Waiting for my laptop

[cleolinda]

So I came up with another short story idea yesterday while watching TV--it didn't fall on my head quite as fully formed as the one the other day, so I think it could use more time rolling around in my head. The ending's a pretty basic, common twist, so the point of the story--the So What of it, as my first English professor used to say--has got to be what leads up to it. It's got to be the kind of ending that enriches what came before, rather than just (try to) give you a DUN DUN DUNNNN moment. So. I think that's going to take a while to develop.

It's all good, though, because the hardest thing for me is coming up with concepts. I'm much more interested in and work better with character, and could write shorter one-offs about established characters, but when you're writing just a stand-alone short story, you don't really have enough room to get really, really deep into that, so it's more the theme, the So What, that takes precedence. The idea, really. And that's hard for me, to come up with stand-alone concepts. I don't know.

*obligatory whine about cleaning*

Comments

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

This is the perfect time to spend hours being manhandled by your muse. Fewer shinies to distract, enough turmoil to feed your insights, enough frustration to acid-wash your voice. I'm not saying the C*m*ll* experience was a blessing in disguise, but if anyone can make something positive out of such a prolonged downtime, 'twould be you. The ultimate saving grace of the last few days, though, is probably going to be simply having survived them and having met your psychic trauma quotient for the rest of the year.

[char-isa-pirate.livejournal.com]

I know exactly how you feel. I can write short story after short story based on characters rather than what actually moves them around the world they live in, but when it comes to making complex, interesting plots, I find it difficult. The So What Syndrome. :)

Agh. I look forward to finding a way around it/watching you do the same. You're awesome. <3

[aliaras.livejournal.com]

I've got similar issues, although mine tend to be more a deep love of worldbuilding and absolutely no idea what to do with that. I have an imaginary planet populated with diverse imaginary people with imaginary issues and language and history and all that business, and I STILL don't have a story, because it feels like there's nothing INTERESTING going on.

[constancedh.livejournal.com]

That sounds really fascinating.... :)

[redcoast.livejournal.com]

I get thousands of ideas and I have no follow-through.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

Very cool! Short stories are great. Good luck with the development part. That's good writing practice, no matter what. :)

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

I'm no writer myself, but for some reason I love it when other writers tell me that they've found an idea they like. My husband writes, and I'm always genuinely happy when he finds an idea even though I don't know anything about what the idea might be.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Ideas are such strange things, aren't they?

[r-a-black.livejournal.com]

Mhm. And it kinda sucks to see when he's lost interest in one. He gives parts of them to me sometimes for me to give an opinion on even when he's lost interest in the idea, and I'll often be like, "I like this, why aren't you continuing with it again?" "Just lost interest." "Oh... okay." Because I can't really push him if he doesn't feel it anymore, amirite? It just wouldn't flow for him anymore which, like I said, kinda sucks.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

I've had naughty slash bunnies for not one, but two fandoms tap dancing in my head all day long, but yet nothing seems to allow itself to be typed. Heck, they've even been crossing themselves in this silly skull of mine. Yet, still nothing when I sit down and attempt to type.

Writing

[suzeclues12.livejournal.com]

It's funny how - when you have certain constraints, creativity sometimes leaps up and hugs your brain (if you know what I mean).

I wonder sometimes if the Brontes would have done what they did if they weren't stuff up in that parsonage, scrounging for paper, writing in tiny tiny letters and hiding it from each other at times....

Of course, it may not be so much the constraint of being computer-less as "enforced change of routine?" I think think this is part of NANOWRIMO's charm.....

[edda.livejournal.com]

Your persistent creativity in the face of stress is making me look bad. Please stop.

[editornia.livejournal.com]

Noooo! No, please don't stop, Cleo!! ;)

I need to read about cleolinda's pursuits of creativity while my own muse is on an extended holiday (grrr). Cleo inspires me to try to write more. :)

[gorgeousnerd]

I'm the exact opposite from your usual; I come up with concepts super easy, and making them seem character-driven instead of contrived or tied to the plot is one of the hardest things for me. But I'm getting better!

[youngcurmudgeon.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with writing -- "shorter one-offs about established characters" is what I do. Plot? Not so much. It's what stops me from finishing things I try to write, and it drives me nuts.

I'm linking this here because other commenters might find it interesting: Jane Espenson used to keep a blog about writing for TV, and she said something really awesome (http://www.janeespenson.com/archives/00000604.php) about creating original characters that I still go back to. (Mostly, to be honest, because I'm all "look, a Real Writer has the same problems I do!")

