Can't help but perk up a little to read that! Thanks. Maybe I am being too hard on myself (Damn perfectionist thing when it comes to my writing stories) and the story. I do think the later chapters read better than some of the start. But I also remember this memory of how I was struggling with Sabbath, thinking he isn't coming off sympathethic enough...I just remember thinking I was messing up the story WHILE I was writing it. And couldn't figure out at the time how to fix it. Sometimes when I take a break from a story, and come back a few months or years later, it's for the good of the story, since I make better choices for the plot and characters.
An example of that is the first Lusting Effects...I wrote the first three chapters in like one weekend....then there was some drama on a VOltorn LJ community, where someone bitched about me posting my fics too much. That drama is what got me to post them to my own journal instead. But anyway, they upset me so much, it knocked me out of writing Lusting Effects..but it turnd out to be a good thing, cause if I had written the fourth chapter immiedately, it would have been a lighter, more humours tone that would have been so wrong...Like from what I remmber, my original attempt for four, Allura wouldn't have been mad or horrified, so you can imagine how the fic would have been different. I still need to write the third part to the trilogy....and possibly a small Zarkon interlude....but I don't feel very enthused about the Zarkon interlude thing. So I may just have to reference it in flashbacks.
I feel like with each story, I learn some more, improve a bit more. But it's hard, the older the fic, the more I cringe over things I wrote. But there are fics I want to someday write again, and Songbird is one of them. I actually have quite a few on the Voltron side. Diplomatic relations, cost of regret, duty's end, for better or for worse, the enemy of my enemy. Those are the ones I remember the most as wanting to finish. I'm sure there's some more, but I can't recall their titles at the moment. ^^'
Sometimes it's not the ideas, it's just seeing my writing style. Like I think I improve a little every year, or with every fic. I hope that doesn't sound too boastful. But I remember my first Voltron fics back in 2000, and how different they are to how I write now. Someone even told me, they thought it was two different writers, because the change and improvement was that drastic. I've always wanted to redo It takes Two from that period, since I know if I tried to finish it now, it would be jarring to the readers to go from the old jokey style, to the new one. Plus I missed some opportunitis with clone Lotor AND that period (2002) was when I was basically writing Lotor like he was a good guy, like he was a blue Keith. URGH!
Sorry to write so much. I'm babbling again. But it feels good to get some of this writing woes off my chest. I have sadly not written anything for about three months now. X_X Which just adds to my writing stress...I WANT TO WRITE DAMN IT! =/
What are you talking about you made Sabbath VERY sympathetic and interesting to read. The way he struggles between what he believes to be his duties and his growing attraction for the human prisoner was very realistic. In fact I also really liked how you made Lotor more in character (no offense to your other work or anything they are also very interesting reads). Hell i'm still hoping that you'll eventually pick the story back up and finish it at some point.
As for the not writing thing. Just pick up a laptop and start typing, that's what I do.
If it was that easy to form a story that is of well written quality then everyone would just pick up a laptop and write. But it's not. When you are stuck, you're stuck, and it doesn't matter if you have your fingers on the keyboard, if the words won't even form in your head, and the ones that do, dont' sound right, and don't flow naturally into the next sentence, and then the next, and the next, and so on until you have a chapter or story.
I browse the Once section some times, and for every one good story, there is like 15 or 20 poorly written ones. A lot of times the summary is written better than the actual story. How many times have I read a summary that lured me in, then I see the word count, and it's like 900 words for three chapters, and you know it's gonna suck, because it's some amatuerish thing.
I am in no way saying I am the best, but I try to put out as good a quality as I am capabl of. It's probably why multiple people have asked me if I am secretly a published author....I used to be stunned by that, but after seeing plenty of the fanfic offerings out there, it's like, no wonder people say that to me, and I know this sounds boastful, but it makes me feel like people read me, cause they know I hav high standards for myself, and will try my best to give a well written reading experience.
Once in a while, a 900 word story does NOT suck. But those are rare. generally, the short ones are very bare bones. I also get a sinking feeling in my stomach when people I don't know ask me to read their fanfics, cause usually the people who have to ask, are ones who....just aren't good. Some people I think write just for popularity contests. I always hated on fanfic net, when someone said I won't write the next chapter until I get at least (Insert number here) reviews. It always made me want to leave a comment saying they are writing for the wrong reasons. For me spinning a tale, is because you have this idea and characters that are so strong in your head, you have to get it out on paper. You write for the love of writing and or the love of the idea or characters.
Sometimes I wonder about the ones with the well written summary. It's like did someone else do the summmary, and someone else wrote the fic? A lot of fics I find to be very bare bones. Very basic. Like Songbird would be written like this:
Romelle was on planet Doom. She and her brothers went to to the robeast arena. Lotor saw her and wanted her. Oh Sabbath was there too, and he was a Drule soldier and a friend of Lotor. He came to want her too. Then they went to Pollux, shit went down, Romelle was captured, most of her family killed.
That is not a summary, but an example of the fics some people would write. There's more detailed ones, but then it's like they put action and things people say, but no thoughts or emotions, and no descriptions, they don't paint a picture with their words at all.
I guess writing is something I take pride in...so I want to do my best. It's how I end up with 100 opening sentences for a single chapter. Which I know is ridiculous, but writer's block is vicious, and pair it with writer's perfectionist syndrome....and it gets ugly.
