Writing

First of all, I heartily apologize for not using quotes from previous
messages or addressing all the issues. I have a brain chemistry
disorder called dysthymic disorder that occasionally reminds me it's
still there and causes something similar to a "brain storm" (uh, as
opposed to the productive "brainstorming"). Storm clouds are
brewing... I'm recognizing all the symptoms of an "episode" coming
on, so I'm not thinking very straight and I may seem AWOL for a while
after this. I'll be reading posts, just not participating (except if
something administrative should arise). As I told Barb in a private
email, it'll be interesting to see how quickly I snap out of it since
I don't have nearly the number of stresses and things to worry about
that I've had in the past. Unfortunately meds don't prevent or cure
the episodes... it's always just a matter of riding out the storm.
blah blah blah

Thankfully, Yahoo has straightened out my account... finally.

Tiffany, I am the most undisciplined writer imaginable... or close to
it, anyway. An idea strikes me --- a mood, a phrase, a picture,
sometimes an event in my life... anything can inspire the idea. I
open up a new MSWord document and just start writing. Sometimes the
story completely evolves on its own; other times I end up writing
bits and pieces as scenes or dialogue come, then either bridge them
or keep them around for use later in other stories. The one thing I
never do is ignore the urge to write... even if I sit bolt upright at
2 a.m. with something that needs to get out. It may or may not come
to a realized story, but so often those stray fragments have come
into play perfectly in other stories. If I hadn't written them down,
they would've been lost.

About LJ --- you can still use it as a private journal. You don't
have to make your entries public. I've started using mine to track
dates of things happening with this disorder. No one else can read
them. As I'm online more than off, it's handy to have available.
Easier than keeping a physical journal or carrying around a
laptop. ;-)

Occasionally a story has had to be mapped out to a certain degree.
The unfinished "Oujougiwa no Seizonsha" relies on the timing of the
withdrawal symptoms of opium. Where chapters begin and end are marks
of time when one set of symptoms end and another set begin. (That is
remains unfinished has to do with the depressing nature of the story,
which I haven't been in a frame of mind to deal with.) "Kitaku" began
to go astray, but the idea was (and still is) to have two stories
running concurrently (present and past) that (hopefully) complement
and explain each other. What happens beyond those markers and/or
limitations is completely open to chance. (BTW, I see structure as
limitation, which isn't a bad thing... I'm simply more creative
without the structure.)

Part of my problem with trying to structure or outline a story is
that I deal with two characters who don't behave. RK Saitou & Sano
are friggin' mind gamers --- they take my perfectly laid plans and
before I know it, I'm so far away from my original intentions that
the story has gone in an unexpected direction. Obviously, they don't
do that literally... it's still all in my head, but be forewarned
that characters can take on a voice of their own. Only you & your
personal style can dictate how much freedom you give them to take a
story in any given direction. I stopped trying to fight it because I
found myself blocking if I tried to force them into a container I
wanted them in. Your subconscious is very powerful, unhindered as it
is by rules and structure. Sometimes it pays to let it out for a
run... even if you rope them in later.

Where do chapters end? Like MissB (I think) said, they end when they
end. More often than not I just have a sense that it wants to end at
a certain point. The mood or the activity is complete or reached a
stage where it's time to take a breather, or it's the perfect place
for a cliffhanger.

I also took the time before I ever started writing to learn something
about the background --- about Saitou, the Shinsengumi, the bakumatsu
and Restoration, etc. I really couldn't write RK fanfic until I had
some basic foundation, which you already have. I started watching RK
just over a year ago and didn't start writing (RK fanfic, that is)
until December. Now, as I write and come upon something that I feel
I need to know more about, I stop and do some research. (Or more
like, in my case, if the writing bug is biting hard, I just move
beyond that point and keep writing, altering as necessary once I do
get information I want.) There's no way of knowing it all --- it's
like waiting to have a baby until you can afford it --- you'll never
get the story written or conceive the child! ;-) One thing I warn
you about though in writing about this time period (or any historical
setting) is the problem of new and changing information. It will
drive you *crazy*! Just when things are falling into place,
*someone* (like secretarytocapt3???) runs into new info that blows
everything out of the water. Be flexible or be firm... there's no in
between. Either be willing to rewrite or stick to a specific history
no matter what new info comes around. Personally, I'm beginning to
favor the latter with a disclaimer that new info is constantly being
discovered or that there are several versions of the history.

