Did You Know Writing Is Hard? · 6:41pm Oct 14th, 2024
Seriously. It is. I know, shocker, right?
Albi and I have been talking a lot about our writing styles. Albi's main drive is to tell a cool story, and they do it beautifully (There have been more than a few parts in their works where I'm like, "I'm never gonna be able to top this."). They have a vision, and no matter what anyone says, they keep to it. (Trust me, I've occasionally tried to get them to budge on a thing or two and it's like a breezie trying to move Canterlot mountain). 
I don't write like that. For one, I'm mostly a discovery writer. My stories evolve and change as I write. A lot of times, I have no idea what's gonna happen. More importantly, though, so many of my stories come from my own personal experiences. For years and years, it's how I processed the various trials, tribulations, and traumas I've endured in my life.
This makes the current story I'm working on, tentatively named Checkmate In Two, even more difficult.
Those who have read Wavelengths know that Sunset isn't in the best spot. However, to make her authentic, I need to be able to tap into the feelings I had when I was writing back in 2019-2020. Hell, As the Raven Flies was posted 1 month before I started on HRT.
One day, I hope to be able to able to write what I don't know. But I'm out of practice and for the emotional stuff, I depend on it a lot.
But I'm working on it. And we're going to see it.
So, here's a little update on my progress!
Amber's Storytelling Return!
Readthrough of all of Wavelengths: Complete
Checkmate in Two (Formerly "Night on the Town"): Active Project: 31,000 words to date
Wavelengths Remaster: In Progress
General Plotting for Everfree Arc and Dawn Arc: Mostly Complete
Current Planned Stories:
- Checkmate in Two (End of Dreamers Arc)
- Heavy is the Golden Yoke (Pt. 1 of Everfree Arc)
- Fallen From the Nest (Pt. 2 of Everfree Arc)
- Mysteries of the Everfree (Pt. 3 of Everfree Arc)
- A Treatise on Friendship (Book 1 of Dawn Arc)
- Harmonics (Book 2 of Dawn Arc)
- Sparks (Finale of Dawn Arc/Wavelengths)
I'd like to add a few short stories in there, but we'll see what happens.
A Little Bet:
Albi and I have made a bet: whoever finishes their work last will buy the other a super-fancy 5-star restaurant meal! For me, that means I need to finish all those stories up there. For them, it means they need to publish Volume 5 of Spectacular Seven.
Yes, I'm at a massive disadvantage, but we both have incredible strengths as authors. I guess we'll see what happens!
Anyway, that's it. Nothing huge. Except for me maybe yelling about certain things in certain stories.
Have fun!
- AS
writing are hard
looking forward to all these stories!
Writing is definitely hard
It's way too damn hard sometimes, yeah.
Sometimes, the words just flow out easily. Sometimes, they refuse to come. And sometimes, you can't just get started.
I'm in this quote and I don't like it.
...Seriously, though, I think I'm sort of blessed/cursed in the sense that stuff sticks with me for a long time. It's great for writing characters going through things that cause the same kinds of emotional experiences. The cursed part is when I sometimes re-traumatize myself by writing about it and living it again through their eyes. But it usually turns out to be worth it because, paradoxically, having to really drag more of what happened into the conscious realm and more deeply understand the experience in order to be able to write about it authentically has been one of the most helpful ways of learning how to deal with things.
And it's cheaper than a psychiatrist, anyway.
I am a dabbler pants writer. I might have an idea to go by, but all the dialogue, all the scenic elements are
"IDEEEEAAAA!" And thus far I have yet to actually complete any of my stories except for one very short "poem story".
I have found that I have an idea and then I get the beginning. It just hits me like a sledgehammer to the face. Then, strangely. I get the END. But all the middle is like a blank roadmap. I have NO IDEA how I'm going to get to that end. But somehow, someway, the characters guide me as I barrel down that road with music blasting and swerving all over the place like Mr. Magoo has Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg in the back seats and they are having a good ol time. Does that work? Mostly, I guess? I mean, I get a few complaints and thumbs down (But then who doesn't?) I think the testament is if you can go back a few years later and reread your own work and only have to tweak a few things instead of having to go "Sweet Celestia's giant white Plot! What is this garbage?!" then you are doing good and you just keep going from there.
fuck yeah it is :B
Anyone who says writing is easy is either a liar, or damn lucky/gifted. Regardless, I have total faith in your abilities.
So relatable. I plan my stories out to some degree, but they go off in an unforseen direction when I write them.