a question, since no one's watching

Ack! Of course we don't hate Lara! Speaking for myself, though, I still get tons of pop-ups here and it just doesn't seem worth it sometimes.

But moving on, since I finally came over, I thought I would address Jess's question. Of course, my personal fic writing career has been brief and somewhat uninspiring, but the few things I've done have all started with a sentence that I really liked. By "started" I mean everything was built up around that sentence, not necessarily that it was the first sentence. Sometimes I know the situation, or who's speaking it (if it's POV), but not always. I just let that sentence sit in my mind for a few days and it forms the nucleus onto which the rest of the story precipitates. Or, more often, doesn't.

I guess that wasn't a very satisfying answer! Oh well.

Amanda

Author	Comment
labyrinthine Will's whore Posts: 345 (1/10/03 3:55 pm) Reply	a question, since no one's watching So, what, do people hate Lara? I know we all read her blog, and there have been a number of posts that say "people, cmon, get yer act together and post at server 5" and.......silence. I see.......no one here. Ok, I'm being a hypocrit; I haven't been here either. I swore it off for a while for mental health issues, and since the time away has done nothing beneficial....blah. Whatever. But aha, at last, I have arrived! And with my tired post-work self, I will start yet another inane topic, because I so enjoy posting annoying questions no one feels like responding to. Today's question is: how do people start fic. Because this really interests me, and I would love to see how other people get fics running. Let me pose my little dilemma and perhaps that will clear it up a bit. I write...little short character fics. Why do I do this? Is it because of my undying love for all things willage? Is it because short fics can be written and posted in one night and I am a posting whore? OR, is it because I am unable to develop a piece with a plot and take the easy way out by looking like I wrote quick plotless pieces on purpose. I'll let you decide. No, but in all seriousness (ok, no seriousness, I just wanted to get back to the point) - my fics start out with a title, or a phrase, or an idea for one paragraph. I think...did I already ramble on about this crap in the MIR self-interview? Ahh, the ego, it cannot be contained. Well, I will recap...I think of one little aspect of a fic, something stylistic or image-based, whatever, and consequently make myself crosseyed trying to come up with a fic that can include this feature. This is where I usually get stuck, as writing plot makes me ill. I can map out a character progression from the beginning of a fic to the end with relative ease, but ask that character to open their mouth, or go for a walk, and I'm stuck. So yes, the question at last: I know some of you outline, some of you just free write plot as it comes. Do you think up a plot first, and then add surrounding description as you go along? Do you think up a scenario or particular situation, and then build a plot around ultimately getting the character(s) in that prediciment? I'm just curious. Anyways, yet another wildly openended question where any response constitutes relevency. Just thought I'd toss it up~ Jess
wannabe syd Professional Grad Student Posts: 181 (1/10/03 8:30 pm) Reply	Re: a question, since no one's watching Ack! Of course we don't hate Lara! Speaking for myself, though, I still get tons of pop-ups here and it just doesn't seem worth it sometimes. But moving on, since I finally came over, I thought I would address Jess's question. Of course, my personal fic writing career has been brief and somewhat uninspiring, but the few things I've done have all started with a sentence that I really liked. By "started" I mean everything was built up around that sentence, not necessarily that it was the first sentence. Sometimes I know the situation, or who's speaking it (if it's POV), but not always. I just let that sentence sit in my mind for a few days and it forms the nucleus onto which the rest of the story precipitates. Or, more often, doesn't. I guess that wasn't a very satisfying answer! Oh well. Amanda
wideyed Jack's AU Lover Posts: 389 (1/10/03 10:53 pm) Reply	Re: a question, since no one's watching Amanda, get the free popup stopper. You'll be amazed at how much it stops. I never get a popup here or at ff.net I'm almost completely popup free. popupstopper.com/product_downloads.html And as for starting to write--ack! I never really think about it. I think most of the time I just get an idea and then start writing it. Sometimes different scenes from the fic I haven't written play in my head. Right now, I have a Sark/Syd scene playing in my head a lot for the second part of my trilogy. It will probably turn out a little differently when it actually gets down on "paper." But the basis is there. I will outline the longer fics like "House of Lies." Although I usually don't even start that until I have a little bit written on the fic. I guess I need the rush of creating to get the juices flowing for the outline. Robin
wannabe syd Professional Grad Student Posts: 182 (1/10/03 11:36 pm) Reply	popups Thanks Robin, I downloaded the popup-stopper. I had a similar program on my old computer, but it was no longer free when I tried to put it on this one. So this is great! Thanks again, Amanda ___________________________<BR> DEVLIN: Are you suggesting that I approve the theft of priceless works of art? <BR>VAUGHN: You see, sir, we would just be borrowing them.
larasdice There is no suck. Posts: 76 (1/16/03 12:31 am) Reply	starting fics Yeah. Everybody hates me. LOL. But you guys are here! Great question, Jess. I start fics in one of two ways. The shorts ones, the pukers, start with some little idea that I'm stuck on, and if I think of the first line, they just go from there. Unfortunately, those have seemed to be few and far between lately. Everything else, including the epics, seems to start with porn. Heh. And the porn usually starts with a song. I get the song in my head, it inspires a paring/scene. And then I build the plot around that. This is how some of my shorter smut pieces, and both of my epics, have started. For the epics, I take the group of scenes that have been fermenting in my head (including the porn) and work on a plot to string them together. Unlike the pukers, these guys get pretty extensive outlining, although occasionally I'll write off-outline. I always go back, through. I need the structure. -Lara
6r1an So Cursed... Posts: 1106 (1/31/03 2:49 am) Reply	Re: starting fics Well, I don't really do fanfic... (well, there was one exception... but we won't talk about that... ) ... but I typically try to start my stories with a concept... some kind of tagline about what I want my story to be about. Whether its a foul mouthed, crude "God" who laments about being bored because he knows everything past and present (not to mention future), and decides to take it out on some random victim. Or some crazy guy whose insanity was that he thought he worked at the insane asylum rather than was worked on there. Or some unfortunate fellow who (yeah I know its overdone... but it was overdone in a slightly amusing way... ) after being hit by an offended overweight lady in a mobility scooter (and subsequently a taxi) got amnesia and tried to find himself by looking for evidence of his existence in the world, only to find nothing... etc etc.. Er, didn't mean to plug or anything, but yeah... that's some of the stuff I've written about. Then I take the concept and try to get to point A to point B by filling in plot events. I usually have an idea of what the characters will be like, but it usually takes me writing to really give them some detail. But you know, this is exactly opposite than the way I remember being taught. My teach always emphasized characterization, and character centered stories. It's true, the characters are the heart of most stories, especially short ones. That's kind of why I think fanfic kind of shortchanges writers in some way... its mainly all plot and no characters. Outstanding characters with little plot can carry a story, and given characters and an environment, you can just kind of fill in the plot events as you go. But a good plot with flat characters isn't going to interest people long... IMO. Its been a while since I've written... but I kinda want to try to generate more of a character driven story than I have in the past. I need to write more. Sigh... ah well, it was good hearing from you guys again. Maybe I'll get some motivation/time for a project soon... brian. Edited by: 6r1an at: 1/31/03 3:01:00 am
larasdice There is no suck. Posts: 77 (2/9/03 11:01 pm) Reply	Re: starting fics Wheeeee. Tumbleweed. -Lara

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