You know, maybe I'm trying too hard.

[sethgray]

These past few days I have spent my time lounging in bed reading a variety of web serials that I never have read before, and probably would have turned my nose up at them even a few weeks ago. In the process of doing so, I have discovered something. I am working way too hard about about conjuring grand schemes and epic details and not doing enough actual fingers-to-keyboard pay off. The serials I've been reading lately aren't high literature; hell, sometimes they barely describe the main characters, and usually that kills any enjoyment I may have gained from the story. But you know what? I've enjoyed the hell out of myself anyway.


This is, I believe, what they call an epiphany, aka: pulling one's head out, aka: going to the dollar store and buying a clue, aka: a blinding revelation of "no, shit, really?", aka: well, you get the idea.

Every little detail doesn't need to be planned out in advance, but I can't just whip an epic master plan in my head and hit go either. Instead of the dumb ass shit I've been doing, I should have been sitting down and putting what I do have in my head down on paper. Outlines, character details, what plot points I do have already, all of this stuff I've been avoiding because it isn't fun. A master plan is all well and good, but keeping it in my head until everything has "percolated," as I like to call it, is really, really dumb.

I think in the future I'm going to put a sticky by my computer this sticky is going to say, "Forget epic. Just WRITE!"


Uh-oh, is that maturity sneaking up on me? *flicks hands* Shoo!



Oh, in case anyone's curious, here's the two pieces mainly responsible for my little change of heart:

(Shadow of the Templar)

(100 Candles)

Comments

[softbluebuddy.livejournal.com]

I think in the future I'm going to put a sticky by my computer this sticky is going to say, "Forget epic. Just WRITE!"

I think you totally have something here. I'm not much of a writer myself, meaning I have been writing for less than a year, and am self taught based on my history of reading, but not actually knowing anything technical about the process of writing.

One thing that I have noted is that when I do the thing you say about

I should have been sitting down and putting what I do have in my head down on paper

stuff kind of just flows out of me that I didn't even plan but seem really consistent with the characters that I had developed.

Good luck, and I would definitely put the sticky note on your computer.

[yahrlan.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh, is that maturity sneaking up on me? *flicks hands* Shoo!

Lol, 'maturity' is totally relative as you should already know, Seth, dear.
*Sends little monkey-bat-shaped 'maturities' at Mr.Gray* :P

Get a neon green sticky for "Forget epic. Just WRITE!"

[meilin-miranda.livejournal.com]

There is a middle ground, you know. I have the "grand arc" plotted out for my serial, and I start each book with a "where the characters are now and where they need to be when we end" sheet. I also have an arc for each book's story-in-story. But I don't know the details until I actually sit down and start writing.

Another writer friend told me once that "any process is a good process, as long as no one puts an eye out." And I subscribe to that philosophy. :)