with those books, they just have to think of a historical time period or event or a scientific topic they want to focus on and develop the plot around that. All those series are so formulaic, I'm sure that helps the authors (or ghostwriters) churn them out quickly.
They've got to be ghostwritten. Or team written? I can't imagine having that many ideas for stories even with an infinite number of historical time periods or events to draw from.
The show is better than the movie, but I may be biased because I didn't see the movie until after I fell in love with the show. It used to be on Netflix, but I think it's only on Hulu right now.
Alright, after rewatching Friends, I will commit to FNL. You've convinced me. Hulu's fine too, good to know it's somewhere.
There must be one for Kevin/Nick, but I'm not sure what is most commonly used. Kick? Nevin? I think Brian/Kevin would be Kentucky Cousins or KFC (Kentucky's Finest Cousins). Not sure if there is one for AJ/Kevin, AJ/Howie, AJ/Nick, Howie/Kevin, or Howie/Brian. I don't see those pairings often, if ever. Can you imagine a Howie/Brian slash? LMAO.
I was being overzealous with 25, lol. Big Bro & Baby (or Little) Bro is what I've always called it personally, but I can't imagine that's right. Someone tell me! I need to know! lol. Ooh, yeah, KFC. I forgot that, bonus points for being quicker to type.
You know, if there's not one, and since I like to pretend that the universe revolves around AC when it comes to BSB fanfic these days, it's probably our esteemed duty to create one for those, lol.
Howie bingewatches TV while drinking margaritas and Brian types furiously on his phone? They go to church and celebrate holidays? They argue about living in Georgia or Florida? Brian is secretly the kinky one? Their relationship seems like a movie montage to me, lol.
At least Nick can make Howie pancakes for his breakfast so he can continue not cooking, lmfao.
I'm with you! It's not the slash that annoys me; it's the PWP. It just so happens that most of the PWP on AO3 seems to be slash, not het. I'm fine with slash with a plot. And slash without a plot is fine too for people who prefer that. It's just not my thing.
At this point, I'm team more BSB fanfics at all, lol.
-
I hope you roll with it. :biggrin:
lmao, I'm sorry, I had to, lol! On a more serious note, I always feel frustrated when the beginning seems clear and the end seems clear and the middle is just kind of wibbly wobbly. But yay for Team Plantsing! Maybe that's the part where you test out writing things out of order and see what happens. ;)
LMAO Love it!
Nice try with the suggestion, but now that I've started posting it, absolutely not LOL. Part of me would love to just go ahead and write the scenes I've been picturing in my head that come later, but I'd be afraid of running out of chapters to post two months from now if I don't stay the course and keep writing in order.
You're right, I've fully admitted to being disorganized and mislabeling things for fun, lol. I didn't do it at first when it was whole chunks of nearly upcoming chapters (when they were just called "chapter something or other"), but once it started being a big document, and especially now that it has two books worth of scenes here and there written, I made a point to be a little better about it. With the added bonus that I can turn them into headings and not have to scroll through the whole document to get to a certain one. That little "outline" navigation bar on the side of google docs is the best.
Ahh, I see! And yes, I love the outline bar too!
I'm almost to the point of needing to give Howie a new name and I'm dreading it. Then I'm dreading having to scour the story for accidental "Brain" on top of "Brian," lol. Sorry everybody else, you were the casualty for Nick to keep on keepin' on mostly as is.
Have you picked out new names for the other boys yet? I actually had fun with that when planning my ill-fated OF Broken. I kept Nick's name the same too and changed all the others.
Where are we in Backstreet Time? lol If it happened in the past, is it still subject to Backstreet Time? Are we all in a fanfic where the author has been writing about the Boys making a Christmas album, but they've had writer's block since 1999? lol
LOL That's what I meant by Backstreet time in this case - where are we in BSB history? Like in my current story, part of my character introduction at the beginning is reminding everyone where Kevin and the boys all were in their lives at the beginning of 2008.
Hey, stranger things have happened. You came back after 10+ years! And does anyone else remember Marley, who wrote comedies with really long, quirky titles? I think her stories were hosted on Izzy's site back in the day, like late 90s/early 00s. She emailed me out of the blue a few weeks ago, asking if I was interested in hosting her old stories or knew of another place she could post them. I directed her here and to AO3, and I noticed she's been posting them on AO3. Who will come back next?!
I love that your license plate was BNAHK! Aw. Thank goodness AJ provides a vowel so their initials can actually sound like a word. You know what, go against the grain, save more Nick for the rest of us to fight over, lol. I'm kidding. I don't think I wanted to rank Howie and Kevin because I didn't want one of them to feel bad for being the least favorite. That's probably why I said they were tied, lol.
Me too! I have that old plate hanging on the wall of my writing room now.
I'm glad we've come to appreciate Howie and Kevin in our old age. I think Kevin leaving was good for Howie, and Kevin coming back was good for Kevin LOL. I started to appreciate Howie more after Kevin left, and I appreciated Kevin more after he came back.
And I mean, it was all marketing. "The tiny one is less sexually threatening than the others. Make him sing an entire song about sex by himself." It's a guilty pleasure for sure. Boys Will Be Boys is just as bad, but I think they think that they can get away with not talking about it since it wasn't technically released worldwide and it wasn't mostly Nick singing, lol. Stay classy, Shorty, lol.
I wanted the Boys to carry my books home and help me with my homework so badly, lol. They just sounded so sweet and wholesome.
I would be fine adding that to the list of "questions I would not at all be embarrassed to ask them." I could see Kevin going either way, but with the emphasis that he would rather sing than speak in a song.
LOL Such an odd choice. I still remember the friend who got me into BSB warning me not to play Track #12 of their first (US) album in front of my parents. Her parents were stricter than mine, so they probably would have found IYWITBGG scandalous, but mine didn't care. The first album I was allowed to buy with my own money was TLC's Crazy Sexy Cool when I was like 9, so listening to BSB sing about sex when I was 12 was not a big deal.
Yes, that would be a good question to ask them. I love when they get asked about embarrassing old songs LOL.
-
They've got to be ghostwritten. Or team written? I can't imagine having that many ideas for stories even with an infinite number of historical time periods or events to draw from.
Yeah, and those require research too, more so than I would imagine BSC did. I looked it up, and apparently they're not ghostwritten. Impressive if that's true.
Alright, after rewatching Friends, I will commit to FNL. You've convinced me. Hulu's fine too, good to know it's somewhere.
Yes! You'll have to let me know what you think when you get around to watching it. I know Mare liked it too, and she hates football. (Yep, we just keep bringing up her name. Are your ears burning, Mare?)
Howie bingewatches TV while drinking margaritas and Brian types furiously on his phone? They go to church and celebrate holidays? They argue about living in Georgia or Florida? Brian is secretly the kinky one? Their relationship seems like a movie montage to me, lol.
At least Nick can make Howie pancakes for his breakfast so he can continue not cooking, lmfao.
LMAO!! That sounds about right. I bet both Howie and Brian are kinkier than we think, though.
I searched the Brian Littrell/Howie Dorough tag on AO3, and there are actually 55 works! Some of them seem to be "The boys all have sex with each other" stories where all the possible pairings are tagged, but not all of them. Some are just Brian/Howie. Browie? I guess I don't need to challenge myself to write a Browie slash that's not the most boring/vanilla slash in the world now. LOL
Now I wish I could go back to SAMS and add in a scene where Nick makes Howie pancakes LOL. I don't think that ever happened because most of it was written before Nick had kids and became Pancake Daddy.
-
Nice try with the suggestion, but now that I've started posting it, absolutely not LOL. Part of me would love to just go ahead and write the scenes I've been picturing in my head that come later, but I'd be afraid of running out of chapters to post two months from now if I don't stay the course and keep writing in order.
Some day, lol. Running out of chapters is a real fear, so I get it. I have until the end of June to figure out this current chapter, but the fear of running out becomes more real each day, lol.
Have you picked out new names for the other boys yet? I actually had fun with that when planning my ill-fated OF Broken. I kept Nick's name the same too and changed all the others.
I haven't, as I said, I'm dreading it. I even wrote a tiny bit for an upcoming chapter edit that was clearly stuck in my head and definitely wrote Howie where whatever Howie's future name is would go, lol. I started considering some on my list and some front runners for Howie are Richard or Charles. Current front runners for Brian are Matthew or Samuel. I have not even begun considering Kevin or AJ yet. I guess it's not necessarily dread and more the worry that once I commit to another name, they stop being the other Boys and I'll probably have a lot more of those "oops" moments that I need to reconcile for them. Of all the Boys, PBox Nick is definitely the strongest character and relies less on the "I'm Nick" than the other ones do.
