Tell me, how do you write...
We're all familiar with the problem: the basic idea is there, it only needs to be wrapped in words. And as tartanshell pointed out so rightly, this is often difficult or bording on impossible. Even if you manage to write down your brilliant ideas, they seem bland and stupid as soon as you see them on paper, and words turn out to not be your friend.
So what about your own writing keeps you going? I don't mean stuff like the craving for feedback, or impeding deadlines or the fact that you promised someone a fic. Obviously, we write because we enjoy writing. And I'd like to know what is it that you, dear authors, like about your own fics and how you go on about creating them. I'm particularly interested in your writing processes. Do you have a plot all worked out and write down concepts, or do you write instinctively? I know maeglinyedi once said that she's always got the last sentence of the fic ready before she starts writing, which I find quite impressive, as the last sentence is what I almost always struggle with a lot.
As to me, I think that I'm a very dialogue-based author. I often have dialogue snippets ready long before the fic, I enjoy writing dialogues and dialogues are also what I feel most confident about - as opposed to introspections and descriptions, my feeling for which is rather wobbly. The final dialogue between Remus and Bill in Genesis, for example, was written in one of the first stages of the process. Because I tend to focus on dialogues, I often have a) no plot to speak of and b) my characters drink ridiculous amounts of water so that I can intersperse the dialogue with pretences of action - as illustrated in the aforementioned cock-and-tongue-talk:
"I don't mean to be - you know-" Bill said.
"Eloquent?" Remus supplied, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Bill flashed a brief grin. He shifted and tossed his hair back. Remus was watching him with lazy eyes. Bill raised one shoulder in a half-shrug.
"I guess I just want to know whether-" he paused, looking down at Remus, his head tilted, "how deep this runs, really."
"You've just had your cock up my arse," said Remus lightly. "I'd say that's pretty deep."
"Not to forget my tongue." Bill nodded. "I've had my tongue up your arse as well." He watched the other man for a moment and said, just as lightly, "So that's what this is all about? Cock and tongue?"
Remus blinked and shifted. "Bill," he said.
"That's okay, you know," Bill cut in. "I'm not- I'd only like to know." He turned around and reached for the nightstand. "Want some water?"
Remus took the offered glass automatically. "Bill." He pushed himself upright, propped up on his elbow. "It's just... I am not-" he paused, looking bewildered.
"Eloquent?" Bill smirked. Remus smiled weakly. "It's okay. You don't owe me anything. But, you know," he shrugged. "We are in the middle of a war. I could be dead tomorrow. You could be dead tomorrow." He turned his head to face Remus, watching him intently. "I don't want to miss a chance, if this is what it is."
"I see," said Remus.
"Good." Bill fell back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. "God, I really need to sleep," he muttered. "Unless you'd like to shag some more, in which case I'll be happy to oblige."
So, my fics aren't plotty, my characters are wordy (which doesn't mean that they actually communicate matters of importance!), and I even announced Panic as PWPBWLOD - Porn Without Plot But With Lots Of Dialogue.
But - to come back to my original question - I usually make the effort to create a framework around my dialogues, which is how I manage to continue writing. Because the dialogues are all there in my head and need to be let out.
They're talking to me.
So what about your own writing keeps you going? I don't mean stuff like the craving for feedback, or impeding deadlines or the fact that you promised someone a fic. Obviously, we write because we enjoy writing. And I'd like to know what is it that you, dear authors, like about your own fics and how you go on about creating them. I'm particularly interested in your writing processes. Do you have a plot all worked out and write down concepts, or do you write instinctively? I know maeglinyedi once said that she's always got the last sentence of the fic ready before she starts writing, which I find quite impressive, as the last sentence is what I almost always struggle with a lot.
As to me, I think that I'm a very dialogue-based author. I often have dialogue snippets ready long before the fic, I enjoy writing dialogues and dialogues are also what I feel most confident about - as opposed to introspections and descriptions, my feeling for which is rather wobbly. The final dialogue between Remus and Bill in Genesis, for example, was written in one of the first stages of the process. Because I tend to focus on dialogues, I often have a) no plot to speak of and b) my characters drink ridiculous amounts of water so that I can intersperse the dialogue with pretences of action - as illustrated in the aforementioned cock-and-tongue-talk:
"I don't mean to be - you know-" Bill said.
"Eloquent?" Remus supplied, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Bill flashed a brief grin. He shifted and tossed his hair back. Remus was watching him with lazy eyes. Bill raised one shoulder in a half-shrug.
"I guess I just want to know whether-" he paused, looking down at Remus, his head tilted, "how deep this runs, really."
"You've just had your cock up my arse," said Remus lightly. "I'd say that's pretty deep."
"Not to forget my tongue." Bill nodded. "I've had my tongue up your arse as well." He watched the other man for a moment and said, just as lightly, "So that's what this is all about? Cock and tongue?"
Remus blinked and shifted. "Bill," he said.
"That's okay, you know," Bill cut in. "I'm not- I'd only like to know." He turned around and reached for the nightstand. "Want some water?"
Remus took the offered glass automatically. "Bill." He pushed himself upright, propped up on his elbow. "It's just... I am not-" he paused, looking bewildered.
"Eloquent?" Bill smirked. Remus smiled weakly. "It's okay. You don't owe me anything. But, you know," he shrugged. "We are in the middle of a war. I could be dead tomorrow. You could be dead tomorrow." He turned his head to face Remus, watching him intently. "I don't want to miss a chance, if this is what it is."
"I see," said Remus.
"Good." Bill fell back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. "God, I really need to sleep," he muttered. "Unless you'd like to shag some more, in which case I'll be happy to oblige."
So, my fics aren't plotty, my characters are wordy (which doesn't mean that they actually communicate matters of importance!), and I even announced Panic as PWPBWLOD - Porn Without Plot But With Lots Of Dialogue.
But - to come back to my original question - I usually make the effort to create a framework around my dialogues, which is how I manage to continue writing. Because the dialogues are all there in my head and need to be let out.
They're talking to me.