Writing Meme
Jul. 30th, 2003 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20I don't remember who I gakked this from, since I did it this morning at work and didn't pay any attention.
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
I guess a pinprick. I usually get an idea for a scene or a line stuck in my head, and then build around it. Sometimes, I set out to accomplish something. My fic "Talk to Me", which is an AtS fic, was written to get two characters who'd only been in one or two scenes together in the show into a relationship on a plausible way. My "Drag Queens" series was written because I read something wrong and got the idea to put a character in drag. Overall, I start with an idea for a plot or something, and then it gets fleshed out in writing
process.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I generally write fanfic in third person, past tense. That way, I can get into whichever character is talking to me during a particular scene's head and write from their POV. I started COTW from first person, present tense (I think) because Lex was the *only* character I could get into. At that time, I'd only seen one show. But then Clark started talking, so I went to third person.
Original fiction is different. "Dark Goddess" is currently being written first person, past tense because it is Kali's story and no one else's. She's telling it and her voice comes out of me really easily. She's also recounting an incident that happened in the past, so it's past tense. However, I am toying with putting it into third person. However, I will also write third person past tense as well. My pirate and vampire stories were both written like that, because it's the easiest way for me to write them.
I don't think I have a particular style, and I don't write stylized fics or novels. I write how I speak or how the characters speak to me. It's not so much a matter of choosing a style as it is listening to how the story is meant to be told.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
Sometimes, I guess. "Isis" by the Goo Goo Dolls continues to inspire "Dark Goddess" even though the story *much* different from the original story that was inspired by it. "Lonely Day" and "Superman" on the Smallville soundtrack both hit cords with COTW. Actually, I realized that when I began writing COTW, I was writing a kind of depressed, denial-ist Clark Kent I heard in "Superman", but I'm trying to move him away from that. I, like Lex, want him to be able to take joy in being an alien and in his gifts. "Time After Time" by Eva Cassidy is definitely my Whitney song. "Near You Always" by Jewel (Pieces of You) is my Lana song. I wrote "Coda" with the song in mind. Hmm ... can't think of anything else.
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
Watch the next episode. ;) Okay, um ... I don't, really. Generally, things just sort of flow into each other. If I do get stuck, I step away from the computer and think about it. I've always used walking time as a time to write silently, which is one reason I get very annoyed by solicitors and such at school. They are interrupting me and it drives me insane. It's also one of the reasons I dislike having a cell phone and rarely use it. I don't want to talk to anyone as I walk to my car on most days; I want to think about what happens next. I think about the scene, generally the dialogue and work out where I need to go. Often, when I start a fic, I don't know how it ends or how I'll get there. I might have a vague idea, but nothing is solid.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
Stop writing. Read fic. Check my e-mail. Do something that inspires me. Complain about not being able to write. And then I try to write around it.
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
Hmm ... not too often, I guess. Usually I go through multiple drafts and have only just not begun to save them all. The long the fic or story, the more gets deleted I guess. It can be hard to let things go, but I do it for the story if necessary.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
That actually doesn't happen often. If something isn't right, it doesn't go in. If a beta says that it doesn't work, I change it if I agree. My stories sort of create themselves, so it usually all fits. And I can't think of a time where I wanted something in that didn't work that was hard to get rid of.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
For original fiction, yes. Fanfic, no. I'll write scenes for fanfic, but I generally don’t take notes. But I did an informal outline for "Dark Goddess", scene/chapter breakdowns for the vampire fic, and character profiles for both.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Not generally. In fact, I've only ever done two. One was a Buffy/Quantum Leap challenge and the other was![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nerodi's historical fiction challenge. Other than that, I have a hard time getting inspired by them.
Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
No. They sort of just come. I might do a posture or gesture I think a character will do, or say a few lines out loud. I almost always rewatch the episode I'm writing about in fanfic, or reread a fic I think had good characterization, but I don't even do that often.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. I don't know how well I write him (especially not now), but his 'type' of character (before Season 3) has always fascinated me. Before I got into slash, I created an elaborate backstory for him so when I started writing, he came easily.
Lana can be easy at times, because I put so many of my own thoughts and issues in her. At the same time, the character can be hard because she's such a mystery to me in the show. Looks like a girl, acts like a guy writing for a girl. And writing badly.
Lex and Clark are both easy *now* because I've written them so much.
Kali is cake. She just comes out and always have.
Dominic because he's a lot like Wesley.
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
Faith. I can't write her to save my life. I tried once, and she came out flat, joke-less, and just flat out bad. I might be able to do her better now, but it's a struggle.
Cordelia. It's hard to get a grasp on her for some reason.