LOL That's what I meant by Backstreet time in this case - where are we in BSB history? Like in my current story, part of my character introduction at the beginning is reminding everyone where Kevin and the boys all were in their lives at the beginning of 2008.
"In case you all forgot, BSB land is burning. Muahahaha. Just kidding! Kevin's doing great! And Nick is not..." lol
Hey, stranger things have happened. You came back after 10+ years! And does anyone else remember Marley, who wrote comedies with really long, quirky titles? I think her stories were hosted on Izzy's site back in the day, like late 90s/early 00s. She emailed me out of the blue a few weeks ago, asking if I was interested in hosting her old stories or knew of another place she could post them. I directed her here and to AO3, and I noticed she's been posting them on AO3. Who will come back next?!
I'm the strange thing in BSB fandom, good to know, lol. Blame the crocodile.
I saw that and thought "why does this sound familiar," Marley, yes. Now that makes way more sense! That's good that she found you to reach out to and you were able to point her on her way. I don't know what I would have done if I came here and it was a ghost town. It's nice that oldies are coming back and that y'all have kept a place going for us to come back to. :) I hope more people start coming back! I would love some more hubbub again! :)
Me too! I have that old plate hanging on the wall of my writing room now.
I'm glad we've come to appreciate Howie and Kevin in our old age. I think Kevin leaving was good for Howie, and Kevin coming back was good for Kevin LOL. I started to appreciate Howie more after Kevin left, and I appreciated Kevin more after he came back.
Aww, such good inspiration!
Yes, same. And here we thought Kevin leaving would be the worst thing ever. In 2006, we were all bitter and betrayed Nick, apparently, lol.
LOL Such an odd choice. I still remember the friend who got me into BSB warning me not to play Track #12 of their first (US) album in front of my parents. Her parents were stricter than mine, so they probably would have found IYWITBGG scandalous, but mine didn't care. The first album I was allowed to buy with my own money was TLC's Crazy Sexy Cool when I was like 9, so listening to BSB sing about sex when I was 12 was not a big deal.
Yes, that would be a good question to ask them. I love when they get asked about embarrassing old songs LOL.
But sex sells! lol
My mom did not like it once I had a boombox, but by that point I had been listening to it on a walkman for a couple of years, so unless she listened to it while I was sleeping she had no idea until too late, lol.
Really, any question is good as long as we've stopped keeping track of Nick's underwear preferences on the daily, lol.
-
Yeah, and those require research too, more so than I would imagine BSC did. I looked it up, and apparently they're not ghostwritten. Impressive if that's true.
That is impressive! A kudos for all that research and continued inspiration.
Yes! You'll have to let me know what you think when you get around to watching it. I know Mare liked it too, and she hates football. (Yep, we just keep bringing up her name. Are your ears burning, Mare?)
Will do! Mare! Mare! Mare! Wasn't she getting her first does at the end of March? I hope she's feeling well.
LMAO!! That sounds about right. I bet both Howie and Brian are kinkier than we think, though.
I searched the Brian Littrell/Howie Dorough tag on AO3, and there are actually 55 works! Some of them seem to be "The boys all have sex with each other" stories where all the possible pairings are tagged, but not all of them. Some are just Brian/Howie. Browie? I guess I don't need to challenge myself to write a Browie slash that's not the most boring/vanilla slash in the world now. LOL
Now I wish I could go back to SAMS and add in a scene where Nick makes Howie pancakes LOL. I don't think that ever happened because most of it was written before Nick had kids and became Pancake Daddy.
Oh, I'm sure. I had a hard time deciding which one to put as the secretly kinky one.
55 tags for Browie! Glad you don't have to take it upon yourself to make sure they get some love. Does that mean that the other two are AJowie and Kowie? I feel like we're missing out on some great opportunities to have AJ's include Bone. Maybe Howie/AJ is Sweet Bone, lmao.
His hidden talents. To be honest, I was always a little worried about his nutrition growing up. Did he eat vegetables? Were they only on pizza? lol I'm glad he's cooking.
-
Y'all, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time today staring at my screen messing around on Vulgar Language and finally might have something. I'm exhausted, lol.
-
I haven't, as I said, I'm dreading it. I even wrote a tiny bit for an upcoming chapter edit that was clearly stuck in my head and definitely wrote Howie where whatever Howie's future name is would go, lol. I started considering some on my list and some front runners for Howie are Richard or Charles. Current front runners for Brian are Matthew or Samuel. I have not even begun considering Kevin or AJ yet. I guess it's not necessarily dread and more the worry that once I commit to another name, they stop being the other Boys and I'll probably have a lot more of those "oops" moments that I need to reconcile for them. Of all the Boys, PBox Nick is definitely the strongest character and relies less on the "I'm Nick" than the other ones do.
I'm sure that will be weird. I would be tempted to keep their names the same until the end and then do find/replace to change them, but the character development might go better if you write them as "original characters" with different names from the very beginning.
Will do! Mare! Mare! Mare! Wasn't she getting her first does at the end of March? I hope she's feeling well.
Mare! Come back! She posted about baking and then dropping a cheesecake right before Easter. I hope it still tasted good!
55 tags for Browie! Glad you don't have to take it upon yourself to make sure they get some love. Does that mean that the other two are AJowie and Kowie? I feel like we're missing out on some great opportunities to have AJ's include Bone. Maybe Howie/AJ is Sweet Bone, lmao.
His hidden talents. To be honest, I was always a little worried about his nutrition growing up. Did he eat vegetables? Were they only on pizza? lol I'm glad he's cooking.
Sweet Bone for sure! LMAO
I'm proud of Nick for learning to cook!
Y'all, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time today staring at my screen messing around on Vulgar Language and finally might have something. I'm exhausted, lol.
Wow, good for you! That sounds tough and time-consuming for sure, but I'm glad you came up with something.
I have had a lot of plans with friends so far this spring break, most of which involve day drinking. The introvert in me is screaming, "But I just want to stay home in my pajamas and write all day!" I get my second shot Thursday, so that will be my excuse to stay home and do nothing Thurs-Sun.
-
I'm sure that will be weird. I would be tempted to keep their names the same until the end and then do find/replace to change them, but the character development might go better if you write them as "original characters" with different names from the very beginning.
I would do that, but as I majorly overhaul it, I'm having two of my friends look it over. And I feel like Nick, Howie, Brian, Kevin, and AJ running around PBox land is a sure indicator that it began its life as a Backstreet Boys fanfic, lol. Whereas I can explain away the "Nick." Though they thought he was named after my husband and asked if he'd read it, actually, lol. No, no, I started writing this in 2005. "Oh, so it's Nick Carter inspired?" Sure, "inspired," let's go with that, lol.
Mare! Come back! She posted about baking and then dropping a cheesecake right before Easter. I hope it still tasted good!
On twitter? I feel like I miss out on so much, but I just hate social media. Not the cheescake! Those things are soooo temperamental. I hope it tasted delicious aside from being dropped.
Sweet Bone for sure! LMAO
It just sounds like a sexual BBQ sauce or dry rub, lol.
Wow, good for you! That sounds tough and time-consuming for sure, but I'm glad you came up with something.
I was really mad because the first or second one it generated, I actually liked, so I purchased it and it deleted it when I tried to get more words. So upset. It took me a couple of hours to get something even close to the first one again. I had the worst headache afterward.
That and it gives you bizarre words for sample words. No, I really don't care about the word for "prostitute." Can you tell me pronouns for people? Some verbs? Anything normal? No? lol
I have had a lot of plans with friends so far this spring break, most of which involve day drinking. The introvert in me is screaming, "But I just want to stay home in my pajamas and write all day!" I get my second shot Thursday, so that will be my excuse to stay home and do nothing Thurs-Sun.
That sounds fun! Day drinking with friends was one of my favorite hobbies pre-COVID, lol. That's what I did last week during Spring Break as well. Afternoon drink? Then you can hang out in your pjs until at least noon. I'm just happy it's getting warm out again for patio cocktails. :)
Hopefully you get some writing done during your shot instead of researching boyband fanfic on AO3, lol. Because that's a great use of recovery mode. ::) I enjoyed every minute of it, it was just not helpful for writing, lol.
-
I would do that, but as I majorly overhaul it, I'm having two of my friends look it over. And I feel like Nick, Howie, Brian, Kevin, and AJ running around PBox land is a sure indicator that it began its life as a Backstreet Boys fanfic, lol. Whereas I can explain away the "Nick." Though they thought he was named after my husband and asked if he'd read it, actually, lol. No, no, I started writing this in 2005. "Oh, so it's Nick Carter inspired?" Sure, "inspired," let's go with that, lol.
