this is probably a really bad idea
I can't write. I don't have any words. They've all fallen out of my body and flown away, and it is terrible. I can't string more than two sentences together before I just lose sight of everything I'm trying to work on, and it's frustrating as fuck and horrible, and I just. Am stewing in my own juices at this point, and it sucks
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You know when you really love a meal, and no one's watching you and you start eating so your cheeks end up packed with food? Okay, maybe's that's just me, but there is a point in there, I promise. Your fic is the kind I want big meaty mouthfuls of. Great characterization, great moments, fantastic pace. And you never sermonize in your fic. I've read a lot of ship fic that reads as the ship manifesto, and you never do that; that shows a lot of trust for the reader and I appreciate that a lot.
But you could pare things down. One detail per sentence, allow each moment to breathe. Dense can be great but sometimes you need to take smaller bites, you know?
Take Shoot Down All the Stars. Easily one of my faves, with just the right amount of angst and happy ending. I love how it all comes together, but I can't help but wonder what it'd be like as a series of drabbles. I wouldn't change it for the world, but there are so many little moments to explore in there, Penny and Sheldon watching Doctor Who, Penny getting ready for her evening out, that kind of thing. If you're looking for a warm up, try a quick and dirty drabble. Good micro-fic takes work, but that isn't what I'm talking about here. Just try exploring an idea in around 100 words. You've got this great wide scope, so maybe try and narrow down a bit.
Same with word choice. I had a poetry workshop once where we had to cross out extraneous words. And man, so many words turned out to be unnecessary. You can create a sensuous reading experience while cutting out the words that don't carry their weight. There's a lot of sensation in your work, and you shouldn't lose that, but it can be a bit of an overload.
But that doesn't help you with your very long challenge, huh? I'm curious, what's your process? Normally I can see the seams in fic, where the writer stopped and started back up. Do you work straight through or write bits as they come to you?
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Yes, my work is really dense sometimes, and overloaded with detail. I know that's a problem of mine, and I thank you for pointing it out. I have been trying to be a little sparser with my word usage, and I think maybe the transition is what's got me all in my head about it?
As for my process ... it tends to be all over the place, I guess? Mostly I write in order, but I've been known to jump around. I think the first and last thirds of every chorus I wrote in the right order, but the middle sections kept getting switched around, and then shifted, and then flipped. I think I'm more comfortable jumping around in the storyline with stories that jump around with their own time line, and writing in order for stories that are more linear. Which makes sense, I guess. I think I switch on and off, to be honest with you.
Thank you for the micro-fic suggestion. Drabbles with very specific criteria are definitely on my list of things to do, as mini-workshops or something.
And thank you thank you thank you again for the praise. I'm so glad you liked Shoot Down. It was my first fic for this fandom, and honestly my memories of writing and posting it are pretty hazy, but I think the warm reception played at least some part in how hard I fell in love with this fandom.
&hearts
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