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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Discussion The Scribble Pad (Fanfic Writing Discussions)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Briannakin , Jun 18, 2017.

  1. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    Start small. Pick one of your characters, and write up a small anecdote of something that happens in their adventures. Don't try to write Galactic War and Peace to start with. Think A Day in the Life of Darth Daemonos. And build from there.

    Or just write it up as a history text, don't worry about story telling. "University of Coruscant Galactic History (New Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Xaxkarkos A'ka'ah-Lulu)"
     
  2. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    I suggest using a opening crawl to establish what's just going on and then post your world building in the Fanon thread.
     
  3. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    CosmoHender -- maybe do a character profile and write up a brief sketch brainstorming what pivotal events happened to them, their backstory, etc., and then follow this through the centuries. It doesn'thave to be long--just a viggie or short story, but connect it across the years. Example in Legends is how we work through the generations from Anakin to Luke/Leia & then their kids and grandkids. But of course, your tale would be going even farther back. Or [face_thinking] you could trace the changes of an institution/world through the vaguaries of the Old Republic, Empire, through the New Republic... for instance, the culture on Ossus or Coruscant, or take the guild of healers or Intelligence investigators. :cool:

    Or =P~ =P~ [face_laugh] focus on the Chiss Ascendancy. I'd be there in less than 1 second! ;) Total fangirl talking. LOL
     
  4. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    CosmoHender You could insert short interludes between chapters where you expose things that happened in the past and connect to what took place in the previous chapter or will come up in the following chapter. The interludes could even be presented as excerpts from one or more history books.
     
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  5. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    Not sure if this will help, but to avoid becoming overwhelmed (which is very easy when you have too many ideas) try to focus on your characters and the era they are set in and the events that happen to them or around them.
    You can make a table/spreadsheet and list the stories for each era in columns and have characters for that era and the events, etc. So in this way, you're organizing the ideas and doing some character development at the same time and it's all in front of you :)
     
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  6. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    I'm coming over here because I need to vent a bit.

    I get these "fanfic mood swings" during which I can focus on developing and writing only a particular type of story, even though I have good material for other types of stories (or material which I think is good, at any rate). The worst part is that it doesn't even match my general mood of the moment. For the past several months I've been in a rather cheerful mood IRL and I have two fun stories under way here on the boards – one is a heist and the other one is a parody. You'd think I'd be able to tackle those two and finish them, right? Well, no. All I can work on is the angsty introspection/complicated feelings/tragic drama stories that have been lurking in the back of my mind for a while; they're just besieging my muse and they all! demand! to be written! now!, on-going fics be damned. And I'm triple-pissed-off at the thought that, once I start posting those stories and run out of updates for them, the humorous stories, or the adventure stories, or, well, stories of any other genre are going to come and knock on the door and say, "hey, drop whatever you were doing, it's out turn now".

    I find it incredibly frustrating.

    [/rant]
     
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  7. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Yeah, I get that. Meanwhile, I want to write, but my muse is like "meh" on all my current projects. I think it wants something super angsty, and I do have a WIP that will eventually get REALLY ANGSTY, but I'm currently just starting the fic, so I want to set it up as happy before I turn on full BABY KILLING MODE.

    I'm the type of writer where I just cant write out of order, so I'm looking for inspiration for a short vignette to tie over DARTH MUSE, but I'm just not getting anything.
     
    Chyntuck likes this.
  8. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Chyntuck -- that sounds excruciatingly frustrating! Of course as a reader of your stuff, I'm just happy to read anything you post. :* @};- I have a trick/compromise to suggest. Maybe it'll work for Briannakin as well. The stuff that is hogging all your creativity and won't let go -- well fool it. [face_laugh] Say, OKy, I'm going to write up to this point in the outline or finish this much of the next chapter and that's it for the week/weekend. Now it's time for the other thing that needs to be written. Or, [face_laugh] if that doesn't work, and NANoWriMo is still being run in November, churn out the thing that is gonna be an epic anyway [face_dancing] -- the constraints of the participation will have to make something happen, you'd think :p Or perhaps run one of the Word Race challenges and write a whole bunch of stuff for any/all projects, even if it's just more in the line of brain-storming or free associating. Keep track of the jottings and go back to them later. :cool:

    [:D]
     
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  9. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I think part of my problem is I decided to try my hand at a sequel (something I haven't done since like 2012, and it did not turn out well back then), and the muse just does not like "direct" sequels. Even though I kinda set up the original for this natural continuation and have a full outline, my muse is just being stubborn. Not sure if it is just tired of the characters/genre [even though I completed the original back early 2016), or I'm just afraid of it being not as good as the first story, or I'm just blabbing on and beating a dead bunny past the story's natural conclusion [one of my biggest pet peeves is when a story - say a TV show (Stargate is an excellent example) just does not know when to end].

