because it was a good idea

[cornerofmadness]

Bashipforver pointed out she's been having trouble doing her original fic and decided to work with a counter. I thought, 'you know, ever since I took off the counter I used for nanomo, I've written zero original fic, even if I'm in an original ficathon. sigh.'

so I'm doing the same thing (support groups anyone?) 2,500 words a week of original fic. (not necessarily the same fic, damn my Gemini brain). And seriously I'm going to pester you all again. If you want to read and input on my original fic please ask.

and now back to that online teaching thing while I AM online (it won't stay connected today)

84 / 2,500 (3.0%)

Comments

Original Fic

[keith5by5.livejournal.com]

Sucks. Yeah, it's ultimately more satisfying to write about your own characters, but getting no feedback from publishers\agents is what drove me into fanfic in the first place. Three and a half years tying to get published resulted in two competition placings.

Re: Original Fic

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

at least you placed and I've been at this for over a decade. Published some short stories for little pay (that I was usually stiffed on)

Re: Original Fic

[keith5by5.livejournal.com]

They were hardly big competions £ 10 for one, and £ 25 and a cool certificate for another.

Given the amount I've spent on stamps and envelopes....

Re: Original Fic

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that is the #1 reason I quit trying to sell short stories. I spent more than I earned (though now that so many are online submissions I should start up again) and most agents i've noticed don't give a rip if you've sold a short story to some piddly market.

Re: Original Fic

[keith5by5.livejournal.com]

Yep, it's a hard market to crack.

Re: Original Fic

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

exceedingly so

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

I used to be the original fic queen. I was addicted. My novel was never going to be published because I couldn't stop tinkering with it and expanding it, but hell, I worked on that baby everyday and twice on Sundays. Addicted to writing, was I.

Then I seriously burnt out on that novel. Which, O.K., that figures. But I was so close to finishing it! No, really!

I decided to just start over with a new novel, but I had no fresh good ideas. So somehow I got sucked into the world of writing fan fic, which is really odd, because I never read it. Truthfully, I think it was the cancellation of Angel happening around the same time as my novel burn-out that conspired to make me write not one, but two post-AtS fan fic series.

And once you got them eating out of your hand, boy, writing fan fic is like serious crack, dude.

Slowly, my new original fic idea is seeping out of my subconscious. But all my writing effort is going into AtS Season 6 and the Destroyer. And those crack-dealers over at TD want me to consider a Season 2.

*sob*, will I ever start up original fic writing again? Of course I will, I know I will. The question is, sooner, or later? I suppose I shouldn't wait for a really good idea to bite me in the ass. I suppose I should just start writing sh*t until something good comes out.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

it's hard to say. I do a lot of fan fic writing for the same reason. Sometimes my original fic ideas are dried up. Sometimes I don't have the time to create a whole new world and there's a fandom world that I know just waiting to be used.

Sometimes I think writing shit just to write isn't a bad idea.

and I want a season 2 of the Destroyer.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

You, too.

*Urk*

I'm still working out the end of season "one".

I have lots of ideas for the Buffyverse. Connor and his lame-ass dad are good for new stories. But it's the damned READERS who are the crack. I wrote original fic for years and had maybe a couple beta-readers, but otherwise no feedback. Writing was its own reward. You know, plus those dreams of publication.

But the instant feedback of fan fic? *snorts a line*

Whoa, dude.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes me too :-)

when I first started this fanfic stuff in the 80's there was still just min. feedback. Mostly people liked you and wanted to be your pen pal.

But now, whooo boy, yeah nothing like that feedback, (and a slap to those who only write me when I'm late on an update. I never hear feedback unless it's where is the next chapter?)

I look at it this way, I'm grooming all my fan friends to buy my book eventually

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, grooming, I think that, too.

Even "Where's the next chapter!?" means they like it. It's also annoying if you are busy having a *life*, but it still means they LIKE you.

No one ever says that to me.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

true that means they like me. I'd just wish they'd feedback the story once in a while if they've taken the time to read it. ah well.

YOU usually get it out on time. ME months go by..

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

There was a two-month period of time around the holidays when the Destroyer went into serious hiatus because of my Season 6 AtS obligations. And you know, my life.

I got NO one asking me when it was coming back. When I finally did post a new episode, ONE person responded with, "Oh. I thought maybe you weren't going to finish this."

Readers must get the shaft a lot, huh, to be so jaded?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

the answer to that is yes. And I feel bad because I'm terrible at it. In fact, as much as I want to take on one more writing project I have to say NO. I want to get my WIP's DONE. One of my lists doesn't allow WIps' for that very reason

See how much I pay attention. I didn't even notice a hiatus. Hangs head in shame.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Maybe nobody noticed my hiatus except this one person, because what I consider a "hiatus" was actually a "short break" compared to my fellow fanfic writers. I don't know. I try to be conscientious so I don't lose readers. That, and back then I still had this fantasy I could finish the "season" by May like a normal TV show.

*chortles*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah and now you're seeing why there's multiple writers and why some shows suck. I know a lot of them are getting rewritten as they're filming. And it shows.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm learning that with Season 6. Although I think we have even a tougher beta process than most TV shows.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I don't doubt that you do. I just realized that in over 100 pages of Tearing of the Veil my bad guy never had a last name...no one caught that. sigh.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Maybe 'cause he didn't need one until page 100.

; )

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

really he didn't. That's about when the cops got a bead on him.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Faith went six seasons without a last name, even *after* she was arrested and went to jail.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

good point. Then Joss gives her a name AFTER the fact. it's like WTF?

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Wasn't that for something specific, like a video game or something? I read that Whedonesque article about it, but I forgot the reason.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I think so but I don't know honestly.