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[she_who_is_soc]

I'm officially out of Nano for this year.  Sorry, 2008 :<    My lack of energy and the circumstance of working retail with Black Friday coming up has made it too difficult for me to write, and I KNOW I'll be too dead next week to do anything other than stare at the keyboard blankly (my hours at Macy's doubled for next week, so  $$$)

But really, I'm

Comments

[evilprodigy]

Oh man, I know exactly how it feels when it seems like all of your passion and ideas have gone into RPG writing and co-writing and not your own stuff -- it's genuinely caused me to have identity crises as a writer and wonder if I'm really cut out for this thing I've been passionate about for so long. All I can say is the two things that have been a big help to me have been: 1) reading consistently, keeping up a steady intake of new material and new work to spark off ideas, and 2) just stubbornly sitting down and deciding to write shit. Seriously.

But I feel you here. It's troubling.

[she_who_is_soc]

The reading bit is actually something I've been struggling with for a while, though I'm getting back into it in small doses. I think I've also put away books that used to inspire me so much - books on mythology, books on astrology, fairy tales, etc, and I need to find a collection of those again. I've also abandoned a lot of my YA books in favor of more 'sophisticated' literature, which is bullshit because YA is what I want to write. So your advice is completely sound, and I'm working on getting back on that first point especially <3

[evilprodigy]

For me the main thing that's helped me is expanding my horizons -- finding new, interesting stuff that makes me want to explore similar things in my own work, or issues and themes I want to address from my own perspective. So I try and mix up what I read somewhat; I think part of my block was that I'd exhausted my initial genre-circle of things that were fandom-popular. But by looking around a bit I've found new things that have rekindled my interest in reading/writing extraordinarily (*cough*octaviannothingplug*cough*). So um yeah I'm rambling. Yes reading is gud. Is gud to read gud. Read moar.

[ellorgast]

Yay for getting new story idea! I would love to hear about it sometime.

I've always had a really really hard time with original fiction, and I know it comes from my dependence on the support you get from fanfic and RP writing. With those, you get source material, intimate peers, and immediate feedback, which can all be rarities with original fiction. So I know where you're coming from, and I totally admire you for pushing yourself to get beyond that.

[ellorgast]

Also, those songs are yummy! I really like "Thank You Mario..."

And look, a Liam!

[she_who_is_soc]

Why did Robert let him out of the mansion in what looks like Zaak's wardrobe? (and a crossbow???) Still, that's irrationally hot.

XD We can talk over AIM about the idea. I will tell you one thing - it was inspired because I've always wanted to explore a truer-to-myth modern retelling of Endymion/Selene. Except that the cast has kind of exploded in size now, so it's about way more than that. IM IS GOOD XD

[ellorgast]

I can't imagine why Robert would let him walk around like that, when he should be wearing this (maybe without the magic stack of hats). There is something irrationally hot about it, though.

Ooooh, I shall definitely be pinging you about that! I am very intrigued!

[peppermintberry]

I'm glad you've found a story idea! It's always an exciting feeling. <3

And I understand what you mean about wanting to write original fiction. I've been wanting to too, but I think the hard thing is finding a good idea and successfully establishing the setting. The nice thing about RP-writing is that most of that is already in place. I always worry that when I try to get setting stuff into a piece, I start sounding like Exposition Jones.

I think what helps me a lot when coming up with ideas is being very observant. Sometimes I'll see something odd and it'll get me thinking, and that'll spark off an idea. Paying attention to your dreams can be useful too, especially if you're prone to weird-ass ones like me. XD I've had a couple story ideas come out of that.

Either way, I'm way excited that you've got something, and I'm looking forward to reading it! <3

[she_who_is_soc]

Amen to the setting bit. Honestly, I really really hate world building, just because so much thought goes into it, and yeah, it's hard to explain that world without making the reader sit through paragraphs of details. I like character development and explosions better. So I normally cop out and set things in the modern world XD

LOL my dreams actually tend to be the really boring sort, but I can still try to be more observant! I know reading more is going to help a lot too, and just figuring out how I can twist around ideas that other people present in their work.

[m0usegrrl]

Yay for getting a story idea! <333 This is really happy-making.

Even though I'm an artist, not a writer, I totally understand those fallow periods where it seems like everything you do sucks and the ideas stop coming and you wonder if this is really what you want to do. I've been struggling with a HUGE DEAL potentially paying gig, and I have just been stuck and the deadline is 1 December. So I set today of my vaycay aside to work on it, and MADE myself do it -- and I think I turned out one of the best things I have EVER done. (I can't show anyone yet, not til January. ^_^)

Anyway, regardless, YOU ROCK OKAY. <333 Yay again for inspiration!

[she_who_is_soc]

PFFT to you not being a writer. PFFT I say! You are no less a writer than any of us ;-;

Yeah, that's been the good thing about doing Nano - I was able to take some days and just be like "YOU WILL BRAINSTORM SHIT NOW". I used to force myself to write out lists of at least twenty original ideas at a time, and I think I need to get back into that habit again.

[shortcakegreen]

We have discussed this. <3 We'll probably discuss it more. Just know that I'm so so relieved that you've found that idea that's been eluding you. Being patient sometimes works.