Musings II (because I'm not creative)
May. 7th, 2007 09:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
saitainaIt took me four days, working nearly 8 hours each day, to create my last AMV and that's adding in all the times I had to sit and twiddle my thumbs after the computer crashed...
...why am I already writing notes for the next one? Don't I get a day off or something?
My editor and I may have finally reached the plot point we can't over come. We're just...diffrent, in our writing and our thought processes and now, I can't make her understand the reasonings of why something happened in the story, and she can't continue editing without understanding that one point.
I don't know if this problem is the reason my chapter's been in edits for two months (yes, months), but it's frustrating to try and explain something that makes such perfect sense to me and how I see the characters in the story, and even with the re-writes I'm not sure she's going to be able to accept it as I wrote actions more then their thoughts and feelings (mostly because they don't have too many thoughts at this moment of the story, they're being SHOT AT).
I'm getting to the point I just want my chapter back so I can give it to my readers. I know it's frustrating and tiring for them to constantly see my name with other stories (no betas for them means no waiting after I've done my final checks), and yet it's not the story they want.
I know this because they keep telling me.
It's starting to make me rather glad I have two series where logic and characterization doesn't fit in. I can do what I want and not have a problem, because they were designed that way. One's a crack soap opera and the other was specifically plotted so that the character changes into someone he isn't. It's nice...to let loose.
And I'm bloody sick of research anyway. I have to research the smallest details for MW and it's getting...tiring. Never finding the answer, never knowing if where I'm going will work until five hours later (or ten, or two days). So, bloody, tired of research.
I've started keeping lists of all the things I've spent more then two hours looking up...I seriously need a life after reading this list:
Shock, Wrist Injuries (Broken wrists/surgeries), the Hope Diamond, various famous rubies, Host Clubs, Japan's nightlife, Buddest statuary, Japanese Graveyards, Ancient Egyptian Games, 'How to cast a wrist' (goddess love YouTube), Oriental dancing, Sarongs, Ancient terms for 'harem/slave boy', head injuries, hang glider instruction, razor blade thickness, weight/size of the standard playing card, top speed of throwing a standard playing card (human and machine), Gun mechanics, Kevlar/bullet proof vests, shoulder injuries, multiple personality disorder and treatment, disassociative disorder and treatment, dna testing, dna paintings, lab procedure and equipment, computer forensics, general forensics, Japan's age of consent, Tokyo's age of consent, Japan's cost of living (generalized), Law Enforcement training and positions in both London (via The Met or "Scotland Yard") and Tokyo (via Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department), Japanese school year term (later thrown out the window), Japanese Graduation Ceremonies, Japan's Gun Control Laws, Japan's search and seizure laws, Japan's forgin resident laws and procedures, suit material, hang glider materials (to make), remote control mechanisms, Japan's legal drinking age, driving in Japan, living in Japan as a non-native.
That's only up to chapter fifteen of Magican's Waltz (and not including anything I've looked up for my other stories)...who knows what else I'll look up before the series (or the other five I'm working on) are finished.
I used to love writing. I enjoyed nothing better then weaving a fantastic and beautiful tale (or hell, just weaving a tell). But now it's so...technical. Comma's and periods, characterizations and canon. I went into my stories, knowing I would have to put in effort. Since leaving the HP world I KNEW I would have to actually do something and not just attempt to pull plotlines and items out of thin air, that's why I was ready for the re-search and the long hours trying to look up odd details.
...I just didn't think it would be this tiring, when all was said and done. Why didn't anyone tell me that as a writer, I would spend most of my time in research, in debates, in defending my characters and their very thoughts and actions...that I would spend more time doing anything, then actually writing a story?
I just...want to write.
...why am I already writing notes for the next one? Don't I get a day off or something?
My editor and I may have finally reached the plot point we can't over come. We're just...diffrent, in our writing and our thought processes and now, I can't make her understand the reasonings of why something happened in the story, and she can't continue editing without understanding that one point.
I don't know if this problem is the reason my chapter's been in edits for two months (yes, months), but it's frustrating to try and explain something that makes such perfect sense to me and how I see the characters in the story, and even with the re-writes I'm not sure she's going to be able to accept it as I wrote actions more then their thoughts and feelings (mostly because they don't have too many thoughts at this moment of the story, they're being SHOT AT).
I'm getting to the point I just want my chapter back so I can give it to my readers. I know it's frustrating and tiring for them to constantly see my name with other stories (no betas for them means no waiting after I've done my final checks), and yet it's not the story they want.
I know this because they keep telling me.
It's starting to make me rather glad I have two series where logic and characterization doesn't fit in. I can do what I want and not have a problem, because they were designed that way. One's a crack soap opera and the other was specifically plotted so that the character changes into someone he isn't. It's nice...to let loose.
And I'm bloody sick of research anyway. I have to research the smallest details for MW and it's getting...tiring. Never finding the answer, never knowing if where I'm going will work until five hours later (or ten, or two days). So, bloody, tired of research.
