WIP Challenge: Wednesday (Day 28)

[psyco_chick32]

Check-In time!!  We're halfway through the last week.
What have you gotten done today?  Riffled through a book or watched an episode or movie for canon-refresh?  Written?  Posted?  Stared at a document much like my icon, while cursing up a storm?

Our discussion topic of the day is a bit of a question:
a) I searched for quotes relevant to writing.  This is one I found:
"True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those who move easiest have learned to dance." ~Alexander Pope

Now... what?  What does that even mean?  I have my guesses, but share with me what you think.

b) Have you done that?  Stumbled into a document or old story going "oh, wow... what the heck was I doing with this?"  How do you handle it?

Comments

[snowynight]

I write 3K today. They'll probably to self-indulgent to post but it's fun writing it.

a) My interpretation is that writing's a cradt and requires insistence, not inspiration. Those who write well and fast have practice in it.
b)It happens to me just after writing the 3K. I handle it by closing the file and let it cool down.

[psyco_chick32]

Honestly, sometimes you just need to sit down and enjoy some self-indulgence. Nothing wrong with it, and it makes you happy :D And 3k is nothing to scoff at, especially if we're taking the quote into question!

[dhae_knight_1]

Well, considering I've written 5 pages on my thesis today and still need at least two additional pages and reading a book and making plans for a test,I think it's safe to say I won't be getting any recreational writing done today. :-)

As for the quote... It makes sense to me. I was shocked that the one place in Denmark that offers any kind of organized writing classes for authors don't cover things like plotting and characterization *at all*! I guess I think of writing as a craft; and just like any craft, you need to know your tools and theory before you can get really creative.

Incidentally; the painting-school in the same building offered no courses on things like color theory, which also surprised me. Breaking the rules is easier to do right if you know what they are... :-)

[psyco_chick32]

Daaang you have still been really productive! I think it totally counts.

the one place in Denmark that offers any kind of organized writing classes for authors don't cover things like plotting and characterization *at all*

O.o;; I can understand getting the tools and theories down, but that is pretty surprising.

Breaking the rules is easier to do right if you know what they are... :-)

LOLOL It's fun to break rules!

[crowdog66]

I haven't done any writing today, and likely won't: a cold front of depression has moved in and sapped every erg of creative energy I've got.

a) Another way to phrase this is "Practice makes perfect". In commercial art, the same principle applies: you have to get to the point where you're technically proficient so that even on days when you have zero inspiration you can still turn out competent work. Once you have the right moves in muscle memory it becomes much easier to move effortlessly, and to improvise when necessary.

b) I've been lucky so far: stumbling onto past stories has generally been a pleasure, because I can appreciate at least one aspect of each piece. Or maybe I'm just blocking out the truly traumatic memories... ;)

[psyco_chick32]

Oh no! *hugs* Real life can suck every bit of soul out of you. I'm here with an ear if you need one <3

*nods* That makes sense, and thank you for typing it to the "dancing" part of the quote - that's the part that tripped me up. The first part had me solidly!

LOL I have problems re-reading some things specifically because of the traumatic injuries. I've had a reader going through old stuff lately going "OMG SO GREAT" and I just cringe and remember how many times I re-wrote that segment...

[bay_alexison]

The last couple of days I had been wrapping up my god_tier fic and finished the ending last night. :D I think I might need to expand a couple parts here and there, but I'm letting the story cool down first. Also while still waiting for Beta A to finish looking over Chapter Six of my FMA Big Bang I had been looking over Chapter Seven (like the millionth time now, LOL). Made some changes and notes over some parts I'm unsure of to bring my beta's attention.

Now, for today I'm unsure what to do (just woke up now, lol). Guess today I'll take a break from writing as I need to take care a few things anyways and want to catch up on some fanfic reading. I might end up getting some notes and research material ready for my pokemon_bigbang story even though I'm not sure if I'll go through with that story yet (again, too many projects under my belt @_@ ).

Like the others said, I see the quote saying practice makes perfect. LOL, there several pieces where I was like, "what the heck did I wrote" and a couple stories I'm STILL like, "wow, I wrote like a fifteen year old" even though I posted them a while back. -_- I need to learn to let go, lol.

[psyco_chick32]

Congrats on wrapping up your fic :D Isn't it nice to feel that weight come off a little bit?

It's always good to step back and do some reading (I've been doing far too much of that lately) after finishing up a big project.

*nods* I took most of the quote as the suggestion that sometimes you just have to sit down and write - even when you're not "inspired".

[lilly_c]

Got some research done because I'm changing my entire direction for my casestory fic and wrote a new outline for it. In the middle of formatting a couple of fics ready for posting (finally - RL has been a total b***h lately).

For the first question I'd have to say it's more practise makes perfect than just jumping in and hoping you can pick it up. Second question I occasionally read some of my older fic and cringe, some of my older fic is quite good and some of it isn't but it's the same with my newer fics too. When I look through my notebook I just go 'what is that all about?' and move on.

[psyco_chick32]

I'm already impressed with you, because I cannot write a casestory to save my life!

And I wholeheartedly feel you on RL. RL is kicking me around a room >.<;;

That's part of what I took from the quote, as well. I think it was the second half that tripped me up a bit when re-reading, LOL.

(I love your icon SO HARD)

[lilly_c]

Thanks :) it's been second time lucky with casestory big bang. Last year I had to pull out.

RL needs to go away :)

I read it few times to try and figure it out.

(I love your icon SO HARD) thanks :)

[roane]

I've probably written about a 1,000 words today on the AU.

I'll second what crowdog66 says about technical proficiency. With practice, it gets easier and easier to write even when you don't 'feel' like it, and often, that sort of writing can lead to the more inspired kind.

[psyco_chick32]

Awesome job!!

*nods* That's pretty much what I got from it, but I always like to have other points of view :D