Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Delay · 2:13am Dec 27th, 2012
It has been 22 days since my last update on Apples at Sunset, and, frankly, I'm pretty disappointed with myself for letting it take that long. To tell the truth, it's going to take some more time, too. I have a general idea of what I want to do with the next chapter, the problem is that I've been writing other things. I've got 11,000 of another story down, one that I kinda had to write because I couldn't think straight without doing so. I also had written and released another 6000 word one-shot, as well as the next chapter of Beating Her Heat in this "dead time". The good news? I'm averaging a little more than 1000 words/day, which is, well, great compared to the speed at which I usually write. Also, I'm still on Christmas break, which means I have more time to spend on writing.
So, now that this other story is definitely happening, I'll tease a few details:
-Twilestia one-shot (might be split into two chapters)
-I'm working to make a good romance story, not just clop (so think more like Apples, not Beating Her Heat)
-Tone I'm aiming for is more flowery, slow, dreamlike, even. I'm purple as fuck.
-My guess (emphasizing guess) is that it will be 16k-18k words
My intention is to finish it completely before getting to the next chapter of Apples. Sorry, I don't think I can do either story justice if my brain is fractured between the two.
I always like to include some kind of lesson I've learned, whether it be about writing or life in general. This is a blog, after all.
This time, oddly enough, it was something I thought I had already learned. However, it was just one of those things that you say to yourself, and you think you know, but you never actually practice (that's a thing, right?).
When I build up a story, the trickiest and usually most important part is building the characters. To do so, I create a shell, stick in a basic personality, then attack the character with questions. How do they feel about getting older? What's the first thing they think about when their parents are mentioned? Do they like chocolate? Do they like strawberries dipped in chocolate? Do they like to be better than anyone else at something, or be the one to think of a better way to do it? If they saw someone trying to jump off of a building, how would they try to talk this other person/pony down? Would they even try? After the torrent of questions, you get a pretty solid character. However, while writing, there's a good chance your character will be asked a question you haven't considered. An important question. And before now, my instinct was to have the character answer in such a way that the story would be directed toward where I wanted it to be.
But that's not how it's supposed to work at all. I was sacrificing a piece of the character for the story. The characters should be driving the story, not the other way around! If they character is someone to give an answer that would take the story away from what I had planned, well, then, I planned incorrectly. It's not too hard to identify these moments, either. If you normally don't have trouble getting dialogue or thoughts out, (which I typically don't) and then suddenly you do... that's a good tipoff.
That's my story for today. Short and sweet.
You're disappointed for not updating in 22 weeks?
Dude, I freak out after 1 week of non-productiveness.
I have to thank you for those last few paragraphs, man. Over the past month or so I've been jotting down ideas and researching for a fic involving Trixie. One of the biggest roadblocks I've come across has been imagining up the anon protagonist. Your "shell" metaphor / system has tore down that mental block and has REALLY inspired my drive to continue my work! I'm so thankful I'm following you right now...
Cheers!!