SoWD Weekly Motivational Post: What to do with your story and those plotbunnies/nazgûl/ninjas?

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Hi all,

I am filling in for Dawn who is away on vacation and I am posting it a wee bit earlier since I have unexpected family obligations tomorrow.

This week's motivational post is all about those ideas ideas to write about, no matter the timing!



When I started on my projects for this year’s Season of Writing Dangerously I thought that I had my stories that I wanted to write at least a bit outlined. I knew what I wanted to write and in general I knew what I wanted for character development. Now, roughly two months later I have a story edited by my beta and I wonder what happened with my well thought out plans. Did the story suffer? No, the writing journey just happened, as much as I sometimes wish a story would go, it sometimes ends up very different. I am very happy with the end result, but I do admit that I am scratching my head how A&B suddenly became M+X.

Besides that, while I was writing it, many other ideas to write about came to me. One of them seemed to be that cute little plot bunny that lived for so long with a dear friend of mine so I adopted it, but it became a plot ninja! It was very hard to put that story on hold until I did meet the deadlines I had for my other story.

This week I would like to give you the opportunity to do two things:

1. Share your writing journey here: vent away! What went differently? What stumped you? Is there something with your story that has caused a writers block on your writing journey? Maybe other participants can help you solving it.

Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
- John Steinbeck

2. Look at that corner, yes that corner where all those cutesy plotbunnies are sitting, looking at your ankles. Put them up for adoption before they turn into those viscious Plot Nazgûl! Fellow writers, if you see a plot bunny that has been put up for adoption, please let that person know. For those who do wish to avoid these plot bunnies, I have some Tevlon boots right over here!

Don't forget that these posts are SoWD participants' space to brag or vent about your progress and cheer each other on. So even if you don't want to talk about your story struggles above or want to put a plotbunny up for adoption, please feel free to use this space to talk about your projects, if you want.

And as always, if you have any ideas for how to cheer on and motivate your fellow participants in these posts--whether an inspiring quote or piece of art, or an idea for something that will encourage and help those working toward their goals, or something totally and wildly original--send me or Dawn an email or PM.

Comments

[moetushie]

1. I definitely bite off more than I can chew for SoWD -- in my defense my summer turned out to be a lot busier than I had imagined, and my SinS fic a lot longer than I'd hoped. I'm procrastinating now -- no, no, I'm lying fallow for a bit, to gather up my creative juices for another burst of writing. It's all good.

2. Oh geez, I do have a lot plot bunnies, but they don't stick around for long. I've written a Silm daemon AU -- all three hundred words of it! I don't think it'll ever get anywhere. Basically, Maedhros comes back from Angband without a daemon. Cue drama.

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Basically, Maedhros comes back from Angband without a daemon. Cue drama.

!!! THAT SOUNDS AWESOMELY FASCINATING

If you ever feel like sharing that, I might be... slightly interested. *innocent look*

[moetushie]

Aha, most of this WIP is me trying to figure who would have want daemon, even if they don't appear in the story. Sometimes it's easy -- Lúthien would have a nightgale, Maeglin, a mole. Fingon would have something big and furry and terrible loyal... And a lot of the elves, I gave bird or butterfly/moth daemons.

But actual plot with characters and stuff? Too much for me, man.

Right now it's just Fingon and Maglor discussing Maedhros' daemon-less condition.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

I have been looking at the calendar and I've been thinking: really? End of August? Where does the time go? It feels like you were just plotting your story and *poofems* the SinS deadline is there! Good luck with the last bits of your fic :)

And your bunny is awesome, it really had me thinking: wow how would that have landed, also with his brothers!

[moetushie]

August always goes by unfairly quick for me! And thank you. :)

I think it would have been very divisive, to say the least!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

You mean intercisive? *ducks and runs*

[moetushie]

*groans and throws tomatoes*

The sad thing is, this joke could be made in non-AU contexts BY CRUEL PERSONS SUCH AS YOURSELF.

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

*gets a bucket and a cloth to clean the floor* ;)

[moetushie]

I'm sorry for throwing produce over your nice motivational post.

*helps clean up*

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

Hahaha :D You don't have to apologise for having fun!