September WIP Challenge Check-In, Day 11

[soldierwitch]

Hi, writers! This is my last check-in as your host for now. It's been wonderful talking with each and everyone one of you. I'm excited to continue discussing our WIPS as we move further into this challenge. Today I thought we could share a bit about our fics that we've been working hard on.

Here are our discussion prompts:

-How are things going with your WIP(s)? Any surprises? Good or bad?

-What is your fic about? What fandom are you writing for?

-Share a line from your WIP that you're in love with or proud of.

Comments

[soldierwitch]

Things are going well with my WIP. I had a breakthrough with the outline so I know how the fic is going to end, I just need to fill in the parts that lead up to it. The only surprises I had, outside of running into a roadblock, was how much my initial idea changed. For the better, it's a much better story now, I'm just surprised by the way it expanded.

My WIP is for Roswell New Mexico. I'm writing a Supernatural Miluca AU where Michael is the son of Lucifer who's been charged with ridding the world of evil where he's assigned. Maria is still the owner of the Wild Pony in town, but she has a destiny that's bigger than she could have ever imagined. It's up to both of them to put an end to the unrest in Roswell which has more sinister roots than Maria knew when she began organizing protests to change things in town.

I don't have a favorite line yet but I'm still very much in love with the opening sequence which involves a chase on horseback, and I love what I came up with for the moment Maria claims her destiny.

[frogfarm]

Bad surprise was the upheaval I knew was coming this year suddenly happening now. But it's not a deal breaker, it's necessary, and I'm still finding enough time to write that my schedule for finishing fic shouldn't be delayed too badly. Good surprises have been the story details I've added in over the last few months and which are making everything better.

My current fic is the third in what turned out to be a trilogy, a crossover between Dexter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The first two books were set in the original universe, but this third is in a dark alternate universe. So not only has all of Dexter's progress been erased in terms of building a healthy relationship with his stepdaughter Astor, he now has to deal with a version of her that's been manipulated and gaslit to hell and back again, thinks he killed her mom, and absolutely wants him deader than Dillinger. And suddenly, she's activated as a Slayer...what could possibly go wrong?

I've had a lot of favorite lines lately, but here's one I'll use if I advertise among the Dexter community. Vince Masuka, forensic analyst for Miami Metro, enthusiastic teller of dirty jokes, and amateur vampire hunter:

"I'm out of holy water, garlic isn't convenient or lethal, I only have one stake I trust that I carved from an antique furniture leg, and if you're looking to go all Blade and do the dance of decapitation, my only sword is a costume prop katana that's likely to snap when it runs into a spinal column."

[frogfarm]

The only surprises I had, outside of running into a roadblock, was how much my initial idea changed. For the better, it's a much better story now, I'm just surprised by the way it expanded.

The unexpected has got to be one of the most fun things about writing. Most of my fics are very short and lazy, and my current trilogy is a notable exception. But it's incredibly gratifying how much better book 3 has become since my initial outline with all the changes and additions -- as opposed to the slapdash pantsing of the first book, which is decent enough but is obviously a handful of good scenes inconsistently stitched together. So my actual plotting and story development -- always my weakest aspect -- is actually improving, at least in my asinine opinion.

[peachpai]

I actually posted the first part of my WIP, which I was hoping to get done this week! Yay! I'm extremely pleased that I actually made my soft deadline on this, despite having some unexpected wrenches in my week. It's the beginning of a ficlet series, in the Word of Honor fandom. All the ficlets are loosely connected slice of life pieces about life with chronic and terminal illness. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but it's a bit cathartic for me. I've had all these partially finished scenes sitting in my Scrivener fic binder for months now, completely unsure what to do with them until recently.

A line I'm fond of from the part I posted today: Wen Kexing leans forward into the edge of his vision and his grin puts Zhou Zishu in mind of a cat with a live bird thrashing in its mouth.

[lea_hazel]

Things were going okay with my WIP, for a while. I solved some problems and patched some holes, and I managed to build up most of my buffer for chapters to post. I had meant to go back off hiatus and to regular posting by now, but I wasn't quite ready.

But on the weekend, my arm started hurting and I really needed to rest it for a couple of days. So I ended up not making quite as much progress as I'd hoped.

This is (still) the Skyrim WIP that I've been working on for about a year, now. I moved it to AO3 at the beginning of the year, maintaining a pretty regular weekly posting schedule for a while. Of course, life does happen, and I knew I couldn't keep it up forever. My readers have been very understanding about the hiatus.

[linaewen]

I have several stalled WIPs, but one of them I am actively trying to resuscitate, since I have been working on it for a really long time but haven't updated it at all this year. Yikes! My WIP is a Lord of the Rings AU which follows the plot of the books but with several characters making different decisions and thus living instead of dying. This, of course, changes a number of plot point, but that's what's fun about it -- trying to stick to the spirit of it as much as possible with various characters back in the mix. I have been stuck for awhile as I try to make decisions about which direction to go at the current "crossroads", but I think I am finally seeing my way clear. It was a goal at the beginning of the year to finish it this year -- not sure that will happen, but it might! If, and only if, I stop prevaricating and just write the next chapter!

[soldierwitch]

The unexpected is absolutely one of the most fun things about writing! I love when the story takes on a life of its own or a discovery is made in the middle of writing that unearths character development or a piece of characterization that better suits the overall story or arc for that character.

You're so proud of book 3! As you should be considering the work you said you've put into it. It's always gratifying when a fic shapes into what you envisioned or is better than you could have imagined.

Oh, god, pantsing. For me, that part of writing is potentially over with exception to one-shots or ficlet ideas. Pansting is probably why I've never finished a multichapter POV. Outlining truly is the way to go.

[soldierwitch]

Oooh, your concept for book 3 sounds killer (pun fully intended). Also I love how much character shines through in the dialogue snippet you posted. Vince sounds fun and like a little bit of rambler. I like him and his costume prop katana.

[soldierwitch]

*applause* Congrats on getting the first part of your WIP posted! Is your ficlet series introspective? From the description you gave, it sounds like it'd be dealing with both internal and external struggles for the characters.

One thing that can be great about fanfiction is how cathartic they can be no matter the topic, and it's always wonderful when readers resonate with something you wrote because of the themes explored. Heavier fic isn't for everyone but some of us really do enjoy the effort writers put into working through real world problems or walks of life that aren't covered or are glossed over by fandom even when it's an essential piece of a character's identity.

I love the imagery in the line you shared. Now I want to know why Wen Kexing is smiling like that. An instant hook of a line.

[soldierwitch]

I hope your arm is feeling better now. Like you said, you've been working on this WIP for quite sometime and were able to keep to a regular posting schedule for awhile as well. That definitely deserves *applause* because that's hard to maintain even when there aren't impediments. I wish you positive energy and smoother sailing as you continue working on your Skyrim fic. Glad to hear your readers are being understanding.

[soldierwitch]

Your WIP sounds like it has a lot of moving pieces and requires forethought and planning. Good luck with writing the next part! Dusting off a fic that's been on hiatus for awhile can be both fun and challenging. Love your concept btw. It's always interesting seeing how the story changes when certain character stay alive, making choices that have repercussions for canon in intriguing ways.

[peachpai]

At least a few them will be, yeah! I also have a couple that deal with the more humorous aspects of long-term illness. And one is more or less just found family fluff lol.

That's really nice to hear! I feel like fandom trends lately often try skirt around heavier topics, even if the source material does explicitly deal with those topics. And of course that's totally fine, it's just personal preference for specific themes on my part.

Thank you <3 I have two evil little gremlin cats so that sort of imagery is always on my mind lol.