Writing

[annundriel]

I love writing, and I love talking about writing. I thought this looked interesting.

Snagged from trobadora.

I think it would be fun to talk about stories, but the usual memes are like, "What happens next?" "Tell me about Character A?" What isn't so much talking about stories as it is writing more of a story. But you know how sometimes you read something and you're like, "I got ___ out of this story, I wonder if that right?" or "What on earth was ____ supposed to be?" and it's too awkward to ask the author? Now you could totally ask!

I've heard people say that writing is hard because you have to make decisions, but we never really talk about the decisions we make with stories or why we make them. We talk about plot bunnies, but not about how we actually turn them into a story.

And it seems like a lot more fun to do that than to do working.

So, if you wanted, ask me questions! Anon commenting is (always) on, if you feel shy. Or ask your flist to ask you questions.

What were you trying to do [here]? Why did you decide to ____? This is what I thought about xyz, is that what you were going for? What made you write ____? And so on.


Or, y'know, feel free to ask me what happens next on a fic, or why Character A did this instead of that, or anything fic or writing related at all. If you have a question, ask!

Comments

[mulder200.livejournal.com]

To date, what is your most personal favorite story you have worked on or are working and why?

[mithrel.livejournal.com]

What happens after "The Way We Leave Each Other Hungry"?

[ember-firedrake.livejournal.com]

When you find yourself stuck over some detail or another in a fic, what is it that usually jump-starts you moving again?

What are your favorite places to write?

What kind of background noise(/music) do you like while writing?

[bientot.livejournal.com]

While I certainly enjoy it, I can't help wondering - what's the appeal of writing Twitfic? Why spread it out over 140 characters per entry rather than putting it all into one post?

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Of the ones I have finished, There's Not a Step We Can Take That Does Not Bring Us Closer (http://annundriel.livejournal.com/478547.html) remains one of my very favorite fics. I can re-read it like I don't know every punctuation mark and line and movement. It just sort of...fell together as soon as "Free to Be You and Me" was over. I started with, "Castiel doesn’t recognize this new feeling sinking in around Dean until it’s already taken hold, set down roots, and begun to grow," and the rest of it was just...there. For the most part.

Another that I love because I feel really close to it is whatever we lose (http://annundriel.livejournal.com/518438.html).

My favorite fic I'm still working on is the SPN/Project Runway thing. Words cannot describe how much I love it.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Dean does get a response from Cas, just not that night. And not for several nights after that. He's sure Cas is avoiding him, hiding behind his civil war and his shiny, renewed angel powers that apparently make him super important and integral.

Dean has a lot of anger and frustration. Cas does, too, but somehow he's better at managing it. Even though he's the one who is supposed to be the heartless, unfeeling dick.

I think the season continues as it has been. They work together, but things are tense between them now that there's this knowledge between them, that they weren't happy, that they aren't happy. That the attraction they feel is reciprocated.

After Dean and Lisa part ways, Dean and Cas have a moment - maybe Dean is poking at the civil war thing again, blaming Cas for not being there for him all the time - and Cas snaps again and Dean's against a wall again, only this time...this time...

There's no reason to hold back, to give in to the things that they want from each other.

Things remain tense and awkward sometimes, and Dean is still a dick sometimes, but he's slowly realizing Cas' problems are world-encompassing, but they're also...they're also on the road to something better, something good. It's just going to take them some time to get there.

[mithrel.livejournal.com]

*filled with happy fuzzies* Also, Cas slamming Dean against a wall... *wanders off into fantasy*

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

When you find yourself stuck over some detail or another in a fic, what is it that usually jump-starts you moving again?

Dink around the internet until inspiration hits, usually. Play games. Read. Watch things on YouTube. I've found that usually if I just go poke at other things for a while, I usually get unstuck. Doesn't mean I don't still get frustrated though, because sometimes it takes a really long time to get unstuck.

What are your favorite places to write?

I do most of my writing in my bedroom, either sitting on my bed or at my desk, so I guess that's my favorite place to write. :) I can close my door and no one will bug me! Mostly. Before we had wireless, I used to do the majority of my writing at the kitchen table. That was a pain because people were constantly wandering through.

So, yes, my bedroom. Though I do like to write at the library during lulls of work. When I'm in Seattle, I love sitting in my aunt and uncle's living room with my feet tucked on their coffee table.

What kind of background noise(/music) do you like while writing?

None.

Well, okay, I can have some. It's a bit like doing homework for me, or sleeping. I need white noise to sleep, but if it's music, it can't have lyrics generally. It's the same to write; if there are lyrics, I want to listen to them. So occasionally, if I'm in the mood, I'll do soundtracks (BSG, Inception, Moon) and occasionally those will inspire something. ("The Ground Far Below" happened partially because I was listening to the Moon OST while working on something else.) Or I'll go for classics. Sometimes I love putting on Arvo Part's "Spiegel im Speigel" (here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFPdBUl7XQ)). I've got three different versions of that, and it's wonderful background noise.

Though I also found the smooth jazz station my aunt and uncle listen to easy to write to. It's just one of those...non-distracting kind of things.

But yeah, for the most part I just find background noise/music distracting. So if I want to get down to serious business writing, I'll turn of the TV and the music and shut myself in my room.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

I think part of the appeal of Twitfic is the potential for immediate feedback. You can tweet something and, as long as someone's paying attention, get a "yea" or a "nay" on whatever you've written.

Also, the attention can be nice, though that's a double-edged sword.

Personally, I like doing it because that's how my mind works sometimes. My notebook is filled with little scenes that are beginnings or middles or ends. Sometimes it's nice to just...sign into Twitter and tweet those as they come. Then it's not only a way for me to get the idea out of my head so I don't forget it, it's also a way to see what other people might think of it.

Plus, I save everything to return to later when the mood or inspiration strikes. So it's sort of like...thinking fics out loud for me, I guess.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Cas slamming Dean against a wall is always good. ::nods:: It's also good when Dean slams back.

I really do like to think that they've got a happy ending here. It's just one at the end of an unhappy road. But that, I think, will just make it all the more sweet, all the better when they finally, finally get there.

[mithrel.livejournal.com]

*nodnod* My favorite type of fics are ones where there's angst and pain and denial and confusion and misunderstanding, but it all gets sorted out in the end.