I've started keeping lists of all the things I've spent more then two hours looking up...I seriously need a life after reading this list:
Shock, Wrist Injuries (Broken wrists/surgeries), the Hope Diamond, various famous rubies, Host Clubs, Japan's nightlife, Buddest statuary, Japanese Graveyards, Ancient Egyptian Games, 'How to cast a wrist' (goddess love YouTube), Oriental dancing, Sarongs, Ancient terms for 'harem/slave boy', head injuries, hang glider instruction, razor blade thickness, weight/size of the standard playing card, top speed of throwing a standard playing card (human and machine), Gun mechanics, Kevlar/bullet proof vests, shoulder injuries, multiple personality disorder and treatment, disassociative disorder and treatment, dna testing, dna paintings, lab procedure and equipment, computer forensics, general forensics, Japan's age of consent, Tokyo's age of consent, Japan's cost of living (generalized), Law Enforcement training and positions in both London (via The Met or "Scotland Yard") and Tokyo (via Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department), Japanese school year term (later thrown out the window), Japanese Graduation Ceremonies, Japan's Gun Control Laws, Japan's search and seizure laws, Japan's forgin resident laws and procedures, suit material, hang glider materials (to make), remote control mechanisms, Japan's legal drinking age, driving in Japan, living in Japan as a non-native.
That's only up to chapter fifteen of Magican's Waltz (and not including anything I've looked up for my other stories)...who knows what else I'll look up before the series (or the other five I'm working on) are finished.
I used to love writing. I enjoyed nothing better then weaving a fantastic and beautiful tale (or hell, just weaving a tell). But now it's so...technical. Comma's and periods, characterizations and canon. I went into my stories, knowing I would have to put in effort. Since leaving the HP world I KNEW I would have to actually do something and not just attempt to pull plotlines and items out of thin air, that's why I was ready for the re-search and the long hours trying to look up odd details.
...I just didn't think it would be this tiring, when all was said and done. Why didn't anyone tell me that as a writer, I would spend most of my time in research, in debates, in defending my characters and their very thoughts and actions...that I would spend more time doing anything, then actually writing a story?
I just...want to write.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 06:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 11:42 am (UTC)...I'm writing in a world where seventeen year old are shrunk and magician's walk on air, I need to stop looking at reality.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 07:47 am (UTC)The way I see it is, most people won't realise if something isn't accurate, or they won't care. Especially with fanfiction. If it's not too much of a hassle to add in details, do so. Once they start tripping you and your writing up however, there's probably a problem.
I've got an original fiction stalled because once I REALLY started to think about details, I got sucked away into trying to figure it all out, when it isn't even relevant.
Just pick out the most important things (like the stuff about multiple personality disorder) and leave it at that.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 11:40 am (UTC)Yup, and all those I found...except the ancient term for harem boy. I ran into trouble when researching for my crack fic (why am I researching for a crack fic?!)
It's just...I've heard people bitching for not having details correct and I didn't want that for my newer fanfics so...I spend more time researching then writing. But yeah, after looking at that list, I think I'm going to cut back on google searches and just use logic.
I've got an original fiction stalled because once I REALLY started to think about details, I got sucked away into trying to figure it all out, when it isn't even relevant.
I got that way in chapter two of my original fiction, still can't figure out how to get the boys to get a fingerprint for the scanner, though after watching something on the Discovery channel, I think I discovered a way, it's just going to take them longer then I thought.
Just pick out the most important things (like the stuff about multiple personality disorder) and leave it at that.
*laughs* that one's covered. I just have to remember to have at least a week of story time before Kaito and Kid switch (unless Kid's being protective). I also need to stop tripping over canon (I forgot Kaito can drive a car).
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 03:42 pm (UTC)A lot of the research that goes into a story is only the details that are absolutely needed--i.e. a very detailed-orientated fic where the littles thing has to be correct. Not only that, but if you're not so detail-oriented, you can gloss over things like that.
Take for example, any number of my fics. I am a lazy person by nature. I don't edit and I don't have a beta. It's not because I'm a good writer (hardly that at all). It's mostly because 1) I can never seem to get one to stick, 2) while I like people to review over my stories to tell me whether or not they're ready to go, I'm don't really need another critic--I'm already the worst one I've got, and 3) ... I'm lazy and just want to post the fics as soon as I get them out. For professional writing and publishing, this is a BIG no-no. However, for fanfiction, it's fine. Have a beta or don't have one, that's your choice. Go with whatever's best for you.
As for the research, for me, it's the same thing. I'm a lazy ass. A lot of things I don't know make me grumble and I end up making up a bunch of crap, pulling it out of a hat at random, because I want to avoid doing something so tedious and boring for as long as I can. An example of which is my The Longest Night story. The main reason I haven't gotten the next part out is because I have no effing clue how badly removing a bullet without anethasia is--especially when removing said bullet from the abdomen. But, it's through good-old Hollywood and even foreign-films (Arsene Lupin movie~) that I go, "Ooooooooooh... so THAT'S how bad it would be..."
I'm personally not a detailed-oriented person. I started out writing with dialogue and built from there. I tend to focus on the characters' thoughts and emotions and thus only delve into details whenever the characters have need to see and realize them.
It's a lot of BS, but the key to just gloss over those things and make it appear you know what you're talking about. If you get a beta, they can point out whether or not this part needs more detail and explanation or not. But mostly, let the reader do the work in thinking how things are supposed to go. They're smart people, most of the time--the not-so-smart people are still watching TV at the moment someone's reading your story anyway.
... or that's how I feel anyway. *shrugs* Like I said, it's all up to you, but if you want someone to beta or just glance over your fics to point out the major troubles, then feel free to hit me up anytime. I'm pretty lax about characterization, really. Extreme situations makes people do extreme things. *shrugs*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 06:53 pm (UTC)*sigh*
...now if I could just figure out a reason for Conan to move out of Ran's and in with Saguru I would be set for writing chapter fifteen...