Writing meme...
Sep. 26th, 2006 12:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caz963I saw this over at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
christinekh's LJ and then at cantbesilent's and I couldn't resist it...
Keyboard or longhand?
A bit of both, but mostly keyboard, because once I really get going (I wrote my last fic which ended up at over 2000 words (a short one for me!)in about 2 hours!) then I really get going, baby! I write longhand pretty fast too, although I'm the only person who could ever hope to read it... I've tended to do the longhand stuff when I didn't want to sit inside at the computer on a nice, sunny afternoon...
Beta or no beta?
Seeing that I'm a beta myself, I have to say of course! to this one. I proof read myself though, because I'm totally anally retentive about stuff like that, and even if I did have someone else to do it, I'd still do it over again. I do have two very dear friends who read through and make suggestions for improvement (or help when I get seriously stuck!) and they always make things better and help me sort out stuff in my head.
Plot?
Oh dear... this is my biggest bugbear in that I'm crap at coming up with plots! Although asquaggy_mire would probably remind me, I've written a good number of fics now and have managed to come up with plots for most of them without too much prodding... Practically every other fic writer I know says that they are overbrimming with plots and get stuck on the actual writing - I'm the opposite. I'm incapable of writing anything short (as Quaggy will once again attest!) and once I do come up with something I get it written pretty fast. Most of the stuff I've done I've needed some sort of "springboard", usually from an episode... Plots... boy, I don't know.
Title?
Usually, I've not had a problem coming up with a title. Something from the fic will jump out at me and there it is. I did have trouble with the total fluff piece I wrote recently In Flagrante... -coloneljack came up with that one, 'cause I was banging my head against the wall! - but so far I've managed okay. Although the 16,000+ (it's grown!) bubblefic I've just finished is still titleless and I'm still pondering...
Smushy or smutty?
Um... you have to ask this one? Both, of course! The first fic I wrote was a smutty one... for some reason it comes (!) easily to me and I don't have a problem writing porn. The thing is not to take it too seriously and to remember the practical stuff. I hate those pieces where the writer has forgotten to get the characters to the bed (when you find out that's where they are!) or forgotten to get Donna's knickers off! I'm told it's usually pretty hot (I get to the stage where I've read it and edited it and fiddled with it so much that I can't tell any more!) so if it's working for people who read it, then I'm happy! I've done the smushy, too, but seeing that I write Josh and Donna, I can't go overboard with the smush because it's just not "them". I have to temper the mush with the funny or it just doesn't feel right.
Although I will say that I think my writing style (if I can call it that!) does tend to the "romantic" - not necessarily in the sense of what the characters are saying, but in the way I write them.
Summary?
Never written one, although I do tend to write long author's notes!
Funniest fic?
Probably the one I co-wrote withquaggy_mire, Cures for Insomnia whereby Donna turns up at Josh's at 2am wearing "cow jammies". That was a lot of fun to write. Although I tend to try to bring the funny with the smut, so I hope there's a fair amount of funny in all of them! (And I think the upcoming bubblefic has a fair amount of funny...)
Most popular fic?
Judging by response, The Theory of Evolution which was a non-canon post ep for "Drought Conditions".
Best and worst?
No idea... I've been reasonably happy with the way the fics I've written so far have turned out. If I really thought it was bad, I'd scrap it. The best stuff just seems to write itself - I sit at the keyboard, it comes out and I don't have to change a word.
Coulda been contenders?
Dunno.
Strengths?
I write fast, and I can use big words and grammar and everything! I think I have a reasonable handle on the characters, which is important to me in things I read as well as what I write. And the dialogue generally comes fairly easily.
Weaknesses?
Plots. And I get very, VERY self-critical... Quaggy and Linz have talked me off a fair number of ledges... oh, and once I've finished something, I can't leave it alone...
Dirty little secrets?
Wouldn't you like to know?.. I'd think given the stuff I write, I don't have any secrets any more!!
christinekh's LJ and then at cantbesilent's and I couldn't resist it...Keyboard or longhand?
A bit of both, but mostly keyboard, because once I really get going (I wrote my last fic which ended up at over 2000 words (a short one for me!)in about 2 hours!) then I really get going, baby! I write longhand pretty fast too, although I'm the only person who could ever hope to read it... I've tended to do the longhand stuff when I didn't want to sit inside at the computer on a nice, sunny afternoon...
