I am officially insane

[jaybee65]

Just signed up -- on a whim! -- for Nanowrimo. I've been toying with the idea of trying original fiction for a while now, for a variety of reasons, and yet I never seem to actually get around to doing it

Comments

[ms_artisan]

Oh, yay!! GO you! :)

[jaybee65]

I might crash and burn, but unlike a fic exchange, I won't be disappointing a recipient if I do, so no guilt involved. LOL.

[perverseparagon]

Huzzah! More people are slowly being pulled into the insanity that is nanowrimo. You'll do brilliantly, I can't wait to see what you decide to write :D

[jaybee65]

It's very exciting! Although frightening, too. *Wonders what I just got myself into*

[raptor47]

\o/ You'll have so much fun!

I remember taking the dive myself a couple of years ago. Like you I had very little to go on when November began.

Do keep us updated on your progress.

[jaybee65]

I will! It will be fun, even if I don't finish.

[swatkat24]

YAYAY! You're going to share, yes?

[jaybee65]

Sure, once I figure out what I'm doing!

I'm leaning toward a story idea that involves ghosts, quasi-time-travel and/or time/space-travel, and the history of San Francisco. The drawback is that I will have to educate myself better about the history of San Francisco! But my other, less research-y idea is a lot less fleshed-out, so I don't think it's an option.

[sk56]

Oh, this is good news! I've watched this deadline come and go for a couple of years, and haven't had the combination of inspiration and time to make the commitment, but am always interested in what comes of it. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[jaybee65]

Well, I always lacked the proper inspiration and time as well. And then I realized if I waited until I had adequate amounts of those things, I would probably wait forever! So I'm just going to fling myself into it, come what may.

I've felt really restless and dissatisfied about fanfic for a while, as well, which has also helped me decide to do this. I like the possibilities of fanfic in theory, but in practice, fandom is *so* pairing-focused! I just don't fit in, and I feel more and more out of step and isolated the longer I stay. What I want to write about has no real community constituency, and as a result, all of the things that are wonderful about fandom kind of fall away. Which leaves me writing for myself. Which begs the question: if I'm going to be writing for myself anyway, why not go all the way and create my own universe?

Anyway, we'll see how it goes!

[sk56]

Your observations about inspiration and time are quite true. Even so, I have to let this year's window go, but I'm thrilled that you're taking it on. Many of the things that I think have been strongest about your fanfiction (very clear plotting/laying foundations for actions and motivations, good pacing, nice balance of show and tell) will translate pretty straight across to "original" fiction. We've all talked about the short cuts that fanfiction offers, especially in the creation and description of characters/relationships (not the pairing so much as the larger net of who knows what about who) and main settings. That's the place you'll have to do the most work, but it's also the place where you'll have freedom you don't have in the fannish world

[jaybee65]

You're right, I'm going to have to do a lot of adjusting to deal with the differences between fan fiction and original fiction. That will be a challenge! But it's also something new to learn, which is always kind of nice.

You really should consider doing this someday. I think you already do a lot of the character and world-building anyway, even in your fan fiction, so the adjustment would be a lot less dramatic for you.