In which I am daunted by the enormity of the task before me:
I've been considering for a while now taking a crack at proper fanfiction, complete with a plot and an arc and possibly a moral and actual events. There's this AU plot I've been toying around with forever and it's finally started to pour out of me, the way stories do when I finally find a voice and a rhythm and a direction. (Seems like that's
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My longest story was a 125k word K/S story I wrote last summer (and despite the fact I've enjoyed your stories so much, mine's all schmoop and happy endings!) I found I was so enthused with the story idea, I had no trouble just writing and writing and it grew like crazy and as Sangue says, I was able to go back to add in the foreshadows and begin mini story arcs and stuff. What got me was doing the first edit. Then I sent it to my betas and then did the second edit, chapter by chapter, posting as I went, a process with all the lovely feedback that kept me going through what could have been a really tortuous process.
I totally agree with Sangue's idea of having little projects on the side just to give you a break, which allows you to step back and gain a useful perspective.
I know some writers also let a few close/trusted LJ friends in on the process, who become kind of cheerleaders that help keep spirits up, and sangue's definitely been that to me, on occasion.
The research is a little daunting, and I didn't expect that.
I think we've all been there -- Star Trek is is sci-fi. :-) Shipping primarily K/S and often writing from Spock's POV, I've had to research all sorts of sciency stuff to lend some authenticity to his characterisation and in more general terms, to create plausible story-lines. Writing Bones has had me researching medical information in way more detail than I would have imagined. :-)
I wish you lots of luck with your story - having read your last K/Mc series and seen the quality of your writing, I know it's going to be an enjoyable read. :-)
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Ha ha, how did you know?
I appreciate this. I've been a longtime reader of fanfiction. Okay, maybe not SO longtime, but for nearly a decade now. But I was always strictly a reader and not really inside the culture that springs up around it. So there are a lot of things that might seem obvious to more experienced writers, but I'm left wondering if I'm being a weirdo about them.
It's cool to know people, I guess is what I'm saying. So thanks.
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My personality type suggests I'm someone who enjoys detail and tends to do things or work through things sequentially and that absolutely shows in my writing. I enjoy plotty detail, have certain scenes mapped out in my head, but generally work in a sequential way towards them. What comes out first time is actually quite publishable, although I always do an edit even when I don't use a beta. I'm an extravert, which suggests in writing that I'd be action orientated - writing and describing what's visible, and that's true too. I find the internal stuff, like writing motivations, thoughts, emotions and emotional reactions much harder and have to work at it.
Introverts who are natually more inner-oriented, reflective and thoughtful, are more likely to find writing action-and interaction-oriented aspects of stories more challenging, but will likely find inner monologues and inner emotions easier.
More intuitive people I know write scenes here and there, completely out of sequence, and then figure out how to link them together later -- some don't even write the whole scene, just write bits of dialogue, or some imagery that will be central to that part of the story.
As you can probably tell, I find it really interesting finding out the processes people use to get to their end result. :-)
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It's going SO much better. I don't know why my brain wouldn't allow me to do this before now, why I needed some oddball form of permission from somebody else, but I will save that for later introspection.
For now, just know you have totally helped.
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