Research, research, research...
As much as I love writing stories with "different" people it can't be denied that it requires quite a lot of time spent on getting into the head of someone very different from myself. So there's not only the usual research and fact checking for everything they're doing or talking about or where they're going and what they're seeing etc etc but the added worry of what effect it might have on them and how they might react to every little detail.
I recently acquired (through not quite legal ways since there were none at any library available to me) a number (17) of books about Asperger's syndrom and have been trying to familiarise myself with how the mind of my Puzzle!Jensen might work. Every time I think I've got at least an idea he takes a left turn and leaves me just as confused and clueless. Although considering that is how much of the world presents itself to him I guess it's only fair. I don't think I've ever worked with a character that is so difficult to grasp before; usually I have them born and ready in my head before I type a single word out. It's a challenge but it's far from boring and it gives me an opportunity to educate myself (and hopefully others) on something I didn't know much about. When I started writing The Puzzle I didn't really have any idea what I was getting myself into, I just wanted to write about Jensen being different. Something short, quirky, easy, perfect to take my mind of other things. Right? *insert crazy laughing here*
In short, status of Puzzle timestamp: 9330 words and in need of quite a bit of contemplation and more research followed by the editing deemed necessary before begging the usual suspects for input, beta and slaps over the head (if needed). Hopefully to be completed and posted before my auction winner thinks I've ditched it and sues me for fraud.
On that same note I've been working on a PTSD story for about a year now. A very severe one I have to admit. Brutal even. The hours and days I've spent on research and reading for that one almost matches the time spent on writing it. And I've spent a LOT of time writing it. As so many other fic of mine it was supposed to be a relatively short character study. At the moment I think it's at 107.000 words and counting. *sighs* Anyway, yes, since it's so complicated (lots and lots of psychological issues) I had to look beyond the usual (library, Google, Wiki (yesyes, I know it's not to be trusted)) and had my mother who is a psychiatrist raid the medical library at the mental hospital for articles and books.
Talk about heavy reading!
Apart from having trouble understanding a lot of the "big" words (Most of these were in English which is, in case you didn't know, not my native language. Anything beyond day-to-day stuff and porn and I'm pretty lost.) the subject matters were thoroughly depressing. I've had to take breaks from this story so many times because it honestly makes me depressed as hell. If I ever do finish it I'll be surprised if anyone manages to read through it. My betas/go-to people are already begging off having to suffer through more. And still none of it is graphic, not really. It's just a very long and winding road through a very bleak landscape but with hopefully a little light at the end of it.
Oh I bet you're lining up to read that now. *snorts* Obviously I should not go into advertising.
Not sure why I'm blabbering on about all this. Maybe because I've had two people say to me recently "I don't think people realize how much research goes into this kind of stories," which made me realize that no, possibly they don't.
I possibly might also be trying to distract myself from the fact that my ten(almost eleven)-year-old is starting to show alarming signs of boobs. (WTF!?! How did that happen? Aaaaah! I'm not ready for this!) First I thought she was just going through one of her puppy fat stages but no, these are definite boobs. Christ. *goes to hide in a corner until she's forty*
Ps. I'm fighting the pull of the Sherlock fandom which is really hard because... yum! (Reading is okay but do you really need another "weird" character keeping you up at night, Felis? Do you, Felis, really? No, no you don't. Even if you have that stupid plot bunny in your head after seeing Benedict Cumberbatch's Frankenstein.) Someone kill me. Kill me now. *groans*
Pps. I was going to f-lock this because it mentions family but I know some people have been worried because I haven't been on here much after I told you I wouldn't be on here much (ha!) and I just wanted you to know I'm fine and have great plans for the future for myself. No more angry self-pity. I'll tell you later, this post has become long enough as it is.
I recently acquired (through not quite legal ways since there were none at any library available to me) a number (17) of books about Asperger's syndrom and have been trying to familiarise myself with how the mind of my Puzzle!Jensen might work. Every time I think I've got at least an idea he takes a left turn and leaves me just as confused and clueless. Although considering that is how much of the world presents itself to him I guess it's only fair. I don't think I've ever worked with a character that is so difficult to grasp before; usually I have them born and ready in my head before I type a single word out. It's a challenge but it's far from boring and it gives me an opportunity to educate myself (and hopefully others) on something I didn't know much about. When I started writing The Puzzle I didn't really have any idea what I was getting myself into, I just wanted to write about Jensen being different. Something short, quirky, easy, perfect to take my mind of other things. Right? *insert crazy laughing here*
In short, status of Puzzle timestamp: 9330 words and in need of quite a bit of contemplation and more research followed by the editing deemed necessary before begging the usual suspects for input, beta and slaps over the head (if needed). Hopefully to be completed and posted before my auction winner thinks I've ditched it and sues me for fraud.
On that same note I've been working on a PTSD story for about a year now. A very severe one I have to admit. Brutal even. The hours and days I've spent on research and reading for that one almost matches the time spent on writing it. And I've spent a LOT of time writing it. As so many other fic of mine it was supposed to be a relatively short character study. At the moment I think it's at 107.000 words and counting. *sighs* Anyway, yes, since it's so complicated (lots and lots of psychological issues) I had to look beyond the usual (library, Google, Wiki (yesyes, I know it's not to be trusted)) and had my mother who is a psychiatrist raid the medical library at the mental hospital for articles and books.
Talk about heavy reading!
Apart from having trouble understanding a lot of the "big" words (Most of these were in English which is, in case you didn't know, not my native language. Anything beyond day-to-day stuff and porn and I'm pretty lost.) the subject matters were thoroughly depressing. I've had to take breaks from this story so many times because it honestly makes me depressed as hell. If I ever do finish it I'll be surprised if anyone manages to read through it. My betas/go-to people are already begging off having to suffer through more. And still none of it is graphic, not really. It's just a very long and winding road through a very bleak landscape but with hopefully a little light at the end of it.
Oh I bet you're lining up to read that now. *snorts* Obviously I should not go into advertising.
Not sure why I'm blabbering on about all this. Maybe because I've had two people say to me recently "I don't think people realize how much research goes into this kind of stories," which made me realize that no, possibly they don't.
I possibly might also be trying to distract myself from the fact that my ten(almost eleven)-year-old is starting to show alarming signs of boobs. (WTF!?! How did that happen? Aaaaah! I'm not ready for this!) First I thought she was just going through one of her puppy fat stages but no, these are definite boobs. Christ. *goes to hide in a corner until she's forty*
Ps. I'm fighting the pull of the Sherlock fandom which is really hard because... yum! (Reading is okay but do you really need another "weird" character keeping you up at night, Felis? Do you, Felis, really? No, no you don't. Even if you have that stupid plot bunny in your head after seeing Benedict Cumberbatch's Frankenstein.) Someone kill me. Kill me now. *groans*
Pps. I was going to f-lock this because it mentions family but I know some people have been worried because I haven't been on here much after I told you I wouldn't be on here much (ha!) and I just wanted you to know I'm fine and have great plans for the future for myself. No more angry self-pity. I'll tell you later, this post has become long enough as it is.