Blog the First: Contemplating Stories · 5:56am Mar 3rd, 2012
Okay, first of all, that title is a warning sign that I should never be allowed near a keyboard. I've proven that very often throughout the site, and yet I'm still here mashing buttons. I'm just a pile of derp masking a ball of awkwardness.
Second, no one's even gonna see this once it's out. I don't even know how I managed to get someone watching me. I've done nothing productive other than praise the stuff I read on here. Well, that and occasional back-and-forths with the Ponystuck author over my analyses of events.
Which brings me to the main point. I've been told - well, my parents have at least - by my English teachers literally every year that my writing's pretty awesome. I remember specifically writing an abridged series-style script for the first Transformers movie in eighth grade. Then this year I had a partner project for Spanish which was basically just a friend and I translating some of our normal random banter. It was good enough for other classes to be shown it, and by the time my last class came around everyone in it knew about it.
I'm pretty happy with what I churn out when I get feedback like that, but it's all still assignments for classes. Writing on my own, for shits and giggles... I don't know, I just get nervous. I'm part of this little community here, where I'm surrounded by people who have submitted some absolute epics (still need to work on printing out a physical copy of Eternal, but Christ, 646 pages!), and all I can think is how I'm completely outclassed. How compared to them, I can't write worth crap.
But now I'm thinking of trying. It's gonna rape my usual allotment of free time if I do, and I have doubts about whether I can work up the dedication and attention span for a lengthy story that'll need updates every so often, but dammit, this fandom's starting to make me want to. But I don't know what I could possibly do.
I did have one completely crazy idea, but some song lyrics are harder than others to adapt for ponies, and really, who's even going to KNOW half the metal bands I like?
I also have another moderately plausible idea, based on the first bit of art I've drawn in literally months, but it's one that's been done too well in Hoennshy for me to want to tread that ground. Again, feeling of being outranked.
And I'm not even gonna touch an MLP/TF crossover. Combining my newest obsession with my greatest one... I really can't see anything more than a complete mess resulting from trying.
I just... bluh. I feel like I need to write something to keep my sanity. If people reading this - all one of you - have any input, I'd love it. I'll sleep on it for now, but... yeah.
Also, purple. Because I don't even know why. Stupid boredom...
I suggest something simple. Maybe just a short little story about nothing to warm up and get some people to know you before tackling anything big or epic. It should still have conflict and a story, but keep it simple. Maybe RD goes to Cloudsdale, or Twilight tries to master a new spell. Something short and easy with maybe a couple thousand words. In the end though, it's up to you.
Hey. Seems I've missed this by a bit, but since I've found it I'ma just say my two cents. However, I have no idea how much two cents is actually worth, so this may be completely unhelpful.
First of all, I'm just going to say that I know the feeling. I have far too many half written first chapters on my computer. I don't care to count the number of Doctor Who stories I've come up with, begun writing, and then either completely forgotten about or just abandoned through a lack of interest, but it's probably a big number.
Moving on to the quality of your writing, I feel that it's worth point out that if English teachers like your writing, then that makes you (at the very least) a capable writer. As far as I care about writing style when reading fanfictions, as long as the author is capable of making a story readable, then I'm just as likely to enjoy that story as one written by a world class author who is writing fanfictions for some reason. I have read very few fanfictions where I have actually stopped and thought "can this person actually english good", and those where I have were all written by people who don't have English as a first language. Just don't allow yourself to think that your writing isn't any good. That is a bad thing to do.
As for staying dedicated, like I mentioned I have a problem with this. Ponystuck is the first story I have ever gotten past two chapters, ever. Now that the ball's rolling, however, I feel more motivated to continue it. Of course, like Shrederman said, if you don't think you can keep motivated for a lengthy story, try writing a short story! Or several! Or a long story which is made up of small independent chapters that would make sense to cut off at any point! Or I don't even know!
And finally, on the topic of coming up with an idea for a fic, my advice is to not over think it. At least half of the titles of my documents end in the word "plan". I love planning. I plan too much. I over think ideas until I've convinced myself it can't work. Avoid planning where possible, for it is the bane of progress. Or something like that. You should plan, of course, because not planning at all would be silly if it's going to be a long story. Just don't plan out everything. This is what I'm doing with Ponystuck.
... come to think of it, not entirely planning out a Homestuck fic is probably a terrible idea, but I'm sure it will be fine.
And there we go. Was that two cents? If two cents is anything like two pence, then I would not pay two pence for what I just typed. But then, I rarely pay for anything if I can help it.
Anyway, I'm not sure how qualified I am to be giving out advice like this, all I know is that if you're wanting to write a story, then the only cure is to write a story.
Probably. I'm not a doctor. I just hope that this gives you something to think about.