Remember when I used to write short gen?

Sep 06, 2019 23:54

My fics just keep getting longer and longer and it takes SO LONG TO FINISH THEM. The one I'm working on right now is currently at 72K and 18 chapters, with the next chapter basically written and 6K long, and at least another two chapters to come after that. I've been working on it since DECEMBER LAST YEAR.

And in some ways it's good! I'm able to explore more complex character dynamics and narrative arcs! (Though remind me to never write an ot6 again, it's like solving a multidimensional algebra problem) I like reading 50K+ fic quite a lot, and it's nice to have my own to go back to. And I like this fic and what it's doing!

But GOD I also want it to be DONE so I can WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN THIS ONE GROUP OF TEENAGERS ANGSTING ABOUT THEIR LOVE LIVES. I mean noone's stopping me from writing something else but I am a very one-foot-in-front-of-the-other sort of writer and this is the path I'm on right now.

Hmm, I think I already made a post about this. Probably because I've been feeling this way for SEVEN MONTHS. And God knows how long the next fic will be. I feel like drawing a graph. Like, I don't choose how long my stories will be, I just start them and keep going until they're done, and that length just keeps growing and I don't know when it's going to stop.

You know what, I AM drawing a graph. Look at this! It's ridiculous! NINE YEARS of mostly writing 300-2000 word stories with the odd 15K, and suddenly from the end of 2017 it's 30K, 50K, 80K. WHERE WILL IT END.



(Disclaimer: I removed a 50K outlier from 2016 since it was a combination of multiple existing stories, and took me 8 years to write)

And yes,
moonvoice, I know your fics are like A MILLION WORDS LONG, but you write faster than me :P Wait, we started dating at the end of 2017. IT'S CONTAGIOUS.

It was interesting looking back on my old fics. While I've been writing the odd 10K+ fic since like 2010, I used to write a lot of much shorter fic, and anything over 1000 words felt substantial. But I haven't written anything under 1000 words since the middle of 2016. I kind of miss writing little drabble-y fic! Maybe I should force myself to get back in the habit.

Also this fic is pretty niche, so I'd complain about it limiting how much feedback I get, except (a) I've still managed to be behind on replying to my comments as it is, and (b) The other ideas I've been getting have been like a femslash crossover ship based on two different 19th century novels(*), so I'm not sure it'd make much difference.

Ahh, I'll feel better when @remixrevival opens in a week and a bit. My art host has been being flaky so I'm a bit worried it'll fall over, but don't really have a better option so I'm just biting my nails. Plus of course my brain is convinced EVERYONE WILL HATE IT even though my art's always at least moderately well received. Once that's crossed off I'll feel more free to sketch silly little ideas. Though the way things are going, I'll be inspired to draw a multi-page comic epic...

...huuh via a misaimed spellcheck I just realised that 'relieved' and 'received' swap their i and e. Nice work, English.

(*)Lucy from Dracula and Daisy from Daisy Miller. THEY'D BE SO GOOD TOGETHER. AND SMOOCH CUTE DUDES AND EACH OTHER AND NOT DIE.

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writing, fanfic, me, life

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