So... apparently it's June now...

[hells_half_acre]

I know I said I'd be more productive in June... and I HAVE been....

But so far that productivity has come in the form of marathoning the new Arrested Development season and sewing curtains, and not so much in the form of finishing or starting any of my writing projects - fandom related or otherwise.

So, um, apologizing yet again for my quietness these past few weeks. I did START my (gen) Sassy fic, but I'm not really feeling it at the moment, I guess, so I'm not sure if/when it will get done.

I also really want to write another original novel, so I have a feeling that most of my creative-writing mojo is going to be focused on that project for the next little bit.

Not to mention that I'm trying to work a lot at my day job before I take my vacation, because unlike a lot of the world, I don't get paid vacation.

I feel bad though, because the whole point of Ficlet April was supposed to get me into the routine of writing everyday - and it did not work. :(

In other news, I've taken up archery... and let me tell you, I'm the one you want on your zombie apocalypse team:



Anyway, I hope all you guys are well and I'm sorry I haven't been around as much to entertain you with my shenanigans.

Comments

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the moral support!

I think you have a good point though - I could sit and plug away at it, or I could take a break - write something else, and then return to it later with fresh eyes... and also maybe more of a willingness to make drastic changes.

I think part of the problem is that because I came up with the basic story and characters in high school, they've been with me a very long time and I'm VERY reluctant to alter them in any drastic way, even if they're not working as they are.

[et-tu-lj.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see.

Is it mostly the characters themselves you feel reluctant to mess with, or everything?

I had a fanfic like that once, and how I got past it was looking for repeated elements and trying to get rid of the repetition or make it purposeful. Specifically (since I'm not sure if that made sense or not), it was a Snape during the Death Eaters era fic, and I was very attached to my core character development, but the story wasn't working overall. 80% of the scenes were set in either Snape's potions lab or the entryway of Malfoy Manor, so I started by moving scenes to other locations, both individual sets within the major location (a study, library, gardens etc) and other locations when possible. Then when it still felt monotonous, I tried to give the outdoor scenes different weather conditions, and the indoor scenes different lighting. Eventually, seeing how much those minor detail changes improved the story let me break free of my stranglehold on the plot/characters and be willing to bend there some too. (Also, confirmed my pattern - I write character and relationships first and wow is the setting vague and unanchored.)

If it's a story that's too deeply ingrained to forget about, maybe something like that might be worth a try? Sharing my story in case it helps, but idk if our processes are similar.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is that I've got 7 characters that could all have their own story... and also - and I find this is a problem with all my ideas - I have very well developed "good guys" and very under-developed (or non-existent) "bad guys".

Also, I realized after I wrote it that it's basically a hurt/comfort fest.

So, yeah, multiple problems. :P