On writing
Sooo....
I think it's about time I started using this blog/shite/thingie whatever to evaluate some of the stuff I see around me and learn while writing.
That's right.
Writing.
I've been trying my hand at fanfiction for quite a while now, almost a year to be exact. All my efforts have been poured in to one giant Torchwood/Doctor Who crossover miracle day fix it. It's called Mandala and has 144 pages, 57,000 words, 16 chapters, a prequel (counting 11.000 words) and right now, 1 reader: my co-writer/beta/editor/friend/muse Weis07. I've got 28 chapters planned out plotwise and then a sequel...and also a prequel to the sequel.
Things I've learned so far:
-Writing fiction is HARD (this I knew, but you know, now I've experienced it IRL)
-When I get tired or write to much in one go, words like they/their/they're and to/too start getting jumbled.
-It helps to write a backstory on a character before introducing them.
-character-charts are also good.
-Same goes for having a wordfile with all your plans and meta-information (13.000 words and counting)
-The more I write, the more clear my thoughts on certain storylines and plottwists become.
-It's fun to try and make sense of timey-wimey stuff.
-Ianto is very fussy. I hardly ever feel like I've got him down.
-Jack is much easier.
-It helps to have the ending ready before I start writing, if only to keep things on the same track.
-Having a strict critic is a huge blessing (Weis, darling, if you read this, THANK YOU, the story is infinitely better than it ever would be had I written it alone)
-The waiting list to get on to Archive Of Our Own runs until fucking October (does anyone have an account there?)
-I should always carry around paper and pen, just in case I get bored.
I could probably go on for miles with this, but let's just leave it at this for now. I have no idea when to post it, or where for that matter. Mind you, this is not something I want to do for a living or whatever (I only write research reports and the like) it’s just me, improving my style and enjoying the fiction.
So basically, thought I’d start out with this and then next time, post a meta on Torchwood or something.
Cheerio