WIP The House...
Word count as of today: 17529.
Interesting. When I started this story, I thought I could use my (smallish) experience in writing fanfiction to help me forward.
Turns out, it's a whole different animal. I have created *minor* original characters in the past, and loved the process. But this time, I can't fall back on *major* characters I already know in order to define the relationships between them and the new characters.
I don't have a world already set up for me, with its rules, its conventions, its special vocabulary. I have to imagine the places, the houses, the villages. Create families. A history, an economy. That in itself is a slow process.
But the most difficult part? My story has to stand for itself. It's not part of a n-years long show. There's no past history between the reader (writer, too) and the characters. So I have to learn to love or hate them. I have to make it so the reader feel for them, too. I'm not sure I'm ready for it.
I'm not saying that writing fanfic is easier. Because, well, you *have* to understand and respect rules, and fit in a world you haven't created, and jump inside the head of characters who aren't your babies. The difficulties are similar, just, mostly, reversed. I was used to them. No such familiarity now, anymore. I make my own rules. :o
This new freedom thing is scary and exciting. :)
Interesting. When I started this story, I thought I could use my (smallish) experience in writing fanfiction to help me forward.
Turns out, it's a whole different animal. I have created *minor* original characters in the past, and loved the process. But this time, I can't fall back on *major* characters I already know in order to define the relationships between them and the new characters.
I don't have a world already set up for me, with its rules, its conventions, its special vocabulary. I have to imagine the places, the houses, the villages. Create families. A history, an economy. That in itself is a slow process.
But the most difficult part? My story has to stand for itself. It's not part of a n-years long show. There's no past history between the reader (writer, too) and the characters. So I have to learn to love or hate them. I have to make it so the reader feel for them, too. I'm not sure I'm ready for it.
I'm not saying that writing fanfic is easier. Because, well, you *have* to understand and respect rules, and fit in a world you haven't created, and jump inside the head of characters who aren't your babies. The difficulties are similar, just, mostly, reversed. I was used to them. No such familiarity now, anymore. I make my own rules. :o
This new freedom thing is scary and exciting. :)