Beta or no beta?
Seeing that I'm a beta myself, I have to say of course! to this one. I proof read myself though, because I'm totally anally retentive about stuff like that, and even if I did have someone else to do it, I'd still do it over again. I do have two very dear friends who read through and make suggestions for improvement (or help when I get seriously stuck!) and they always make things better and help me sort out stuff in my head.
Plot?
Oh dear... this is my biggest bugbear in that I'm crap at coming up with plots! Although as
quaggy_mire would probably remind me, I've written a good number of fics now and have managed to come up with plots for most of them without too much prodding... Practically every other fic writer I know says that they are overbrimming with plots and get stuck on the actual writing - I'm the opposite. I'm incapable of writing anything short (as Quaggy will once again attest!) and once I do come up with something I get it written pretty fast. Most of the stuff I've done I've needed some sort of "springboard", usually from an episode... Plots... boy, I don't know.Title?
Usually, I've not had a problem coming up with a title. Something from the fic will jump out at me and there it is. I did have trouble with the total fluff piece I wrote recently In Flagrante... -
coloneljack came up with that one, 'cause I was banging my head against the wall! - but so far I've managed okay. Although the 16,000+ (it's grown!) bubblefic I've just finished is still titleless and I'm still pondering...Smushy or smutty?
Um... you have to ask this one? Both, of course! The first fic I wrote was a smutty one... for some reason it comes (!) easily to me and I don't have a problem writing porn. The thing is not to take it too seriously and to remember the practical stuff. I hate those pieces where the writer has forgotten to get the characters to the bed (when you find out that's where they are!) or forgotten to get Donna's knickers off! I'm told it's usually pretty hot (I get to the stage where I've read it and edited it and fiddled with it so much that I can't tell any more!) so if it's working for people who read it, then I'm happy! I've done the smushy, too, but seeing that I write Josh and Donna, I can't go overboard with the smush because it's just not "them". I have to temper the mush with the funny or it just doesn't feel right.
Although I will say that I think my writing style (if I can call it that!) does tend to the "romantic" - not necessarily in the sense of what the characters are saying, but in the way I write them.
Summary?
Never written one, although I do tend to write long author's notes!
Funniest fic?
Probably the one I co-wrote with
quaggy_mire, Cures for Insomnia whereby Donna turns up at Josh's at 2am wearing "cow jammies". That was a lot of fun to write. Although I tend to try to bring the funny with the smut, so I hope there's a fair amount of funny in all of them! (And I think the upcoming bubblefic has a fair amount of funny...)Most popular fic?
Judging by response, The Theory of Evolution which was a non-canon post ep for "Drought Conditions".
Best and worst?
No idea... I've been reasonably happy with the way the fics I've written so far have turned out. If I really thought it was bad, I'd scrap it. The best stuff just seems to write itself - I sit at the keyboard, it comes out and I don't have to change a word.
Coulda been contenders?
Dunno.
Strengths?
I write fast, and I can use big words and grammar and everything! I think I have a reasonable handle on the characters, which is important to me in things I read as well as what I write. And the dialogue generally comes fairly easily.
Weaknesses?
Plots. And I get very, VERY self-critical... Quaggy and Linz have talked me off a fair number of ledges... oh, and once I've finished something, I can't leave it alone...
Dirty little secrets?
Wouldn't you like to know?.. I'd think given the stuff I write, I don't have any secrets any more!!
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-26 03:57 pm (UTC)And I'd agree about the funny one. And on a personal note, I really really liked the one you cowrote with Quaggy, and that angsty Donna one post War Crimes. The titles escape me, but those would probably be my favorite of yours! :)
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Date: 2006-09-26 04:32 pm (UTC)The last one I posted, the pregnancy one was, um about 7 or 8 pages and it's the shortest one I've written! For me, it was the equivalent of a drabble!
(btw the angsty post "War Crimes" was called "Frozen" and the one with Quaggy was "Cures for Insomnia".)I've got two more on the go at the moment, but other than that, as per usual, my mind is blank. This is what I meant about being crap with plots. *wails* I can't even write "just" porn - I have to find a reason for it!
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Date: 2006-09-27 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-27 08:11 pm (UTC)