August WIP challenge - day 2 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

Day 2! How's your month starting off?

Poll #7656 Day 2 check-in!

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 12

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What fic-related things have you done today?

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Wrote
10 (83.3%)

Edited
2 (16.7%)

Sent to beta
0 (0.0%)

Researched
3 (25.0%)

Posted
1 (8.3%)

Refreshed canon
2 (16.7%)

Something else (tell us what in comments!)
1 (8.3%)

Procrastinated
3 (25.0%)

How many words have you written today?

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0-249
2 (18.2%)

250-499
3 (27.3%)

500-749
2 (18.2%)

750-999
3 (27.3%)

1000 or more
1 (9.1%)

Please describe how you're feeling about your fic today, in 5 words or less!

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& for a discussion question: What's the best writing advice you ever received? How often do you actually follow it? Does it help?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

So last month I was struggling w/a giant (to me) WIP, which my beta cleverly pointed out really did need to be in at least two pieces (o hai I'm a shortfic writer after all, heh). Two of these pieces are close to completion; the third one isn't, at all, b/c I only wrote about two scenes from it when it was part of my big WIP. I wrote 900-ish words on that third piece today, but I really don't know how I will resolve the big conflict in it. ^^;;;

The best piece of writing advice I've ever gotten was to just get words on the page; turn off the inner editor/censor & just let the words out. You can't edit what's not there, & besides, I do think my brain does better if I let it warm up first. Then I can cut out all the crap in edits.

I do pretty well following that advice, actually! It's what comes after I've managed to do the initial big edits from that crappy first draft that I struggle more w/. ;)

[jagnikjen]

Was up early writing. Haven't written much today because there were some worky things I really needed to do. :(

But I've also been honing my craft if you will. I'm reading this huge, awesome series of blog posts on writing sex scenes. It's been sooooo helpful as some of her points are giving me ideas.

I'm not that great with the emotional stuff, so this fic is really going to be a learning process for me. I'm nervous and scared, but I love the plot so much I keep on keeping on. Plus I know my critique partner will help me when I need it so I'm not flying totally without a net.

Best writing advice...hmmm...

"Just put the words on a page." is good and something I tell myself and others often.

"Do whatever works for you." is also good advice. None of us has the same method for any part of writing, so find what works and hone it. And yes, I follow it. I know what works for me and I do it over and over.

And best advice for me (from myself, to myself) was "Write if you want to write, don't if you don't. No pressure." Do I follow it? Hell yes. It works great. :)

[ficwriter1966]

The best advice I've ever received? I think it would be "WRITE YOUR FACE OFF!" (from someone who was being polite to a 17-year-old girl; normally he would have said "Write your ass off.")

The best input I've ever gotten, though, was when people whose opinion I respected told me, "You know what you're doing. Keep at it." A little pat on the back goes a long, LONG way.

[lea_hazel]

I am doing a lot of research so I haven't put anything on paper today.

[littlebutfierce]

Aw, I'm sorry work's gotten in the way.

Oooh, do you want to link-drop the blog posts about writing sex scenes? That sounds really useful!

[littlebutfierce]

Those are two very good things to hear, indeed!!

[littlebutfierce]

Research is vital, so yay for you! Sometimes progress isn't about the words on the page. :)

[jagnikjen]

Blog Series on Writing Sex Scenes--

Here’s the link: http://www.staciakane.net/category/summer-series/page/4/

The first post is at the bottom of the page and you have to work upwards to read them in order. Then to get to the next batch, you have to click on the 3 at the top under the page title where it says Page X of X or you can just change the 4 in the URL to a 3 and hit enter.

[rebecca2525]

Chiming in here with what others have said: The best advice for me is to remember turning off the inner editor and just write, no matter how crappy it feels at the moment. For me the scariest thing is the empty page, while most of the time I'm doing okay with editing stuff that's there into something less crappy. And then edit again, and again until I'm pleased with the result.

I'm quite good with following that advice. Sometimes I need to kick myself in the ass a little, though.

[lacerta]

WIP has been put aside to play with new and tempting bunny for the porn battle.

+1 on what's been said about turning off the inner editor. Re original fiction, some of the best and most motivating advice has been to keep in mind that nobody else but me knows these characters and nobody else can tell their story. It probably doesn't apply to fanfic in the same drastic way, but at the time it did a lot in getting me to finish the story.

[katzenjamming]

I didn't get so much done... ^^;; Reaching the obligatory 750 words felt like pulling teeth. Part of that was because of IRL obligations, part of that was because I spent a fair part of the day procrastinating.

Given, some of that procrastination was picking out songs for a story playlist -- which is actually relevant to my story's plot! I have to describe dance routines, so I guess it wasn't a total waste?

My number one choice for best writing advice would've boiled down to the same "JUST DO IT!" theme that's been running here, so I'll just throw out the second-best advice: experience things, as much as you can. Inspiration strikes you in all kinds of places. Along with this, read as much as you can, and outside your genre(s)! I don't have the natural gift of the gab, but observing how others relate stories and experiences gets my gears turning.