LOL Very true. That might be a bit obvious to the beta readers.
On twitter? I feel like I miss out on so much, but I just hate social media. Not the cheescake! Those things are soooo temperamental. I hope it tasted delicious aside from being dropped.
Facebook. I hate Facebook, but I just can't quit it. I'm too nosy. I like knowing what's going on with people without having to actually call or text them LOL. I like Twitter better, but that's probably because I only use Twitter for fandom stuff.
The cheesecake still looked good to me! I'd eat it.
It just sounds like a sexual BBQ sauce or dry rub, lol.
LMFAO! I'm sure there is a fetish for having BBQ sauce rubbed all over you... which could lead to cannibalism. And now I'm thinking about cannibalism slash. Maybe that should be my April Fool's story next year.
I was really mad because the first or second one it generated, I actually liked, so I purchased it and it deleted it when I tried to get more words. So upset. It took me a couple of hours to get something even close to the first one again. I had the worst headache afterward.
That and it gives you bizarre words for sample words. No, I really don't care about the word for "prostitute." Can you tell me pronouns for people? Some verbs? Anything normal? No? lol
You have to pay for it?? Oh man, that sucks. Especially if it's not even giving you good words. I bet you had a headache!
That sounds fun! Day drinking with friends was one of my favorite hobbies pre-COVID, lol. That's what I did last week during Spring Break as well. Afternoon drink? Then you can hang out in your pjs until at least noon. I'm just happy it's getting warm out again for patio cocktails. :)
Hopefully you get some writing done during your shot instead of researching boyband fanfic on AO3, lol. Because that's a great use of recovery mode. ::) I enjoyed every minute of it, it was just not helpful for writing, lol.
That's what we've been doing - drinking on someone's driveway or patio in the afternoon. So yes, I can still sleep in and spend the morning writing in bed before I have to burst the bubble and leave my house. Not a bad routine, but then I come home sleepy and sunburned and don't feel like doing anything. I have still been writing every day, just not as much as I would like to be writing. I hope to be more productive the last four days of break!
-
I thought of a question/topic to discuss. I usually listen to podcasts when I fall asleep at night, and most of them have Patreon accounts and are always begging their followers to become patrons and give them money. A lot of them also have sponsors and ads, which drive me nuts. I've also noticed certain YouTube channels have Patreons, and of course many of them have ads as well. It made me wonder if any fanfic writers have created Patreon accounts to get paid for their work. I Googled and found a Reddit thread on this exact topic. https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/734r62/patreon_and_fanfiction/ The short answer is, yes, apparently it has been done, but many people question the legality of making money writing fanfic because of copyright issues.
So I guess my question is, how do you feel about content creators being paid/asking for donations for their work, and does this apply to fanfic as well? If it became trendy for fanfic writers to have Patreons or something similar, would you do it?
-
LOL Very true. That might be a bit obvious to the beta readers.
Especially since they know I like the Boys and are familiar enough with them themselves. So, I've got like four more chapter before I have to figure out what to about Howie because his name doesn't come up until then, thank goodness.
In the meantime, I'm doing my weekly edit and decided to change perspective on a scene and got to add this gem: “It’s Nick and his cute butt! He deserves our appreciation!” Because what better way to distract someone from being emo than talking about their butt, lol.
Facebook. I hate Facebook, but I just can't quit it. I'm too nosy. I like knowing what's going on with people without having to actually call or text them LOL. I like Twitter better, but that's probably because I only use Twitter for fandom stuff.
The cheesecake still looked good to me! I'd eat it.
Good luck getting me on Facebook. I know who really loves me if they say "I invited you to this thing on FB, but I know you don't check it and I still want you to come."
I don't like to eat food off the floor, but I love cheesecake, so... I guess, how often do you mop your kitchen, Mare?
LMFAO! I'm sure there is a fetish for having BBQ sauce rubbed all over you... which could lead to cannibalism. And now I'm thinking about cannibalism slash. Maybe that should be my April Fool's story next year.
Mmm, finger lickin' good. lmao. I'll see myself out. Please do it. Is Sweet Bone more or less popular than Browie? (I keep mistyping it as Brownie, by the way, can we just call it that, lol.
You have to pay for it?? Oh man, that sucks. Especially if it's not even giving you good words. I bet you had a headache!
To save it, get thousands of words, a translator function, and be able to edit or create multiple languages. It was only $25 forever, so it honestly wasn't too bad. And I finally got the words I was actually wanting to create (which weren't even that complicated... "to open" seems like a standard thing you'd need in a language), plus mucked around with making up some words. It made up "diamond" but not "sapphire" and I was like... okie dokie... where could you possibly get etymology for sapphire... I settled on "ocean-diamond" because I hated the way "blue-diamond" and "blue-jewel" sounded. Like I said... a headache...
That's what we've been doing - drinking on someone's driveway or patio in the afternoon. So yes, I can still sleep in and spend the morning writing in bed before I have to burst the bubble and leave my house. Not a bad routine, but then I come home sleepy and sunburned and don't feel like doing anything. I have still been writing every day, just not as much as I would like to be writing. I hope to be more productive the last four days of break!
See, that's why I always offered up my house over the summer. I could make the time later and when it was time to leave, I just went inside, lol. I also feel lazy when I get sunburned, so I understand. I believe in your productivity in writing and day drinking! ;D
-
In the meantime, I'm doing my weekly edit and decided to change perspective on a scene and got to add this gem: “It’s Nick and his cute butt! He deserves our appreciation!” Because what better way to distract someone from being emo than talking about their butt, lol.
Nick does have a cute butt!
Good luck getting me on Facebook. I know who really loves me if they say "I invited you to this thing on FB, but I know you don't check it and I still want you to come."
Very true! Meanwhile, I just unfollow people I don't care to keep in touch with and pretend I don't get on Facebook because I rarely post anything. But I lurk there every day. I'm that person LOL.
Mmm, finger lickin' good. lmao. I'll see myself out. Please do it. Is Sweet Bone more or less popular than Browie? (I keep mistyping it as Brownie, by the way, can we just call it that, lol.
I almost typed Brownie too. We can definitely call it Brownie. Brian has an N in it, so it still works. There are 62 works tagged with Howie/AJ, so Sweet Bone is slightly more popular than Brownie. BSB fans must prefer BBQ sauce to chocolate.
To save it, get thousands of words, a translator function, and be able to edit or create multiple languages. It was only $25 forever, so it honestly wasn't too bad. And I finally got the words I was actually wanting to create (which weren't even that complicated... "to open" seems like a standard thing you'd need in a language), plus mucked around with making up some words. It made up "diamond" but not "sapphire" and I was like... okie dokie... where could you possibly get etymology for sapphire... I settled on "ocean-diamond" because I hated the way "blue-diamond" and "blue-jewel" sounded. Like I said... a headache...
That's not bad if it's something you'll actually use. I'm glad you were able to get at least some of what you were looking for. I hate when you spend money on something that you think will be useful, and then it turns out to be not what you thought it would be.
See, that's why I always offered up my house over the summer. I could make the time later and when it was time to leave, I just went inside, lol. I also feel lazy when I get sunburned, so I understand. I believe in your productivity in writing and day drinking! ;D
Good idea!
Tomorrow I am going to visit my grandma (which will not involve day drinking) and then going axe throwing with some friends (which will involve night drinking). That is my last day of planned social activities, and then I can get my vaccine and retreat back into my cave of solitude for the rest of my break LOL. The weather has been beautiful here this week, which is not always the case on spring break, so at least I can say I saw the sun and enjoyed some outdoor time.
-
So I guess my question is, how do you feel about content creators being paid/asking for donations for their work, and does this apply to fanfic as well? If it became trendy for fanfic writers to have Patreons or something similar, would you do it?
Interesting topic! A lot of fan artists do it, I think more so than fan fiction, but I also question the legality of that. What's that other one? "Buy me a kofi?" I've never actually become a patron for anyone, so I'm only vaguely aware of how it works.
Sponsorship ads also annoy me, but I recognize the draw for it if you're doing something time consuming, but fulfilling and popular, yet still need to pay your bills.
I'm on the fence when it comes to fandom specifically, less so for some YouTube content creators that aren't really fandom based. I'm thinking of the Overly Sarcastic Productions channel that I really enjoy where they do retellings of history and mythology (which I wouldn't call fanfic), but then again, I stumbled on the TV Trope fanfic recommendation page for "Classical Mythology" and someone listed the Percy Jackson series on that page and the Illiad, so... lol.
