Semi-serious thoughts

[rosiphelee]

When I did my first degree, my tutor had a number of watchwords he used to frequently remind us of (much in the same way as Mad-Eye Moody 'reminds' people of the need for constant vigilance). His favourite was 'intellectual adventure.' Whatever we did, whichever options we chose, we were supposed to approach them in that spirit. At the time, like most students, I didn't appreciate it. It's stayed with me, though, and I find myself using it as a standard from time to time.

The lack of intellectual adventure was certainly one of the factors in making me look towards teaching. I was thinking about it again this morning, when Becca posted about why she wrote. The following suggestions all result from where my brain went next. I'm trying to start a discussion here, so please argue with me, make suggestions, etc.

I've given up wondering why I write. What interests me more is how. I've been thinking about it more and more over the last few weeks, with a certain amount of dissatisfaction. I'm not complaining or looking for sympathy here. It's a very nice rut, and I can steer along it competently, but it's still a rut. Where, in all this writing I churn out, is the adventure? Where is the passion and the challenge? What happened to the impetus to push myself into improving?

In this context, I've been thinking about fanfiction. I'm not interested in starting a debate about the pros and cons of what they write over there. What interests me is how they write. The immediate sense I get from fandom is of energy. People write for the love of it. They challenge each other; spark off each other; mess about and experiment. Why isn't this happening with original fiction? Where are our prompt communities? Where are our challenges? Our writing memes? Drabbles? Timed contests? Crack fests? Why are they having more fun than us?

I realise the virtue of steady writing. Being able to keep going in the face of writer's block and lack of inspiration is one of the things that seperates the potential professional from the amateur. The flipside of that, though, is the risk of getting stale. I also understand that it's easier for people to take risks in fandom, where they're not hurting their own characters, or messing up their own worlds.

Which all comes down to the simple conclusion that I'm going to start messing about. Does anyone else feel the same? Are there other things we could be doing? What about book discussions? We all have overlapping taste in fiction - could we organise a book group of some sort where we nominate a book a month and all set aside a few hours at the end of the month to join in a discussion? Thoughtful reading is, imho, one of the most useful skills for a writer. Or technical discussions? I know we're all pretty good at constructive criticism (yes, I know I've been lax, but you all know how ashamed I am) but what about more general discussions of how to tackle character or world-building or similar broad topics?

It seems, and this is a general observation, not an attack on anyone because I know that different people approach things differently, that we're not using livejournal widely enough. We've got the amazing advantage of a group of like-minded writers and their expertise, and a forum which allows multi-thread discussions. Why don't we use it a bit more? At the moment my LJ bears more resemblance to a primary school news' book than a writer's blog or interactive space. It seems a waste.

Does anyone else think it might be fun to make a mess?

Comments

[paantha.livejournal.com]

Wow. Ok, well somehow I managed to miss reading this post but now I've come back, spotted it and read it all.

*huggles*

I totally understand. What was fun about elfy -- the mad commenting sprees, the lemming/poppet wars, the GBmen and GB selkies, drunken character parties, etc. all with multiple people involved seem to have peetered out. Added to that, no one really seems to update much any more -- on LJ or elfy.

Over the past few months, all I've been reading is Becca's stuff (Tempest, Song, Sea Fever) and Shanra's stuff (Tides), plus Joelle's 2nd book via email. Maybe that sounds like a lot, but it isn't really. Not that I'm blaming anyone at all for not writing or for not updating. Anyway, that would be mighty hypocritical of me, seeing as I'm one of the worst offenders of the lot. What have I written in the past month? Nothing. In the past three months? Nothing. In the past 5 months? Well, I've started Rowan and started a random challenge and finished neither. I've also got a Shaiel-challenge a waiting that I really can't think of anything to write about.

I am terrible.

Sometimes I wonder if I really should be calling myself a writer at all.

Ok, so I've been thinking about WtF recently. And I think that pretty soon --namely after my exams-- I will probably start back on writing that, starting from near-scratch again. But still, a writer? Me?

Why did I write before? Well, purely for the fun of it. I wrote (and write) purely what comes up as I'm typing. Yeah, I play around with the world at other times, and plan it through a bit, but the plot is mainly just random inspiration hitting at the moment. I love the tingle of something snapping together, something becoming clear. I love having twisty plots (although mine may be rather thin -- but never mind, I am a beginner, I accept that) and, maybe even more than people praising my work directly, I love seeing people keep reading because they care about the characters, or because they really can't see what's coming ahead, or what their past might be, and so they have to read on.

