writing question

[meitachi]

Query, for the writers (particularly of longfic or plotty fic) on my flist:

When you write, do you need someone to bounce ideas off or do you typically work on your own, with a good idea of what you want to happen in your head? Do you think it's generally better to have one, in order to get a second perspective/opinion, and just in terms of encouragement and new ideas?

Qualifier: I don't mean a beta, but just a friend who can listen while you talk about your writing (or complain about it, or whatever).

Comments

[osoreranai.livejournal.com]

It really depends on the project. In the one I'm coauthoring, I find having my partner-in-crime really helps me stay on target. And it's encouraging, too.

Gosh, come to think of it, even on my solo projects, I find having people around helps. I can still do the work on my own, but it's just fun to have someone around when I snap and roar "WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING." Then, instead of storming off to write emo poetry or whatevski, I can just talk, bounce ideas, just kind of let things go.

So yeah. Gosh, if you need someone to listen, my AIM's kurisutokishi. Or you can gchat me too. So.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Hm...yeah, I think that while writing can be a very personal thing, just having people around is probably helpful as a motivator...

Thanks! I have really really been struck by the writing urge lately.

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

I think it can also depend on how you work and write best. If I'm going to write something long or plotty, I generally do need someone to bounce ideas off of, to help me think things through, to be a bit of a springboard and inspiration.

And even if you are lucky enough to be able to plot on your own, a second opinion never hurts! It's good to have someone who can say "hey hold up, that's just STUPID!" if its needed xD

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I have recently been totally swept by the urge to write - and write something substantially long and plotty. It's driving me insane because I don't have the time for it but alskdj. I'm trying? But I also need someone to spark ideas so I can actually churn out long stuff, haha. T___T

[coley-merrin.livejournal.com]

I would probably write a lot less if I couldn't bounce ideas off people or just in general chatter and blah about it... Not just for the hard and stuck times, but the "HEY good ideas!" times. Their wanting to see it, or handing out questions, or even seemingly offhand comments that strike a chord just right and spawn ideas. And the "I fail at logic, help" times. XD;

And you know, we're not always very kind to ourselves, so having someone who can hold that desire to see it when we're being wangsty inside is really invaluable. <3

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the problem is that I know exactly how a fic would look played out in my head, how it'd feel or what emotions it would be eliciting, how the characters would look acting it out, etc. But then I can't translate it into words because it's too perfect/right in my head and I am not good enough a writer irl. alskdjf augh.

[sapphynashi.livejournal.com]

Mm... I think with long one-shots I'm just fine on my own. I don't think I've ever really discussed those with people. It's the multi-chapter things that I usually need a sounding board for because there is a lot of material and it's hard to keep track of. The longer the story, the easier it is to unbalance. You also might run into the risk of having too many ideas crammed into one story.

lol and sometimes it's embarrassing the kinds of crap you think are good ideas at the time. XD; I got feedback for my outline with one comment like "SAPPHY WRRRRY I KNOW YOU KNOW BETTER" and I realized OH GOD WHAT WAS I THINKING. orz

But when all's said and done, your mileage may vary!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm usually okay on my own for one-shots (though god knows my one-shots are shorter than yours by far lol) but, um, plot is a huge weakness for me. WHAT DO I ACTUALLY WANT TO HAPPEN? Why? How? All that mess and making sure it makes sense but not overthinking it to tiny little details no one would notice/care about.



...I may need some help. I'm not sure yet. OTL

[konzatsu.livejournal.com]

i don't write that often, but i've found that on shorter fics (or ones that are pretty much pure smut) i'm generally okay, but for anything remotely long (which for me is over like 1200 words) i like to have people to bounce ideas off of. my roommate and i do that a lot, sometimes on purpose or sometimes we'll just be talking about something random and it'll end upleading to ideas.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Hmm, yeah, I generally have lots of ideas that get fic started...but then I run out of ideas of how to get from the beginning to the end, or how to maintain something longer. Probably I just need more practice - and I guess another person will definitely help in providing more ideas. :)

my longfic, let me show you it.

[black-goose.livejournal.com]

I generally talk my ideas through with people. I suppose the shortfic/longfic debate doesn't really apply to me since...everything I write is long, but my shorter things were never really discussed. Sometimes I'll tell people my ideas and see if they go for it, but with shorter things, less than 2000 words, then I generally never discuss what I'm going to write.

Longer one shots, I usually tell people a couple of my scenes, see if they think the plot works, etc etc. Multi-chaptered things, oh my god, I need someone to bounce ideas off, because it's so hard to keep everything in line, and in telling someone my ideas for how the story is going to go and where I want to take it, I usually end up working out quite a few of the kinks. This holds mostly true for mafia!au, which kind of needed a proper plot. If you look at mutant!au, I kind of...have no real plot line, or more, I do, and then I get random ideas and no one is around to tell me no, or to tell me to do something else, and I just keep writing it down. I should stop that.

Because I write AU a lot, I need someone to talk things through with, because there are so many characters/new things to take into consideration. It's nice to have friends to discuss these things with, who can give you ideas and won't mind you using them. Having a lot of writer friends, I can try to go somewhere with something and most of the time they'll pick up on my train of thought and run with it and that really, really helps. I don't even usually stick with one person, something that I'm writing right now is something that I discussed with three people at the same time, and that is currently 11,000+ words (the one with two characters) and I still know I have about 6 scenes left to write.

You can't keep a full plot in just your head. Writing it down can be enough, but I always discuss what I'm writing with someone, simply because second opinions rock, and something that sounds awesome in your head more often than not doesn't actually make complete sense when you first say it/tell it. Again, going back to mafia!au, Donghae's backstory was something that I thought of, discussed with a couple of people, and then altered a little. It helps to talk through the details. Writing longfic/multi-chaptered stuff can be hard to keep track of.

