[mod post] Weekly Check-in (Week 1)

[paleogymnast]

Greetings omgspnbigbangers! Hope your January, bigbang, and 2015 are all off to a good start.

This is your weekly post to check in with fellow spn-j2-bigbang participants and let us know how you're doing. Have a question? An idea? Want to squee? Need a shoulder to cry on? Or maybe want to share your support of all your awesome fellow bigbang participants? Here's your chance

Comments

[vampthenewblack]

Checking in. I won't be doing the Ready, set, write! thing because I'm not starting to write until Feb 1. Right now? I'm outlining my butt off so I *can* start writing in Feb. I'm about half done but I keep having to go back and tweak things as the outline changes.

But hopefully I'll be able to play in some of the other challenges, it'll keep me motivated :)

[paleogymnast]

Outlining counts! Words on your outline count towards your overall total... if your outline is at least 500 words, you can get a participation banner. So don't forget to check in on February 1!

[vampthenewblack]

Oh! Oh, I think it's likely already well over that. I'm gonna do the thing then :)

[paleogymnast]

Awesome! And if you get any of your story written, that counts too. Glad to have you writing with us!

[dawnmay]

Well, I'm not off to a great start. Today I deleted about 1200 words from my draft, then I just deleted the whole thing from my computer.

How do I even do this? Doing that thing again where I'm convinced my writing sucks... And not even that, since I'm new to SPN I'm not sure if I'm getting the characterization right or not.

I'm thinking I should find a cheerleader/beta to or else I'll never finish before May 1.

[paleogymnast]

Just write! Don't delete anything and certainly don't delete your fic! Those 1200 words you wrote count (for challenge purposes) even if they don't end up in your fic.

So just write! Editing comes later... much much much later, like after May 1. For now just get your ideas, any ideas, down on paper (or on your computer). You don't start with the finished project. You start with a draft... that's all you need to worry about right now.

[vampthenewblack]

We *all* do that thing where we're convinced our writing sucks. And I'm pretty new to writing SPN myself, I have one tiny PWP to my name, but I got someone who had been writing SPN for ages to look at it for me for characterisation and canon and stuff. Don't worry about characterisation now, but find a beta who is confident with canon and work with them to clean it up, but later. Right now, just get it out of your head and down on paper. Make the words! Worry about how pretty they are when the words are done :)

*\o/*

[dawnmay]

:)

Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Things are looking up now. I resurrected those 1200 words instead of starting fresh (thank God for OneDrive) and I'm finally starting to grasp that it's only a draft.

[rankwriter]

Off to a slow start, but I have an outline, and I am trying to find time to write. I doubt I'll make anywhere near 10k by Feb, but I'll try. Maybe I can binge write at the weekend.

Good luck everyone!

[paleogymnast]

You've started! And that's awesome. Just keep going and your story will get done. Remember for the current challenge, once you've written 500 words you get a participation banner!

[paleogymnast]

You can do it! Consider trying out some of those ideas... try outlining or freewriting on one or more of your story ideas... see what grabs you.

[majestic_duxk]

Yeah. That's more the position I'm in. I thought I decided today. But now I don't know.

[sinnerforhire]

So, I wrote my first draft for Nano in November, and then I wrote the summary I plan to use for art claims, and now I'm wondering if I can write a fic that lives up to the summary. I know that probably sounds dumb, but it's how I feel. but I know my first draft doesn't have enough conflict in it, and the summary I wrote adds some extra layers of complexity to some scenes, and I just can't see how it's all going to come together yet. I think I'll let it sit for another month or so before I tackle the revisions.

[paleogymnast]

I think you've just described my feeling/situation after each bigbang dirst draft I'vre written. How to make it live up to the fabulous artist's summary?

You know, one thing you might want to consider is bringing a beta (or alpha reader or cheerleader or trusted friend) into your writing process at this stage. Show them the draft and the summary and ask for their thoughts. It may be that your draft is closer to the summary than you think. Or if your story really is lacking some of the layers or conflict, yourbeta (or trusted other) might be able to trouble shoot or offer helpful ideas... this might be one of those areas where 2 heads are better than one!

[sinnerforhire]

That's something I've never considered doing, because I'm so ashamed of the first draft, but it might be a good idea. I have to find out if my beta would have time to read a 45k draft, which might be an issue. But you're right, two heads may be better than one on this. There's also something else I do before I start rewriting a draft: I reread James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure. It usually sparks new ideas when I reread it with the draft specifically in mind. I haven't pulled it out yet, but I might soon.

[redrum669]

I'm having pretty much the same summary problem - it gives the vibe I want to portray, but the 5k of fic I'd already written didn't quite match. Now I'm re-writing the story from another character's POV and it feels better, more true to the characters voice.

Sometimes small changes make a big difference so I'm sure your fic''s gonna work out and come together just fine in the end :)