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Quality and quantity
Normally, you understand, I spend my life jonesing about for a story to write. 'Oh if only I had a story to write then I wouldn't feel so futile and loose-endy and scratchy and itchy.' Then I get a story to write and I'm all futile and loose-endy and scratchy and itchy because it fights me tooth and claw.
For the last month I've had story ideas popping up at me like gophers from the ground. None of my usual inhibitions about writing them, either: down they go either on paper or into the computer scribble-scribble tap-tap. (I do not underestimate the effect of going back to paper. Longhand really does use a different part of the brain.) Currently I have three fics in the works, two more nittering at me to be written, mental notes towards a couple of others, and an eighth in a perpetual state of WIP. This usually happens when a series or whatever comes to occupy an excessive portion of one's time, and it's generally bliss. At last I'm one of these people who can dash off multiple fics, more than one every three months, even if I'm still not at the level of those who seem to fic as easily as breathing. (I will never be one of those who fic *well* as easily as breathing, but those can be counted on the fingers of a badly mutilated right hand.)
There is however a downside to my recent vast productivity. No pain no gain. Nothing I've written this year satisfies me at all. "Easy, vulgar and therefore..." Retreads. Same themes repeated. Same ideas recurring. Same vocabulary forever and ever. Been there and done that, many a time and oft.
Maybe I should stick to telling myself stories before falling asleep. Repetition and familiarity are virtues in that kind of story, and it's gone by morning. It's not there every time I open up Word, sitting lumpishly on the screen in all its utter unlovely lack of inspiration.
For the last month I've had story ideas popping up at me like gophers from the ground. None of my usual inhibitions about writing them, either: down they go either on paper or into the computer scribble-scribble tap-tap. (I do not underestimate the effect of going back to paper. Longhand really does use a different part of the brain.) Currently I have three fics in the works, two more nittering at me to be written, mental notes towards a couple of others, and an eighth in a perpetual state of WIP. This usually happens when a series or whatever comes to occupy an excessive portion of one's time, and it's generally bliss. At last I'm one of these people who can dash off multiple fics, more than one every three months, even if I'm still not at the level of those who seem to fic as easily as breathing. (I will never be one of those who fic *well* as easily as breathing, but those can be counted on the fingers of a badly mutilated right hand.)
There is however a downside to my recent vast productivity. No pain no gain. Nothing I've written this year satisfies me at all. "Easy, vulgar and therefore..." Retreads. Same themes repeated. Same ideas recurring. Same vocabulary forever and ever. Been there and done that, many a time and oft.
Maybe I should stick to telling myself stories before falling asleep. Repetition and familiarity are virtues in that kind of story, and it's gone by morning. It's not there every time I open up Word, sitting lumpishly on the screen in all its utter unlovely lack of inspiration.
There, there...
As to your vocabulary I wish mine were as wide as yours. And really I've not noticed anything like retreads in anything you've posted. After all we do write for fandom so that's bound to happen to a some degree. Although there again your takes are refreshing and you've set them in a whole new universe, and 100 demons I don't know so its all new and great to me. Studies in character and relationship dynamics are what your pieces are to me, and I really do love them for that. ^__^
As to multichapters...at least you can write them. I do single, short pieces that I'm happy with and brave enough to post. ^__^ Hee. It's not the time either...I don't think the poor brain of mine has enough steam to go the distance for multichapters. I'm one of those 'designed' maybe to do only short pieces.
But yeah *hugs* if I may for Word, sitting lumpishly on the screen in all its utter unlovely lack of inspiration. I definitely do nknow what that is like! I'm sure most of us do too.
Re: There, there...
The excercise itself goes some way to get you going (sort of)
That's the theory. Some days it feels more like garbage in, garbage out, and chronically treading water in effluvium. grump grump
Everything one writes isn't supposed to be a masterpiece and of course there's a place for the lightweight short that strikes a single note only. But my lightweight shorts used to satisfy me at least, and the last few haven't managed even that.