It's less the legality of it for me and more that part of the joy in being part of a fandom is sharing it together and it's all well and good when it's reviews and certain types of stories or certain well-known authors getting more reviews, but then it just seems like an uneven playing field if people monetize, because can you break through that ceiling without actually monetizing yourself? Is it worth it? Would people only start associating in dollar-related circles? Would it dissuade readers who always got it for free? Who knows! (I've actually thought about this and would honestly lean toward just sending OF PBox to anyone around here who wanted to read it if it ever actually got published... but future pipe dreams). But then there's also the argument that if you can make money (without getting sued) and people want to pay you money to write fanfic, then why shouldn't you?
I don't think it would be worth it for me personally, but I say to each their own.
-
Nick does have a cute butt!
Agreed. PBox Nick would be embarrassed to know that it's being appreciated outside of that conversation, lol.
Very true! Meanwhile, I just unfollow people I don't care to keep in touch with and pretend I don't get on Facebook because I rarely post anything. But I lurk there every day. I'm that person LOL.
That's my husband. He checks it every day, but only posts when he's at a sporting event, lol.
I almost typed Brownie too. We can definitely call it Brownie. Brian has an N in it, so it still works. There are 62 works tagged with Howie/AJ, so Sweet Bone is slightly more popular than Brownie. BSB fans must prefer BBQ sauce to chocolate.
That's what I figured, the "n" in Brian made it fine. Savory versus sweet. Just make them a power thruple and BSB fans get it all, lol.
Those "all of them have sex with each other stories" may as well just tag it "Backdoor Boys, alright!" I'm just trying to get all our possible pairing names out of the way to modernize us, lol.
That's not bad if it's something you'll actually use. I'm glad you were able to get at least some of what you were looking for. I hate when you spend money on something that you think will be useful, and then it turns out to be not what you thought it would be.
Like I said before, not sure how much of it I'd end up using... whole sentences seem like a lot. But, here and there it's good to distance itself from the loanword way it is now without just banging my head on my keyboard and hoping it looks okay. At least it uses real phonemes and grammar structure.
Tomorrow I am going to visit my grandma (which will not involve day drinking) and then going axe throwing with some friends (which will involve night drinking). That is my last day of planned social activities, and then I can get my vaccine and retreat back into my cave of solitude for the rest of my break LOL. The weather has been beautiful here this week, which is not always the case on spring break, so at least I can say I saw the sun and enjoyed some outdoor time.
That sounds like a fun day! Sweet grandma time and then badass ax throwing! Ours was really nice last week too, thank goodness. And it was 81* yesterday, then rained all day today. Oh spring. Make sure to at least see the sun during your retreat into your cave of solitude. Vitamin D is good for us all. :)
-
Interesting topic! A lot of fan artists do it, I think more so than fan fiction, but I also question the legality of that. What's that other one? "Buy me a kofi?" I've never actually become a patron for anyone, so I'm only vaguely aware of how it works.
Sponsorship ads also annoy me, but I recognize the draw for it if you're doing something time consuming, but fulfilling and popular, yet still need to pay your bills.
I'm on the fence when it comes to fandom specifically, less so for some YouTube content creators that aren't really fandom based. I'm thinking of the Overly Sarcastic Productions channel that I really enjoy where they do retellings of history and mythology (which I wouldn't call fanfic), but then again, I stumbled on the TV Trope fanfic recommendation page for "Classical Mythology" and someone listed the Percy Jackson series on that page and the Illiad, so... lol.
It's less the legality of it for me and more that part of the joy in being part of a fandom is sharing it together and it's all well and good when it's reviews and certain types of stories or certain well-known authors getting more reviews, but then it just seems like an uneven playing field if people monetize, because can you break through that ceiling without actually monetizing yourself? Is it worth it? Would people only start associating in dollar-related circles? Would it dissuade readers who always got it for free? Who knows! (I've actually thought about this and would honestly lean toward just sending OF PBox to anyone around here who wanted to read it if it ever actually got published... but future pipe dreams). But then there's also the argument that if you can make money (without getting sued) and people want to pay you money to write fanfic, then why shouldn't you?
I don't think it would be worth it for me personally, but I say to each their own.
I agree with everything you said.
In general, I have mixed feelings about monetizing something you're doing for fun - as a hobby, not a career. On one hand, I get the point that artists should be paid for their work, whether we're talking about music or visual art. Copyright issues aside, creative writing is also a form of art. All of it takes considerable time and effort. And when you start buying special equipment or paying for a domain and web hosting to improve the quality of what you're putting out there, it costs you money too. I get that, but I have never become a patron for anyone either. When podcasts become too annoying with all their ads, I start listening to a different podcast.
All that said, it just feels tacky to start asking for money for something that has always been free. Part of the fun of fanfic (and YouTube and podcasts and whatever) is that it's free entertainment. There's a give and take relationship there - sure, I post my stories for free, but there are also plenty of other people in my fandom posting stories that I can read for free, so it goes both ways. Like you said, if some people start monetizing, it leads to an uneven playing field. But it may actually hurt the writers who ask for money more because why on earth would you pay for something when you can have it for free? I would just read something else. Maybe in a more popular fandom, people would pay to read fanfics, but I don't see anyone doing that in our fandom. I'm just happy if anyone reads my story for free LOL.
-
In general, I have mixed feelings about monetizing something you're doing for fun - as a hobby, not a career. On one hand, I get the point that artists should be paid for their work, whether we're talking about music or visual art. Copyright issues aside, creative writing is also a form of art. All of it takes considerable time and effort. And when you start buying special equipment or paying for a domain and web hosting to improve the quality of what you're putting out there, it costs you money too. I get that, but I have never become a patron for anyone either. When podcasts become too annoying with all their ads, I start listening to a different podcast.
I wonder at what point people stop thinking "this is a hobby" and start thinking "this is my career." It feels like a slippery slope with original content of whatever. If enough people like it, then why not see if it can make you money and be fun? Fanfic/fanart/fanwhatever feels less like something you could look at one day and say "yes, this will pay my bills" for the legality, but also like you said, it's been free for so long.
All that said, it just feels tacky to start asking for money for something that has always been free. Part of the fun of fanfic (and YouTube and podcasts and whatever) is that it's free entertainment. There's a give and take relationship there - sure, I post my stories for free, but there are also plenty of other people in my fandom posting stories that I can read for free, so it goes both ways. Like you said, if some people start monetizing, it leads to an uneven playing field. But it may actually hurt the writers who ask for money more because why on earth would you pay for something when you can have it for free? I would just read something else. Maybe in a more popular fandom, people would pay to read fanfics, but I don't see anyone doing that in our fandom. I'm just happy if anyone reads my story for free LOL.
If you really liked that particular author? If you tried other free stories and wanted to go back to the same author? I don't know. I can't see any BSB fans being like "pay to read my fanfic" either, whether that's because we're out of our heyday, it's been free for so long, or we're just here for the community and camaraderie of it all. ("I published this and it is no longer a fanfic," aside.)
Maybe you can research whether BTS fans or One Direction fans have patreons post getting your vaccine, lol!
There's also the author side of it, what happens if you decide to monetize it and then life happens or you get writers block? Are you then obligated to continue writing when inspiration isn't there simply because people are paying you for it? I would hate that. I guess traditionally published authors might have that problem too... I almost feel like feeling obligated to do it for anyone but me would make me want to do it less. Everybody reading it for free though, appreciate y'all!
-
Like I said before, not sure how much of it I'd end up using... whole sentences seem like a lot. But, here and there it's good to distance itself from the loanword way it is now without just banging my head on my keyboard and hoping it looks okay. At least it uses real phonemes and grammar structure.
So in the pattern of being utterly useless as I refresh the forum, I was trying to figure out how this conglang would pronounce Nick's name since "ni" doesn't exist in it (all the n sounds at the beginning of words are either "ng" or "ny") and the things around what would be likely pronunciation are cracking me up.
nyi̥khai /ɲi̥χai̯/ n. knight
nyiko /ɲiko/ n. bath
nyiku /ɲikɯ/ adj. rigid, stiff, stubborn, sturdy
I'm dying laughing. He would hate his name sounding like "stubborn" so much, lmfao. But that "knight" is in that list, how fitting, aww.
-
I wonder at what point people stop thinking "this is a hobby" and start thinking "this is my career." It feels like a slippery slope with original content of whatever. If enough people like it, then why not see if it can make you money and be fun? Fanfic/fanart/fanwhatever feels less like something you could look at one day and say "yes, this will pay my bills" for the legality, but also like you said, it's been free for so long.