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time thinking of situations for one-off story characters, but basically, I tend to phrase stories as, how does this character react to this situation, and what does that say about him or human nature in general? I do try to pick some kind of defining moment, a decision, or a revelation to write about, rather than an action plot. I had one story about an older man with heart trouble who became terrified that sex with his much younger wife would kill him, but he loves her, he wants to make her happy, so what does he do? And keep in mind that this is not a logical choice to sit down between the two of us and discuss what he should do; this is his state of mind, what does this fear say about him, and what does his decision say? Which sounds really dry and intellectual, but that's the underpinning of the story; you don't want anyone to be able to see the gears working by the time you're done.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Short stories are definitely harder in that you have to try and fit everything you want to say into a small amount of text that has impact and makes a strong point. I find they take me a long time to get from a point of "this is kind of nice to read" to "Oh, I'm actually saying something here." Heh.

[dachelle.livejournal.com]

I have a really hard time writing short stories. Of course, I write RPS fic, so it might not be "real" writing, but like you I prefer working with characters rather than plots, and I find that I fall so in love with the characters that their story just ends up continuing and continuing and continuing, and I look back and wonder how on earth I got to over 300,000 words based on an idle musing I had three years ago about what the Libertines would be like if they were a boyband. When I do write short stories it's either little vignettes or PWPs. I admire people who can write concise, punchy short stories!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

See, my problem is, my story ideas turn into ideas for entire novels. Which is great and all, but you're more likely to finish ten short stories than you are ten full novels. Particularly if you have a hard time finishing anything, period. And maybe this is why it's easier for me to spin short stories off novels--little tangents that don't really fit within the narrative--than to try to keep one-offs from getting any bigger.

[savvy-implet.livejournal.com]

It's the same way for me - characters, their connections, and their worlds come to me so much more easily than the actual situation they're in.. Which is why I suck so hard at short stories.

[beag-beran.livejournal.com]

I'm in awe of anyone who can come up with ideas at all! I could write OK fan fiction, if I ever got around to writing it down, but I'm completely stumped when it comes to coming up with anything of my own...

[pennylane1942.livejournal.com]

Are you acquainted with flash fiction? It's very useful if you're really into a character or an idea but you don't think you can stretch it to short story length. You know how short stories are sort of like super-concentrated novels? Well flash fiction is sort of like a super-concentrated short story. And there are virtually no rules apart from the idea that it should be very short, so you can just do what you want, whatever works. Sometimes messing with flash pieces helps me filter my ideas and leads to a short story anyway, but there is a market for flash, if you're interested.

[editornia.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you know about Flash Fiction? I always have trouble figuring that out... is it just very short fiction? Are there any specific rules or guidelines? I'd love to write Flash Fiction, but it confuses me terribly.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Actually, yeah--when I was in college, I had a professor who was really into that (and actually, this would have been about ten years ago, now that I think of it). We printed up some of ours and left them on the cafeteria tables as a project (we were so weird). I've written a few stories that are only a paragraph, or a page. I wrote a one-paragraph story about Mata Hari that I really liked--I was actually able to line-break it into a poem as an alternate version, which is kind of how you have to think of it at that short a length.

(Who's publishing flash at the moment?)

Oh God, what was my favorite one ever--it was a six-word story of Neil Gaiman's:

"I’m dead. I’ve missed you. Kiss … ?"

(Strangely, I had remembered it as "I'm dead. Back now. Kiss me.")

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2006/10/short-short-shorts.html

[greedyskunk.livejournal.com]

Oooh, my favorite flash from Gaiman is "Nicholas Was..." It's a very creepy take on Santa Claus and is only 100 words long, title included.

[xerinmichellex.livejournal.com]

I'm terrible at writing short stories. I like building worlds and to condense it all makes me twitch; so more power to you for writing in shorter version.

Typically, when I get story ideas I get a burst of different stories/themes in a short period of time. It's the same with writing poetry. I write one poem and soon after I've written another three and then nothing else for a period of time.

[lisa-zj.livejournal.com]

You know, they say all things for a reason, right? Maybe that's why you've had this plague of trouble to get a new computer, to allow you to have some creative time.

[editornia.livejournal.com]

I can think up an entire storyline, great characters, the works, but when I come to writing it down- it all comes undone, and I sit there staring at a blank screen or blank (unlined- I can't *write* on lined) piece of paper for what seems like hours. My muse either hates me, or gives me a great storyline thought and then goes away on a long holiday. :/

Good Luck getting your story down on paper! :)

[kunenk.livejournal.com]

This is kind of the situation I've got going at the moment- I know more or less what's going on, or meant to be going on, but getting it out of my head…

And on the way it sometimes turns out not entirely the way I'd wanted, which can sometimes be better, but other times not so much.

*seconds the luck*

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Please excuse the presumption, but I'm having some computer issues (http://cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com/287820.html) of my own at the moment, and I'm hoping that some of your other readers - more skilled at troubleshooting network problems than I - will be able to assist me in finding a solution.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Sure thing, I'll put it in the next entry.