New Podfic: Edge of Snow is up! +blather on writing
Eee! nos4a2no9 has gone and done recorded Edge of Snow as a fantastic podfic.
Her voice is perfect for reading Fraser 1st person, and for that I am so grateful, because Fraser is a tough nut to crack and it's not an easy story. Be sure to visit her LJ and give her fb because we just don't have enough people willing to record podfics. It's a long and difficult labor.
On another topic, I got an email from a writer friend of mine asking me how I got the idea to have Fraser make a pillow fort and what is it with making POV and themes work and stuff, which got me to thinking about writing, so I am offering some notes on my writing process, not that I really have a formal one or even know what the heck I'm doing.
But I'm hoping some kind writer will read it and tell me how she does it. Please to spread the meme?
Writing Blather Meme
Ideas. Where the hell do they come from? Can you make those little fuckers show up?
The pillow fort happened because I sat in front of my computer before I had my first cup of coffee, contrary to prescribed custom. Often even a small, silly idea can be nurtured into a larger, fully-fleshed one. In order for that to happen, I let myself inhabit the idea, think about it, daydream a little. Do a little research on the Internets. I don't try to sit down and just write it unless it's one of those:
Wild horse-bunnies. Different from a seeded idea. Do you get them?
They're what another friend of mine calls cosmic dictation. That's when a story just gets born in my brain already fleshed out, and it kind of tears out of my head and grabs me by the throat and starts running away. I do not try to interfere with its dastardly plans. I just let it take me wherever until it reaches the end or it gets exhausted and falls over, panting. That's usually (almost always) right at the climactic scene that was my primary impetus for writing the damned thing in the first place, but unfortunately, I sometimes get:
Writer's block. Have you been scourged?
Yes, I think it exists, but I don't think of it the way most people do. Or, at least, the way I did back before I started writing three years ago. It's not a state of being unable to write at all. It's more of a state of being incapable of writing anything but utter crap. And I hate writing crap, so I stop writing the story. But I think the reason I so often get stuck right at the climax is because it is the most fucking important scene in the story, and I'm just terrified I'll fuck it up and ruin what could possibly shape up to be something really good. So, call it writer's choke instead. I'm afraid to go for the three point shot.
If I do get stuck there, I just put the story away and work on a seed idea, or something short will just come to me and I'll write it quick, like a lube-job warm-up. Then I go back to the climactic scene, and usually, with a little distance (and after re-reading the original bits) I get the momentum to complete the story. Then it's a matter of:
Clean up duty. Do you like editing?
This is either my favorite part of writing, or the part I hate the most. It depends on whether I've screwed up enough. If, in re-reading the story, I find the characters emotions don't arc believably, or the pacing is off, then I have a tough time doing the fix, because my scenes tend to be very tightly woven and it's hard to stick new stuff in there. If I'm lucky, the problems aren't insurmountable and I clean up all the iffy grammar and word repetition and delete the thousands of extra commas that have snuck in there (or insert the ones that mysteriously never appeared.) And then, finally, I work on:
The ending. Is it hard for you to find the ending?
God, this is the most important part of the story next to the beginning, and I never, ever write the denouement until everything else is tied up tight. I am always searching for the perfect way to end it, and don't usually find it. But when I do, I'm so freakin' happy. Endings are powerful things. Which reminds me of:
The title. Where do you get yours? Do you have yours when you start the story?
I usually know the title before I begin, except when I don't. But normally I do, because the title is also tied up with the theme, which gets worked into the whole story. I just can't write without a theme, even if I haven't articulated it fully in my head. So title-less stories don't stay title-less for long.
It's a good sign when I have one when I start, though. Or else I kind of ramble during the:
Plot. If you plot out your stories first, raise your hand.
I'm sorry to say I can't seem to. I think it would pretty much kill the point of writing them for me, because it's almost like I get to learn the story as I'm writing. However, I'm pretty sure that's why I haven't written anything of really serious length. So, a limitation. I do have it as a goal to write a novel this year. The only problem is I'll have to branch out and write from more than one:
POV. How do you choose your POV for a scene? For a story?