Editing --- I majorly edit as I write, which is supposed to be the
wrong thing to do in creative writing, but I can't stop doing it.
When a chapter is finished, I read it over immediately and do more
editing. Then I take a little time away from it to clear my mind and
return to read it over again, making only minor grammar or spelling
corrections, maybe something more major that hits me over the head
right then and there. Then I go back over it again, watching purely
for finer grammar points, like overused words, pronoun usage, etc.
Some people read it aloud to check for flow and understanding, but as
I'm someone who cannot bear to be read to, it's been pointless. I'm
also someone who needs to experience immediate accomplishment
(because of the focus & concentration problems I have with the
disorder), so once I'm satisfied, out it goes into the ether. If you
have someone who has the time and the skill to beta, go for it.
Until a few weeks ago, although there have been plenty of people
willing to read over stuff & have given me encouragement, I've never
really felt I had access to a beta-reader. Most people I know & trust
simply don't have the time. I now have someone who is starting to
work with me and I'm looking forward to seeing how much she can help
me improve. Other than that, I've relied on feedback from readers in
general (when I can get it).

It all comes down to everyone has their way of doing things.
Hopefully with many of us giving you some insight into how we
approach it, you'll find things that work for you. My advice is to be
open to experimentation, to many false starts, to play and "verbal
doodling." Don't be shy about sharing with someone and be open to
what they're telling you, good and bad. If you're new to fiction
writing, give yourself some exercises in order to find your voice,
your style. And start out with something short at first. Don't
assign yourself to writing a novel straight out of the gate. :-) You
already have the research capabilities. Time to find the verbal
artist! :-D Just be sure to have fun along the way. May the muses
be kind to you!!

phil (the now mentally exhausted...)

PHIL LIVES!!! The evil babelfish didn't get her after all!!! I was worried!!!

As to how I go about doing stories, I get a basic idea and then I brood on it
for a bit until I get a very general outline. I plot out the main points, but
I leave myself plenty of room to add new ideas or change things as different
(more like improved) ideas strike me. I've recently began writing this outline
down so I can remember them, because I have too many stories going as it is.
Then I sit down with pen and paper and write out a rough draft of my chapter.
After I'm satisfied that all the details for that part of the story have been
addressed, I sit down and type out a final version. But that's just a habit I
got into because of one teacher. It was something that worked for me, so I
stuck with it.

And I completely agree with Phil about sticking to the history established in
the story, regardless of new info that might come along. Unless it can easily
be worked in, I just go ahead with the background I laid out. To Hazard a
Guest is a perfect example of this. When I first read that Saito "assassinated"
Itou, I couldn't find anything more on the subject, despite a very thorough
search. I assumed that he killed the man himself, so I began the fic with him
"assassinating" Itou. Well, now we know that he merely got the goods on the guy
and the rest of the Shinsengumi were involved. I can't go back and change the
whole story now, so I'm just sticking it out. (BTW, Phil that was Barb that
said a chapter was over when it's over.)

With me, it seems like the characters will take care of themselves if I just
let them. (Saito is a PITA who likes to do things his own way, even in MY
head.) If I'm really unsure about their reactions to a situation, I'll have a chat
with Barb and get her opinion on the matter. Sometimes getting a new
perspective on your idea, etc. helps. The most important thing to me, however, is just
to do whatever feels right for the story. So if it really feels right for
Saito to cry, etc at a given point, regardless of whether others think I've made
him OOC, I'll do it. It generally works out though.

