heavyartillery | [WIP Wednesday] 2019-12-04

I've been marveling recently over several of y'all in this fandom and how much you output. I already know based on my crazy work schedule—which will probably only get crazier as I endeavor to horde more and more responsibility for myself—that I'm not going to realistically have the time to write the way some of you do, and I've made my peace with that.

So what I'm wondering is, particularly for those of you with more rigorous schedules: how do you manage to achieve such steady output?

I have loads of ideas for fic I want to write, and the shorter ones are occasionally manageable but I'm hesitant to commit to any of the longer form fic right now because I'm not convinced I can maintain enough momentum to do a longer work justice. This is a pretty huge bummer because I'm really excited about the ideas for some of my longfic. I've had folks suggest writing in a notebook or something but I tend to prefer working digitally and while aiming for a couple hundred words a day is a fine method to power through a like, 2-5K piece, I don't think it's going to cut the mustard for anything looking to exceed 10-15K.

TL;DR HOW DO WRITE? TELL ME SECRETS PLZ.

Edited 2019-12-04 15:35 (UTC)

I mean, a reasonable amount of free time is my current answer.

However, I used to write this much/more when I had a long hours job with a fair amount of stress, and back then I think the answer was just that I found writing a stress relief. I'd keep notes on breaks at work, and then go home and just write until I blew off the stress. It was kind of snatching a couple hours of solid writing time in the evenings, and maybe half an hour in the morning.

But that was the upswing of a new fandom, so I was sort of mentally writing in my head ALL THE TIME? Like for the issue of momentum on long fic, I think it's less getting long blocks of time to write as keeping the story going in your head when you're not able to actually type words on a screen, if that makes sense. So the momentum didn't get broken up, because I was always kind of picking away at how to put things, even if I didn't always remember everything I thought of later, the impetus to work on it carried over.

/sigh If I could in any way ensure myself a reasonable amount of free time, I would. Unfortunately working in a creative field doesn't leave a tremendous amount of time to work on one's own personal passions.

And yeah, I mean, I'm definitely also writing in my head all the time. Like, even beyond just trying to get a general feel for where a story's going to go, I'll start to craft actual sentences I want to put down on paper, so to speak, the next time I have a moment. This does not, of course, mean that I always know where a story will go but I think getting stuck on plot development is a separate issue from what I'm trying to get after here.

I'm with you on the whole, "writing as stress relief" thing, which I used to do at my last job—it was terrible and I was so wildly depressed that I was writing like 5K a day just to be able to dissociate from life for awhile, but that's obviously not sustainable for a multitude of reasons. I still write for stress relief a little bit, but I think as I've started to approach writing as a thing I might want to actually do as an eventual career my confidence has taken a slight downswing because I'm coming at it from too serious an angle? I guess maybe I need to get my head on straight about that bit, but in the meantime I don't know if I ought to try a schedule or something?

Part of the issue, I think, is maintaining my enthusiasm for a current story when I already know how it ends in my head and I keep stumbling into other exciting ideas courtesy sources like the prompt meme or chatting with folks like yourself. Anyway, I feel like I'm just whining and navel-gazing about it now, so I'll stop.

I'm sure it's a surmountable goal in one way or another, and I appreciate your feedback and advice, friend~ <3

Edited 2019-12-04 18:06 (UTC)

Yeah, magically having more time isn't usually a choice. If you could do that, you'd have done that.

Nenya, the other day, ran into a meme that said something like: The key to good writing is to find the most idtastic terrible idea that no one else in the world except is ever going to write, and then to write that.

I mean, I don't know, I've never thought of going pro with this because OMG that sounds so stressful, but that also seems to be the angle a lot of my author friends take? You're having fun talking to the people in your head. Sometimes it's stressful, and drudgy work, but the end goal is the story only you want to exist. Until someone else reads it and goes, "Yes. That." At which point you have communicated.

I did take panel notes on mental health and creative fields panel at world con: https://muccamukk.dreamwidth.org/1154703.html

(I'm admittedly better at finishing things when I'm not playing the points game. There's irony: Colonel Kink might actually be LOWERING my productivity.)

I feel like I should clarify that when I say I want to write professionally what I mean is that I want to write scripts, specifically, and pad my income with mediocre genre fiction, lol. I don't know how realistically likely that is to happen, which is a constant source of anxiety, but it's still a dream~

I think it's good on the one hand that I'm not looking to write the next great American novel or what have you, because low standards, but on the other my "id" mostly wants me to write stories about people being snarky assholes to each other and making bad choices. Which, I suppose is in line with the bits of advice you've mentioned—which I really, really like and plan to revisit in the future when I'm getting down on myself about not being able to do plots, btw—but also makes me feel kind of like a one-trick pony at the end of the day.

I'll have to give those notes of yours a look when I get home. And re: the points game, I'm so, so with you on that. The level of anxiety I have knowing that I'm not only missing a deadline but missing a deadline in a way where I lose a thing, even if it's a point that doesn't really mean much, is killer. May or may not be why I haven't worked my way successfully through many Col. Kink prompts, lol.