I like to stick to one POV per story unless it's a longer one, and even then two at most. And I prefer one. I think it makes for a better (deeper, more involved) reading experience if the reader doesn't have to jump from one brain to another. It gives the reader a chance to relax into the character and feel safe.
I also think it helps build mystery to only know what one character is thinking. Also, it forces me, as the writer, to work hard to make the non-POV character's motivations understood through the perception of the POV character, which is a fun:
Challenge. Do you like them? Do they inspire you?
I set myself my own challenges, but do not articulate them to the reader. This, I think, warps the stories a little, maybe gives them more depth. I might say to myself: only one line of dialog in this story. Or, don't use one of the character's names. Or, e.g., for the dS hat challenge I told myself I wasn't allowed to use the words "hat" or "Stetson" even though that was what I was writing about.
Challenges and exercises act as a framework for me. The limitations force me to be more creative than my lazy self wants to be. Otherwise, I would just sit around all day writing:
Sex. Do you like writing sex?
One of the specific questions my friend asked me was how do I write sex scenes. I'll be perfectly frank and TMI on your ass: I go to my bunk, I fantasize the scene, and I write down what gets me off. I can't imagine writing sex scenes any other way; I'm very curious to know how other writers do it if their process differs.
Thoughts? Sick suggestions? I'm up for it. Here's the meme for your copy/pasting pleasure:
Writing Blather Meme
Ideas. Where the hell do they come from? Can you make those little fuckers show up?
Wild horse-bunnies. When a story just gets pulled right out of you. Do you get them?
Writer's block. Have you been scourged?
Clean up duty. Do you like editing?
The ending. Is it hard for you to find the ending?
The title. Where do you get yours? Do you have yours when you start the story?
Plot. If you plot out your stories first, raise your hand.
POV. How do you choose your POV for a scene? For a story?
Challenge. Do you like them? Do they inspire you?
Sex. Do you like writing sex?
Her voice is perfect for reading Fraser 1st person, and for that I am so grateful, because Fraser is a tough nut to crack and it's not an easy story. Be sure to visit her LJ and give her fb because we just don't have enough people willing to record podfics. It's a long and difficult labor.
On another topic, I got an email from a writer friend of mine asking me how I got the idea to have Fraser make a pillow fort and what is it with making POV and themes work and stuff, which got me to thinking about writing, so I am offering some notes on my writing process, not that I really have a formal one or even know what the heck I'm doing.
But I'm hoping some kind writer will read it and tell me how she does it. Please to spread the meme?
Writing Blather Meme
Ideas. Where the hell do they come from? Can you make those little fuckers show up?
The pillow fort happened because I sat in front of my computer before I had my first cup of coffee, contrary to prescribed custom. Often even a small, silly idea can be nurtured into a larger, fully-fleshed one. In order for that to happen, I let myself inhabit the idea, think about it, daydream a little. Do a little research on the Internets. I don't try to sit down and just write it unless it's one of those:
Wild horse-bunnies. Different from a seeded idea. Do you get them?
They're what another friend of mine calls cosmic dictation. That's when a story just gets born in my brain already fleshed out, and it kind of tears out of my head and grabs me by the throat and starts running away. I do not try to interfere with its dastardly plans. I just let it take me wherever until it reaches the end or it gets exhausted and falls over, panting. That's usually (almost always) right at the climactic scene that was my primary impetus for writing the damned thing in the first place, but unfortunately, I sometimes get:
Writer's block. Have you been scourged?
Yes, I think it exists, but I don't think of it the way most people do. Or, at least, the way I did back before I started writing three years ago. It's not a state of being unable to write at all. It's more of a state of being incapable of writing anything but utter crap. And I hate writing crap, so I stop writing the story. But I think the reason I so often get stuck right at the climax is because it is the most fucking important scene in the story, and I'm just terrified I'll fuck it up and ruin what could possibly shape up to be something really good. So, call it writer's choke instead. I'm afraid to go for the three point shot.
