This is a tricky one because I’m not sure. On one hand I like requests a) because they are basically prompts and they get my mind spinning and coming up with ideas is fun, b) because I like making people happy. Plus I’m a shallow creature and hopefully with a request at least one person will then say something nice.
On the other hand with all the prompts and requests I do I don’t get the time to write many of my own ideas. I try and get round this sometimes by making the prompts fit my existing ideas but that often doesn’t work. I came up with the ideas because I loved them and it’s a bit like they are taunting me. I want to write ALL THE THINGS but life gets in the way. Mostly I’m just too tired and of course everything takes time.
So yeah I’m not sure. I guess I should pick rather than just say I like both because unfortunately – time – means I do have to choose what to write. Ugh I don’t know!! Pros and cons to both. I guess ultimately probably I like my own ideas best but you see requests become my own ideas too, so it’s all stuff I love to write – impossible question.
Well the first that comes to mind is Fiona/The Black Fairy
Then my brain jumps to season seven and the awesome amazing Jacinda/Cinderella who I already love to bits only after one episode.
There has to be others. Oh Pan! I don’t ‘think’ I’ve written him. As a side note I’d like to write more Cora, I feel like she’s only been background up until now if I have used her.
Ok my brain isn’t providing anymore names right now but there might well be others. Once has so many and they are usually fascinating. So many avenues to explore. For instance a season 2 Hook could be really interesting imo.
Well it’s not a story without some form of conflict – basically ‘something’ has to happen to get the characters moving across the page. That conflict imo needs some kind of emotive hook otherwise the characters (and therefore the readers) aren’t going to care. Also there’s angst and there is angst. Erm I don’t think I’m explaining this right. Probably fluff as I do like to fix things.
hydrangea: what inspired you to begin writing in the first place?
What way back when? I don’t know, that’s before my memories kick in. I was really little – writing is something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. So I really couldn’t tell you why I first picked up a crayon. Anyway, the first story I actually remember finishing was when I was 11 and it was fanfic. I had written lots of scenes before that but that was all they were – scenes/snippets, nothing completed.
Basically when I was 11 I’d never really had any friends and high school didn’t seem like it would change anything on that score. I started volunteering in the school library and this older girl was trying to make a fansite. I could make websites from scratch (very ugly ones) and so it wasn’t hard to fix the link she was struggling with. After that we were sort of friends and I got into the show she liked so we could stay that way. We fell out a year later, she was 16 and had graduated, and I was 12 and didn’t deal with conflict very well.
It got quite messy and it ended with me leaving the site we supposedly ‘co-ran’ and basically leaving that fandom which I was cool with. I’d found a new fandom by then which I actually liked. So yeah, that’s sort of how I developed my writing. Randomly until 11, fanfic until 16, original works until 26 and then a mix of original and rumbelle for the past year and a bit.
dahlia: what time of day/night is best for you to write?
Thank you for the question! I started typing out an honest answer which is probably waaaaay more honest than you intended. So as a simple answer anon earlier rather than later. When I’m tired my willpower is low and I find it difficult to do anything let alone write. I’m attempting (badly) to write first thing in the morning, I think if I can make that a routine that’s what will work best.
Oh wow. I’m tearing up a little. You are so kind and your words of support mean a great deal. I was having a pretty rubbish day but you’ve brought a real smile to my face. Thank you!
I’m going to be honest here – fandom is a toxic place sometimes. I know that seems like a non-sequitur but bear with me. I’ve been researching indie pub for a while and so I’ve been hanging around on the fringes of that community and I’ve heard tales of drama. One author has a fight with another and then their books get spammed with a ton of 1* reviews. It’s very hard to prove so the reviews usually stay in place and it has a huge negative impact.
Is it paranoia? Almost certainly. I have a phobia of conflict and I don’t believe I’ve ever upset anyone in the fandom. If I have then I unreservedly apologise but still my point remains. If I linked fandom and publishing it’s possible for someone to do real damage if they felt like it.
Maybe one day somebody decides they don’t like that I ship Swanfire, or I say something they disagree with, or I reblog something and it’s bad for some reason etc. I’m being protective I guess because publishing is huge and scary. Like I said I know it’s paranoid but I’m risk-adverse I’m sorry.
So TLDR I’m not willing to post updates publicly I’m too much of a paranoid coward. However if someone like yourself – a person whom I’ve interacted with, respect and trust (as much as you can trust strangers on the internet) were to talk to me privately I would be willing to share details then. Sort of an open secret I guess. I hope that makes sense and that you understand.
Oh good one! My instinct was to say I hadn’t written this but then I thought I had and started linking to a couple of fics. Then I re-read what you’d said and realized my first instinct was correct. I have fics where they met at work but that meeting isn’t chronicled in the fic. Unless of course just one of them being at work counts but I’m sensing no – I’m overthinking this aren’t I?
Anyway I don’t think I have.
That means I need to do the next part of this ask game and say how I’d write it if I did. Hmm well I am quite fond of my prosecutor!Gold and cop!Belle verse so I could maybe write when they met. That was when Gold got assigned Belle’s case against Cora Mills. Honestly that’s the only thing that’s coming to mind right now. I have lots of ideas on my list but none where Belle and Gold are colleagues when they meet. Hope this suffices! 🙂
That depends on what you mean by ‘publish professionally’. I have no intention to shop around for an agent and try and get signed by a trad publisher. The small outfits aren’t worth it and it’s more likely to win the lottery twice than get signed up one of the big five as an unknown.
