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Challenge #11
In your own space, Interact with someone. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
The other day, ysabetwordsmith posted about how her approach to writing original fiction was different from how she writes fan fic. Naturally, a post like that can’t help but make me go, “Hmmm. Do I have different ways of writing both kinds of stories.” So I took a little time, let the ideas percolate a bit, and think I have an answer of sorts.
When I’m writing fic, the place where I start is the characters, because that’s what draws me to various fandoms. Characters first and then story. So I have my list of favorite characters, and if I’m going to write a fic, I’ll ask, “Who do I want to play with today?” and pick a character(s) I’d want to write about. Then I’ll shuffle around narrative situations that spark joy in me to settle on what I want to write. Form and structure play a part in the decision-making process at this point too. Single POV or multiple POV characters? First or third person? Do I want to do something special with the narrative, like end one character’s POV section with the same line I use to open the next POV character’s section with the last line echoing the first line? After that, I settle in and write the damn fic.
Since I don’t have a nice ready-made pool of characters and story and world when I’m writing original fiction, I don’t always start with character. In fact, I don’t usually start with character. Usually, I get a glimpse of a scene or conflict and I build up story and characters from that. For example, in one case I saw a couple dancing in a fancy ballroom, and I knew that there was tension and disapproval coming from the onlookers. So then I’d play the question game: Who are the characters? Why are they at a ball? Why don’t people want them together? Do they realize the temperature of the crowd? Do they react to it? How? And story builds around that as questions get answers that generate new questions.
However, sometimes, I’ll start original fiction with a general idea. I’ll think, “I want to write a twisted fairy tale,” or, “I want to write a ghost story.” If I have an idea as a starting point and am lucky, I’ll have that flash of a scene or conflict to launch my process. If not, I’ll default to answering questions, and hope that will generate the characters/conflict I need. Things like: What fairy tale do I want to work with? What elements of the tale do I need? What will I change? Do I want the same moral or a different one? What will the setting/world be like?
I guess, my process is different for both forms too. Because I have pre-made elements to work with when I’m writing fic, I can dip into those wells and focus primarily on how I want to put those things together to create a new story. However, when I’m writing original fiction, I don’t have that same well of resources, so I start with a few puzzle pieces (if I’m lucky) or I make them through questioning/brainstorming. Then I work on putting them together into some kind of pleasing pattern where everything fits/locks together.
Anyone else have any thoughts about making stories? I’d love to hear from you.
Banner by Seleneheart.
In your own space, Interact with someone. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.
The other day, ysabetwordsmith posted about how her approach to writing original fiction was different from how she writes fan fic. Naturally, a post like that can’t help but make me go, “Hmmm. Do I have different ways of writing both kinds of stories.” So I took a little time, let the ideas percolate a bit, and think I have an answer of sorts.
When I’m writing fic, the place where I start is the characters, because that’s what draws me to various fandoms. Characters first and then story. So I have my list of favorite characters, and if I’m going to write a fic, I’ll ask, “Who do I want to play with today?” and pick a character(s) I’d want to write about. Then I’ll shuffle around narrative situations that spark joy in me to settle on what I want to write. Form and structure play a part in the decision-making process at this point too. Single POV or multiple POV characters? First or third person? Do I want to do something special with the narrative, like end one character’s POV section with the same line I use to open the next POV character’s section with the last line echoing the first line? After that, I settle in and write the damn fic.
Since I don’t have a nice ready-made pool of characters and story and world when I’m writing original fiction, I don’t always start with character. In fact, I don’t usually start with character. Usually, I get a glimpse of a scene or conflict and I build up story and characters from that. For example, in one case I saw a couple dancing in a fancy ballroom, and I knew that there was tension and disapproval coming from the onlookers. So then I’d play the question game: Who are the characters? Why are they at a ball? Why don’t people want them together? Do they realize the temperature of the crowd? Do they react to it? How? And story builds around that as questions get answers that generate new questions.
However, sometimes, I’ll start original fiction with a general idea. I’ll think, “I want to write a twisted fairy tale,” or, “I want to write a ghost story.” If I have an idea as a starting point and am lucky, I’ll have that flash of a scene or conflict to launch my process. If not, I’ll default to answering questions, and hope that will generate the characters/conflict I need. Things like: What fairy tale do I want to work with? What elements of the tale do I need? What will I change? Do I want the same moral or a different one? What will the setting/world be like?
I guess, my process is different for both forms too. Because I have pre-made elements to work with when I’m writing fic, I can dip into those wells and focus primarily on how I want to put those things together to create a new story. However, when I’m writing original fiction, I don’t have that same well of resources, so I start with a few puzzle pieces (if I’m lucky) or I make them through questioning/brainstorming. Then I work on putting them together into some kind of pleasing pattern where everything fits/locks together.
Anyone else have any thoughts about making stories? I’d love to hear from you.
Banner by Seleneheart.