I guess the point when you can make enough money to fully fund your lifestyle without working another job is when it becomes your career. And I know there are plenty of YouTubers who earn a living that way. Good for them, I guess, but then they have to keep creating content to keep earning money. At one point does that start to FEEL more like work than fun?
There's also the author side of it, what happens if you decide to monetize it and then life happens or you get writers block? Are you then obligated to continue writing when inspiration isn't there simply because people are paying you for it? I would hate that. I guess traditionally published authors might have that problem too... I almost feel like feeling obligated to do it for anyone but me would make me want to do it less. Everybody reading it for free though, appreciate y'all!
I would definitely worry about this. I guess it's not as big of a deal if you're making your money off ads, but if you have paid subscribers to your channel or website or whatever, then there is an obligation to keep providing quality content for them.
There aren't many creators outside of fanfic that I have followed loyally over many years, but one example I can talk about is Jacksfilms on YouTube. He did the Wimpy Boybands back in the day. I've been following his channel since the early days of YouTube, and it used to be one of my favorites. He put out some funny stuff back in the day. But ever since he moved out to California and turned YouTubing into his career, I feel like the content has actually gotten stupider and less funny. He's been successful at it, so good for him, but I wonder if the videos would be better if he hadn't sold out.
-
So in the pattern of being utterly useless as I refresh the forum, I was trying to figure out how this conglang would pronounce Nick's name since "ni" doesn't exist in it (all the n sounds at the beginning of words are either "ng" or "ny") and the things around what would be likely pronunciation are cracking me up.
nyi̥khai /ɲi̥χai̯/ n. knight
nyiko /ɲiko/ n. bath
nyiku /ɲikɯ/ adj. rigid, stiff, stubborn, sturdy
I'm dying laughing. He would hate his name sounding like "stubborn" so much, lmfao. But that "knight" is in that list, how fitting, aww.
LOL. Now I'm imagining Nick in a bath tub wearing rigid, sturdy, shining armor.
-
I guess the point when you can make enough money to fully fund your lifestyle without working another job is when it becomes your career. And I know there are plenty of YouTubers who earn a living that way. Good for them, I guess, but then they have to keep creating content to keep earning money. At one point does that start to FEEL more like work than fun?
Maybe it depends on what your free content was? Like if it was you doing stupid stuff with your friends, maybe it would still be fun? What YouTube has become for monetized content is wild to me.
I would definitely worry about this. I guess it's not as big of a deal if you're making your money off ads, but if you have paid subscribers to your channel or website or whatever, then there is an obligation to keep providing quality content for them.
Does doing it for free make it feel like less of an obligation? Anyone here ever felt fanfic writing turning into an obligation? I think in my "supreme lack of creative anything" time, it did feel that way a little for me.
There aren't many creators outside of fanfic that I have followed loyally over many years, but one example I can talk about is Jacksfilms on YouTube. He did the Wimpy Boybands back in the day. I've been following his channel since the early days of YouTube, and it used to be one of my favorites. He put out some funny stuff back in the day. But ever since he moved out to California and turned YouTubing into his career, I feel like the content has actually gotten stupider and less funny. He's been successful at it, so good for him, but I wonder if the videos would be better if he hadn't sold out.
I also loved Jacksfilms back in the day! I still sometimes pull up Wimpy Boybands because it felt like a loving parody. I have a particular soft spot for "Super Ultra Super Boy Band Force." Fly on the wings of a dream...
He's gotten less funny over the years. Jenna Marbles was another one I really liked back in the day and I also thought she got less funny overall over time. Every now and again they would all come up with something like they used to make, but they're few and far between.
-
LOL. Now I'm imagining Nick in a bath tub wearing rigid, sturdy, shining armor.
lmao! No! He would drown and his armor would rust and no longer be shining, lol.
Also, I've literally never written anything mundane like anyone taking a bath? Sitting around a table arguing, sure. Baths? Nope.
-
Does doing it for free make it feel like less of an obligation? Anyone here ever felt fanfic writing turning into an obligation? I think in my "supreme lack of creative anything" time, it did feel that way a little for me.
Yes and no. I think the only time I ever feel obligated to write fanfic is when I'm in the middle of a novel that I've already started posting and that people like, and then I get writer's block or life gets in the way and I feel pressured to keep updating. Holding off on posting new stories right away and hoarding enough chapters to be able to stay weeks or months ahead of what I'm posting has really helped with that. I haven't felt that way since Sick as My Secrets, which I loved but only really had time to write consistently in the summer because of my master's classes. I guess I would still feel that way about Guilty Roads if I were trying to force myself to keep writing it, but I've kind of given up on that... the trying to force it, not the hoping it will just happen someday LOL. I don't have anyone asking about updates on that one anymore, so the sense of obligation is gone.
I also loved Jacksfilms back in the day! I still sometimes pull up Wimpy Boybands because it felt like a loving parody. I have a particular soft spot for "Super Ultra Super Boy Band Force." Fly on the wings of a dream...
I just pulled up his channel and sorted the videos by most popular. His most popular video is the first WTF Blanket (Snuggie parody) from 12 years ago, which was also one of my favorites. Wimpy Boybands was not even among the most popular videos, which surprised me, but I had fun watching a bunch of his old As Seen on TV commercial parodies. I agree about Wimpy Boybands being a loving parody. I follow him on Twitter, and he went to BSB's show in LA on the DNA tour. He is definitely a fan.
-
lmao! No! He would drown and his armor would rust and no longer be shining, lol.
Also, I've literally never written anything mundane like anyone taking a bath? Sitting around a table arguing, sure. Baths? Nope.
LMAO! How deep is this bath tub?!
Maybe you should write a scene with the boys sitting around the bath tub arguing. I bet the readers of AO3 would enjoy that.
I write more shower scenes than bath scenes, and they usually serve some purpose. It's usually either an angsty "I'm going to go cry in the shower so my tears mix with the water" or (in the case of a cancer story) "Oh noes, my hair is falling out!" scene, or it's the start of a sex scene. I know my foray into slash featured a scene with Nowie fooling around in the shower LOL.
-
Yes and no. I think the only time I ever feel obligated to write fanfic is when I'm in the middle of a novel that I've already started posting and that people like, and then I get writer's block or life gets in the way and I feel pressured to keep updating. Holding off on posting new stories right away and hoarding enough chapters to be able to stay weeks or months ahead of what I'm posting has really helped with that. I haven't felt that way since Sick as My Secrets, which I loved but only really had time to write consistently in the summer because of my master's classes. I guess I would still feel that way about Guilty Roads if I were trying to force myself to keep writing it, but I've kind of given up on that... the trying to force it, not the hoping it will just happen someday LOL. I don't have anyone asking about updates on that one anymore, so the sense of obligation is gone.
I do feel less stressed out about in general having my hoard as also helped me feel better about that type of thing. I still feel a little bad if I'm not writing "the next thing," but feel good in general if I'm writing something. Whereas before, I would be like "but you should be writing this!" I guess my only real obligation is my little pre-posting edit I do every week. Last week, it felt like kind of a chore. This week I'm only in the first half of the chapter, but it feels more fun. I don't know if that was because last week's chapter was a "set up" type chapter or what, but... it felt like it dragged... I've always liked the chapter I'm editing this week though, so maybe that's part of it.
Sorry that SAMS felt obligation-esque for you, but it's definitely hard to keep up a pace when there isn't consistent time to write. At least you haven't given up on Guilty Roads! There's hope!
I just pulled up his channel and sorted the videos by most popular. His most popular video is the first WTF Blanket (Snuggie parody) from 12 years ago, which was also one of my favorites. Wimpy Boybands was not even among the most popular videos, which surprised me, but I had fun watching a bunch of his old As Seen on TV commercial parodies. I agree about Wimpy Boybands being a loving parody. I follow him on Twitter, and he went to BSB's show in LA on the DNA tour. He is definitely a fan.
Oh, the WTF blanket. Gold. Do they have As Seen on TV stuff anymore? Like the only really ridiculous one I can think of is the Trumpy Bear where you pull a flag blanket out of its back and it has really stupid hair. Glad I'll never see that commercial ever again, lol.
I'm surprised Wimpy Boybands aren't in the most popular. They were all hilarious. If IYWITBGG hadn't just come up on my Spotify shuffle, I was about to go watch them, actually, lol.
-
Oh, the WTF blanket. Gold. Do they have As Seen on TV stuff anymore? Like the only really ridiculous one I can think of is the Trumpy Bear where you pull a flag blanket out of its back and it has really stupid hair. Glad I'll never see that commercial ever again, lol.