    I've even left it for a few months and have come back to it (a few times) and just, nothing.

    And I kinda feel bad because I intended for this series (my Bail/Breha story) to be a three-parter and I even got the lovely Chyntuck and her hubby to do an amazing cover for it and I'm sad that I might never get to use it.

    Buuuuuuuuttttt not bad enough to force out a story the muse is just not interested in anymore :p
     
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  10. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Well, in Stargate's defense, the SG-1 anyway, they tried to end three times, because the studio told them they were being cancelled, only to change their mind, three times.

    SG-1 and SGA weren't meant to be running parallel to each other!

    My muse has been avoiding me for over a year on a project, but I managed to use Wordcounter to put 323 words together and add a bit of an update. I also Googled throne rooms, and used one to help, as some of my text was my OC reacting to encountering the place.
     
  11. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Huh. I did not know that, but I guess it's kinda the same point - someone didn't stick by their guns and say "this is where we end it to tell the best story" (obviously I know writers typically have little power and studios will milk any series for money as long as they can). AS much as I loved the finale, Stargate SG-1 is a lesson of "know when to end a story and when to write a sequel or series."
     
  12. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    So many fanfics on the fanfic net have 1 million words. People just don't know how to write an end.

    I have frequently written what I thought was a good endings, but then I found that the fics at that point is too short.
     
  13. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I always say write the ending that the story calls for, when it calls for it. If a story needs 1 million words to be told, then do it, but if it only calls for 10,000, don't bang your head against a wall for another 990,000 words - it will just mean a bad fic.

    But, I mean, if you are the type of person who loves one story so so much that you can write 1 million words, then knock yourself out (I always say this is a hobby and if you aren't enjoying what you are writing then why the hell are you writing it? But that also means if you are loving writing a fic, then keep going, even if the story should have ended 87 chapters ago).

    I have issues writing long fics - my brain is often just too everywhere. I like short fics. Maybe it has something to do with semi-instant satisfaction of getting something done, or it just allows my muse to wander with no real commitments to worry about. So I just can't do long epic 3-part, 50k word each, series.
     
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  14. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    I think the trick is knowing when the ending is leading towards an ending and when it is the start of a new & different story. The getting blocked problem is one reason why I try to finish my entire first draft before I post anything. If I get blocked, I can go to work on something else. Your ending might be good, DARTH_MU, but if the story is too short, can you backtrack and fill in? Another reason for a first draft before posting. While I was working on the current one, I was almost to the end and realized I needed 2 scenes closer to the beginning, so I could go put them in.

    I'd suggest, Briannakin, write bits and pieces on the story, but don't post it. If you come to a stuck place, let it rest and work on something else. I know I'd love to know more of the Bail/Breha story (you know, it never made sense to me that Leia would name her son Ben. Or Anakin, for that matter. Her true father was Bail, and I can't see why she wouldn't have honored him!) Remember: Thou Shalt Honor the Bunnies! If the bunnies want to sit in the hutch and brood quietly, it's best to let them do it. When they want to start jumping around, you'll be ready! Maybe in the meantime we should have the Millicent challenge, LOL!

    Couldn't agree more about TV shows and stories that don't know when to end. I feel that way about movies. I heard that Big Trouble in Little China has been picked up, as has Galaxy Quest. Personally, I don't want to see another Galaxy Quest. The original movie wrapped up perfectly and left us in the right place. I don't think there is more of that story to tell. And while I'd love to know more of the wild and wacky adventures of Jack Burton, I don't think they should take place in San Francisco OR Chinatown. Big Trouble in the Bayou, maybe.
     
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  15. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    Big Trouble in Little China

    More Lopan? More kidnapping? Are we allowed to write fanfics for that franchise? If so, I want Lopan to try to kidnap Tahiri, but only for her to chop him into million pieces.
     
  16. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    I think crossovers were permitted, yes? Or put it in the NSWFF. I just love that Jack, the supposed hero, was actually the klutz and the sidekick was the one saving the day.
     
  17. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Well, I cannot see anything on the Disallowed Works List obviously mentioning Big Trouble in Little China, so I would say it is okay to do.

    Intriguing idea for a fic. :)
     
  18. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    They have made a comic follow up

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Briannakin & Mistress_Renata -- I gravitate towards writing short pieces: viggie collections that stand alone or short stories. I find a brief outline of how many chapters and what broadly I want to go in each one before posting. Then I write a first draft, add dialogue and scene description, tweak and retweak [face_laugh] and then post. @};- As a reader, I can and do adore long wordy epics =D= But that's because that's what the characters and stories call for [face_thinking] and the authors are briliant enough to have carried it off splendidly. [face_love]
     
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  20. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    I know all about starting what is supposed to be a short-ish story which then decides it wants to be an epic.