I do however have the intention to indie publish and I’ve done more than consider it. At the moment I’m in the planning stage. I’ve picked three fics (2 published, 1 that’s in my WIP folder) and I’ve sketched a series arc linking them together. They would need to be massively expanded obviously into full length novels but the core details are already in place.
That’s the most concrete step towards adaptation that I’ve done so far but I’ve identified several other fics that I think would be good starting points for solo novels, or work well together either combined into one book or into a series. Obviously especially as an indie author it’s much better to publish a series rather than a standalone so ideally I’ll make everything work together somehow. There’s more marketing options for series, it helps hook and retain readers etc. I could go on heh.
The forums aren’t properly wiped yet (I think I’ve caught them halfway through the process) but new novels can be created! 🙂 🙂 🙂 I always love doing that 🙂
How do I know? Because I’ve actually already written some 🙂
I got fed up with being too busy to write, then when I had time being too brain dead to focus (I really need to learn how to write when I’m tired) but I digress. I said that I was going to get myself sorted this weekend and I did!
That productivity app I mentioned earlier? I used that and the default calendar app to map out my schedule. Following advice in a book (Lifelong writing habit) and because I know I respond to routine better I decided the same time everyday was best. So this morning I set my alarm for 5.50am to give myself a guaranteed solid hour between 6 and 7 to write.
I know I’ve only done it once and the real test is doing it everyday but I’m feeling pretty stoked that I actually got up and did it. The day had a 5 in the number and it’s Sunday, the urge to stay in bed where it was warm was massive, but my desire to write was greater. Also yesterday I did 6 hours of uni work so I’m feeling pretty accomplished right now. That’s a great feeling 🙂
Wow just wow. Love the passion to write!
Good news! Also, tell me about this productivity app of which you speak
The app is called Wunderlist, I have it on iPhone but I think there’s an android version. What I love about it is first and foremost it’s free. I love free, it meant it was easy to try out without wasting money.
Anyway you can create lots of lists, you can put the lists in folders, I think (though haven’t needed to use yet) that you can create sub-lists as well. I have a folder entitled “Uni” and then lists for each of my modules for example. So tasks can be broken down and organized for easy viewing.
It’s relatively simple in that I just put the title of what I’m doing e.g. “The Price We Pay Prompts” and then I set a deadline for when I want it done (this Tuesday) and there’s an option to have a reminder set. The reminder can be on push notification and/or emailed.
Once tasks are in there the app itself creates smart lists labelled “tomorrow” and “this week” so at the touch of a button all the tasks from the various lists are compiled into one screen so I can see what’s upcoming. It’s not particularly revolutionary but just having everything written down in one place is a relief on it’s own. I’m always scared I’m going to forget something important.
As I said I’m using that in conjunction with the calendar app. Now I have a clear overview of what I need to do, I have an idea of how much time I need to do it. So I’m blocking out time on my calendar to hopefully ensure it happens. It’s still early days, I have no clue whether it will work long-term but I’m pretty pleased with how it’s ticking on at the moment.
I know that’s not news to anyone. It’s not news to me either but foolishly I somehow always think it won’t apply to me. It’s like taking a week off from the gym, first session back and it’s like you’ve never been before. Well I’ve taken *cough* … well put it this way since the start of June I’ve written no more than 20k, that’s encompassing nearly four months *gulp* oops.
This week I did some overdue reflecting, planning and other mental housecleaning. I also did some physical housecleaning. I set myself up a flexible schedule and goals because I have been epic failing at accomplishing anything for ages. One of those goals was to write 1000 words a day. Easy I thought, it’ll take me half an hour I thought *snorts* yeah no, that’s not happening.
This time last year I would have been right but these days? I scraped 356 words in the end and it took probably more like an hour. I couldn’t believe it when I hit recount. Seriously there should have been more words than that!
Anyway, at least there is the maxim “slow and steady wins the race”. If I keep up with a goal of 500 words a day, I won’t get anything done very quickly but at least things will get done eventually. Plus practice does tend to improve matters so hopefully the amount will increase in time, just as it did before.
This was me earlier this year. I felt like I couldn’t get anything out, every word was a struggle. All I did was try to keep writing. Every day, even if I just stared at a blank document and thought about what I’d write.
You will get there. Yes, it’s a habit, but it’s also a mindset and I think when we get a little bit blocked, we compound it and make it worse. So write anything. Even if it’s 356 words across 3 fics. Even if you just tweak one sentence you already wrote.
I totally agree! I haven’t definitely compounded my block, so much so I think I have several blocks – I built a damn wall. Not intentionally but shit happens. Anyway, I’m going to try super hard. Blasting the block hasn’t worked, so I’ll try your suggestion and chip away at it instead.
Thank you so much for your kind words *hugs* and may I say how pleased and grateful I am that you overcame the block. I know I’m super behind on reading but one day (maybe this weekend) I’m totally going to have a fic-day and read until my eyes bleed. I just love your fic and I’m so annoyed with myself that I haven’t got to it yet, although on the other hand, it is kinda like saving up all the cake and goodies for a big blowout one day 🙂
