You know, I swore I'd never do it and yet I've written three in the past couple of months.
I've been an original fic writer since...cripes, I don't know. Seriously for about fifteen years. My original writing is plagued with WIP disease. I have a hard time finishing.
When I went to write a fanfic, it was AMAZING; I wrote that first story in about two days. It's a regular short-story length and it just raced out of me. It was wild. The next one I spent a bit more time on, but still, it was fast. The one I'm about to post took longer because it was a request and I had a hard time understanding one of the characters--and it was more like original fic writing for me.
Writing my original work is laborious and painful. I often don't finish. Last night I finished the first complete draft (though it's the third incarnation of this story) of a new story; that I started it in January and finished it now is an accomplishment compared to how long I usually take. It did not rush out; it crept out and dug its claws in the whole way. I had to really think hard about where each character was going.
Either way, when I finish a piece, I feel exactly the same. Odd, isn't it? It's like putting together a really hard jigsaw puzzle and setting that last piece in with a little tap.
I'm not sure why I'm writing any fanfic at all. Unlike my original work, I don't expect it to get me anywhere. But I don't keep a journal, don't keep a commonplace book or big honking notebook or anything. So I guess it's kind of like exercise. Plot is the hardest thing for me and fanfic is an opportunity to exercise the plot muscles.
And with my original work, even if it gets published the feedback is minimal. With fanfic it's instantaneous, and that is so addictive. Even if people hate it, I want to know; it's a reaction.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-05-27 05:13 pm (UTC)I've been an original fic writer since...cripes, I don't know. Seriously for about fifteen years. My original writing is plagued with WIP disease. I have a hard time finishing.
When I went to write a fanfic, it was AMAZING; I wrote that first story in about two days. It's a regular short-story length and it just raced out of me. It was wild. The next one I spent a bit more time on, but still, it was fast. The one I'm about to post took longer because it was a request and I had a hard time understanding one of the characters--and it was more like original fic writing for me.
Writing my original work is laborious and painful. I often don't finish. Last night I finished the first complete draft (though it's the third incarnation of this story) of a new story; that I started it in January and finished it now is an accomplishment compared to how long I usually take. It did not rush out; it crept out and dug its claws in the whole way. I had to really think hard about where each character was going.
Either way, when I finish a piece, I feel exactly the same. Odd, isn't it? It's like putting together a really hard jigsaw puzzle and setting that last piece in with a little tap.
I'm not sure why I'm writing any fanfic at all. Unlike my original work, I don't expect it to get me anywhere. But I don't keep a journal, don't keep a commonplace book or big honking notebook or anything. So I guess it's kind of like exercise. Plot is the hardest thing for me and fanfic is an opportunity to exercise the plot muscles.
And with my original work, even if it gets published the feedback is minimal. With fanfic it's instantaneous, and that is so addictive. Even if people hate it, I want to know; it's a reaction.