If I do get stuck there, I just put the story away and work on a seed idea, or something short will just come to me and I'll write it quick, like a lube-job warm-up. Then I go back to the climactic scene, and usually, with a little distance (and after re-reading the original bits) I get the momentum to complete the story. Then it's a matter of:
Clean up duty. Do you like editing?
This is either my favorite part of writing, or the part I hate the most. It depends on whether I've screwed up enough. If, in re-reading the story, I find the characters emotions don't arc believably, or the pacing is off, then I have a tough time doing the fix, because my scenes tend to be very tightly woven and it's hard to stick new stuff in there. If I'm lucky, the problems aren't insurmountable and I clean up all the iffy grammar and word repetition and delete the thousands of extra commas that have snuck in there (or insert the ones that mysteriously never appeared.) And then, finally, I work on:
The ending. Is it hard for you to find the ending?
God, this is the most important part of the story next to the beginning, and I never, ever write the denouement until everything else is tied up tight. I am always searching for the perfect way to end it, and don't usually find it. But when I do, I'm so freakin' happy. Endings are powerful things. Which reminds me of:
The title. Where do you get yours? Do you have yours when you start the story?
I usually know the title before I begin, except when I don't. But normally I do, because the title is also tied up with the theme, which gets worked into the whole story. I just can't write without a theme, even if I haven't articulated it fully in my head. So title-less stories don't stay title-less for long.
It's a good sign when I have one when I start, though. Or else I kind of ramble during the:
Plot. If you plot out your stories first, raise your hand.
I'm sorry to say I can't seem to. I think it would pretty much kill the point of writing them for me, because it's almost like I get to learn the story as I'm writing. However, I'm pretty sure that's why I haven't written anything of really serious length. So, a limitation. I do have it as a goal to write a novel this year. The only problem is I'll have to branch out and write from more than one:
POV. How do you choose your POV for a scene? For a story?
I like to stick to one POV per story unless it's a longer one, and even then two at most. And I prefer one. I think it makes for a better (deeper, more involved) reading experience if the reader doesn't have to jump from one brain to another. It gives the reader a chance to relax into the character and feel safe.
I also think it helps build mystery to only know what one character is thinking. Also, it forces me, as the writer, to work hard to make the non-POV character's motivations understood through the perception of the POV character, which is a fun:
Challenge. Do you like them? Do they inspire you?
I set myself my own challenges, but do not articulate them to the reader. This, I think, warps the stories a little, maybe gives them more depth. I might say to myself: only one line of dialog in this story. Or, don't use one of the character's names. Or, e.g., for the dS hat challenge I told myself I wasn't allowed to use the words "hat" or "Stetson" even though that was what I was writing about.
Challenges and exercises act as a framework for me. The limitations force me to be more creative than my lazy self wants to be. Otherwise, I would just sit around all day writing:
Sex. Do you like writing sex?
One of the specific questions my friend asked me was how do I write sex scenes. I'll be perfectly frank and TMI on your ass: I go to my bunk, I fantasize the scene, and I write down what gets me off. I can't imagine writing sex scenes any other way; I'm very curious to know how other writers do it if their process differs.
Thoughts? Sick suggestions? I'm up for it. Here's the meme for your copy/pasting pleasure:
Writing Blather Meme
Ideas. Where the hell do they come from? Can you make those little fuckers show up?
Wild horse-bunnies. When a story just gets pulled right out of you. Do you get them?
Writer's block. Have you been scourged?
Clean up duty. Do you like editing?
The ending. Is it hard for you to find the ending?
The title. Where do you get yours? Do you have yours when you start the story?
Plot. If you plot out your stories first, raise your hand.
POV. How do you choose your POV for a scene? For a story?
Challenge. Do you like them? Do they inspire you?
Sex. Do you like writing sex?