Lana, at time, for reasons stated above.
Lionel. I want to make him brilliant, smart, ruthless, but he just comes out evil.
Will Turner is hard for me to write. His character is so bland to me; there's nothing really memorable.
Azazel is hard lately, and I don't know if he's just giving me a hard time, or if I've lost him. I need my muse, both of them. Jason Lee isn't enough; I need Jack back.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Hee. Lana and Chloe are two sides of me emotionally. Chloe is me when I'm competent and on, and Lana is me when I'm unsure about something and coming apart at the seams. I also have trust issues, which both of them do.
I'm also a lot like Kali emotionally because there's a tough side to me, I can handle myself in a difficult situation, but only up to a point. And when I break, break loudly.
Killian because we're both depressive with wild mood springs. I'm not manic depressive (at least, I don't think I am), but he might not be either. We haven't decided if his emotional problems stem from his allergy (to vampires) or if they were always a part of him.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
I definitely was writing for comfort two years ago when my dad was in and out of the hospital. I was pushing aside my stress (sublimating; that's the word I was looking for) until I could deal with it ... meanwhile, I sent Lindsey McDonald and Riley Finn to the hospital about four times each. And I did it again when 9/11 happened.
Other than that, writing feels and emotional need because I *need* to do it. I fill up with stories so fast, it's a relief to get it out. I don't think I normally write because there is something lacking in my life. Even if I were sleeping with someone (which I'm not, much to my increasing dismay), I think I would still write smut, and I would definitely still write my original novels. Writing is a part of me.
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
Difficult. Trying to balance the description of what's happening with descriptions of sensations and emotions, etc. Plus, I often feel like I'm a faker since I can only guess how things will feel, and am not writing from experience. Oh, and I can't write a hot kiss, something which continues to disappoint me.
What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
None of it is easy. I struggle and sweat and write and rewrite each and every sex scene until I'm at least happy with it.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite? (multiple favs)
AtS: "Talk to Me" I think the characterization of both Lindesy and Wesley is strong. I like the premise. I think it's well written overall, and I love rereading it. The only thing missing is the sex scene (since I've been convinced bygayphoenix that fading to black was neglectful to characterization). I'm vaguely planning on adding one in and making some tweaks the story as a whole, and then posting it to a new Wesley board.
PoTC: "Figuring it Out" I think I got both Jack and Elizabeth very well and had a lot of fun writing it.
Smallville: "Sick" because I love sick!Lex
"Close to the Edge" because I think my writing started to really improve
"The Last Layer" because I worked *so* hard on the sex scene and I think it worked well
"Boiling Point" because of Red!Clark and how much fun it was to write
"Pirate" I love pirates. One of my oldest loves.
Least favs:
Ats: War Zone. I need to go back and take a machete to that. I think it's salvageable, but it really needs work.
Smallville: Pain. Just because I wasn't writing in my voice
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I close my eyes and type. Seriously, I don't do titles. All my titles suck unless someone else gave them to me,
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
I'm too controlling to write with a cowriter. I have a hard enough time with my characters as it is, I don't need to add another person's mind to it.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
Not really. I do try to outline and do character explorations more, but I generally sit down and write. I treat each chapter like a part of COTW, where I write, print it out, revise, rewrite, revise, etc. I do it about three times before I go onto the next chapter.
Poetry is stream of consciousness. However, I do work now to make the words and imagery cleaner.
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
I'll go through first and start describing more what the characters are thinking and feeling. If that doesn’t work, I might try to write it from another characters POV. I also go back to a significant part of the conversation and try to respond a different way until I have a scene that works.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
It's a good mixture of both. The first time through is generally mostly additions but after that, I take out and add the same.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
Maybe a couple weeks to get the plot down, one or two more to flesh it out, and another two to three to get it beta's. I'll generally go through five revisions or so, depending on the length of the fic and suggestions from others.
Do you use beta readers?
Always, always, always. Except with my two PoTC fics, I always use a beta reader. I make too many typos and mistakes to do it alone.
Do ideas come in little tiny pinpricks and then get expanded, or do they start great big and scopy and then get refined?
I guess a pinprick. I usually get an idea for a scene or a line stuck in my head, and then build around it. Sometimes, I set out to accomplish something. My fic "Talk to Me", which is an AtS fic, was written to get two characters who'd only been in one or two scenes together in the show into a relationship on a plausible way. My "Drag Queens" series was written because I read something wrong and got the idea to put a character in drag. Overall, I start with an idea for a plot or something, and then it gets fleshed out in writing
process.
Why do you choose to write in the tenses you do (present tense, or first person POV, or third person) and how do you choose particular styles for particular stories?