I'm surprised Wimpy Boybands aren't in the most popular. They were all hilarious. If IYWITBGG hadn't just come up on my Spotify shuffle, I was about to go watch them, actually, lol.
The Trumpy Bear! LMAO. One of my fourth graders actually introduced me to that years ago; he thought it was hilarious too. I looked up the video and couldn't believe it was real and not an SNL parody.
I don't watch enough commercials anymore to know. I record every show I watch regularly so I can fast forward through all the commercials.
I thought Wimpy Boybands was what put him on the map, but maybe it was the commercial parodies. Wimpy Boybands still rules.
-
LMAO! How deep is this bath tub?!
LMFAO! I feel like PBox doesn't have bath tubs? So I was picturing a lake, lol.
Okay, I googled "a brief history of bathing culture in Japan" because I have never really considered this, because again, I've never written something that mundane. It said that purification bathing was a luxury among the upper class, but more similar to a modern-day steam room, while warrior and commoner classes would use small tubs or pails and spoon water out. So... Now this:
Maybe you should write a scene with the boys sitting around the bath tub arguing. I bet the readers of AO3 would enjoy that.
would basically be all of them sitting around nude passing around a bucket while shouting at each other. AO3 would love that. LMFAO!
I write more shower scenes than bath scenes, and they usually serve some purpose. It's usually either an angsty "I'm going to go cry in the shower so my tears mix with the water" or (in the case of a cancer story) "Oh noes, my hair is falling out!" scene, or it's the start of a sex scene. I know my foray into slash featured a scene with Nowie fooling around in the shower LOL.
I feel like "Oh noes, my hair is falling out!" could easily turn into "I'm going to cry in the shower so my tears mix with the water" as well. Dual purpose! Nowie are brave. Showers are slippery. lol The first one could also probably turn into shower sex (or vice versa), but I can't see the second one starting or ending with sex, lol.
-
The Trumpy Bear! LMAO. One of my fourth graders actually introduced me to that years ago; he thought it was hilarious too. I looked up the video and couldn't believe it was real and not an SNL parody.
I thought it was a parody the first time someone showed it to me, then I saw it on Comedy Central and was hilariously mortified, lol.
I don't watch enough commercials anymore to know. I record every show I watch regularly so I can fast forward through all the commercials.
I'll sit through a couple live if it works out that way, but I also like fast forwarding through commercials.
I thought Wimpy Boybands was what put him on the map, but maybe it was the commercial parodies. Wimpy Boybands still rules.
I thought it was the Backstreet Boys piano sonata, that he then made fun of in Wimpy Boybands, lol.
-
would basically be all of them sitting around nude passing around a bucket while shouting at each other. AO3 would love that. LMFAO!
LMAO! AO3 would totally love that, especially if you come up with some kinky tags for it.
I feel like "Oh noes, my hair is falling out!" could easily turn into "I'm going to cry in the shower so my tears mix with the water" as well. Dual purpose! Nowie are brave. Showers are slippery. lol The first one could also probably turn into shower sex (or vice versa), but I can't see the second one starting or ending with sex, lol.
LOL Absolutely. I had to go search Broken to see if there was actually a scene like this in it, and sure enough... Chapter 30.
“Please, no, not yet…” Nick whimpered, gingerly reaching up to his head. With his thumb and forefinger, he delicately touched a small lock of hair. Separating a few hairs from the rest, he gave them a friendly tug. Instead of clinging fast to his scalp, they slid out easily between his fingers. Flicking the hair away in disgust and watching it wash down the drain with the rest, Nick could feel himself rapidly losing it. Tears stung his eyes and slid down his cheeks, mixing with the shower water.
I am nothing if not predictable. LOL
-
LMAO! AO3 would totally love that, especially if you come up with some kinky tags for it.
"Group bathing and naked arguing" obviously, lol. "Literal spooning" also comes to mind. I'm just not creatively kinky enough, I guess, lol.
LOL Absolutely. I had to go search Broken to see if there was actually a scene like this in it, and sure enough... Chapter 30.
I am nothing if not predictable. LOL
They just flow together too nicely not to and emo Broken Nick seems predisposed to cry in the shower anyway.
-
Hey. I know it's been a while since I posted in here
Just saying hello. I took a break from writing for a little bit but I think I'm getting back into things.
-
They just flow together too nicely not to and emo Broken Nick seems predisposed to cry in the shower anyway.
Absolutely LOL.
-
Hey. I know it's been a while since I posted in here
Just saying hello. I took a break from writing for a little bit but I think I'm getting back into things.
Welcome back! Glad to see you writing again.
-
I was browsing Reddit, and someone on the Fanfiction subreddit posted the question, "Does anyone else have certain words that make you oddly uncomfortable when reading a fic?" It's a good question, and feel free to answer it here, but I laughed at the second post in the thread, which is about the word "orbs" LOL.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/mm87vo/does_anyone_else_have_certain_words_that_make_you/
-
Hey. I know it's been a while since I posted in here
Just saying hello. I took a break from writing for a little bit but I think I'm getting back into things.
Welcome back! I hope work has been going a bit better for you. Glad you're writing again. :)
-
It's a good question, and feel free to answer it here, but I laughed at the second post in the thread, which is about the word "orbs" LOL.
Okay, but I noticed that no one complained about "face balls," just "orbs" and "pools," so "face balls" it is! lmao
"Does anyone else have certain words that make you oddly uncomfortable when reading a fic?"
I can't think of any that necessarily bother me in anyone else's writing, just mine when I go "oh, I wrote x again," but I need some clarity on this chuckling discussion. Isn't it just a quiet laugh? And not the "goofy laugh" or "cackle" people picture it as? What else are you supposed to say when a character laughs quietly? It's a Brian thing to do in general, but any time I've pictured Nick doing it, nine times out of ten it's more "Heh." than a full-blown laugh. Is it better to just right "heh" at that point and save all the chuckles for Brian? These are the things I wonder?
-
I was browsing Reddit, and someone on the Fanfiction subreddit posted the question, "Does anyone else have certain words that make you oddly uncomfortable when reading a fic?" It's a good question, and feel free to answer it here, but I laughed at the second post in the thread, which is about the word "orbs" LOL.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/mm87vo/does_anyone_else_have_certain_words_that_make_you/
Orbs will always continue to be annoying! For whatever reason, my brain cannot properly absorb the word sidled. I can’t ever hear that word when I am reading it. It’s like my brain refuses to comprehend it. Odd
-
Sorry I’ve been gone. I know I said I’d answer those questions and then disappeared. lol now I have no idea where they even are.
I didn’t get my vaccine yet. Not happening until end of April. Yes, I did drop my cheesecake and burnt my right hand as a result. Luckily I’m left handed and the cheesecake tasted (tastes) pretty good. I made whipped cream to cover up the huge portion that ended up in the garbage.
I’m on both twitter and Facebook more than I’d like to admit. I’m far more vocal on Facebook as opposed to twitter. I just kind of use twitter as my lifeline to bsb. That’s how I find out what’s going on and any gossip. I have taken a vacation from many of my facebook friends who were Magats but for some reason I can’t bring myself to unfriend anyone on there. I do have an Instagram but I rarely use it. I tend to get lost for long periods of time scrolling through my good reads app.
I never listen to podcasts. They don’t seem to hold my attention. There’s no way I’d pay to listen to one or pay to read a fanfic. I would imagine once people are paid for fanfics, copyright infringement becomes a thing.
I’m sure there’s a lot more I missed but that’s what I got for now
-
Okay, but I noticed that no one complained about "face balls," just "orbs" and "pools," so "face balls" it is! lmao
I can't think of any that necessarily bother me in anyone else's writing, just mine when I go "oh, I wrote x again," but I need some clarity on this chuckling discussion. Isn't it just a quiet laugh? And not the "goofy laugh" or "cackle" people picture it as? What else are you supposed to say when a character laughs quietly? It's a Brian thing to do in general, but any time I've pictured Nick doing it, nine times out of ten it's more "Heh." than a full-blown laugh. Is it better to just right "heh" at that point and save all the chuckles for Brian? These are the things I wonder?
As long as it's face balls and not "black balls of sight," like someone said on Reddit LOL.
I don't get the hate for "chuckle" either. I think of it as a quiet laugh too, not a full-blown belly laugh, but more of a "heh heh" like you said. It's more of a masculine word than "giggle," which sounds more feminine to me. I like the word "snicker" better, but I think "snicker" has a slightly different connotation - I tend to use it more when characters are reacting to a dirty joke or making fun of each other.
