Check-in post, days 12 & 13 + Weekly beta-seeking/snippet-posting/general chatter

[lola_mento]

Long time no seeing you. (Yesterday was one of Those Days when nothing gets ever done, including posts.)

Making any progress lately? Feeling like murdering someone already? Got completely distracted from whatever you were doing? Wait, that's me.

Today's discussion subject: are you more of a plotter (someone who has to know beforehand how the story goes) or a pantser (someone who makes it up as they go)? Plotter or pantser? describes some different types of each. I've seen these terms mostly from pro-writing novelists, where it's used as a thing of outline-or-no-outline, but for fannish writing, a more general planning-or-no-planning works better, I think.

And! This is also the weekly post where you can:

-Make a request for a beta reader/someone to bounce ideas from/something else you may need

-Post a snippet of your WIP

-Chat about anything else

Comments

[jagnikjen]

For me the last two days have been mostly a bust (yesterday by choice).

Thursday I tried, but I had no inspiration for much anything old or new. But then I was getting my kid read for his band trip this weekend and attending their dress rehearsal.

Then last minute Thursday night I decided to take a road trip Friday--to see my kid (and the rest of the band) play on the south steps of the Texas State Capitol Building. That's a 3.5 hour drive each way. So my daughter and I hopped in the car yesterday morning and zoomed down to Austin, checked out the Texas State History Museum and the headed over to the capitol building and watched the performance. After sending the kids on their way on the next leg of their trip, my daughter and I headed homeward with a pit stop in Pflugerville, Texas to try to find the high school.

Any fans of Friday Night Lights out there??? They filmed many/most of the Dillon Panthers football scenes at the Pflugerville HS football stadium.

Anyway, we found it easily and I got a couple of pictures and we headed home.

After that, I got back in the car to meet some friends for an annual JAG (anyone remember that TV show?) meet. There will be little/no writing for me today either as JAG fan meet activities continue later this afternoon.

Panster vs. plotter--I tried to be a plotter for a long time, but could never pull it off. I'm about 85% panster and 15% plotter. Luckily most of my fic are short so it's not a big deal. My Robin Hood epic started with a combination of two things: a premise from an unfinished fic I read that left the fandom hanging after like three chapters. From there, it was a 'what if this happened'? I had made some notes in the beginning and then I started writing. I was imagining about a dozen or so chapters and what I ended up with was like thirty-eight installments (thirty-six regular chapters, one bonus chapter, and an epilogue). Would an outline have helped me? Probably, but I discovered (like many of my panster friends have said) if I outline and know what's going to happen then I lose interest and have no need to write the story since I already know how its going to end. :(

And here's a snippet of an HP fic, not yet posted but should be soon:

“What the bloody hell?”

Ginny blinked and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Why was Ron in the girls dorm and how had he breached the sliding staircase?

“What's your problem, Ron?” asked Harry with a sleepy voice.

Ginny's stomach dropped.

Oh, no. . . .

“My problem? What's my problem?

“My little sister's in your bed, mate! My thirteen-year-old sister. That's my bleeding problem.”

Harry looked over at her, squinting. “Oh. Good morning, Ginny.”

Though she felt the blush rush from her toes to her hair, she followed his lead and said, “Morning, Harry.”

By this time, Dean, Seamus, and Neville had been roused, and they stood like a wall behind Ron looking down at her and Harry. Dean and Seamus exchanged grins.

“Way to go, Harry,” offered Dean.

Harry smiled, but she saw his cheeks pinken.

Ron turned on Dean. “Not 'way to go, Harry',” he bellowed, grabbing a fistful of Dean's pajama shirt, “that's my sister. You say one word about this and I'll send Fred and George after you.”

That threat sobered Dean right up, and the smile slid from Seamus's face as well.

Neville just stood there the whole time looking uncertain.

[raletha]

if I outline and know what's going to happen then I lose interest and have no need to write the story since I already know how its going to end.

I totally get this too. I can't outline, but I am learning to plan in a way that doesn't suck all the juice from my interest in writing longer stories. I've found a method that leaves me feeling more 'I can't wait to write that scene!' instead of 'oh, that scene'. I think plans work best for me if I have intentions for the scene planned (like, x needs to happen at this point in the story somehow) but not necessarily the specific details (p, d, and q in this scene, therefore x). That way I can still have fun with the somehow, but the intention keeps me on track. At least I think this is how it is working for me these days. ^^;;

Your snippet is fun! I should probably feel sorry for Ron, but I don't. XD