Briefly, minutely, I felt that with WtF. Hopefully, when I start writing it again, I'll feel that again. We shall see.

As for memes, discussions, co-authoring and general messing around. I would love to. I would love to do more challenges -- small things, though, at least for the main of it -- ok, I started real real late on Rowan, but the fact remains that I still haven't finished it.

I think we should use talechasing more -- put up challenges, questionnaires to be filled out by characters, do mini-writing challenges like drabbles and the like, etc. etc.

Theirvoices could be used too -- I'm sure it would be loads of fun (and helpful writing-wise) to really try to get into a character's shoes. And people could do those character interview-things like someone (Shanra?) was thinking about doing a while back.

As for co-writing or muck-about writing worlds that everyone can use. Well, for what it's worth, I've got the very basic beginnings of an angel-based world that people can use if they want. Ok, so technically it was meant to be for a book of mine, but hell, like I'm ever going to even finish WtF any time soon, let alone another book. If you want to know what I've worked out for the world of that (which is very minimal, I must say, so it's very open to people playing around with it if they like) then just ask.

The fact is, elfy isn't fun any more. It's pretty dead really. We don't really post there like we used to, we don't have fun there like we used to. The people who come by my stories (ok, admittedly, I haven't written updated in over a year, so obviously you guys can't be blamed for not reading and commenting since you've DONE IT ALREADY) are random people, almost always people in their early teens who are just starting out writing, and you feel obliged to go back and read and comment. But you're not really doing it for fun. Not really for the reading either -- it's not that good, and more than half the time they don't appreciate or return your constructive crit. YOu just do it cause it's what you do. Which is no fun at all.

[paantha.livejournal.com]

Umm, wow, never overshot the LJ comment word-limit before...

Anywho::

Writing should be fun. Reading should be fun.

And I think without some sort of something, we're all going to start drifting off, which would be a terrible shame. Ok, so LJ was fun for a while. To start with, it was kinda cool to read about what your elfy-friends were up to when they weren't writing, it was kinda fun -- and it helped me make more friends -- Brandi & Shanra. But, ok, that shine has worn off it. All we're really doing now is reading about the lives of people on the other side of the globe. And that thing that linked us all together -- that we're writers and readers of fantasy -- somehow is getting a bit lost in the countless real-life LJ posts.

I must say that I rarely post on LJ -- I don't really do diaries, and why would you lot all want to know what I got up to on Friday night with a whole load of people you've never met and will never meet?

Ok, so I've gone on -- I've ranted a whole lot here. Just to let you know, I'd really really like to do some of this -- random messing-about writing. However, I must say that I won't be able to for about a month. I've got exams and, horrid as they are, they're pretty vital. A-levels, and all that. Nasty things, but needed if I want to go to uni in Sept. And, to be honest, if I can't go to uni (not that I see this as going to happen, even if I completely screw up my exams) I really can't see what I'd ever actually do with my life after now. I need to get my A-levels so I can go to uni, so I can get a degree, so I can go do lab-based science. And now this is turning into an even more pointless rant about education, which you know all about anyway.

So I'm going now.

*huggles*

[rosiphelee.livejournal.com]

(replying to both in one)

First off, you are not terrible *hugs* You write, your want to write, and your characters are still alive to you. That makes you a writer in my book.

I can understand why a lot of the Elfy madness stopped - a lot of people have been munched on by RL recently. But, even when one had no time to write great epics, that doesn't mean not writing at all. There are things - like the drabbles and mini-challenges - which can keep the fun alive.

(I also agree about the quality of Elfy commenting dropping off. Partly, it's because I just can't devote the time to Elfy that I used to, but I'm sure the time I spent mentoring used to be balanced by the fantastically good stuff. I'm not doing either anymore)

I think LJ has had a mixed effect. Certainly there are people I'm friends with now that I wouldn't have been without it. You're right, though - the real life posts have drowned out the creativity. I think it's time we remember why we all became friends to start with. We either do nothing and let things drfit apart, or we can try to rescue it before it gets worse. I think we've made a good start this weekend. It may yet fail, but at least we're trying.

Of course, your A-Levels take priority. You won't appreciate this, but I think you'll be alright. Just keep calm, and try not to get distracted. You haven't done what I did, which was taking advantage of study leave to start a new novel.

*hugs*