WIP challenge: day 2 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

How's the fic rolling along today?

Poll #8468

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

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How's the fic going today?

View Answers

Brilliant!
2 (18.2%)

SHUT UP SHUT UP
1 (9.1%)

Muddling along
6 (54.5%)

Nowhere at all
2 (18.2%)

What are your priorities for your goal fic this week?

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Write
10 (90.9%)

Edit
1 (9.1%)

Research/canon refresh
3 (27.3%)

Send to beta
0 (0.0%)

Post
1 (9.1%)

Something else I will describe in comments
1 (9.1%)

For discussion: How collaborative is your writing process? Obviously you are here in the comm, hopefully talking about fic writing, but otherwise: do you have a lot of engagement w/cheerleaders? Betas? Do you have a writing partner? Do you co-write? Do you think any of this helps you? Do you wish you did more of it, or are you all right with being a bit more solitary?

(& I am going to respond to comments from yesterday's check-in post! Just not tonight... )

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

I don't co-write or generally have writing partners, though I do enjoy chatting in writing sessions w/folks here! I use betas & unofficially get my friends to cheerlead sometimes. :D I think I'm fine w/the level of interaction I have w/other writers -- I'd like more fandom-specific interaction sometimes, but I am in all small fandoms so that isn't always possible.

(Oh, I do bounce ideas off fandom friends not-infrequently -- some folks in natsumeyuujinchou have been real patient w/me brainstorming there once in a while!)

[taelle]

Wrote today! ... I did not know how to handle the characters talking about what happened, so I just made one character ask "WTF happened?" (now, since the most obvious - and even sort of truthful - answer from the other character would be "Hell if I know", they'll have to drag it a bit further, but it's easier to roll once you started).

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for writing!!

& I agree, once you get started, even if you end up putting kind of a placeholder question, it's easier to keep going. Hooray!!

[lilly_c]

No progress today :( stupid research essay has taken almost all of my time today.

My writing process is fairly solitary. I once did a co-write and I used to have regular betas when I was in big fandoms but no more.

It actually would be nice to have a regular beta again but most people who do beta are very much fandom specific and I find that a bit off putting because I'm not too bothered if people aren't familiar with my fandoms as I tend to make extensive notes and all I ever really need is someone to double check spelling, grammar and consistency as I'm very thorough with canon and sticking to it (most of the time).

Wish I had a little more interaction with other writers but I'm always apprehensive about asking to talk and even accepting offers. Sure it's down to being shy in RL that does it.

[littlebutfierce]

Booooo for your essay! I hope you're able to get it off your plate relatively quickly & get back to fic!

Interesting -- I think I've seen myself a lot of people who are happy to do SPAG betas, but recognize that lots of people want fandom-specific betas.

I take a lot of notes myself, but I like having fandom-specific betas just to give a view on whether things feel right, y'know? Would Character X really do this -- is it just pushing the boundaries of the character a little bit in an okay way, or is it OTT unrealistic, etc. -- that sorta thing!

I find it difficult to get interacting w/other writers sometimes as well. ^^;;;

[devilc]

I'm doing mini-nano. It always works to get me going, especially since I use it as the leadin to Yuletide.

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for mini-nano!! Sounds like it's a good warmup indeed.

[bay_alexison]

Wrote a little over 1,100 words of my Big Bang today! A little iffy over a couple things I wrote, but I can always look over the scenes and edit them later. I want to just focus on getting the story finished and see the end result of it for now.

I tend to have betas and cheerleaders, but it depends what fandom I'm writing for and how I'm able to communicate with them. For one fandom I'm able to get a few people cheer for me as I talk to them a lot through chatrooms, instant messaging forum PMs, and such while for another it's harder to get back with them and only a couple I have their email/AIMs. I'm grateful for my betas though as they often cheered me on and also are able to point out the mistakes in my writing and how to fix them.

[littlebutfierce]

Woooooo for the 1.1k! That's fantastic! & yeah, editing later, words now tends to be my philosophy, heh.