    I also know about epics getting shoved to the back burner because of plot bunnies for shorter fics.

    And also the frustration of knowing that I will not be able to share the Guardians of the Galaxy fics I have percolating in my head here (on the NSWFF boards), mostly because of Rocket's mouth. Because he has a freaking potty mouth.....only he doesn't use "freaking".
     
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  21. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    Actually, all this talk about knowing when to wrap up makes me realize that I'm overwriting the ending on the new story. So I'm going to pare ruthlessly (keeping a copy in case the bunny for a sequel pops up), and keep it simpler. :D

    And now I totally need to hit the comic book store this weekend!
     
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  22. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Actually the sequel that was bugging me (I've decided I'm just going to let it fester for a few months, the muse is just going 120 KpH on a totally different fandom anyways), was originally going to be a part of the original story until someone told me "wait, stop, you have a perfectly natural conclusion to the story RIGHT HERE! All this other stuff you have planned would make a great sequel (and third instalment) that people will be able to read and enjoy, without it being attached to the original."

    AS for swearing in NSWFF, readers will know I have a potty mouth. I like the word 'kriff' in my SW stories (perhaps too much, so maybe that's a personal weakness of mine). So when my muse kinda took a b-line for NSWFF last year, I found myself having to find more creative ways to make my characters 'swear'. I use the "allowed swear words" often, I also have a diary with "editor's notes" as part of the story so occasionally there will be "[redacted]" in place of curse words and I sometimes will just say "He let out a string of curse words" without actually putting the dialogue in.
     
  23. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    My muse has been very distractable recently. I've got tons of ideas, something that I was struggling with for quite awhile, but now I just can't finish anything. I write the beginning and then "Oh shiny... look over there!!" I literally have 7 started stories/update to things sitting on my desktop right now, and only one of them is finished-ish. And I think that's only because I wrote it on a plane by hand, which seems to be pretty good for my muse.



    I also mostly only write short stories, I just can't seem to have enough plot to write a longer one. I get self-concious about drawing things out and I constantly wonder "does this drive the plot?" when trying to write something longer and so I end up just making a short story, or just get frustrated and don't finish. [face_plain] I don't wonder that about other people's stories, I love the little tid bits and the character development. [face_dunno]
     
  24. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    I can do long fics. But I've definitely started way more than I've ever finished/got to the posting stage. Usually I start posting a long-fics around chapter 5, that way I'm committed to finishing it, but I'm also far enough into it to know if I want to finish it (or not). But I get the self-conscious thing as well. Usually it's feelings of "this is pretty much pure dialogue", or "this is no where close to the quality of work I normally post".

    However (as Mav knows), I'm currently writing a style of fic in NSWFF that just really suits my brain. It is a series of vignettes that tells one story. But the story is over a period of like 30+ years (so far). But I'm hopping around the timeline. So I'm writing an epic that spans decades, without confining myself to any one plot line that can't be told in under ~3000 words. I guess I just have an episodic muse right now. But it really just suits me and I'm trying to figure out a way to use it for Star Wars plot bunnies.
     
  25. FireKeeper

    FireKeeper Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 23, 2017
    I am thinking of using the the original concept I had for my OC and give her unrequited feelings for Luke, which I am thinking of doing for several reasons:
    - Romance, even one-sided, attracts people. Therefore, adding it might attract more readers, which might help me in getting the feedback I wanted so much.
    - It adds more drama, because Luke is married, loves his wife, and doesn't see Nyros as anything more than a friend. Also makes the ending I have planned for her even more emotional.
    - Whatever shippy moments were between her and the OC-who-may-or-may-not-be-Revan, they are automatically eclipsed by her love for Luke, therefore I can finally sink the unwanted ship.

    But there are also moments that unsettle me:
    - Both Mara and Nyros were Dark Siders redeemed by Luke. Having 2 women with such similarity in a love triangle just rubs me the wrong way for some reason.
    - I am afraid of Nyros' constant thoughts of Luke taking over the story and moving the actual plot to the background. I don't want my fanfic to become some snotty soap opera. It's about fighting the FO, not about some woman being Queen of the Friendzone, damn it!
    - I am afraid to make Luke look insensitive because of this. Luke has already suffered enough mischaracterisation in the hands of Jar Jar Abrams, he deserves better than that!

    Any ideas in how to resolve the following problems? Or should I dump the concept alltogether, keep Nyros single and free of romantic love, and my fanfic Gen?