Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Planet Tales => Topic started by: Syn on March 18, 2018, 09:02:18 PM

Title: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Syn on March 18, 2018, 09:02:18 PM

What the title says.

For me, it's staying interested. I can come up with ideas, maybe even flesh them out, but once I start writing them I run out of steam after ~15 pages and stop caring about the material. This is, of course, not so great.

I've tried writing from the seat of my pants (no planning) and also after drawing out an outline. Same result, I just stop caring. It is a significant obstacle.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 18, 2018, 09:28:20 PM

I've always fancied I had all the tools to be good -and evidence DOES exist that I'm right- but I just don't think in stories unless I'm talking story with someone else, usually about their work.  I have nothing to say, as a fiction writer on my own.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Syn on March 18, 2018, 10:02:00 PM

I find myself the opposite in that regard. I'm completely hopeless when talking about other peoples' stories. It's why I tend to avoid in-person workshops where that's the focus, especially during NaNoWriMo. I simply don't possess an interest in hearing about someone's work and would rather just read it.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 18, 2018, 10:09:49 PM

My sister is a (gifted) Star Trek fanfic writer -like, actually a minor Name Fan in ST fandom- she started training me in talking story when I was 13 or less as the handiest ST aficionado IRL to read her trilogy of novels.  I learned much of structure and plot and such from those talks, and that and being capaciously widely-read from way younger gave me the tools I needed and I even have the imagination, but not imagination for ideas to write myself.

-Witness all the GotM fictions, a lot of pressure, but I killed, but the ideas and the motivation to do the work came with them...

The only other thing I got in that sock is two stories I wrote for a college class Orson Scott Card (wasn't a reactionary then) taught, which both got As (motivation supplied, if not ideas).  -If I ever stumble over copies, I'll have to see what an OCR scanner an do with old dot matrix printouts so I can post them here.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 19, 2018, 01:23:23 AM

Incidentally, just as well ask here. See the feather bottom left in my postbit?  That's the hovertexted "Planet Takes writer" badge, 'cause I totally have a few stories posted in here.  Now you done started a thread that's a) about writing stories and is public activity in here, very desirable, and b) a resource for writers written down.

I could go either way on whether you get a badge already - I could make either a lesser or greater badge for posting/commenting anything -awarded when I remember- and another you have to post an actual creative work to get.  I'll probably just award you now if you'd like a little feather.  -Also, you can cause your Writers' group icon to show in your postbit if you like that better than a SMACX PC rank and icon.  It's a larger quill.

Since I'm talking business off topic anyway, you might be interested in our two Rec Commons art threads, Uno's Random Crap thread, and my own Masks and other Art...

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Syn on March 19, 2018, 02:23:44 AM

I'll post something real in this section soon enough, I'm hoping. No need to give me an award I haven't yet earned. ;)

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 19, 2018, 02:33:50 AM

[shrugs] That kind of goodie is value-added to help keep people happy, and I can make more.

-Wait no; not until you post a story, sir, chop chop.

I should at least wait a day between spamming your thread, to bump or something.  Sorry.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Syn on March 19, 2018, 02:37:15 AM

What kind of fiction are you most wanting here?

Besides SMAC, since, well... I don't know nothin' about no SMAC.  :P

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 19, 2018, 02:53:44 AM

Anything and everything.  We hardly expect to only accept Sister Miram stories and still hope to build a writing community.  You've seen the swear filter instructions in Adult Fiction, and you cannot get in trouble for guessing wrong what's allowed in public, when I haven't made decent guidelines.  -We'll just fix it and try to work something out. Geeky SF/fantasy would probably go over best with the audience demographic in place, but mundane genres might build mundane lurker traffic, which I wouldn't mind.

We've got a little content - some of the stories are good.  But we need activity drawing more activity.  I want a community in this sub, and can't supply much more content, and can't converse or talk story with myself.  Posting stories and talking about writing draws eyes, a few of whom join and post more and talk more - and so on.  There isn't zero lurker traffic, and I can promote stories on (gag) Facebook to draw more...

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Syn on March 19, 2018, 03:06:33 AM

Okay. I'll go through my files. Maybe I have a few intact roleplaying samples laying around still that are lengthy enough to post.

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Mart on March 19, 2018, 07:27:51 PM

Quote from: Syn on March 19, 2018, 02:37:15 AM

What kind of fiction are you most wanting here?

Besides SMAC, since, well... I don't know nothin' about no SMAC.  :P

There is some info on the world/universe of SMACX forums/wiki sites etc., but probably the best way to get acquainted with the main story is to watch "let's plays" on youtube, if not to play yourself.
Another thing, which I find especially good background info source, is GURPS adaptation:
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/alphacentauri/ (http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/alphacentauri/)

The hard cover may be somewhat expensive, but there may be some e-book versions for rent online.

And the trilogy by Ely is very good, but some people may not agree with it.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ely+alpha+centauri (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ely+alpha+centauri)

From fan-fiction, my favourite, which actually I read now, is Spartan Chronicles. There is some link to it on this forum.

In general, anything that fits science-fiction of human race developing on an alien planet several hundreds years from now will be "in-theme."

Title: Re: What is the hardest part of writing long-form fiction for you?
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 19, 2018, 07:49:04 PM

I do not agree w/ Ely.