Open Question For My Followers · 5:31pm Nov 27th, 2012
One of the biggest problems I always encounter when trying to put together multi-chapter stories is that my mind rarely, if ever, agrees to stay on topic. In other words, every so often the endless flood of plot threads and possibilities that constantly runs through my head spits out what I think is a fantastic idea for a lengthy story (for example, Harmony), but once I start working on that story, the flood doesn't slow down. So when I sit down and try to work on the next update of my primary work that everybody's waiting with bated breath for an update from, my mind isn't really dedicated to it. It's dedicated to a Borderlands adaptation I know I don't have time to write, or a pure Wreck-It Ralph fic that I know I don't have an audience for, or one of dozens of different oneshots and smaller multi-chapter works that I would have to sacrifice Harmony working time in order to experiment with.
This is the dilemma I constantly face: I have this huge list of things I'd love to put together, but my way my schedule and my life work out, I only have time to effectively work on one at a time. I get so worried that I'm taking too much time to update Harmony that I avoid allowing myself to indulge in any other fun ideas that come to me... but at the same time, those ideas are still so distracting that it's incredibly difficult--and sometimes just completely futile--to try to fight past them and get to what I need to do. I try to tell myself that I can work on another fic or two as soon as I finish another Harmony update, but any time I make a deal with myself like that, I just feel like I'm going through the motions and churning out a few thousand words just because I feel like I have to. And I really don't want that to be my attitude towards Harmony, because I honestly love the story to death and still want to do the best I can to see it through to completion. I just can't decide what exactly it is my fans want to see posted from me, or more importantly, what I want to see posted from me.
So here's my question for you guys: given the choice, would you rather see somewhat sparse Harmony updates interspersed with a few extra oneshots, experimental pieces, and God only know what else? Or would you rather I focus on the work most of you probably discovered me through? Either option is fine; I just want to get a gauge on why you guys clicked that little button up near the top of my user page, because at least then I'll know what's expected of me. Given that, maybe it'll be a little bit easier to make a decision. I figure it's worth a shot.
So, drop a comment below if you feel like answering. I'll greatly appreciate any and all replies I get.
One fic at a time, Aqua.
(Finish Harmony but keep the other ideas in mind)
I've discovered that the more projects I take on, the harder it becomes to focus my attention on any one of them. And, at the worst, it feels like I'm forcing myself to return to earlier projects once I embark on later ones. It doesn't help that I've tried the serialization route where I release updates as I complete them instead of finishing those stories first, which is why I'm holding back my changeling fic as much as possible. Once you start something, people expect you to follow through, and you and I both know that working four or five different projects at once is untenable.
You and I need to talk about MLVH, too. We're not on any schedule to release any time soon, of course, and as I've said before, you're much further ahead in developing the project than I am right now. But if you feel like writing the comic's going to take away too much from Harmony, stick with Harmony. I don't have any problems letting MLVH slide back into the shadows.
Really, though, it's about what makes you happy, man. At the moment, I'm choosing to work on whatever strikes my fancy, and that appears to be going back through another story of mine that I haven't published and trying to change its style to be more like Vonnegut's, or Cloud Wander's. It's fun.
544884 One fic at a time's pretty hard; I should know. I just got a crazy idea for the next chapter of one of my fics, and I can't wait for it to more or less solidify.
Also, Where do you poop, Aquaman?
I agree with Alexstrazsa; it'd probably be better if you work on one fic at a time, though I won't fault you if you release a few oneshots during its run. Then again, I just want to see more Harmony.
Let the ideas vent or your brain will explode, and then none of them will get written. I'm more than okay with waiting more for Harmony updates.
Frankly, what I think doesn't really matter. You're the author, providing a service to your readers. We'll either live with whatever it is you decide, or move on to something else. That's our decision to make as readers. Your decision as a writer is purely what you want to write. I know exactly where you're coming from with the whole 'too many story ideas, not enough time' dilemma, so I am pretty much cool with whatever it is that you decide. In fact, I think it's a little unfair for others to say 'one story at a time,' although those people are right in the fact that taking things one at a time is the best way to keep an audience.
idk, I'm probably not being very clear. It's your call, man, I'll still follow you no matter what you do. (prolly because I can't be arsed to take the effort to click the watch button again to turn it off. I'm lazy.
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Maybe just produce notebooks/outlines/workups of the additional ideas, to get them out of your head and allow you to focus on finishing the monster you've unleashed? Then when it's done, you can go back to your notes for the other story ideas and flesh them out.
Focus on one item at a time. It's common sense saying that if you take on too many writing projects, you simply won't have enough time for all of them. So either systematically force yourself to crank out Harmony or just let writing take a back seat for a while until you can.
That said, I've read Harmony. I kind of mostly sorta like your style of writing. So I'd love to see you write "few extra oneshots, experimental pieces, and God only know what else". It'd be really cool.
Keep in mind that a lot of other authors have kind of done this "burnt out" thing, so don't worry. It's a normal thing, you'll work through it eventually. I have complete and utter faith in you. (seriously)
You are a fanfic writer. Your writing is an inspired homage to the things you are a fan of. Your audience is just along for the ride. As long as you don't abandon a story "because meh" I don't think your audience has any grounds to be picky about what you write, when, where, and how..
for the sake of furthering your ability, working on that one long fic is the best idea. For the sake of furthering your enjoyment (and thus perhaps boosting yourself to write more and furthering your ability through diversification and practice with new forms of writing) then work at what your muse demands (do, however, tell it a firm no when it gets to the point you're abandoning a one-shot midway through). Your readers, however, will probably be a lot more enthusiastic if you can steamroll through that long story, but hopefully forgive you if you don't, so... yeah.
My actual advice? Do pause on that long fic and do other stuff, but keep plugging at it regularly.
This exact problem is why I only release my stories in their completeness. My most recent story is an abandoned plot arc from an upcoming fic that I knew would not work with the "real" storyline, so I had to exercise it.
I know what you mean. I've got at least four ideas that I'd like to carry out after finishing my main fic. However, as tempting as those options can be, you'll eventually be pulled away from Harmony the more you indulge in those ideas. Trust me; I've done it already with three other fics from a few years ago.
As slow as those updates can be, it's best if you fight the urge to flesh out the other ideas as it'll ultimately cause disinterest in the fics you start. The more you allow yourself to dip your toes into ideas that you are excited to write about, the more boring your other ones become, and you eventually move on from the old, uncompleted one to a newer, more stimulating idea. I've had a lot of upset readers from past fics because of this bad habit I developed, and it was hard to stop.
Just speaking from experience, though. It could be totally different for you, considering you write some seriously badass fics; you're probably twice as devoted as I am in writing a fic that you started writing long ago. Also because my main fic just gets a lot of flak from interpreting popular crossover characters "incorrectly" and I find it hard to continue through all that.
Anyways, take this as you will. Best of luck for whichever option you choose.
This is my brain too. It won't shut up long enough to focus on what I need to write. I try to pull out the good ideas that pop up at the times when I can't write and hold on to them until I can, but that hardly ever happens.