I generally write fanfic in third person, past tense. That way, I can get into whichever character is talking to me during a particular scene's head and write from their POV. I started COTW from first person, present tense (I think) because Lex was the *only* character I could get into. At that time, I'd only seen one show. But then Clark started talking, so I went to third person.
Original fiction is different. "Dark Goddess" is currently being written first person, past tense because it is Kali's story and no one else's. She's telling it and her voice comes out of me really easily. She's also recounting an incident that happened in the past, so it's past tense. However, I am toying with putting it into third person. However, I will also write third person past tense as well. My pirate and vampire stories were both written like that, because it's the easiest way for me to write them.
I don't think I have a particular style, and I don't write stylized fics or novels. I write how I speak or how the characters speak to me. It's not so much a matter of choosing a style as it is listening to how the story is meant to be told.
Do you have music that inspires your writing? (That you listen to while writing, or certain songs that remind you of certain characters.)
Sometimes, I guess. "Isis" by the Goo Goo Dolls continues to inspire "Dark Goddess" even though the story *much* different from the original story that was inspired by it. "Lonely Day" and "Superman" on the Smallville soundtrack both hit cords with COTW. Actually, I realized that when I began writing COTW, I was writing a kind of depressed, denial-ist Clark Kent I heard in "Superman", but I'm trying to move him away from that. I, like Lex, want him to be able to take joy in being an alien and in his gifts. "Time After Time" by Eva Cassidy is definitely my Whitney song. "Near You Always" by Jewel (Pieces of You) is my Lana song. I wrote "Coda" with the song in mind. Hmm ... can't think of anything else.
How do you brainstorm what comes next in a story?
Watch the next episode. ;) Okay, um ... I don't, really. Generally, things just sort of flow into each other. If I do get stuck, I step away from the computer and think about it. I've always used walking time as a time to write silently, which is one reason I get very annoyed by solicitors and such at school. They are interrupting me and it drives me insane. It's also one of the reasons I dislike having a cell phone and rarely use it. I don't want to talk to anyone as I walk to my car on most days; I want to think about what happens next. I think about the scene, generally the dialogue and work out where I need to go. Often, when I start a fic, I don't know how it ends or how I'll get there. I might have a vague idea, but nothing is solid.
What do you do when you hit a road block?
Stop writing. Read fic. Check my e-mail. Do something that inspires me. Complain about not being able to write. And then I try to write around it.
How often do you end up deleting a whole bunch of already-written stuff, and how hard is it to let that stuff go?
Hmm ... not too often, I guess. Usually I go through multiple drafts and have only just not begun to save them all. The long the fic or story, the more gets deleted I guess. It can be hard to let things go, but I do it for the story if necessary.
What if you really, really want to include something but part of you is saying it's not right for that particular story?
That actually doesn't happen often. If something isn't right, it doesn't go in. If a beta says that it doesn't work, I change it if I agree. My stories sort of create themselves, so it usually all fits. And I can't think of a time where I wanted something in that didn't work that was hard to get rid of.
Do you take notes longhand, and if so, when?
For original fiction, yes. Fanfic, no. I'll write scenes for fanfic, but I generally don’t take notes. But I did an informal outline for "Dark Goddess", scene/chapter breakdowns for the vampire fic, and character profiles for both.
Do you use challenges by other people to inspire you?
Not generally. In fact, I've only ever done two. One was a Buffy/Quantum Leap challenge and the other was
nerodi's historical fiction challenge. Other than that, I have a hard time getting inspired by them.Do you do anything in particular to get you into the right mindset to write a certain character or characters?
No. They sort of just come. I might do a posture or gesture I think a character will do, or say a few lines out loud. I almost always rewatch the episode I'm writing about in fanfic, or reread a fic I think had good characterization, but I don't even do that often.
Which characters are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. I don't know how well I write him (especially not now), but his 'type' of character (before Season 3) has always fascinated me. Before I got into slash, I created an elaborate backstory for him so when I started writing, he came easily.
Lana can be easy at times, because I put so many of my own thoughts and issues in her. At the same time, the character can be hard because she's such a mystery to me in the show. Looks like a girl, acts like a guy writing for a girl. And writing badly.
Lex and Clark are both easy *now* because I've written them so much.
Kali is cake. She just comes out and always have.
Dominic because he's a lot like Wesley.
Which ones are hardest, and again, WHY?
Faith. I can't write her to save my life. I tried once, and she came out flat, joke-less, and just flat out bad. I might be able to do her better now, but it's a struggle.
Cordelia. It's hard to get a grasp on her for some reason.