Why is writing haaaaard??

THIS: Part of the issue, I think, is maintaining my enthusiasm for a current story when I already know how it ends in my head and I keep stumbling into other exciting ideas courtesy sources like the prompt meme or chatting with folks like yourself.

The most relatable content.

<33333

This is an issue for me too. I always say "oh I am a slow writer" but a lot of that has to do with a) not having enough free time and b) not having enough free time when I have enough energy to focus on writing. Because to be quite frank, there are days (like yesterday) where I literally have two hours to myself before bed and I am so drained and also have so many other non-writing things that I need to finish before bed that I can't even READ fic, let alone try my hand at writing it. It's why I do most of my writing on weekends, but of course that free time vanishes when other commitments/errands/family stuff/etc comes up.

I don't really know what the solution might be but I'm going to come back to this thread to see if anyone has ideas that might help!

Because apparently I can't just write like a normal person, I'm doing one of the

looselipssinkships memorial prompts as an alternating POV, non-linear thing, so there's sections from Andy's PoV in Melbourne and sections from Eddie's on Guadalcanal when they met. Which I have massively under researched. And am feeling very unsure about. But I think the fic potentially is a lot stronger with them. But I'm trying to keep them short so no one noticed that I've done zero Guadalcanal research and don't care.

Anyway, more of a whine than a request for advice.

I’ve come across the same issue regarding my desire to just write and forego the research. Being familiar with your work, though, I’m sure no one will notice if your research isn’t 100% there because your characters steal the show every time. You’ll deliver on Andy and Eddie, and no one’s going to care about the minute historical accuracy.

Really looking forward to this fic!

Ha, well with the Europe stuff I'm resting on a REALLY high baseline of background research. Or not like, I research this for a living, but a reasonable impression of knowing what the fuck's going on. I just haven't had time to lay that in for the Pacific stuff.

Anyway. It'll be fine.

I know how much you enjoy your research, and I agree that it makes me feel more confident about a period piece when I have a breadth of knowledge at my disposal to ensure really granular accuracy, but I feel like the general approach to fanfiction overall is that historical accuracy is sort of a nice bonus that can be cool to see rather than an absolute necessity that's going to impact the success of the story in any meaningful way.

TL;DR It's gonna be totally great and turn out just fine, friend~ You're a fantastic author and I, for one, can't wait to read your weird non-linear Andy/Eddie Colonel Kink fill.

I think one of my hang ups, and the reason I often bounce off setting change AUs, is that I really feel like circumstances shape behaviour, and if I know more about the place and time, including details, but often more the feel of it, or what people like that thought, then it feels more real to me. I always like the Ursula Le Guin quote:

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.

Which could be more self serious than it is, if you don't consider it's Le Guin.

Anyway. There's only one bed. They fuck. It'll work out.

Ooh, I love non-linear and alternating POV fics.

Hmm, I guess that while I do love research and historical accuracy, I don't know how much is REALLY needed for fic. It's great when it's there but unless there's some wildly wrong fact like suddenly Eddie and Andy are fighting in Antarctica, I probably won't notice. I'm usually too focused on the characters to notice if a fic says that a battle lasted two days when it really lasted three, or whatever.

Either way I am so looking forward to your fic!

It's mostly a matter of grounding, for me. It's easier for me to get into a character if I know where they're coming from, and details often help with that. Not so much how long a battle lasted, but how something tasted or felt, what people were saying.

Anyway, forward.

The feather’s kiss of a touch graces his cheek, and as gooseflesh prickles his pale skin, the redhead shivers, his eyes slamming shut. “You’re not real,” the admission is whispered as he chokes back tears.

Gene delivers a small smile, equal parts beautiful and bittersweet. He continues to cup Babe’s cold cheek, thumb sweeping slowly across the bone, and replies, calmly, “I know.”

So, the

looselipssinkships Babe/Roe ghost memorial prompt is happening now... when and how it’ll get written remains a mystery. But it is happening. Blame

muccamukk and

thrillingdetectivetales

I'M WILLING TO TAKE ALL THE BLAME!

Oh my GOD this already hurts so GOOD!

I can’t wait to see the final product!!!!

Ghosts!!!!

I've been re-obsessing (obsessing again? falling into a black hole?) over Brad/Nate, so I know that eventually some writing will come out of that. Right now I just have a bunch of jumbled notes.

That’s how all writing starts, imo. A solid round of obsession or re-obsession with a fandom/topic/character and a jumble of notes and ideas~ lol

I hope it comes together for you soon!!

haha, that's so accurate. I finally have some time tonight, so we'll see!

[WIP Wednesday] 2019-12-04

Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

Re: Output, oh output. Wherefore art thou, output?

The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

Re: The Pacific - Andy/Eddie timeline fuckery

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