(no subject)
Oct. 12th, 2008 02:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaebility(Cross-posted to my Ij.)
Ok, I'm ready. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna put on my big-girl shoes. I'm gonna try NaNoWriMo this year! Anyone else here participating? I'm going as Jaeness over there.
I really need to learn to finish something I've started. My FF.net account is cluttered with incomplete stories, my LJ is a awash with fragments, and my notebooks are just pages of unrelated drabbles. I have to be more dedicated, more determined.
At the moment, I'm looking through the plots I've developed over the years to decide which one has the greatest potential to stretch over 50,000 words.
Fine Art - A Digimon fanfiction about Daisuke and his maturation.
Pros: I've already written the first few chapters and have a clear outline for its progression. Also, I really, really, REALLY want to finish this bad boy; I started it high school, for the love of cheese. Also also, I've been doing a lot of research into life in Japan as well as homosexuality in youths, so I have all the academic stuff completed already.
Cons: It's fanfiction and therefore not a "real" story. ..I'm a snob like that.
Lotus - Five angels try to bring peace back to the world.
Pros: I'm really happy with the characters of this thing. They're pretty much complete: full, round, convincing people. I've also laid down the outline.
Cons: It's obvious that the plot was inspired by Sailor Moon. It would probably work better as a comic than a story, too. The point-of-view would have to change often as the story follows each character... The large number of characters would also be a set-back: five angels, one fallen angel, three demons, two half-demons, three humans...
Romance novel - A romance set in the Old West
Pros: Another thing I've outlined. The two main characters are almost complete, too. If I finish this baby, it's something that I could possibly attempt to publish. This is a huge motivational aspect... And maybe, just maybe, possible. Not plausible, for sure. But I maybe have a chance to sell it. Maybe.
Cons: I'm not as in love with these characters as I am with my other stories, which would make it less fun to write. I also need to do a lot more research into the time period. Not tons, since romance novels generally have a lot of leeway and I already know a fair amount about the time period, but I will definitely need to lean more about the location and history.
U - A noiry detective novel set in 1930s Hollywood
Pros: I've almost finished a story set in this universe; a few more paragraphs and stick a fork in it and serve it for dinner. I also really like the characters: the detective is an old actress who's occasionally helped by her Yuffie-inspired younger daughter. The plot is a The Murder of Roger Ackroyd type: unreliable narrator who (here comes a spoiler, in case anyone's interested in reading Christie's awesome book) is actually the murderer.
Cons: Obviously, the narrator-as-killer has already been done and been done better than I could ever write. Also, I don't know if I could get 50,000 words out of this plot. And I haven't outlined it. It might be better as a short story than a full novel.
3:10 to Yuma adventure-ma-jigger - Yup
Pros: It's 3:10 to Yuma! I love writing these characters and I love the setting. I've been diddling with a post-Yuma AU for a while and would really love to participate more in the Yuma fandom. I'm so so so envious of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
baggyeyes awesome epic fics! This also doesn't really need a plot since the storyline takes second fiddle to the character interaction. And I definitely excel at having half-assed plots!
Cons: While I have written a few short drabbly things, I haven't really thought out the progression of the story.
Anything else?
Supernatural historical romance thing's evil twin - A sort-of romance between an 1800's young woman and the sphinx
Pros: This plot bunny's been knocking my skull for years and it'd be great to finally be rid of it. Also, it'd be a half satire of, half homage to, and half straight-up to the supernatural romances that are oh so popular these days. ...That's not really a pro, is it.
Cons: No real plot to speak of, just characters.
Ok. So those are my options as of Sunday afternoon. I'm really excited and hopeful! The only problem is the Warcraft expansion comes out in November... God. How can I compete with that?
Ok, I'm ready. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna put on my big-girl shoes. I'm gonna try NaNoWriMo this year! Anyone else here participating? I'm going as Jaeness over there.
I really need to learn to finish something I've started. My FF.net account is cluttered with incomplete stories, my LJ is a awash with fragments, and my notebooks are just pages of unrelated drabbles. I have to be more dedicated, more determined.
At the moment, I'm looking through the plots I've developed over the years to decide which one has the greatest potential to stretch over 50,000 words.
Fine Art - A Digimon fanfiction about Daisuke and his maturation.
Pros: I've already written the first few chapters and have a clear outline for its progression. Also, I really, really, REALLY want to finish this bad boy; I started it high school, for the love of cheese. Also also, I've been doing a lot of research into life in Japan as well as homosexuality in youths, so I have all the academic stuff completed already.
Cons: It's fanfiction and therefore not a "real" story. ..I'm a snob like that.
Lotus - Five angels try to bring peace back to the world.
Pros: I'm really happy with the characters of this thing. They're pretty much complete: full, round, convincing people. I've also laid down the outline.
Cons: It's obvious that the plot was inspired by Sailor Moon. It would probably work better as a comic than a story, too. The point-of-view would have to change often as the story follows each character... The large number of characters would also be a set-back: five angels, one fallen angel, three demons, two half-demons, three humans...