Basically, I rambled her, and you totally know that if you want me, I'm there to help. I understand how difficult writing longfic/multi-chaptered fic is (sobs, mutant!au, go diaf), and I know what kind of problems will crop up. MEI FIGHTING.

also I should mention that since a lot of what I write is born out of a conversation that I have, I tend to bounce my ideas off the person I'm in the conversation with at the time, so generally, yeah, I like talking to people about what I'm writing.

Re: my longfic, let me show you it.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

TY for this, it is basically the kind of opinion/input I was looking for. XD /talks to you on MSN!

[filterpaper.livejournal.com]

I WORK ALONE >:O

[filterpaper.livejournal.com]

dead by which i mean, oneshots and stuff I hardly EVER talk to anyone else, unless it is just 'hey i am writing a oneshot with this plot!'. For long stuff... idk I think it just comes from not having writer friends, because I only got into this community like a year ago, so I'm just like ~used to independence~ I usually manage to figure out my own plot snags pretty well too. So I guess I really don't talk to anyone. This is probably not a good thing...

[hoyah.livejournal.com]

I usually have to talk to someone about what I'm writing. I don't do it often, because I feel like I might be bothering people with my useless ideas, but it's so hard to really finish a fic without having someone else to push me. I hit a lot of walls - either I can't express what I want to, or I just don't know how to continue from one point into another. Plot-wise, I kinda suck. I think that's why most of my fics are very short - it's easy to expound on a small idea than to keep going with it to see where it might take me. xD That part is actually kinda scary. Okay, I think I may be digressing. I will stop. But yes - I usually have to have someone to talk to about whatever it is I'm writing, if it's to go anywhere.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I definitely get what you're saying. My fics for ages have averaged betwee 1000-2000 words and alskdjfsl it is feeling too short for me now, so I have to try new things, which is definitely kind of scary because I have no idea how to make it work. :/ Hence this post!

I also want to master the art of a drabble. Soul of brevity and succintness, I am not.

[notablender.livejournal.com]

i think a lot of good ideas can come from talking to people, but i prefer working alone through the actual writing process.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

hmm I definitely get ideas from people (re: pics or just chatting), but yeah, I think I prefer to write on my own too. then again, I've never really tried it the other way, so thinking about giving it a shot.

[coyotecolored.livejournal.com]

LATE TO THE PARTY. AHEM.
idk, a lot of my favorite fics just seem to start up and spill out with minimal input from me, let alone anyone else... but when I do hit a snag, or have left something cold for too long and am trying to come back to it, I'll usually start bugging someone about it and see what kind of brainstorming happens. ask hyperballad, she hears everything 8D; I wish I could get in the ~groove~ more often and just churn something out without the stops and fits and starts I've been having for the last forever.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

hmmmm I need a person like Kat. XD I just feel kinda bad - I usually spaz at Tori, but she is less in kpop now so she is probably like I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FIC WRITING PROBLEMS. >:|!!! The thing is, with how exhausting school/RL is, I think I need to actively set aside time just for writing. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow/this weekend.

[papered.livejournal.com]

depends on the writing for me, I think. :3 some of the shorter, more ~language-based~ fics, I tend to write just on my own - unless I am stuck, in which case I whine, ;______; - but longer fics or ~humor~-category fics, I liked to bounce plots off people or just generally ramble about what I'm writing. and most of the time I ): over the rambling because I feel bad for subjecting people to my writing-related babbling, dead. (oddly, this does not apply when I am babbling over non-writing-related things.) but y, especially for longer fics - talking is good because I have this problem where I always LACK PLOT and don't know what should happen next and so. whining at people usually helps. *_______*

加油！ ♥

[meiface.livejournal.com]

huh, maybe I'll try a language-based fic sometime soon. I can't remember the last time (if ever?) I did one of those... You write a lot more artistically than I do, I feel. :'( Humor/crack fic comes easier for me than writing prettily, sob. And long fics just slay me alskdjf.

LACKING PLOT. IT IS MY PROBLEM.

[loika.livejournal.com]

I haven't written in a long while, but from what experience I have I think it's a bit of both. Sometimes I feel like an idea is too insubstantial to talk about, or too fragile -- like if I try to deconstruct it in explanation it'll vapourise. I get a lot of ideas (not just in writing) that sort of work like an image in the corner of my eye. It's there and I can see enough about it to create it if I'm careful, but if I turn around to look at it straight-on it'll probably go away.

On the other hand if I've already written something or have an idea that's pretty solid but that I feel needs to be talked over, then yeah -- having someone to talk to about it is great. It helps me get fresh perspective, to step back from the work and see it properly.

(Though, I'm also not talking about writing fic, FYI. I haven't written fic in years. Not that it's an important distinction in terms of your question.)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

(Totally applicable to all kinds of writing!)

Hmmm yeah, I see what you're saying. I think my idea for the moment falls into the category of "needs to be talked over" - hopefully someone else can help me find a direction for the plot I have floating around vaguely in my head.

[thundersquall.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Generally, I really prefer working on my own. Unless I'm having severe writer's block (like the one I'm having now, FML), that's when I need someone to talk to, to complain to, bounce ideas off, and see if they can give me prompts. So most of the time, I'm on my own and writing on my own. I do chat with pals about what I'm working on, but usually just to give them spoilers, not exactly for encouragement or stuff (again, writer's block being the exception).

I think it's really up to your own personal preference - some people work better on their own, some need to have a friend working alongside them and supporting them. Go with whatever you're comfy with! =D

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Hmm yes, definitely an individual thing, but some common trends too. And it changes depending on what we're writing too, I'm sure.

Okay we can! I will go figure this out. XD Set aside some real time for writing today and tomorrow, after I get productivity out of the way!