Sabbath..I really need to reread the songbird fic...one thing I remember pretty vividely, was writing the scene where ROmelle has escaped and crashed on that snow like planet, and Lotor goes after her, and Sabbath is with him, but being beat up,possibly tortured...that was a part that really had me like I am messing up so badly with Sabbath. So I really need to reread the fic, to see if I am just remembering the fic wrong, as it HAs been at least five years ir not more since I wrote the latest chapter.
Part of me is wondering if I should even post this comment. But you hit on a sore subject with me, though inadvertantly. Plus I am all antsy from various stresses, including the stress of not writing to completion even one chapter in all these months. X_X
Okay I see your point.still though I really do hope you end up picking the story back up and finishing it. Not that i'm telling you to drop what you're doing right now, it's just a hope I have. Same thing goes with OSVP as that's my favorite VP fanfic you've made.
An example of that is the first Lusting Effects...I wrote the first three chapters in like one weekend....then there was some drama on a VOltorn LJ community, where someone bitched about me posting my fics too much. That drama is what got me to post them to my own journal instead. But anyway, they upset me so much, it knocked me out of writing Lusting Effects..but it turnd out to be a good thing, cause if I had written the fourth chapter immiedately, it would have been a lighter, more humours tone that would have been so wrong...Like from what I remmber, my original attempt for four, Allura wouldn't have been mad or horrified, so you can imagine how the fic would have been different. I still need to write the third part to the trilogy....and possibly a small Zarkon interlude....but I don't feel very enthused about the Zarkon interlude thing. So I may just have to reference it in flashbacks.
I feel like with each story, I learn some more, improve a bit more. But it's hard, the older the fic, the more I cringe over things I wrote. But there are fics I want to someday write again, and Songbird is one of them. I actually have quite a few on the Voltron side. Diplomatic relations, cost of regret, duty's end, for better or for worse, the enemy of my enemy. Those are the ones I remember the most as wanting to finish. I'm sure there's some more, but I can't recall their titles at the moment. ^^'
Sometimes it's not the ideas, it's just seeing my writing style. Like I think I improve a little every year, or with every fic. I hope that doesn't sound too boastful. But I remember my first Voltron fics back in 2000, and how different they are to how I write now. Someone even told me, they thought it was two different writers, because the change and improvement was that drastic. I've always wanted to redo It takes Two from that period, since I know if I tried to finish it now, it would be jarring to the readers to go from the old jokey style, to the new one. Plus I missed some opportunitis with clone Lotor AND that period (2002) was when I was basically writing Lotor like he was a good guy, like he was a blue Keith. URGH!
Sorry to write so much. I'm babbling again. But it feels good to get some of this writing woes off my chest. I have sadly not written anything for about three months now. X_X Which just adds to my writing stress...I WANT TO WRITE DAMN IT! =/
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As for the not writing thing. Just pick up a laptop and start typing, that's what I do.
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I browse the Once section some times, and for every one good story, there is like 15 or 20 poorly written ones. A lot of times the summary is written better than the actual story. How many times have I read a summary that lured me in, then I see the word count, and it's like 900 words for three chapters, and you know it's gonna suck, because it's some amatuerish thing.
I am in no way saying I am the best, but I try to put out as good a quality as I am capabl of. It's probably why multiple people have asked me if I am secretly a published author....I used to be stunned by that, but after seeing plenty of the fanfic offerings out there, it's like, no wonder people say that to me, and I know this sounds boastful, but it makes me feel like people read me, cause they know I hav high standards for myself, and will try my best to give a well written reading experience.
Once in a while, a 900 word story does NOT suck. But those are rare. generally, the short ones are very bare bones. I also get a sinking feeling in my stomach when people I don't know ask me to read their fanfics, cause usually the people who have to ask, are ones who....just aren't good. Some people I think write just for popularity contests. I always hated on fanfic net, when someone said I won't write the next chapter until I get at least (Insert number here) reviews. It always made me want to leave a comment saying they are writing for the wrong reasons. For me spinning a tale, is because you have this idea and characters that are so strong in your head, you have to get it out on paper. You write for the love of writing and or the love of the idea or characters.
Sometimes I wonder about the ones with the well written summary. It's like did someone else do the summmary, and someone else wrote the fic? A lot of fics I find to be very bare bones. Very basic. Like Songbird would be written like this:
Romelle was on planet Doom. She and her brothers went to to the robeast arena. Lotor saw her and wanted her. Oh Sabbath was there too, and he was a Drule soldier and a friend of Lotor. He came to want her too. Then they went to Pollux, shit went down, Romelle was captured, most of her family killed.
That is not a summary, but an example of the fics some people would write. There's more detailed ones, but then it's like they put action and things people say, but no thoughts or emotions, and no descriptions, they don't paint a picture with their words at all.
I guess writing is something I take pride in...so I want to do my best. It's how I end up with 100 opening sentences for a single chapter. Which I know is ridiculous, but writer's block is vicious, and pair it with writer's perfectionist syndrome....and it gets ugly.
Sabbath..I really need to reread the songbird fic...one thing I remember pretty vividely, was writing the scene where ROmelle has escaped and crashed on that snow like planet, and Lotor goes after her, and Sabbath is with him, but being beat up,possibly tortured...that was a part that really had me like I am messing up so badly with Sabbath. So I really need to reread the fic, to see if I am just remembering the fic wrong, as it HAs been at least five years ir not more since I wrote the latest chapter.
Part of me is wondering if I should even post this comment. But you hit on a sore subject with me, though inadvertantly. Plus I am all antsy from various stresses, including the stress of not writing to completion even one chapter in all these months. X_X
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