Romance novel - A romance set in the Old West
Pros: Another thing I've outlined. The two main characters are almost complete, too. If I finish this baby, it's something that I could possibly attempt to publish. This is a huge motivational aspect... And maybe, just maybe, possible. Not plausible, for sure. But I maybe have a chance to sell it. Maybe.
Cons: I'm not as in love with these characters as I am with my other stories, which would make it less fun to write. I also need to do a lot more research into the time period. Not tons, since romance novels generally have a lot of leeway and I already know a fair amount about the time period, but I will definitely need to lean more about the location and history.
U - A noiry detective novel set in 1930s Hollywood
Pros: I've almost finished a story set in this universe; a few more paragraphs and stick a fork in it and serve it for dinner. I also really like the characters: the detective is an old actress who's occasionally helped by her Yuffie-inspired younger daughter. The plot is a The Murder of Roger Ackroyd type: unreliable narrator who (here comes a spoiler, in case anyone's interested in reading Christie's awesome book) is actually the murderer.
Cons: Obviously, the narrator-as-killer has already been done and been done better than I could ever write. Also, I don't know if I could get 50,000 words out of this plot. And I haven't outlined it. It might be better as a short story than a full novel.
3:10 to Yuma adventure-ma-jigger - Yup
Pros: It's 3:10 to Yuma! I love writing these characters and I love the setting. I've been diddling with a post-Yuma AU for a while and would really love to participate more in the Yuma fandom. I'm so so so envious of
baggyeyes awesome epic fics! This also doesn't really need a plot since the storyline takes second fiddle to the character interaction. And I definitely excel at having half-assed plots!Cons: While I have written a few short drabbly things, I haven't really thought out the progression of the story.
Anything else?
Supernatural historical romance thing's evil twin - A sort-of romance between an 1800's young woman and the sphinx
Pros: This plot bunny's been knocking my skull for years and it'd be great to finally be rid of it. Also, it'd be a half satire of, half homage to, and half straight-up to the supernatural romances that are oh so popular these days. ...That's not really a pro, is it.
Cons: No real plot to speak of, just characters.
Ok. So those are my options as of Sunday afternoon. I'm really excited and hopeful! The only problem is the Warcraft expansion comes out in November... God. How can I compete with that?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-12 07:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-16 01:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-13 01:37 am (UTC)I like your "Supernatural historical romance thing's evil twin" idea. Get some index cards and write ideas on them, see which plot/thread/story works best, or fires your imagination the best.
I'll probably chicken out at the last second. :(
I've never done one before, I may need a coach.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-16 01:50 am (UTC)I actually decided on the western romance, because it was the most conventional of my lame ass ideas, and somehow I equate that with easiest. It's chugging along - Not great, but not too bad, either.
Good luck with NaNo! And definitely write more!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-13 01:43 am (UTC)I like your writing because it isn't boring, and it doesn't follow a predictable path. You also have such detail - I can't quite find the words. When one can almost feel the knobs of Dan's bony spine, or the stubble on Ben's chin - you as a writer have managed to pull the reader in completely.
My own words fail me. I can't explain that better.
Also:
I've gone and signed up - egad. linuxmacuser_65 or something. Ruhoh. That's not good, if I've already forgotten my user name. :(
Aaannd you well ahead of me, because you have ideas and I have zip. I love stress. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-16 01:48 am (UTC)And thanks for the vote of confidence! :D I'm trying my damndest, and I guess that's all I can really do. I did manage to sneak an not-too-subtle Yuma reference in, which makes me pretty happy: the town's sheriff and deputy are Ben and Dan. And they're totally gay. Oh man, I love 'em.
Anyway, I hope you post your story on you LJ/IJ! I'd love to read it! Your epics = TOTALLY NOT BORING AT ALL. Infact, they = AWESOME. So more writing!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-13 06:32 am (UTC)I've been participating in the NaNoWriMo for years now, but I've only beat the benchmark once. This year looks dismal too, given how much travel I'll be doing at the time, but it is always worth doing. You learn a lot about yourself, and your habits, and how you manage those habits. Dedication and all that.
This has become an invaluable tool for me when I think about writing. 90% of writing a good, coherent story is really in the planning, and this gives a good primer as to how to plan with the complexity necessary for anything of novel length:
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php
Good luck this year! Plan long before November, fellow author!
/salute
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-16 01:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-07 02:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-16 05:47 pm (UTC)I am planning on re-writing "Fine Art;" I work on it sporadically. It'd be awesome awesome awesome if you could read it over for me, point out all the things I'm doing wrong! I think I have about 4 chapters done at the moment.
*poke poke* And you should start updating
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-17 09:32 am (UTC)I'd love to go over "Fine Art" for you!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-18 09:18 pm (UTC)And that would be so amazingly awesomely helpful if you could read over FA! I'll be in your debt foreverrrrrrrrrrrr. Should I send it to your LJ email address?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-20 09:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-26 01:42 am (UTC)