Finding good betas/cheerleaders can be such an endeavor!

[xpaperplanex]

Added another 1000 words to my count from yesterday. Why is it that I can always come up with inspiration when I have no time? *sigh*

I have a cheerleader who helps me brainstorm and prods me into thinking about where things are going and how they might get there. It's immensely helpful, but sometimes I get cranky and feel like she's trying to write my story for me. For the most part, though, I really appreciate it. It's nice to have someone to point out things that I might have missed.

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for the 1000 words, especially if you've been pressed for time! Go you for carving out the time to put them down!!

I think beta-ing & cheerleading is this really complicated dance of... negotiation & compromise, heh. It's tricky to get right!

[lullabymoon]

Started one of my goal fics! 200 words of progress!

My writing is not really collaborative. I've never co-written anything and I've only fairly recently started using a beta, mainly because my writing is expanding beyond PWP and short fluff.

I'm cheerleading for a couple of writers at the moment, which I really enjoy but I don't really use one myself. I get general encouragement from my flist when I need it but I am very much a solitary writer and I hate people seeing the unfinished product. I'm getting over that a little as I've taken part in challenges where there is rough drafts to artists or betas but I still don't like it.

[littlebutfierce]

Woohoo for getting started! & 200 words, yay!

I get nervous about ppl seeing my writing too early on as well. ^^;;; Yay for having a circle that can give you general encouragement!

[lacerta]

Writing felt like a huge drag all day, but once I reached my mini-nano word count, it became a little easier. 600 words, in the end, and they aren't even as terrible as I thought. I can now move on to the actual kink part :D

I mostly write alone. It works fine with shorter fics and pwps. Should I attempt a big bang again, I'd probably try to get more people involved from the start, though.

[littlebutfierce]

Yaaaaaay for mini-nano prodding you along! 600 words, hooray!!!

I think a big bang definitely could be a collaborative effort. I remain impressed w/everyone doing them. ;)

[jagnikjen]

I spent a lot of time yesterday beta-ing/critiquing--one story for my CP and one for an online friend who is doing NANO. I'm offering comments and thoughts as she goes, critiquing too, though not sending those to her yet since the goal of NANO is to get words on the page and not editing/revising.

My writing process is mostly a solitary one. My real-life critique partners don't do much fan fic, if any, and not in the same fandoms.

But my CPs are very encouraging when I moan about writing and I have made it clear that for the time being, my heart is with fan fic and not original fic.

I do have two betas who are not my CPs, but I don't actually co-write.

On the flip side, I'm really trying to ramp up my critique skills. And all my CPs seem to like my thoroughness when critiquing their stuff. (Though I still have things to learn.) I'm very involved with the writing of one CP in particular. Not so much in creating characters or plots, but I give her a lot of feedback on what's happening and thoughts/comments on where she's going, etc. We seem to gel. We'll see how it goes with my online friend during NANO.

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for the beta-ing/critique-ing -- I always feel like that helps one's own writing too. Hopefully it works that way for you as well!

[linaewen]

I didn't do much of anything with my fic, alas. Canon refresh was completed, now I need to reread everything I've already written on a couple of the stalled pieces. I am ready to write for the most part with the others, but haven't made myself sit down and do it yet. ;-)

My writing process is a little collaborative but for the most part it's just me. I do have a couple of people who beta my finished chapters (though it's not intense beta-ing), and I sometimes discuss plot points with them when I need a fresh look at things. I've had a few cheerleaders from time to time, as well. It's helpful to be able to show my work to someone before I post it, and it's really helpful to have people with whom I can bounce ideas around. For the most part, I'm good with being solitary, though.

[littlebutfierce]

Good luck rereading your fic to get back into it! :)

I definitely appreciate having people to bounce ideas around w/ -- sometimes I do muddle through w/o a beta, & I feel like mostly I can somewhat get away w/it (though everything improves w/a beta, sometimes there's just no time or I worry about overusing my betas), but brainstorming is so helpful to have company for!