There was also a lot of hate for "smirk" on that thread, but that may just be because it's overused in fanfic. I remember that video we discussed a while back about things fanfic writers do that don't fly in published writing talking about characters who smirk too much. I'm guilty as charged with that one because my Nick smirks all the time... but that's because real Nick does that smirky half-smile all the time too!
Besides "orbs," the only one I really agreed with on that thread was the various awkward synonyms for "penis." I know we've already discussed that here. I don't read a lot of smut, so it probably bothers me more in my own stories when I'm trying to come up with a word that doesn't sound too vulgar or too technical/medical.
Back in the Broken/BMS era, the word "stump" used to make me cringe. Even when it was completely out of context, like on a sign for "tree stump removal, it would automatically make me think of poor Broken Nick, and I would feel this surge of guilt. I have gotten over that the further removed I've become from those stories, but it lasted for a few years.
-
Orbs will always continue to be annoying! For whatever reason, my brain cannot properly absorb the word sidled. I can’t ever hear that word when I am reading it. It’s like my brain refuses to comprehend it. Odd
That is interesting. I don't mind the word sidled.
I have maybe a similar thing with the word/color "mauve." Since I was a kid, I have always pronounced it how it looks, like "mahv." Then I found out as an adult that it's apparently pronounced with a long O sound, like "mohv"? But in my head, I continue to pronounce it with a "ah" sound because it just sounds better to me that way. LOL
-
Sorry I’ve been gone. I know I said I’d answer those questions and then disappeared. lol now I have no idea where they even are.
I didn’t get my vaccine yet. Not happening until end of April. Yes, I did drop my cheesecake and burnt my right hand as a result. Luckily I’m left handed and the cheesecake tasted (tastes) pretty good. I made whipped cream to cover up the huge portion that ended up in the garbage.
I’m on both twitter and Facebook more than I’d like to admit. I’m far more vocal on Facebook as opposed to twitter. I just kind of use twitter as my lifeline to bsb. That’s how I find out what’s going on and any gossip. I have taken a vacation from many of my facebook friends who were Magats but for some reason I can’t bring myself to unfriend anyone on there. I do have an Instagram but I rarely use it. I tend to get lost for long periods of time scrolling through my good reads app.
I never listen to podcasts. They don’t seem to hold my attention. There’s no way I’d pay to listen to one or pay to read a fanfic. I would imagine once people are paid for fanfics, copyright infringement becomes a thing.
I’m sure there’s a lot more I missed but that’s what I got for now
-
Orbs will always continue to be annoying!
As long as it's face balls and not "black balls of sight," like someone said on Reddit LOL.
That one made me laugh! lol I notice that Mare didn't specifically mention an issue with "face balls" either, so... Here we are, face balls, lol.
For whatever reason, my brain cannot properly absorb the word sidled. I can’t ever hear that word when I am reading it. It’s like my brain refuses to comprehend it. Odd
That is interesting. I don't mind the word sidled.
I have maybe a similar thing with the word/color "mauve." Since I was a kid, I have always pronounced it how it looks, like "mahv." Then I found out as an adult that it's apparently pronounced with a long O sound, like "mohv"? But in my head, I continue to pronounce it with a "ah" sound because it just sounds better to me that way. LOL
I think that happens a lot when you only see a word in print and never hear it. There's one that always used to get me until recently, but I can't think of what it is now. Colonel got me a lot as a child because there isn't an "r" in it, but that's how we pronounce it in America, at least... I don't know about England, so I don't want to blanket this with "in English."
-
I think that happens a lot when you only see a word in print and never hear it. There's one that always used to get me until recently, but I can't think of what it is now. Colonel got me a lot as a child because there isn't an "r" in it, but that's how we pronounce it in America, at least... I don't know about England, so I don't want to blanket this with "in English."
Absolutely! "Colonel" is a good one too. I have seen a quote shared many times that says, "Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading."
-
I don't get the hate for "chuckle" either. I think of it as a quiet laugh too, not a full-blown belly laugh, but more of a "heh heh" like you said. It's more of a masculine word than "giggle," which sounds more feminine to me. I like the word "snicker" better, but I think "snicker" has a slightly different connotation - I tend to use it more when characters are reacting to a dirty joke or making fun of each other.
All I can guess is that people think that since the word looks weird, the laugh must sound weird? I don't know that I picture it as even just a "heh" or "heh heh," unless it's Nick, a quiet kind of throaty laugh is where it is in my head, like you want to conceal it, but not actively or it's a little funny, but not a lot funny. I don't tend to use giggle for males either, because it feels too high pitched.
I think "snicker" has some nasally aspects to it and mocking? "Half-suppressed, typically scornful" is the definition, so yeah, teasing each other is a good time to use that.
"Chortle," that's another weird synonym for laugh.
There was also a lot of hate for "smirk" on that thread, but that may just be because it's overused in fanfic. I remember that video we discussed a while back about things fanfic writers do that don't fly in published writing talking about characters who smirk too much. I'm guilty as charged with that one because my Nick smirks all the time... but that's because real Nick does that smirky half-smile all the time too!
I saw that too. I think there was one comment where someone was describing a character who smirks all the time, and I think that's where the line for these might come into play for me? Like if everybody's wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just weird. If it's one character wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just that character. Replace "smirk" with whatever in this case. But then there's always a worry that it starts to feel like "Is my character Bella Swan biting her lip?" and that's unpleasant too!
Aww, Nick's lopsided smile/grin! That's how I always describe it. :) In my most recently posted chapter, he had a nice flirty lopsided smile and later a lopsided gape. Good times were had by all. :) I figure y'all know what I mean, but that's another thing that I wrote this week and went, "ah, the first time I ever mention this, I have to explain exactly what it looks like in the OF version."
(Also, now "One Phone Call" is stuck in my head.)
Besides "orbs," the only one I really agreed with on that thread was the various awkward synonyms for "penis." I know we've already discussed that here. I don't read a lot of smut, so it probably bothers me more in my own stories when I'm trying to come up with a word that doesn't sound too vulgar or too technical/medical.
Agreed. Though no one mentioned "impaled," so... lol.
Back in the Broken/BMS era, the word "stump" used to make me cringe. Even when it was completely out of context, like on a sign for "tree stump removal, it would automatically make me think of poor Broken Nick, and I would feel this surge of guilt. I have gotten over that the further removed I've become from those stories, but it lasted for a few years.
LMAO! Sorry about your guilt, but I'm dying that tree stumps made you think of Broken Nick, lol!
-
Sorry I’ve been gone. I know I said I’d answer those questions and then disappeared. lol now I have no idea where they even are.
Just glad you're okay and making cheesecakes, lol.
I didn’t get my vaccine yet. Not happening until end of April. Yes, I did drop my cheesecake and burnt my right hand as a result. Luckily I’m left handed and the cheesecake tasted (tastes) pretty good. I made whipped cream to cover up the huge portion that ended up in the garbage.
Sorry you burned your hand, but glad you were able to salvage the burnt part of your cheesecake and can still use your dominant hand. Burnt hands are no joke. End of April is soon! Yay!
I’m on both twitter and Facebook more than I’d like to admit. I’m far more vocal on Facebook as opposed to twitter. I just kind of use twitter as my lifeline to bsb. That’s how I find out what’s going on and any gossip. I have taken a vacation from many of my facebook friends who were Magats but for some reason I can’t bring myself to unfriend anyone on there. I do have an Instagram but I rarely use it. I tend to get lost for long periods of time scrolling through my good reads app.
Y'all are my lifeline to BSB at this point. And sometimes Instagram. I figure they post most of the same stuff on instagram and I get to look at great photos.
I’m sure there’s a lot more I missed but that’s what I got for now
-
Absolutely! "Colonel" is a good one too. I have seen a quote shared many times that says, "Never make fun of someone if they mispronounce a word. It means they learned it by reading."
Yes! Exactly! It's no one's fault that English is weird and "though" and "through" don't rhyme, but "pony" and "bologna" do. Although now that I think of it, "bologna" is probably one of those odd loan word cases like blond versus blonde.
-
All I can guess is that people think that since the word looks weird, the laugh must sound weird? I don't know that I picture it as even just a "heh" or "heh heh," unless it's Nick, a quiet kind of throaty laugh is where it is in my head, like you want to conceal it, but not actively or it's a little funny, but not a lot funny. I don't tend to use giggle for males either, because it feels too high pitched.
I think "snicker" has some nasally aspects to it and mocking? "Half-suppressed, typically scornful" is the definition, so yeah, teasing each other is a good time to use that.
"Chortle," that's another weird synonym for laugh.
Yeah, if you imagine chuckling to sound like a clownish laugh, I could see not wanting to use that word. I think your definition is spot on.
