Thinking about writing...
Dec. 8th, 2002 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
out_thereReading through the SV fan fiction resources FAQ, written by TaraLJC, I came across the following advice:
5. Don't set out to write a series from the get-go. Write a self-contained, stand-alone story, and if, down the road, you write a sequel, so be it. If you are determined to write a trilogy, then plot accordingly, and keep each of the individual segments self-contained, with their own conflicts and plots that are identified and resolved by the end of each segment. Carrying sub-plots over from one to the next is fine, but ending in the "middle" of a story on a cliff-hanger is ill-advised. It's a cheap, manipulative device ...
So true. Not to mention, it can completely overwhelm you. Starting a great big huge series, even when you have it perfectly plotted in your mind, can be seriously daunting. Trust me, I speak from the voice of experience. Last SM (Sailor Moon, not BDSM) fic I wrote was a series that was far too ambitious. After a few stories I lost the urge or inclination to continue, and left the fandom altogether. (Now, I just don't want to go back to it, so it'll sit there gathering metaphorical dust forever.)
All in all, there's some seriously good advice on the site. I'm really wandering through it, considering getting back into fanfic writing. I was never a prolific writer, but I used to enjoy playing around. Plus, there's a certain satisfaction that comes from getting your ideas out in words, making them work together, and getting other people to understand what you're trying to get across.
5. Don't set out to write a series from the get-go. Write a self-contained, stand-alone story, and if, down the road, you write a sequel, so be it. If you are determined to write a trilogy, then plot accordingly, and keep each of the individual segments self-contained, with their own conflicts and plots that are identified and resolved by the end of each segment. Carrying sub-plots over from one to the next is fine, but ending in the "middle" of a story on a cliff-hanger is ill-advised. It's a cheap, manipulative device ...
So true. Not to mention, it can completely overwhelm you. Starting a great big huge series, even when you have it perfectly plotted in your mind, can be seriously daunting. Trust me, I speak from the voice of experience. Last SM (Sailor Moon, not BDSM) fic I wrote was a series that was far too ambitious. After a few stories I lost the urge or inclination to continue, and left the fandom altogether. (Now, I just don't want to go back to it, so it'll sit there gathering metaphorical dust forever.)
All in all, there's some seriously good advice on the site. I'm really wandering through it, considering getting back into fanfic writing. I was never a prolific writer, but I used to enjoy playing around. Plus, there's a certain satisfaction that comes from getting your ideas out in words, making them work together, and getting other people to understand what you're trying to get across.
