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

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

I hate when that happens! I've been stuck with that exact same urge too for ages now, and can't come up with anything to actually write XD I think just talking over potential ideas/thoughts with someone could help though! It might give you a starting point, at the least!

[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]

and can't come up with anything to actually write

Argh, this is so my problem! alskdjf Oh Mica, why are our lives so difficult? :(

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh can I ask for a little help now? Can you...please explain to me why you love ShiHae! This is important to get me motivated to write this one part of a fic that's been stalling me forever...

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

because we are writers! and it's a wonderful, infuriating, difficult art! sob sob sob!

though, IF YOU NEED HELP. ALLOW ME TO THROW YOU A SUGGESTION. SAY. SHIHAE. CLONES. YEAH!!! :D

[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]

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.

[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

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

omg Mei, I was SHIHAE-ING at you before I even received this comment, I FIND THIS AMUSING. and omg, um. THIS IS A HARD QUESTION ;_______; Um um um they are so CUTE together! And I don't mean they look cute together (though they do!) but they are just CUTE, when they are together! They're silly and playful and act their age and they make fun of each other and THEY ARE ALWAYS TOUCHING EACH OTHER IF THEY'RE NEAR AHDFGAKDJS and they're actually really good friends and that's just really adorable?

also. THE SEX WOULD BE MINDBLOWINGLY HOT. YEAH.

is that...any good? ohgod I'm such a rambley something why are you asking me about things I love too much to talk coherently about >_>

is this good shihae motivation for you? (http://taylormercury.livejournal.com/219009.html#cutid1)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

...t-that entry is very distracting.

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

8Dv I have fulfilled my life's duty!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I FORGOT. WHAT IS YOUR OTP OF ALL OTPS? ShiHae or CinHae? ...I know you love KiHae but I'm pretty sure it's not your #1? alkdjfsgh. Donghae/you? XDDDD ♥

[sapphynashi.livejournal.com]

Ummmm plot, I don't know, if anything I end up with too much plot alkdjhfak. I guess when I get an idea, I tend to want to expand on it, usually in either direction. How did this scene/event/problem/solution come to be? What happens afterward? What are the consequences? I like explaining and expanding things (in written form, god, not in speech XD).

[taylormercury.livejournal.com]

IT IS SHIHAE. AND CINHAE. DON'T YOU DARE MAKE ME CHOOSE D:
oh kihae, my love for them in fic is slowly dwindling :(

[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]

oh kihae, my love for them in fic is slowly dwindling :(

D: D: D: D: D: WHY. WHAT HAPPENED.


I can tell you some of my beef with them but alskdjfs sometimes I feel like I'm not allowed to have opinions and have to love them indiscriminately because everyone knows me as the KiHae fangirl, sob.

[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. :)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Please, give me some of your plot. ;________; TELL ME HOW YOU DO IT. Yes, expanding on things, but how to balance it? How much focus to give one character? How do you make sure things actually happen in each chapter/section?

[konzatsu.livejournal.com]

i have that problem a lot, one reason so many of my fics are quite short, or end up sitting on my hard drive for so long. that, and i have the attention span and patience of a gnat. :x

but where does one find the time to practice, that's the real problem.

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.

[sapphynashi.livejournal.com]

Umm, well, balance becomes a lot more nightmarish with, say, SJ fic because holyshit characters. XD But. Well. Most of the time you'll have a main character, yeah? Or a main pairing - and you don't need to make sure everything's 50/50 if that's the case. If you have a handful of main characters, then that gets really crazy and do need to be more careful of balancing them/their storylines out and making sure they relate somehow. Um, Cityverse is an example of balance done poorly. That got out of hand.

I usually have an idea of what scenes I want in a fic, and what order they should progress in. I hardly ever meander my whole way through anymore, making everything up as I go. The outline is in my head if not typed up in a document. It's often just a loose series of key events so I know what direction I need to go in, what I need to accomplish in each scene.

kajdhfla I don't know if any of this is helpful or just irritating. D: