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[TanithAeyrs]

Cookies and chocolate to you too Gil, Ette and Shadow, need my favorite stories.



My poor Warden has been reduced to talking to her new Mabari at the moment.

[Tasmen]

TanithAeyrs wrote...

Thanks Tasmen, I love your writing, your opinion means a lot.

Awwwwwwww  Maybe such kind words will help unclog the block in my mind.

[odiedragon]

Tasmen wrote...
Honestly, I'm the same way.  I see the fav alerts and subscription and then no reviews and I go 'what you talking about willis?'.  I'd like to know what people enjoy and do not enjoy.  I'm treating writing fanfic as an exercise in writing so that someday I might actually write the silly sp00ky novel lingering in my head.  But if I don't get constructive criticism (which some folks DO offer, I'm looking at you OdieDragon!), it's hard to improve.

Wow.  I think that was the longest gaze in internet history ever 

Constructive critisism is good, but I think part of the problem is the anonymity of the internet.  Unless you have some kind of a relationship with a person, it can get really dicy trying to find the line between getting the person see you're trying to help versus them thinking you're jumping down down their throat.  I probably woudln't have ever said anything to Tas about her love for anacronism (which is what I presume the original comment was about!) if I hadn't already been interacting with her on IRC.

In addition, sometimes people's works are SO BAD that even if the writer didn't take your critisism personally, helping them fix and improve their work would take a significant investment of time.  And not all of us are fortunate (or willing) enough to give that investment to a stranger on the internet.

That being said, the people who I *have* found to brainstorm with and who beta what I write are invaluable.  They keep me from doing really outlandish things, and with their input on everything from plot to character speculation to flat-out editing and spellchecking I think what I produce is vastly improved.

All that aside, this is fanfiction people.  It's for fun.  A hobby.  And thus, do yourself a favor and don't take it too seriously!  Challenge yourself to improve your prose or your exposition, or simply work to develop your own unique writing style.  But don't take it for more than what it is.  Relax, and have fun with it.  When it stops being fun, it's time to take a step back and tell the whole mess to sod off for awhile.  

And now, back to reading this monster thread, already in progress...

Modifié par odiedragon, 22 avril 2010 - 06:50 .

[odiedragon]

tallon1982 wrote...

Some people think that the length determines a good story or not. That's not always the case. I've read long ass novels that I thought were total crap and short novels that were great and vice versa. It all depends on the person reading it. Some want that long story that keeps them going while others want the proverbial one night stand.

I am soooo guilty of the former.  I'll even keep reading bad stuff, just because I Must Know What Happens Next Gimme MORE DAMMIT.  This is totally reflected in my writing too, and yeah, sometimes that makes it suck.  I'm very good at not seeing the forest for the trees at times.

A short but great novel, while I would certainly enjoy it, would leave me feeling very unfulfilled at the end.  But that's a fault of mine, not a fault of the writer!  In fact it means they did such a damned good job that they left me chomping at the bit for more.

[odiedragon]

Miri1984 wrote...

WRITE LOTS, then read it out loud. Makes you feel really silly the first time you do it, but it really helps you see if you're babbling or repeating yourself.

Use paragraphs. Cull adjectives. Have fun .

Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

[Maria13]

odiedragon wrote...

Miri1984 wrote...

WRITE LOTS, then read it out loud. Makes you feel really silly the first time you do it, but it really helps you see if you're babbling or repeating yourself.

Use paragraphs. Cull adjectives. Have fun .

Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

I thought it was adverbs that had to be culled (Hemingway, anyone?)

[Tasmen]

odiedragon wrote...
Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

It's busy painting walls.  *whistle*

[Gilgamesh1138]

LOL! I am on the way home got off early from work! WOOHOO! Going home to write my next chapter.



Hi odie! *waves*

[TanithAeyrs]

Wave to Gil. I managed to write a couple of pages this morning, instead of cleaning house for my son's birthday party (it's only family so guess it's okay if I can't find my floor).

[Gilgamesh1138]

Yeah family doesn't need to see the floor. Pffft:P.  What are they going to do, disown you? ROFL!

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 avril 2010 - 09:30 .

[TanithAeyrs]

My thoughts exactly. Hopefully they will all be too busy to show up anyway. I guess that's mean - I do have an 8 year old looking forward to gifts. He'll do okay though -Nintendo DS from mom and dad and several lego Star Wars sets from other relatives.



Besides, I need to get another chapter up, it's been 2 weeks. Finally picked a name for the Mabari though.

[Miri1984]

odiedragon wrote...

Miri1984 wrote...

WRITE LOTS, then read it out loud. Makes you feel really silly the first time you do it, but it really helps you see if you're babbling or repeating yourself.

Use paragraphs. Cull adjectives. Have fun .

Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

I think this advice is really directed back at me. And yes, I mean adverbs as well. I was a chronic overuser for a long, long time .

[Gilgamesh1138]

@Maria13, oh god Hemingway! And for verbosity Charles Dickens. That is what you get when you pay a writer per word! Talk about needed to cull, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs. 

You couldn't have been as bad as those two Miri1984.

@Tanith, I am jealous of your son. I want more Star Wars legos!  And YAY to a new chapter!  *does happy dance of sublime joy*:wub:  And sweet puppy finally gets a name, HOORAY!   What a great day this is!

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 avril 2010 - 10:15 .

[Maria13]

Miri1984 wrote...

odiedragon wrote...

Miri1984 wrote...

WRITE LOTS, then read it out loud. Makes you feel really silly the first time you do it, but it really helps you see if you're babbling or repeating yourself.

Use paragraphs. Cull adjectives. Have fun .

Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

I think this advice is really directed back at me. And yes, I mean adverbs as well. I was a chronic overuser for a long, long time .

So you persistently, chronically, overused?

[TanithAeyrs]

Gil, I bet he would share the legos - he's a good kid. He lets me build with him sometimes (yes, I am almost 40 and I still think legos are fun).



Dickens could have cleaned up the prose a lot but "A Tale of Two Cities" still has one of my favorite literary lines of all time in it. Have "Great Expectations" on my Ipod now for listening fun. Personally, I am a huge Kipling fan - I love his poem "The Ballad of East and West" along with most of his other poetry and most of his prose.



Literary styles change over time and currently the style seems to be for streamlined writing with minimal description. This works sometimes and sometime I want to really feel like I am there, which requires a lot of description. Michener was the worst for overuse of description - 2 pages to talk about the sunset on an Alaskan mountain range- good grief.

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL Maria13! Persistently, chronically, lingeringly?

[Gilgamesh1138]

Oh I love Dickens, but he did get paid by the word, and you can tell sometimes. "A Tale of Two Cities" with its description of hot chocolate. Makes me want some everytime.

Aw, I still love to play with legos too! I am never growing up, I refuse!

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 avril 2010 - 10:29 .

[Miri1984]

Maria13 wrote...

Miri1984 wrote...

odiedragon wrote...

Miri1984 wrote...

WRITE LOTS, then read it out loud. Makes you feel really silly the first time you do it, but it really helps you see if you're babbling or repeating yourself.

Use paragraphs. Cull adjectives. Have fun .

Cull adjetives?!  But I LOVE adjetives!!   Where's my paintbrush?  

I think this advice is really directed back at me. And yes, I mean adverbs as well. I was a chronic overuser for a long, long time .

So you persistently, chronically, overused?

Tragically and moronically, more likely!

[Gilgamesh1138]

ROFL! Well you are one of my favorite authors, and I love your stories. Though you are trying to kill me I swear! I get so excited to read my email alerts, telling me yet another titillating chapter or story is available by you. And I have to tell myself, only after I have written my own chapter! *whimpers*

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 avril 2010 - 10:42 .

[Tasmen]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

ROFL! Well you are one of my favorite authors, and I love your stories. Though you are trying to kill me I swear! I get so excited to read my email alerts, telling me yet another titillating chapter or story is available by you. And I have to tell myself, only after I have written my own chapter! *whimpers*

If only I had that kind of willpower.  Nope, none here.  I get an alert?  I run off to read or I just load it up on my phone and read it right then and there.  Procrastination is my buddy.  We have matching friendship bracelets and everything!

[MireliA]

Tasmen wrote...

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

ROFL! Well you are one of my favorite authors, and I love your stories. Though you are trying to kill me I swear! I get so excited to read my email alerts, telling me yet another titillating chapter or story is available by you. And I have to tell myself, only after I have written my own chapter! *whimpers*

If only I had that kind of willpower.  Nope, none here.  I get an alert?  I run off to read or I just load it up on my phone and read it right then and there.  Procrastination is my buddy.  We have matching friendship bracelets and everything!

I read the alerts and then hours later think I should start doing something myself (instead of sitting on BSN that is ).
And LOL to the friendship bracelets

[Gilgamesh1138]

Oh I would but I wouldn't get anything done. Of course I get all excited when I see an alert for you too Tasmen! :wub:Sometimes I resist, sometimes I can't. LOL I know procrastination! Can I join the club and get a bracelet too?

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 22 avril 2010 - 10:53 .

[odiedragon]

soignee wrote...

But you see then you get stuff of "when's the next chapter?" From people, and you start putting your own deadlines in. Mine is a chapter a week, minimum. I appear to write 6-8k chapters now, which I worry about constantly as I don't know if it's too much for people's attention spans- reading online is a lot different to a book. I've seem the majority of fanfic writers have 2000ish words a chapter at the most, and I wonder if I'm doinitwrrrrrooong.

Man, I could have written this.  Except for the "minimum" thing.  That's my goal, but since it's already Thursday and I have like two paragraphs of my next chapter done... yeah. 

And it sucks, because I REALLY want to move on to the next two chapters (a two-part "snapshot" if you will) but I also want to include something from this segment of time as well, and expand my PC's character a little more before delving into a Duncan POV.

Who knows.  Maybe I'll have a good night and just start cranking stuff out.

I worry about attention span too.  I tend to write more book-like chapters, rather than fanfic chapters.  I think I lose a lot of people in the process, but it's the story *I* want to write.  I haven't quite worked out a happy medium yet.

[Gilgamesh1138]

I am with you odie, I tend to write book-like chapters too. And my story is epically long. I think I lose people too. But, it is my story, the one I want to write. I love your stuff Odie, I didn't realize you are LotheringRose on FF. *waves*

[Tasmen]

MireliA wrote...

I read the alerts and then hours later think I should start doing something myself (instead of sitting on BSN that is ).
And LOL to the friendship bracelets

While I wasn't read last night, I was seriously distracted by IRC, Facebook bejeweled (I swear, somehow they emit pavlovian dog crack through my ethernet cable and make me press 'new game' without so much as a second thought) and general whine & cheese about about my writing mojo being out for drinks while I was left at home with only a bag of popcorn and flat coke.