Editing and the Silliness it inspires
I'm going through my fic, highlighting (in different colors) the physical actions/descriptions of actions of Daniel and Vala. I'm doing this because the relationship between these two characters is a physical one. They are all about looks, invading each others space, backing away from each other, small gestures, etc. Their first meeting involved a fight scene that read like a sex scene, for example.
I'm really finding it helpful, for a few reasons. One, I'm seeing the "fall back" gestures, the ones that are being repeated several times through the fic. Some of these will stay (they do tend to raise eyebrows at each other, wink, roll their eyes, nudge, push each other into walls, etc.), but some will be changed. Also, since this fic is from Daniel's perspective only, and there is a definite arc to his feelings towards Vala throughout the course of the fic, I want to make sure his physical gestures towards her follow this.
The other benefit, which I had thought of, but didn't think would jump out quite so much, is realizing which pages I'm able to skim through without highlighting anything more than a word or two. Oddly enough, these scenes are also the ones that I feel are the most awkward in the fic. I am also going to go back through, when I'm done, and identify which highlighted actions are passive, or are described only through the reaction of the other character to them. Just to make sure I'm not overusing either of these.
***
Now, the unexpected part of this, is that in skimming through for just actions, my mind has started to see this fic as though it were written entirely in a scripting language. For instance:
< Vala embraces Daniel >
< Daniel presses Vala to a wall >
< Daniel kisses Vala >
< Vala kicks Daniel >
< /Daniel kisses Vala>
< /Daniel presses Vala to a wall >
< /Vala embraces Daniel >
Only in my head, I know scripting much better than my memories of high school computer courses, and can get more creative, and possibly even use if statements and other more complicated things. My challenge now, of course, if for someone to actually write a fic this way. I'm sure its been done, but now it must be done again because I say so.
:)
I'm really finding it helpful, for a few reasons. One, I'm seeing the "fall back" gestures, the ones that are being repeated several times through the fic. Some of these will stay (they do tend to raise eyebrows at each other, wink, roll their eyes, nudge, push each other into walls, etc.), but some will be changed. Also, since this fic is from Daniel's perspective only, and there is a definite arc to his feelings towards Vala throughout the course of the fic, I want to make sure his physical gestures towards her follow this.
The other benefit, which I had thought of, but didn't think would jump out quite so much, is realizing which pages I'm able to skim through without highlighting anything more than a word or two. Oddly enough, these scenes are also the ones that I feel are the most awkward in the fic. I am also going to go back through, when I'm done, and identify which highlighted actions are passive, or are described only through the reaction of the other character to them. Just to make sure I'm not overusing either of these.
***
Now, the unexpected part of this, is that in skimming through for just actions, my mind has started to see this fic as though it were written entirely in a scripting language. For instance:
< Vala embraces Daniel >
< Daniel presses Vala to a wall >
< Daniel kisses Vala >
< Vala kicks Daniel >
< /Daniel kisses Vala>
< /Daniel presses Vala to a wall >
< /Vala embraces Daniel >
Only in my head, I know scripting much better than my memories of high school computer courses, and can get more creative, and possibly even use if statements and other more complicated things. My challenge now, of course, if for someone to actually write a fic this way. I'm sure its been done, but now it must be done again because I say so.
:)