Basically, everyone has to find their own way of doing things and there is no
such thing as right or wrong, as long as you can tell a story that people
enjoy. And if someone tries to give you a hard time for it and tell you that
you're doing it wrong, just tell them that you don't ask Picasso to paint like
Monet.


-MissBehavin (Hijikata's Chamber Maid)
Official Member of the I Hate Babelfish Club
"It takes little to amuse me and even less to confuse me."


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I completely agree with you there...

Sticking to what the history of the story is... I've had that itch
when I first wrote Leaving Edo. In chapter 2 I found out about the
mystery woman and it was so hard to stop myself from twisting the
story to reflect this. I even thought of cancelling the whole thing
and writing something more historically accurate. Oh well that
didn't happen... Hijikata, Okita, Saitou and Midori has "grown" on
me now that I won't even consider such a thing.

I agree with you too about having OOCness. I do it A LOT. Sometimes
though I wonder when is the OOC too overboard? I rely on my readers
to let me know. I remember there was that girl reviewer in Watashi
no Itachi, she creamed me for doing that to Aoshi. I thought about
it and decided it wouldn't hurt the story to bring him closer to IC.
I was just going overboard with him... Now with Saitou-sama in
leaving Edo, I thought he's definitely OOC got to fix and
MissBehavin told me it's okay... See I love readers...

MissBehavin - Ummm... I need another chapter on To Hazard a Guest...
*Wounds cries and runs away*

--- In SHQ_Spy_Division@yahoogroups.com, Warg3791@a... wrote:
> PHIL LIVES!!! The evil babelfish didn't get her after all!!! I was
worried!!!
>
> As to how I go about doing stories, I get a basic idea and then I
brood on it
> for a bit until I get a very general outline. I plot out the main
points, but
> I leave myself plenty of room to add new ideas or change things as
different
> (more like improved) ideas strike me. I've recently began writing
this outline
> down so I can remember them, because I have too many stories going
as it is.
> Then I sit down with pen and paper and write out a rough draft of
my chapter.
> After I'm satisfied that all the details for that part of the
story have been
> addressed, I sit down and type out a final version. But that's
just a habit I
> got into because of one teacher. It was something that worked for
me, so I
> stuck with it.
>
> And I completely agree with Phil about sticking to the history
established in
> the story, regardless of new info that might come along. Unless it
can easily
> be worked in, I just go ahead with the background I laid out. To
Hazard a
> Guest is a perfect example of this. When I first read that
Saito "assassinated"
> Itou, I couldn't find anything more on the subject, despite a very
thorough
> search. I assumed that he killed the man himself, so I began the
fic with him
> "assassinating" Itou. Well, now we know that he merely got the
goods on the guy
> and the rest of the Shinsengumi were involved. I can't go back and
change the
> whole story now, so I'm just sticking it out. (BTW, Phil that was
Barb that
> said a chapter was over when it's over.)
>
> With me, it seems like the characters will take care of themselves
if I just
> let them. (Saito is a PITA who likes to do things his own way,
even in MY
> head.) If I'm really unsure about their reactions to a situation,
I'll have a chat
> with Barb and get her opinion on the matter. Sometimes getting a
new
> perspective on your idea, etc. helps. The most important thing to
me, however, is just
> to do whatever feels right for the story. So if it really feels
right for
> Saito to cry, etc at a given point, regardless of whether others
think I've made
> him OOC, I'll do it. It generally works out though.
>
> Basically, everyone has to find their own way of doing things and
there is no
> such thing as right or wrong, as long as you can tell a story that
people
> enjoy. And if someone tries to give you a hard time for it and
tell you that
> you're doing it wrong, just tell them that you don't ask Picasso
to paint like
> Monet.
>
>
> -MissBehavin (Hijikata's Chamber Maid)
> Official Member of the I Hate Babelfish Club
> "It takes little to amuse me and even less to confuse me."
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]