The word "chortle" makes me think of Harry Potter because that's where I learned it. I've never heard anyone use it in real life, but I wonder if it's more commonly used in the UK? It sounds very British.
I saw that too. I think there was one comment where someone was describing a character who smirks all the time, and I think that's where the line for these might come into play for me? Like if everybody's wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just weird. If it's one character wandering around smirking at everything all the time, then that's just that character. Replace "smirk" with whatever in this case. But then there's always a worry that it starts to feel like "Is my character Bella Swan biting her lip?" and that's unpleasant too!
Aww, Nick's lopsided smile/grin! That's how I always describe it. :) In my most recently posted chapter, he had a nice flirty lopsided smile and later a lopsided gape. Good times were had by all. :) I figure y'all know what I mean, but that's another thing that I wrote this week and went, "ah, the first time I ever mention this, I have to explain exactly what it looks like in the OF version."
Good point. If it's only one character doing it, fine, but it would be weird if all the characters were smirking all the time. Also, part of it may just have to do with the overuse of the word "smirk." Sometimes you just need to change it up and use different words - like "lopsided grin." That's also a good way to describe it and give it a friendlier feel than "smirk."
Agreed. Though no one mentioned "impaled," so... lol.
LOL! When a character gets impaled in one of my stories, it is definitely not in the context of a sex scene.
LMAO! Sorry about your guilt, but I'm dying that tree stumps made you think of Broken Nick, lol!
LOL I know! So dumb.
-
I just had one of those moments where I was really glad I hang on to chapters before posting as long as I do. My current story begins in January 2008, and I had written in Chapter 4 that the last time Nick and Kevin saw each other was the previous October when the Boys were in LA doing promo for Unbreakable's release. I just saw a picture on Twitter of all five guys at Howie's wedding, which was in December 2007, and I thought, "Well, duh... they would have seen each other at Howie's wedding just a few weeks before the story started." So I went back and fixed that paragraph. Thankfully I haven't posted that chapter yet. Yay hoarding!
-
Yes! Exactly! It's no one's fault that English is weird and "though" and "through" don't rhyme, but "pony" and "bologna" do. Although now that I think of it, "bologna" is probably one of those odd loan word cases like blond versus blonde.
I found an article about the pronunciation of "bologna." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-is-baloney-spelled-bologna_n_5bd88319e4b07427610be221 The short version is that it was probably anglicized from the original Italian pronunciation ("balonya" or "balonia") to "baloney." English is definitely full of oddball words though!
-
The word "chortle" makes me think of Harry Potter because that's where I learned it. I've never heard anyone use it in real life, but I wonder if it's more commonly used in the UK? It sounds very British.
Ooh, maybe that's it. I can't remember where I first heard it.
I've never really talked about laughing outside of writing because I'm either actually laughing or say something to the effect of "I laughed so hard." But there's stories I tell where I would say that I laughed really hard, but then I start laughing all over again. The "Mister Paul sock puppet day" comes to mind, lol; kids are weird.
Good point. If it's only one character doing it, fine, but it would be weird if all the characters were smirking all the time. Also, part of it may just have to do with the overuse of the word "smirk." Sometimes you just need to change it up and use different words - like "lopsided grin." That's also a good way to describe it and give it a friendlier feel than "smirk."
I feel like there's some contempt to a smirk? That's normally how I use it. I looked it up and the definition is too broad! "Irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly smile," that's a broad range of emotions for one expression in addition to some bias on the part of the POV character. Maybe that's why it feels so overused?
LOL! When a character gets impaled in one of my stories, it is definitely not in the context of a sex scene.
I mean, same... That's why that one still sticks out to me, I think, lol.
-
I just had one of those moments where I was really glad I hang on to chapters before posting as long as I do. My current story begins in January 2008, and I had written in Chapter 4 that the last time Nick and Kevin saw each other was the previous October when the Boys were in LA doing promo for Unbreakable's release. I just saw a picture on Twitter of all five guys at Howie's wedding, which was in December 2007, and I thought, "Well, duh... they would have seen each other at Howie's wedding just a few weeks before the story started." So I went back and fixed that paragraph. Thankfully I haven't posted that chapter yet. Yay hoarding!
It's the Twilight Zone and they didn't actually see each other at Howie's wedding, doo dooo dooo dooo dooo.
Glad you had the hoard and were able to fix it. :)
I had a moment like that where I changed my mind on something this week, but figured "unreliable narrator" and/or knowing specifically about one character and applying that to all others was a good way to excuse the previous term I used. Call it a case of going specific earlier and broad now.
My yay hoarding from today was that I finally wrote some PNecklace, but it was for the very last chapter, lol. So, good thing I have the hoard for now.
-
I found an article about the pronunciation of "bologna." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-is-baloney-spelled-bologna_n_5bd88319e4b07427610be221 The short version is that it was probably anglicized from the original Italian pronunciation ("balonya" or "balonia") to "baloney." English is definitely full of oddball words though!
I figured as much, but I appreciate this insightful article on the topic from an author with a similar name, lol! On a side note, bologna is really gross as far as sandwich meats go.
-
Ooh, maybe that's it. I can't remember where I first heard it.
I've never really talked about laughing outside of writing because I'm either actually laughing or say something to the effect of "I laughed so hard." But there's stories I tell where I would say that I laughed really hard, but then I start laughing all over again. The "Mister Paul sock puppet day" comes to mind, lol; kids are weird.
That's true. I guess it's more that I haven't seen the word "chortle" used as often as other synonyms for laughter.
And yes, kids are weird. LOL
I feel like there's some contempt to a smirk? That's normally how I use it. I looked it up and the definition is too broad! "Irritatingly smug, conceited, or silly smile," that's a broad range of emotions for one expression in addition to some bias on the part of the POV character. Maybe that's why it feels so overused?
Yes, there can be. When I describe Nick smirking, it's usually meant to be more mischievous or flirtatious, but it works well for villains too.
-
It's the Twilight Zone and they didn't actually see each other at Howie's wedding, doo dooo dooo dooo dooo.
Glad you had the hoard and were able to fix it. :)
I had a moment like that where I changed my mind on something this week, but figured "unreliable narrator" and/or knowing specifically about one character and applying that to all others was a good way to excuse the previous term I used. Call it a case of going specific earlier and broad now.
My yay hoarding from today was that I finally wrote some PNecklace, but it was for the very last chapter, lol. So, good thing I have the hoard for now.
LOL Kevin literally had his arm around Nick in the picture.
Unreliable narrators are a good way to excuse small errors, if you can even call yours an error.
I'm glad you got something written to hoard! It's nice to know you have something already drafted for the last chapter because last chapters can be intimidating sometimes.
-
I figured as much, but I appreciate this insightful article on the topic from an author with a similar name, lol! On a side note, bologna is really gross as far as sandwich meats go.
Agreed! I haven't eaten it since I was a kid. The thought of a bologna sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise makes me want to vomit.
-
Does anyone else reward themselves for writing?
I started MBK in 2017 and took an extended break from it in 2018. During that break, a movie came out that had a similar premise to my story. I was like, "OMG, I have to see that!" But since I was working on AHTIM and not MBK at that time, I told myself I would wait until I went back to MBK to watch it so that I could take full advantage of any inspiration I got from it and not get distracted from AHTIM. Two years later, I finally rewarded myself for finishing the monster chapter I wrote this week by renting that movie last night. I didn't really get anything out of it in terms of ideas, but I enjoyed it.
-
LOL Kevin literally had his arm around Nick in the picture.
I was just trying to make it more dramatic, lol. But I guess they couldn't be dramatic at Howie's wedding, he doesn't deserve that. #TeamHowie
Unreliable narrators are a good way to excuse small errors, if you can even call yours an error.
I'm glad you got something written to hoard! It's nice to know you have something already drafted for the last chapter because last chapters can be intimidating sometimes.
I'll take your if and run with it. It wasn't an error at all, lol.
Two separate little scenes, including the last one of all with its full last line. Now if only I could write this current chapter, lol. Of the chapters left to write, the very last one is actually the only one where I had clear "this happens and this happens" plans, everything else is a vague list of things that happen over x amount of time.
That's true. I guess it's more that I haven't seen the word "chortle" used as often as other synonyms for laughter.
It's because it looks like a weird word, way more than chuckle.
Yes, there can be. When I describe Nick smirking, it's usually meant to be more mischievous or flirtatious, but it works well for villains too.
Same, if Nick smirks it's mischievous or flirtatious. Glad we're all writing him doing the same things, lol.
All my villains though, smirks of villainy, lol.