(no subject)

[nny]

Okay. I'm asking for trouble here, I do know this. And I'm not going to get upset, or at least I'm not going to get upset enough to stop writing 'cos sadly it'd appear that's impossible.

You're welcome to post anonymously here.

I'd really appreciate perspectives on what is wrong with my writing.

Seriously.



I know I can write reasonably well. Not memorably, though, is the thing. My fics seem to be vaguely diverting, but people don't seem to think of me as a writer, really. Of course, it's possible that I'm totally off base here, but it's hard to step outside the issue here and look at it dispassionately, which is rather the problem. Anything said would help - tell me to write longer fics, tell me to stop having Crowley call Aziraphale 'angel', tell me my pacing sucks or that I should really get my fics beta read more often... anything at all.

I'd really appreciate it.

:D?

Comments

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's tough to keep writing when you're not getting much/any feedback, in part because you don't feel like there's any pressure to keep going on a storyline. Pressure is not always negative -- it helps enormously when you want to complete something and you've hit a hard part.

I don't think you necessarily need to write original fic to improve your writing. I do think that, if you want to be a better writer, the thing you need to work on most is plot. Length will come naturally if you have an engaging plot, because the more complex and entertaining the plot, the longer it will take you to express all the subtleties and nuances of it. That's just -- well, it's like the laws of physics. It's universally applicable. And the longer you spend in a single story, the more you will "own" the characters -- which is one step closer to original fic.

Now, this is not to say that I myself am a good person to talk to about plot. I suck at plots. What I'm good at is creating a situation that can't be solved quickly, thus REQUIRING plot. And it's not easy. Rex Stout said that to maintain one's integrity for the hundred thousand words needed to write a book is nearly impossible; what he meant was that it's very hard not to take the easy/dramatic/romantic route out of a story.

Okay, enough of my two cents (two dollars, by now :D). I'd like to help if you want it -- you know you have only to ask. :)