The First Barrier

[firstlight]

Original writing. I've had a number of moderately serious conversations with people about this recently; it is something I really want to do, and if we're making (really belated) new year's resolutions then mine should probably be -- rather than write so much every day or write so much this year -- just write, and write with my own characters, in my own little worlds, embryonic as they may be.

I spent a lot of last year thinking really hard about this and not managing to get anywhere, so if I can make any progress that'd be sort of amazing.

I'm not a very good original writer. When I last regularly wrote original fiction it was 2005, and if you've known me in fandom since then you'll know how far my writing has come in that time. I have far better technical skills than I did at that stage, but the problem is, my skill at developing characters from scratch and all those other Rather Important Things hasn't really moved at all.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

The first barrier is confidence, because I'll never improve if I'm too scared to put words on paper.

So the goal is to write, and write, and write, and keep the worrying as far in check as humanly possible. And to remember that it's okay if stuff is crap at first.

(This post sponsored by firescribble, dshae47, and readerofasaph, primarily. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage any of this, but it's their fault so they get to deal with the consequences. :D)

Do not expect great things of me; I am the person who planned to cook gluten-free pasta bake for dinner tonight only to realise about five minutes ago that she had no gluten-free pasta. But I do my odd, warped, somewhat confused best.

Comments

[muzivitch.livejournal.com]

I'm not a very good original writer. When I last regularly wrote original fiction it was 2005, and if you've known me in fandom since then you'll know how far my writing has come in that time. I have far better technical skills than I did at that stage, but the problem is, my skill at developing characters from scratch and all those other Rather Important Things hasn't really moved at all.

If it helps at all, the last time I wrote original fiction before the creative writing class I took last year was 2004. I wasn't very good then.

The professor told me I should start submitting stuff for publication. (Not that I have done this or anything) And I actually think that developing characters from scratch has improved due to my fanficcing - fanfiction allows you to delve into characters that are already familiar to you, and gives you practice getting into their nonexistent heads - so when I actually sat down to make up my own characters again, they were better, deeper, and actually characters instead of character types.

Anyway, good luck. And remember the crappy stuff has some use too; the story that earned the You Should Submit This For Publication comment was originally an aborted NaNoWriMo attempt that I picked up, realized was crappy but had a good character in it, and rewrote for class. I need to do some editing to it yet, but when that's done I will force myself to submit it to some magazines.

This is getting to be a very long comment. I should go back to writing my Arthur/Merlin pr0n. :D

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

I think I'm actually so underconfident that I keep writing off ideas and characters as just not worth it almost as soon as they occur, before I can get anywhere with them. -_-''' Must fix, and see where to go from there...

[lluvia]

Good luck! I'll be rooting for you. ♥

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

*cheers!*

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

^^;;; Well, I still have to actually do it. XD

[crystalusagi.livejournal.com]

I'll be cheering for you too!

Also, I don't think you've read this (http://community.livejournal.com/shared_wisdom/22486.html), but I thought of it when I read your post.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Well, I have read it now! *laughs* It is mostly things I'm very much aware of, but it's probably useful to have it there in a more structured sort of way, since I am infamously bad at organising my thoughts. XD

[vacivity.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Thanks. ♥

[elenya54.livejournal.com]

I started with OCs in fandom: expanding peripheral characters and adding new ones. My main block to writing original fiction (apart from lack of time) is getting a good plot together. From my memory of your original fics in the past, you had some great plots. :)

When I've started my novel length fanfictions, I've always started with "I can't do this!" but somehow, once I start writing, I find I can...

I was going to phone you today, but ended up working until 10.30pm (*bangs head against keyboard*). Maybe tomorrow.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

*g* I don't really have confidence in my ability to come up with a story really worth telling, at least right now, but... I'll work on it.

Eek. Hopefully speak to you soon, anyway! :)

[dshae47.livejournal.com]

I'll gladly deal with the consequences of this :DDDDDDd. YAY!

Let me know if you'd like me to ask you stuff about your characters, or read excerpts or even your story planning and ask questions about that or give ideas, or whatever-- I mostly keep to myself (mostly), but it's a hobby of mine to find faults in everything XD;, so I might be able to point out things that might need more work at any given point! <3 No need to give 'this is going to be crap' disclaimers, because I know what this 'writing crap is a necessary step' thing is like, haha, and I have faith in your writing, whether you like it or not 8D.

And I'm glad you don't hate me for rambling at you about doing that! I ended up feeling kind of very kind of pushy for having said so much about this subject the other day...

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :) :) :)

Psht, I am well aware that I need frequent kicks up the arse to get over myself and get things done. >>

[love]

<3 Do it. Wow, so many people on my f-list are going the original route!

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

It remains to be seen whether I can. But writing has always sort of been My Thing and honestly, it's probably the only thing I have that I could be considered even a little talented at. I'm better at words than other things. Goodness knows if I can get my act together at all though.