Lana, at time, for reasons stated above.
Lionel. I want to make him brilliant, smart, ruthless, but he just comes out evil.
Will Turner is hard for me to write. His character is so bland to me; there's nothing really memorable.
Azazel is hard lately, and I don't know if he's just giving me a hard time, or if I've lost him. I need my muse, both of them. Jason Lee isn't enough; I need Jack back.
Which characters are most like you emotionally?
Hee. Lana and Chloe are two sides of me emotionally. Chloe is me when I'm competent and on, and Lana is me when I'm unsure about something and coming apart at the seams. I also have trust issues, which both of them do.
I'm also a lot like Kali emotionally because there's a tough side to me, I can handle myself in a difficult situation, but only up to a point. And when I break, break loudly.
Killian because we're both depressive with wild mood springs. I'm not manic depressive (at least, I don't think I am), but he might not be either. We haven't decided if his emotional problems stem from his allergy (to vampires) or if they were always a part of him.
How often do you feel like what you're writing is fulfilling some emotional need - ie, when you're writing comfort, is it because you often feel that you don't get it IRL?
I definitely was writing for comfort two years ago when my dad was in and out of the hospital. I was pushing aside my stress (sublimating; that's the word I was looking for) until I could deal with it ... meanwhile, I sent Lindsey McDonald and Riley Finn to the hospital about four times each. And I did it again when 9/11 happened.
Other than that, writing feels and emotional need because I *need* to do it. I fill up with stories so fast, it's a relief to get it out. I don't think I normally write because there is something lacking in my life. Even if I were sleeping with someone (which I'm not, much to my increasing dismay), I think I would still write smut, and I would definitely still write my original novels. Writing is a part of me.
What about writing smut - do you find it easy, difficult?
Difficult. Trying to balance the description of what's happening with descriptions of sensations and emotions, etc. Plus, I often feel like I'm a faker since I can only guess how things will feel, and am not writing from experience. Oh, and I can't write a hot kiss, something which continues to disappoint me.
What kinds of smut are easiest for you to write, and WHY?
None of it is easy. I struggle and sweat and write and rewrite each and every sex scene until I'm at least happy with it.
Which of your stories is your favorite and WHY? Least favorite? (multiple favs)
AtS: "Talk to Me" I think the characterization of both Lindesy and Wesley is strong. I like the premise. I think it's well written overall, and I love rereading it. The only thing missing is the sex scene (since I've been convinced by
gayphoenix that fading to black was neglectful to characterization). I'm vaguely planning on adding one in and making some tweaks the story as a whole, and then posting it to a new Wesley board.PoTC: "Figuring it Out" I think I got both Jack and Elizabeth very well and had a lot of fun writing it.
Smallville: "Sick" because I love sick!Lex
"Close to the Edge" because I think my writing started to really improve
"The Last Layer" because I worked *so* hard on the sex scene and I think it worked well
"Boiling Point" because of Red!Clark and how much fun it was to write
"Pirate" I love pirates. One of my oldest loves.
Least favs:
Ats: War Zone. I need to go back and take a machete to that. I think it's salvageable, but it really needs work.
Smallville: Pain. Just because I wasn't writing in my voice
How do you choose titles for your stories?
I close my eyes and type. Seriously, I don't do titles. All my titles suck unless someone else gave them to me,
Do you write differently with a cowriter than you do alone? Is it easier or harder?
I'm too controlling to write with a cowriter. I have a hard enough time with my characters as it is, I don't need to add another person's mind to it.
Do you write original fic differently from fanfic (if you write it at all)?
Not really. I do try to outline and do character explorations more, but I generally sit down and write. I treat each chapter like a part of COTW, where I write, print it out, revise, rewrite, revise, etc. I do it about three times before I go onto the next chapter.
Poetry is stream of consciousness. However, I do work now to make the words and imagery cleaner.
When a scene feels forced, what are the first few tricks you try to fix it?
I'll go through first and start describing more what the characters are thinking and feeling. If that doesn’t work, I might try to write it from another characters POV. I also go back to a significant part of the conversation and try to respond a different way until I have a scene that works.
Are most of your fixes deletions or additions?
It's a good mixture of both. The first time through is generally mostly additions but after that, I take out and add the same.
How long does it usually take you to write a story? How many revisions do you go through?
Maybe a couple weeks to get the plot down, one or two more to flesh it out, and another two to three to get it beta's. I'll generally go through five revisions or so, depending on the length of the fic and suggestions from others.
Do you use beta readers?
Always, always, always. Except with my two PoTC fics, I always use a beta reader. I make too many typos and mistakes to do it alone.