[sasha_feather]

I would like to writing fic. I think my problem is that I have a paper to do for work, and until I get that done or at least make significant progress on it, I don't feel like I should be working on fic. But I'm blocked on the paper also! It's like the paper is taking up all the extra apace in my head even when I'm not working on it, which is similar to how I felt when I was writing my thesis for grad school. I'm not even really getting fic ideas (although my dreams have been nice lately!)

Write or die (the website) worked really well for me when I had to get something done this weekend for the WisCon chronicles. :D

[lea_hazel]

I'm working on a scene that I've never written anything like before, so I need a lot.

[littlebutfierce]

That's really good that you're able to follow that advice well! Everyone needs a little ass-kicking once in a while, regardless. :)

[littlebutfierce]

Hee, enjoy the shiny new bunny! Porn Battle's so short, anyway, & the break from your WIP will probably be good for your brain!

It probably doesn't apply to fanfic in the same drastic way,

Yeah, probably not quite, but... OTOH, since I write in small fandoms, & especially when I write about secondary characters, sometimes I think along the same lines: no one else is going to tell their story/their story in this way. If I want to engage w/these characters, I'm going to have to do it myself!

(Now I'm writing about 3 main characters for my main fandom right now, but it's a fic-low fandom anyway & no one else is writing OT3 stuff, I think... ;_; )

[littlebutfierce]

Congrats on doing 750 Words even though you didn't feel like it! I hate those kinds of days, but I've been trudging through them. I think it does help, for me, to have the consistency of writing something every day, but yeah... the days when the words don't fly are not fun.

ZOMG your story sounds fun! Describing dance routines! What fandoms? (IIRC you said they were Japanese live-action ones, right? I'm not watching any at the mo... the dance routine bit just makes me think of this season's new anime Uta no Prince-Sama Maji Love 1000%, which is ridiculously goofy fun stuff about a high school for idols. :D )

experience things, as much as you can. Inspiration strikes you in all kinds of places.

This is so true!!

[littlebutfierce]

I'm sorry the paper for work is sucking away so much of your brain! ... maybe a short break to indulge the fic would give your brain a break from stressing over the paper & let you recharge? Good luck finishing the paper so you can turn your attention to more fun things!!

(& ha! I didn't know you were using Write or Die for the WisCon Chronicles -- that's awesome!)

[littlebutfierce]

Best of luck w/it--hopefully you'll come up w/something you like, & grow as a writer in the process. :) Better too much research than too little, definitely!

[littlebutfierce]

Oooh, thank you! *squirrels link away for future reading*

[lacerta]

Huh, that's true. I've mostly been playing with main pairings in big fandoms, so everything I could come up with has probably been done before. Better, mostly. ^^

It gives me so much joy, though, to find two or three lonely fics for shows where I didn't even expect one. I'm sure you're making some readers out there incredibly happy <3

[lacerta]

Oh, these things can be challenging. Good luck!

[curuchamion]

The best writing advice I ever got was this quote from Ursula LeGuin:

"As for “Write what you know,” I was regularly told this as a beginner. I think it’s a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them. I got my knowledge of them, as I got whatever knowledge I have of the hearts and minds of human beings, through imagination working on observation. Like any other novelist. All this rule needs is a good definition of “know."

...which the quoter (idlewild_ on LJ) followed up with this:

"Your universes are your universes. So maybe someone else has written or created media in the sort of universe you'd like to write about. That doesn't mean that you can't. Your worlds will bloom in their own way when you start writing them. Don't forget that it's reasonable to have influences. I am influenced by noir, and it shows a lot in a lot of my writing. That doesn't make it not original."

All of which entirely changed the way I look at my writing, and inspired me to try orig!fic again. So. :D

[lacygrey]

I'm back, finally. I jumped into writing a scene that's bang in the middle of my WIP. A lot gets discussed and there's no much action (coffee being drunk and cake being munched aside), so I'll have to work on making things 'move' a bit more. Ive mulled it over for a long time before writing and am happy words are coming easily at the moment.

Writing advice: Keep a place in your notebook/hard drive to list new ideas when they come to you. Then, when you're stuck for what to write, you can dig into your own stock of prompts/bunnies. (Based an idea an essay by Nathalie Goldberg in 'Writing down the Bones').

[katzenjamming]

Thanks, and I totally relate to that! Most days I can fudge something, but I think getting through those days when the words don't flow is what really sets this habits in stone.

This one I'm talking about is Tumbling, this kind of ridiculously ridiculous drama from last year where a bunch of delinquents join a gymnastics team. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds. I really didn't know much about gymnastics or dance before I started, so trying to come up with routines has been challenging, but fun!

I'm been out of current anime, so I had to look that title up, but it totally looks lulzy -- I might have to check it out! XD

[littlebutfierce]

Hee, thank you! I hope so!!!

[littlebutfierce]

... wow, that show sounds AMAZING. I must check it out. Thanks for that!

[littlebutfierce]

Very wise words from LeGuin indeed!

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for words that come easily! Good luck putting in the movement you want for the fic.

& hee, this thing about the notebook just made me remember an idea I had in the middle of yoga class today, that I was determined to write down immediately afterwards but forgot until just now -- so thank you!!!

[lacygrey]

words that come easily

They certainly boost confidence. Though I don't like 'Write or Die' (because it tends to make me write too many long boring sentences for too little happening) at least it gets things moving by instilling a gentle bit of panic.